"TURN BACK!"

Exodus 14:1-4                                 (ESV)
"1 Then the LORD said to Moses,
2 "Tell the people of Israel to "TURN BACK" and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea.
3 For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, 'They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.'
4 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD." And they did so."



While driving to work recently I observed a jet airliner taking off from our local airport.  Knowing that the only scheduled commercial flights go to DFW from here, to see the jet take off to the northeast (Dallas is southwest from here) was a bit odd.   But sometimes the wind direction demands that flights taking off head into the wind and when the flight gets airborne they can correct their course.  And almost without hesitation the jet started ascending while beginning its "TURN BACK" toward DFW!

The children of Israel were led by THE LORD (Exodus 13:21-22) in a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night, near the Red Sea.  In Exodus 14:1-2 THE LORD says to Moses to "tell the people of Israel to."TURN BACK" and encamp....!  Now knowing the Egyptians were marching towards them one might inquire what THE LORD might be thinking?  Surely GOD wouldn't want the Israelites to be confronted by their foes when HE had just released them from 430 years of bondage?  Surely GOD was thinking clearly?  SURELY???

My life has had many instances where I doubted where GOD was leading me.  My plan was usually all that was in my viewfinder.  But GOD's Plan is all that matters when we surrender our lives to HIM.  HE maybe requesting that I "TURN BACK" or (my biggest weakness) do something that doesn't make any common sense!  Of course, in verse four we find out "what" GOD was going to do, but the Israelites wanted to know "how" HE was going to do it!

My "inquiring mind" wants to figure out "what, how, and when" GOD is going to do things BEFORE HE is ready for me to know these things!  True FAITH relies on GOD to decide the "what, how, and when" on the fly if HE wants to and RESTS in HIM for the results!  The children of Israel had already been told they were headed to the Promised Land, so why didn't they just TRUST GOD for the results?  GOD said it, that should have settled it!

But am I any better than these when I want to know "what, how, and when" GOD will perform what HE had promised me?  GOD maybe getting ready to drown my enemies in a Red Sea, but common sense tells me I shouldn't take the path GOD is directing.  Maybe I should just find out where HE wants me to go FOR HIS GLORY and get there WHEN HE needs me to be there?  If HE wants me to move forward with intensity, or if HE directs me to "TURN BACK", my best bet is to do what THE LORD says in order to reach my desired destination!!!