Exodus 13:20-22

We did not see the word "walk" in this whole section, but it is there. The word halak is the word went in verse 21. "And the LORD went. . ." He halak-ed. What this implies is that the people halak-ed behind Him—behind the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. God was in the pillar, and He led them forward to where they needed to go. Now, of course, this necessitates that the Israelites followed or walked behind (or halak-ed behind, if you like that even better). They went after God. They walked behind God. And this, of course, continued for forty years. He never took the pillar of fire or the pillar of cloud away, except to change them night and day—one to the other.

Exodus 13:20-22

We are told to walk by faith, and not by sight, but God had quite a bit of mercy on Israel. They had a visual aid that was there all the time—by day and by night, a cloud or a pillar of fire. All they had to do was look up, and their faith could be bolstered. God was in that cloud. God was in that pillar of fire. He was there with them all the time—throughout forty years of wandering. They could see Him leading—minute by minute. It says in another place that if the cloud went up, they got ready. When it moved, they moved on. When it stopped, they stopped. And they did this for forty years. All they had to do was "look up;" and God was there.

Exodus 13:19-22

Let us put the main points in order here as they moved away. First, they sacrificed the lamb. We do that when we accept the blood of Jesus Christ. We accept that sacrifice for our sins. Second, they forsook the vast majority of their belongings. Third, they started their journey with their eyes fastened upon a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day. This pictured them no longer following the world, but now following God, obedient to Him. And God, let me remind you again, had done virtually everything. But our part is still obedience to the very little that we must do. This combination brings us out of the world.

Exodus 13:21-22

What I am developing here just ever so briefly is One establishes Himself as the people's champion, and what He wants them to do is to follow Him. So once released from their bondage, and even before the Red Sea crossing, a clear precedent was established that determined the path—the way, the direction—in which they were to march across the wilderness to the Promised Land. God gave them clear visible evidence of His presence, of His leading and guiding.

Exodus 13:21-22

Do you see the picture here? That pillar of fire became a wall between the Israelites and the Egyptians who were pursuing them. It protected the Israelites on the one side, and it separated them away from those who were attacking them. So we have there two things: defense and separation.

Exodus 13:21-22

Now He gave them a visible sign of His presence that they were under His watchful care.