God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt” -Exod 13:17
God considers our strengths and weaknesses when he maps our journey with him to eternity. There will be hurdles on the way, but he will not let them happen at random. He carefully plans it, considering our spiritual stamina at every stage of our Christian growth.
The shortest route to Canaan is through the ancient trade route called Via Mari (Way of the Sea), which starts from Egypt and runs through the coastal plain along the Mediterranean Sea to the North of the Levant. It runs through the land mass called Negeb between Canaan and Egypt. Abraham passed through this area when he visited the northern part of Egypt. Jacob and his family also went to Egypt this way.
However, the southern part of this coastal route is now populated by Philistines who migrated from the Aegean Islands to the Western shore of Canaan. The political federation of five Philistine cities is a formidable challenge in that area.
The Israelites are now on their way to the promised land. They are unarmed and unskilled in anything other than brickmaking. The Philistines, with their advanced weaponry, will engage them in battle.
The Lord, who rescued them from Egypt with his might, would help them win the war. Since the Lord knows they are feeble, he did not want the first event in their journey to be a war that may dishearten them. Moreover, he wanted to show his power over the Red Sea, the mighty Egyptian army that he would drown, and so on.
They had to take the long route, crossing the Red Sea through the Sinai desert. To make matters worse, as a result of their rebellion, they wandered in the wilderness for forty years.
Though the route was meandering, the Lord planned everything so that he avoided things that may frighten them. When God directs us through detours in life, it is always for our good. As the psalmist says, “The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust” (Psalms 103:13—14, NLT).
But on the long route, God has ordered miracles to meet us.
