No Where To Go

The most obvious way for Israel to go to the land of Canaan was to follow the ancient caravan route north along the Mediterranean coast from Succoth.  Instead, God took them by a different route, according to Exodus 13:17-22.  “And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.  And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.

And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.  And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.” 

The people had been slaves for four hundred years.   The Egyptians had been responsible for protecting them all that time, and if they had to fight the Philistines they might run back to Egypt for protection.   God led them in a different direction to prevent that from happening.   They journeyed east from Succoth to Etham, at the edge of the wilderness, possibly the fortress Ketham, located on the ancient Great Wall to of Egypt, between the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez to prevent invasion.   At Etham, they turned south rather than north, going into wilderness of the Red Sea, the area now known as the Sinai Peninsula.   

Historical note:  The Great Wall would be replaced with a canal, enabling Egyptians to sail from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and on to the Persian Gulf.  Eventually the canal walls collapsed and the canal was forgotten until the Suez Canal was built following roughly the same route, between 1859 and 1869 AD.

Israel was able to travel night and day, thanks to the pillar of cloud which showed the way by day and the pillar of fire which lighted the way at night.  They could be sure exactly where God wanted them to go by following the pillar.  When those in front played out they could stop for a rest and those behind would leap frog past them so that they never stopped. 

To accomplish his purpose and demonstrate his power fully upon both the Israelites and the Egyptians, God directed Led Israel southward into the Sinai Peninsula, where he directed them to turn eastward and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and Baalzephon.   Pihahiroth means literally “the mouth”, referring to the mouth of a gorge and is believed to refer to the mouth of the Wadi Watir, at present day Nuweiba, on the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba.   Migdol refers to a tower or lookout and seems to refer to an Egyptian outpost on the cliffs above Nuweiba, while Baalzephon refers to a Temple to Baal which was built later on the eastern side of the Gulf of Aqaba.   Towering cliffs bar land access to Nuweiba except through the Wadi Watir, making it seem like a trap. 

This was the way God directed them, in Exodus 14:1-5.  “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.  For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.  And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.”

God warned that when they went into the Sinai Wilderness, Pharaoh would think they were lost and had trapped themselves.  He would change his mind and decide to recapture them, giving God the opportunity to show his power one more time. So that the Egyptians would recognize God as God. 

Exodus 14:5-9 tells what the Egyptians did.  “And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?  And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.  And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.  But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.”

When Pharaoh heard Israel had turned south, he was sure there was no way for them to escape from the Sinai Peninsula except by coming back North.   He and the Egyptians began to question why they had allowed Israel to leave.  Since God had obviously led them into a trap, it seemed likely that even the death of their firstborn had been just a coincidence.  Pharaoh determined to recapture them.  Six days after they left Egypt, he caught up with Israel encamped on the beach at Nuweiba, with no way to escape.