Exodus 13:17

_AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN PHARAOH HAD LET THE PEOPLE GO, THAT GOD LED THEM NOT THROUGH THE WAY OF THE LAND OF THE PHILISTINES, ALTHOUGH THAT WAS NEAR; FOR GOD SAID, LEST PERADVENTURE THE PEOPLE REPENT WHEN THEY SEE WAR, AND THEY RETURN TO EGYPT:_ God led them ... The shortest and most direct route from Egypt to Palestine was the usual caravan road that leads by Belbeis, El-Arish, to Ascalon and Gaza. The Philistines, who then possessed the latter, would have been sure to dispute their passage, because between them and the Israelites there was a hereditary feud (1 Chronicles 7:21): and so early a commencement of hostilities would have discouraged or dismayed the unwarlike band which Moses led. Their faith was to be exercised and strengthened; and from the commencement of their travels we observe the same careful proportion of burdens and trials to their character

17._And it came to pass when Pharaoh. _Moses here assigns the reason why God did not immediately lead His people by the more direct way into the land of Canaan, which would have been just as easy to Him, but preferred to bring them round through the desert, by a long and difficult and dangerous journey; viz., lest, if perhaps they had met with enemies to contend against, a ready means of return would have encouraged them to go back into Egypt. We know how great was the supineness and cowardice of this people, as soon as any difficulty presented itself; and how quick they were to revolt from the divine government, as often as a heavier burden than they liked was imposed upon them. We know how often they repented of having followed God as their leader, and thus were prepared to throw away by their ingratitude the grace offered to them. When, therefore, they were powerless in the use of arm...

17-20 There were two ways from Egypt to Canaan. One was only a few days' journey; the other was much further about, through the wilderness, and that was the way in which God chose to lead his people Israel. The Egyptians were to be drowned in the Red sea; the Israelites were to be humbled and proved in the wilderness. God's way is the right way, though it seems about. If we think he leads not his people the nearest way, yet we may be sure he leads them the best way, and so it will appear when we come to our journey's end. The Philistines were powerful enemies; it was needful that the Israelites should be prepared for the wars of Canaan, by passing through the difficulties of the wilderness. Thus God proportions his people's trials to their strength, 1 Corinthians 10:13. They went up in good order. They went up in five in a rank, some; in five bands, so others, which it seems rather t...

Verse Exodus 13:17. _GOD LED THEM NOT_ THROUGH _THE WAY OF THE LAND OF THE_ _PHILISTINES, C._] Had the Israelites been obliged to commence their journey to the promised land by a _military campaign_, there is little room to doubt that they would have been discouraged, have rebelled against Moses and Aaron, and have returned back to Egypt. Their long slavery had so degraded their minds that they were incapable of any great or noble exertions and it is only on the ground of this mental degradation, the infallible consequence of _slavery_, that we can account for their many dastardly acts, murmurings, and repinings after their escape from Egypt. The reader is requested to bear this in mind, as it will serve to elucidate several circumstances in the ensuing history. Besides, the Israelites were in all probability unarmed, and totally unequi...

EXPOSITION THE DIRECTION OF THE JOURNEY.—The direct road from Tanis to Palestine—a road much frequented under the nineteenth dynasty—lay along the coast of the Mediterranean, and conducted to Philistia. If we look at the map, and observe the position of Tanis (now San) on the old Tanitic branch of the Nile, now nearly dried up, we shall see that the route which would naturally suggest itself to any one wishing to proceed to the Holy Land from Tanis would be one running almost due east, from Tanis to Pelusium, and from Pelusium, south of Lake Serbonis, to Rhinocolura; and thence, following the course of the coast to Gaza, Ascalon, and Ashdod, the chief towns of the Philistine country. It is true that a marsh region intervenes between Tanis and Pelusium which might seem to bar the route; but the Egyptian remains show that, in the times of the eighteenth and nineteenth dynasties,

AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN PHARAOH HAD LET THE PEOPLE GO,.... Gave them leave to depart out of Egypt, and even urged them to be gone in haste upon the death of his firstborn: THAT GOD LED THEM NOT THROUGH THE WAY OF THE LAND OF THE PHILISTINES, ALTHOUGH THAT WAS NEAR; the land of the Philistines was the Pentapolis, or five cities of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath, which lay between Egypt and Canaan; and their way through it to Canaan, out of Egypt, was the nearest they could go; and was, as Aben Ezra says, about ten days' journey; but Philo the Jew says l it was but three days' journey; and it seems, by the sons of Jacob going to and fro for corn, that it was no very long journey: FOR GOD SAID: within himself, or he declared the following reason of so doing to Moses: LEST PERADVENTURE THE PEOPLE REPENT: which is said not as ignorant or doubtful, but, as Aben Ezra says, after t...

REPENT (_ See Scofield) - (Zechariah 8:14). _...

6. REDEMPTION BY POWER CHAPTER 13:17-22 From Succoth to Etham _ 1. God's leading (Exodus 13:17)_ 2. Joseph's bones carried away (Exodus 13:19) 3. The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire (Exodus 13:20) Jehovah now begins to lead His redeemed people forward. God chose their way for them, as He chooses the way for us. He was with His people, therefore He led them in His way. If His people are in His way He is with them and all is well. If we are not in His way He cannot be with us in the fullness of His power. What grace and tenderness is revealed in the fact that the Lord did not permit them to go through the land of the Philistines! They had to learn lessons in God's way, which the

ROUTE OF THE EXODUS (Exodus 13:17 E, Exodus 13:20 P). The religious insight of the writer (God led the people) is sounder than his knowledge of history: the Philistines-' presence cannot have been the reason for avoiding the usual and shortest route, the N. or coast road, for they were immigrants of a later date (p. 56, Amos 9:7 *). The choice of the more easterly route, of the two now as then most practicable, probably arose from the aim to reach Kadesh. The host went by the way to the (Egyptian) wilderness to the Red Sea better Reed-sea, as Luther. The N.W. arm then probably extended from Sue z into Lake Timsâ h, which grows reeds, which are not now found in the salt Red Sea. (On the route see further p. 64.) It is not certain th

GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim_. App-14....