He led you through that huge and terrible desert. It was a dry land. It didn’t have any water. It had poisonous snakes and scorpions. The Lord gave you water out of solid rock.
Then Moses led Israel away from the Red Sea. They went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert. They didn’t find any water there.
So God led the people toward the Red Sea by taking them on a road through the desert. The Israelites were ready for battle when they went up out of Egypt.
Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way. He guided you in the desert for these 40 years. He wanted to take your pride away. He wanted to test you to know what was in your hearts. He wanted to see whether you would obey his commands.
They will not get hungry or thirsty. The heat from the desert sun will not beat down on them. The God who has tender love for them will guide them. Like a shepherd, he will lead them beside springs of water.
When the cloud lifted from its place above the tent, the Israelites started out. Where the cloud settled, the Israelites camped.When the Lord gave the command, the Israelites started out. And when he gave the command, they camped. As long as the cloud stayed above the holy tent, they remained in camp.Sometimes the cloud remained above the tent for a long time. Then the Israelites obeyed the Lord’ s order. They didn’t start out.Sometimes the cloud was above the tent for only a few days. When the Lord would give the command, they would camp. And when he would give the command, they would start out.Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening until morning. When it lifted in the morning, they started out. It didn’t matter whether it was day or night. When the cloud lifted, the people started out.It didn’t matter whether the cloud stayed above the holy tent for two days or a month or a year. The Israelites would remain in camp. They wouldn’t start out. But when the cloud lifted, they would start out.
Then his people remembered what he did long ago. They recalled the days of Moses and his people. They asked,“ Where is the God who brought Israel through the Red Sea? Moses led them as the shepherd of his flock. Where is the God who put his Holy Spirit among them?He used his glorious and powerful arm to help Moses. He parted the waters of the sea in front of them. That mighty act made him famous forever.He led them through that deep sea. Like a horse in open country, they didn’t trip and fall.They were like cattle that are taken down to the plains. They were given rest by the Spirit of the Lord.” That’s how he guided his people. So he made a glorious name for himself.
By day you led the Israelites with a pillar of cloud. At night you led them with a pillar of fire. It gave them light to show them the way you wanted them to go.
“ Because you loved them so much, you didn’t leave them in the desert. During the day the pillar of cloud didn’t stop guiding them on their path. At night the pillar of fire didn’t stop shining on the way you wanted them to go.
