27 Aug 2023 Exodus (Program #31)

Exodus (Program #31) – Israel’s Experience at Elim

When God led the children of Israel out of Egypt in the book of Exodus, their destination was ultimately northward to Canaan, the good land and the place of fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose.  But He took them first far to the south, to the shores of the Red Sea, then after crossing the Red Sea, He led them south again to a place call Marah and then to Elim.  Surely this did not match their expectations.  God’s ways are not our ways.  Is He leading you south when you thought that you should be headed north?

The background of this message today is one that most of us can relate to, at least to some extend.  The children of Israel had just come through the miraculous events related to their exit out of Egypt; the Red Sea, the Passover, all the miracles in God’s dealing with Pharaoh.  By now they must have been expecting a swift and direct journey to the promised land, the Good Land.  But in chapter 15, we see that the pillar of cloud that the Lord had given for them to follow, brought them first to a place called Marah, which we talked about yesterday and then to a place called Elim.  This is verse 27, “And they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there by the waters.”  You can tell by a map that these places were both far to the south, in the absolute opposite direction of where they thought the Lord was planning to take them.  This must have been quite a surprise to Moses and to all the people.

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