Lord Lead the Way – Exodus 13:17-22, Numbers 9:15-23
The children of Israel had been in captivity. They served as slaves in Egypt under Pharaoh’s leadership, a man who had forgotten Joseph and what God had done for his country under Joseph’s godly leadership. God sends a man named Moses to deliver His people from this bondage. After the ten plagues, Pharaoh finally decides to let God’s people go.
In our story today we immediately see a truth regarding God’s leading in our lives. God knows what we can handle. He knows what we are ready for physically, mentally and spiritually. The shortest route from Egypt to the promise land is only a few 100 miles at the most. But the shortest route is not always the best route. God knows that this route leads the people straight through the land of the Philistines. It’s not that God can’t handle the Philistines; there is no battle that the Lord is not able to give us the victory in. But God knows the heart of men as well. He knows that at this time the people are beat down. They’ve gone through years of hard labor and trials. Their moral is low; their bodies are weak and tired. God knows they are not up to the shortcut. He’s believes that if they face the Philistines at this time that they will not even attempt to fight. They will just turn and run back to Egypt. They will turn their backs without even giving God a chance to give them the victory.
There are many shortcuts in life that sometimes present themselves, shortcuts that God has cautioned us against. There are those who shortcut marriage, choosing to live together, a trial run they call it. There are those who take financial shortcuts, hoping that a roll of the dice or a lottery ticket will replace the years of hard work that others have put in to get to where they are now at. Many of these shortcuts leave us in positions that God never intended for us to be in, making choices we’re not ready to make. God did not lead us to the place where we find ourselves at and yet we then call out to Him for help, for guidance, for leadership. Follow God’s plan from the start. Stay in the path in which He leads. If you do stray, pray for His guidance to get back to where you should be.
And that is what we really want to talk about this morning. Lord, lead the way. A parallel passage to the one here in Exodus is Numbers 9:15-23. The people of Israel are going to follow God’s leading for the next 40 years. They will not always obey His leading but they will have His guidance available to them. They have something to follow that we don’t have today. God’s presence was manifested to them as a cloud by day and a fire by night. That would be nice in some ways wouldn’t it? Forget having a GPS to help you find an address. Just follow the cloud, follow the pillar of fire. (The cloud just made a left up there at that next street. Look, the pillar of fire has stopped right there in front of that house. This must be the place.) But we have something better! Each believer has the Holy Spirit living within them, giving them guidance and counsel throughout life.
The Word of God promises that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We are filled with the Holy Spirit. We can be controlled by the Holy Spirit if we’ll allow ourselves to be. We can be counseled by the Holy Spirit. We can be comforted by the Holy Spirit. I don’t need another cloud over my house. I’m thankful for the spring rains but I like the sunshine too. I don’t need another light outside my house at night. I grew up in the country. You could go out at night and look up at the stars. You could see the Milky Way. You could see the constellations. If I go outside where I live now all I see is an occasional jet flying over. The street light in front of my house lights up every room on the front of my house as though it were the middle of the day. But what I do want, what I do need is the Holy Spirit, God Himself living in me, guiding me, counseling me.
Back to our story, Numbers 9:17 tells us that when the cloud was taken up then the people journeyed. When the cloud stopped, the people stopped and pitched their tents. By the way, I noticed something interesting that goes along with this story, something that we’re told about back in Numbers 2. God gave Moses specific instructions regarding the order of the camp. Every place that they stopped and pitched their tents, they were to do so in a specific manner. The tabernacle where the people worshipped, the priests who cared for the tabernacle and who offered the sacrifices were to always be right in the middle. It was the central point of the community, God and the church in the middle, the focal point of all that was done. Like the hub of a wheel holding everything together, there was God and the tabernacle. That was always God’s plan. God does not want the church to be out on the outskirts of our lives, out on the edge of town, a destination that we reach on Sunday morning and Sunday night. God is to be central to our lives all week long, in all that we do. God taught this lesson to the people through His design of their camp.
Verse 19 tells us that sometimes that cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle, many days. When the cloud tarried, the people tarried. I am reminded of Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. There’s nothing wrong with waiting upon the Lord. Sometimes God knows we need rest. I’m reminded of the prophet Elijah who became so weary that God had to send him on a little vacation. While it did not rain and the land suffered a great drought, God’s man was suffering from a spiritual drought. He had to learn to rest and to trust in the Lord.
Sometimes it’s a matter of waiting on God’s timing. Sometimes we call this God’s hand of providence. How many times have I gotten stopped at a red light when I was in such a hurry only to see an accident happen down the road that I might have been involved in had I made it through the light? Or though I hate to admit it, how many times did some slower older driver slow me down when I was in such a hurry only to see a police car sitting a block later with his radar gun on. I have a hard time believing that God protects me from my own foolishness but I can’t discredit how many times it has happened. I have learned to slow down. There’s nothing wrong with waiting on the Lord. It’s really what we’re instructed to do. There’s no rush to buy a car off the used car lot. Go home and pray about it. If God wants you to have it the car will still be there tomorrow. I saw a sign the other day on a used car salesman’s desk that said THE CAR YOU LIKED TODAY AND SAID YOU’D THINK ABOUT TILL TOMORROW MAY BE THE SAME CAR THAT SOMEBODY ELSE LIKED YESTERDAY AND SAID THEY WOULD THINK ABOUT UNTIL TODAY. Meaning you’d better buy it now if you really like it because somebody else may snatch it up while you’re thinking about it. There’s no such problem when God is leading. WAIT ON THE LORD!
Verse 21 tells us that whenever the cloud moved the people moved. But sometimes the cloud turned to fire and as the people were gathered in their tents at night suddenly the pillar would begin to move. No matter the time of night, when the cloud moved, the people moved. It’s easy to follow when the way seems clear. We like our job but could use more money. The boss comes along and offers you a promotion. You don’t have to move your family. You get a bigger office. You get a company car. You get an extra week of vacation and you get a huge raise. And we say “Thank you Lord!” But it’s a much more difficult decision when God says I’ll lead, you follow. I won’t tell you where you’re going. I won’t tell you why these things are happening to you. Just trust me. Just follow me. Abraham, I want you to leave Haran. Pack up your family and all that you have. I have a great promise for you. Just trust me Abraham. Moses, I want you to go back across this wilderness to Egypt. I know you’re a wanted man there. I know that you killed a man there but I’ve got a great work for you to do there. We are to follow God’s leading whether the way seems clear or not.
God leads us through the dark times in our lives as well. Yeah though I walk through the shadow of death I will fear no evil. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His fullness and grace.
Verse 22 tells us that sometimes they waited for days. Sometimes they waited for months. Sometimes even a year. I would venture to say that in our lives there are times when God will ask to wait for days, months and perhaps not just a year, sometimes for years. There are those who wait for the right man or woman to come along to marry. They’ve waited for years. Keep waiting and trusting. There are those who have waited for a spouse or a child to be saved or to get back in a right relationship with God. Keep waiting, keep praying.
If we went on in the story we would find that there were times when the people wearied of waiting. They grumbled, they complained, they got down right physical with Moses. They distrusted the promises of God from time to time though He always provided for them. In doing so they missed out on many of the blessings of God.
Let me encourage you this morning. Make your prayer be Lord, lead the way. In my life Lord, lead the way. In my family Lord, lead the way. With my children Lord, lead the way. Lord, I’ll wait on you. Lord, I’ll trust in you though the wait may seem long. Lord, lead the way.
