March 27, 2020
Exodus 13:17-22
After years of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites had been delivered by the mighty hand of God. They
were marching off into uncertainty into who knows what? In today’s passage, God leads them what might be considered the long way around. The short cut would have led them into almost certain war with the Philistine nation, causing them to turn back. Instead, He led them by way of the Red Sea. Unbeknownst to them, He would show His mighty power once again as He brought about their final deliverance – physically-from the land of Egypt. Yet, many would carry Egypt in their hearts – the delicacies and the privation. Yet He was still with them; he never left His people. His presence was evident in the pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They had yet to see His ultimate act of deliverance – this would be an event that prophets would use as a reminder, an event that the Psalmists would use as the basis of praise. Even in times when they could not see Him, they could trust His character and know that He would never leave them.
In these days of social isolation, it is easy to forget who God is. When we see empty shelves, let us remember the God who delivers. He delivers us from self-seeking. He delivers us from fear. He delivers from disease either by sparing us, providing medical care, or taking us home to Heaven. May we not presumptively ignore the requests to remove ourselves from public contact except as is necessary for food, medical care, or to assist those in need, all the while keeping our distance. He is the God-who-is-there. He is the God who sees (Jehovah-El-Roi). We will come through this stronger and hopefully more in love with Him.
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