Early adopter blessings
Instead of leading the Israelites the quick way through Philistine territory, he led them through the desert. This is why: "If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt" (Ex 13:17 NLT).
The Israelites were masters in the art of complaining. They had done it before when Pharaoh increased their workload, and they would complain again when Egypt's army surrounded them on one side and the Red Sea on the other side.
This is how they gave Moses a hard time: "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!" (Ex 14:11-12 NLT).
If they only had known ahead of time what would happen, they would have kept silent and be more respectful of the God who was leading them out of Egypt. Their trust in and respect for God and Moses as their leader was very minimal.
In fact, they only gave God the respect that was due to Him after he brought them safely through the Red Sea: "When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses" (Ex 14:31 NLT).
They needed proof before they believed. May we put our trust in God before we see any kind proof! This is what Jesus said to His disciples: "You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me" (John 20:29 NLT). There is a special blessing for early adopters!
Looking for more inspiration, leadership thoughts and sermon videos from the perspective of a European pastor and church planter? Be sure to check out my blog: www.vanwessem.org.
Created over 1 year ago
