[046] God Leads His People - Activity Worksheets

The Israelites had been living in the area of Goshen, which was located near the Nile delta, many miles north of the Red Sea area. By far, the simplest route to Canaan was directly
northeast along the Mediterranean coast via a major road heading toward Philistine country (modern Gaza and north). This was known as the Great Trunk road. It ran through the
Fertile Crescent, connecting Egypt ultimately with Babylonia in the east. Because of its strategic military and commercial importance, it was guarded heavily by the Egyptians, who
controlled the area during this time. Were the Israelites to travel that route, they would face a demoralizing disadvantage trying to run the gauntlet of Egyptian defenses.

God led the Israelites south instead—a route that would prove harrowing in its own right. God showed his presence in a dramatic way, however, so that the Israelites would take comfort in his guidance and protection. At important times, God had revealed his presence with fire and smoke. When God called Moses, he appeared in a burning bush (Exodus 3:2); when God gave the Ten Commandments, he descended on the mountain in smoke and fire (Exodus 19:16-19). The pillar of smoke and fire would have been not only a comfort to the Israelites but a warning to any potential foes that these wandering people were accompanied by a powerful, present deity. Because God graciously decided to use a “visual aid” to guide the people as they fled Egypt, Moses was able to describe things as they appeared to him and the rest of the Israelites, rather than in abstract theological terms