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
“I don't know what I think until I write it down.” ― Joan Didion.