By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light

Exodus 13:17-22

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”

By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

The wildness is steppe county where animals can graze.

was the column of cloud a desert whirlwind? Were cloud and fire supernatural phenomena? Both are symbols associated with God in the Bible.

Why?

It was a pillar of cloud, it is not the pillar of sand. It was a pillar of fire, if is wild wire should be not one but many fires.

It is the supernatural, it was the symbol of the Lord with Israelite.

The Lord brought Israelites away from the battle with Philistine so led them went by the desert road toward the Red Sea.

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說明神如何帶領他們。

1.看似神帶領以色列人繞遠路：神為何不幫以色列人打勝仗除去非利士人，因為神同時也眷顧外邦人。以色列人此時還沒有信心面對戰爭。繞道是體貼人的軟弱，培養建立以色列人的信心，經歷神的供應，神的保護。

2.火枉與雲柱的保護：看得見的引導。百姓可以放心跟著摩西走，不致懷疑摩西的帶領，同時也是保護。

3.以色列人不是出遠門，而是回家：這裏也有神的恩典，使我們生活無憂，但是這裏不是我們永遠的家。

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How?

God is with us like God was with Israelite when they went out of Egypt.