Oh! Can you imagine the big cloud of people moving into their destination together? What lesson can you take from it? Why such a mass of people together moving into their destination? Is there any reason? What has happened?
The children of Israel were led into wilderness instead of passing through the lands of philistines.
It is the direction of God to lead them there. Their way to the Promised Land was to take them about two weeks, in terms of making straight journey as the journey of that area demand.
But God did not lead them on that straight path. Why is it so? What is the purpose? The Bible makes it clear that it is God who led them that way. Why so?
The children of Israel have heard about their Father's God, but they haven't experienced Him before. It is God intention for them to experience Him or know Him well before settle them.
So, He diverted their short days of that journey into long years. Two people agree and then move together.
The children of Israel had no experience with God, yet they had heard about Him before. It is God wish to teach them the matters concerning Himself and then to let them know the works and the character of Himself.
In order to witness about someone, you need to know that person well. It needs long days or years to know someone well. Israel needs to study and then learn about their Father's God and then experience Him and to witness about Him.
So, they were led into wilderness for schooling about God or learn about Him. They were chosen among the nations of the world to be light among them. They are to let the entire nations of the world to know God.
Yet, they need to learn something about God and then experience Him for their mission or witness about Him for chosen them. The children Israel were led to the red sea to learn their first lesson about God greatness.
They were to learn about hope first, when the life seems there is no hope. They must experience their Father's God and to have faith in Him.
Then to know how powerful He is above the god's of Egypt they have encountered. The children of Israel lost their knowledge about God the almighty through their long stay in Egypt.
Their hope as a nation lost in the foreign land concerning their liberty through the long years of stay. The long years in that land of Egypt led them lost their knowledge of God.
Moreover, many of them even forgot the name of the Lord their God. The hope of their liberty got lost through the condition they were in at that time. Their hope became meaningless and out of time. Through long years and hardship led them faithless.
So, their Father's God became their enemy and then hard to trust His word. God intended to let them learn something about Him first and to trust Him. Their lost faith must be built not in a day but with years after.