The Journey out of Egypt (Exodus 13-14)

It is ironic that the extraordinary "pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night" should have stayed so faithfully with the Israelites and yet they still went berserk when they were hemmed in between the Red Sea and their hot Egyptian pursuers. In fact, the pillar of cloud was still before their very eyes! (Ex 14:19) The God of the ten plagues - the great I AM - was evidently, still present with them.

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Their voices to Moses must have had a bitter, accusatory tone:

"Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." (Ex 14:11-12)

They were actually seduced by the thought of returning to Egypt!

The abominable memories of their suffering seemed to have been wiped out by that momentary fear of death. Their vision of God's presence and glory in the pillars of cloud and fire... was clouded by the threats that approached.

Is it really that shocking for us that Israel should choose for itself bondage and oppression in doubting God's liberation? I know that I have been guilty of doing the same thing myself - in various pressing circumstances, when I couldn't seem to hope for any rainbows after my storms.

We also see Israel's tendency to doubt the leaders whom God had sent. On the other hand, Israel did not doubt its leaders so much as it doubted in its sense of God's deliverance and therefore its election. Such tendencies that began in Exodus 14:11-12 seems to be a pattern for Israel as they later made their way through the wilderness. It was such unbelief that eventually kept them from entering the Promised Land (cf. Num 14:20-38, Heb 3:15-19).

Israel's journey out of Egypt was by God's grace and yet it was to be through faith. The faith of Moses in trusting and obeying God. The faith of Israel in trusting and obeying Moses - and thus, God Himself.