INTRODUCTION:
When I was in the 6th grade, I remember very plainly that there was a certain boy who had one goal in life. That was to chase me down and try to beat me up—he lived for this. One day my sister came to meet me at lunch and told me that she heard there was a plan for this boy to ambush me on the way home from school (Intel is a good thing) my stomach churned all afternoon... It was about an 8 block walk from the school to our house.
When the bell rang at 3:00 o’clock I found my self briskly walking in the opposite direction from my house. I walked and walked and walked. I saw streets and houses that I never knew existed. It took me over an hour to get home. I zigzagged and backtracked and was always looking over my shoulder. I made it home safe that day for a very simple reason. I took the long way home.
Have you ever found yourself taking the long way home? You get to a certain point in your life and you look back and wonder " why did it take me so long to get here????"
The trails that are before us
The struggles before us
(these are all roads that we must travel.
Roads that make us tired
Roads that cause us to wonder WHY?
We ask ourselves the questions?
Why is God letting this happen to me?
Why is God doing this to me?
When:: "that road over there looks so much shorter and so much easier"
This morning were going to ponder for a moment----what I call:
"The Long Way Home"
We will see that when God is the building the road
When God is drawing out the map
When God is out front leading the way
"The long way is ALWAYS the best way":
Open your Bibles to EXODUS 13
Background:
as you recall
1. God through Joseph had made a way to save Israel during seven year famine (Jacob’s family joined Joseph and 70 moved from Canaan to Egypt)
2. The Egyptians put the Israelites in bondage for hundreds of years
3. The Israelites increased in numbers over a 430 year period from 70 to 600,000 men (not counting women and children)
4. God had heard their cry and sent them Moses who would lead them
5. The ten plagues came upon Egypt by the hand of Moses and the pharaohs heart was hardened—he would not let the people go
6. God gave instructions for the Passover and readied the people to flee from Egypt
7. God sent the tenth plague (death of firstborn) after the tenth Pharaoh sent them out.
READ Exodus 13: 17 - 22
· Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the philistines, although that was near, for God said: "Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt"
· So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.
· And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying "God will surely visit you and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.
· So they took their journey from Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness.
· And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.
· He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day of the pillar of fire by night from before the people.
As we look at this remarkable account of God’s dealing with Israel we see::
I. God knows: the best way is sometimes the long way:
A. One Characteristic of God that we must never forget is his OMNISCIENCE
-The attribute by which God perfectly and eternally knows all things which can be known,---- past, -----present, ----and future.
God knows all the answers in every situation all of the time!!!!!!!
1. Psalms 147:5:
Great is our Lord and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite.
Image the power of God’s knowledge—YOU CAN"T!!!!
You Don’t possess the mental faculty to contemplate it!!!
Isn’t it ironic that with our limited understanding, we "decide" sometimes to take the roads and pathways in life that God purposefully steers us away from?????? It happens everyday!!! In Every conceivable way>
Why would we ever do that???????
2. Isaiah 46: 9-10
Remember the former things of old. For I am God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done. Saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all My pleasures.
Who is better able to build the roads of your life than God?????
Who could possibly know better than God the best way to take?????
Who know the terrain better than the one who made it????
Could it be you?
Young people---IS it your friends at School? (they have all the answers)
Is it the ever present advice from worldly magazines, books, and Talk TV
Maybe the all knowing ones who put together the daily Horoscope????
Remember This…….
Only God has the characteristic of ONISCIENCE!!!!!!
Recall from our text that it was because of God’s Knowledge of what the Israelites would do if confronted with the warring Philistines, that he directed them to take the "round about way"
Guess what? God can do something that we cannot…..
He can see very clearly into the future…..
Ex 13:17-18
17. Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the philistines, although that was near, for God said: "Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt"
18. So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.
B. God desired success and freedom for the Israelites.
C. That is the only reason he took them the long way!!!!
D. That is what made the long the best way….it was God’s way…..
He didn’t want them getting scarred right off the bat and running back to Egypt.
The source of their troubles and hardships
The obvious short cut was the "way of the philistines" It was a "proven path" of travel along the coast of the great sea. It was a known and well used trade route. On the surface it would appear that this would be the best way to go because it would be the easiest and by far the quickest.
If you look at your map you’ll se it was hundreds of miles shorter than the way they took
In the dessert when you are traveling—one thing that you are looking for is the
"Path of least resistance"—but the path of least resistance in this case would have been deadly.
It was God’s infinite knowledge and Wisdom that led to the successful exodus out of Egypt. God knows, unlike us, that sometimes the best way is the "Long way around"
IS there any question of what would have happened had the Israelites decided to go the way of the philistines?? What if they had not heeded God and decided to take the shortcut????
Now let me ask you a question?
C. Are shortcuts a part of your Christian walk?
Are you traveling down roads that are different than the way God said to go?
If you are, how could it ever turn out good for you???
Jesus taught an important lesson about religious Shortcuts:
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father, except through me.
Many today are trying to make it to the promise land of heaven by devising and following shortcuts. They are traveling ways other than What the All Knowing God has directed.
For example: Some want to make it to the promise land by taking the shortcut of no baptism. They cry out that "you don’t have to take that long way. Its unnecessary to go to all that trouble"
Just ask Jesus to come into your heart. Take the shortcut---Its so much easier.
They Forget what the All knowing Jesus Christ (OMNISCIENCE) said:
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father, except through me.
In other words----there are no shortcuts to heaven!!!
Mark 16:16:
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Earlier in John 10:1 Jesus taught the same thing when he said:
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Lets us always acknowledge and live our lives with the full understanding :
That God is the one who knows the best way to take
God is the one who want joy and success in your life
god is the one who plans the successful journey that will bring you home, even if it its the long way.
This brings us to another important truth in our text:
II. God Is Out Front Leading The Way:
A. Read Exodus 13: 21-22
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.
He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day of the pillar of fire by night from before the people.
God is out front leading the way for the children of Israel!!!!
1. It’s not a part time role that God took upon himself
HE is leading day and night
God is always there for Israel
2. God leadership provides comfort
He was their hope
He was their light in time of darkness
B. These same characteristics and blessings are present today for you and I if we are willing to follow God….
1. God Word Guides and leads our lives:
2. God’s word and his Spirit comfort us
Psalms 107: 19-20
19 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. 20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Psalms 119: 103 - 105
103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
James 1: 21
…receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls
God still desires to lead our lives and has insured that we have his Direct leadership everyday through his Word.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
That means we can make it safely through this life to the promised land.
It means God is still there and He is still leading the way
Conclusion:
Imagine the fear and uncertainty of everyday life for the average family fleeing Egypt thousand of years ago.
They cried out and a merciful loving god heard them….
Remember…
It was God who saved them
It was God who devised the Plan
It was God who led them
It was God who strengthened them
It was God who defeated their enemies
It was God who fed them
It was God who quenched their thirst
It was God who forgave them
It was God who was always there
It was God who fulfilled the promise of a special land that was given to them
That same God is alive today and wants to lead us all to the promise land of Heaven
??? Do you ever feel your taking the long way around?
Remember this… the long way home…could save your everlasting life…..
Invitation
