Verse 17

The Leading of God When Pharaoh released the people, God did not lead them by the way to the land of the Philistines, although that was nearby, for God said,“Lest the people change their minds and return to Egypt when they experience war.”

Referenced Verses

  • Num 14:1-4 : 1 The Israelites Respond in Unbelief Then all the community raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them,“If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or if only we had perished in this wilderness! 3 Why has the LORD brought us into this land only to be killed by the sword, that our wives and our children should become plunder? Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another,“Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”
  • Deut 17:16 : 16 Moreover, he must not accumulate horses for himself or allow the people to return to Egypt to do so, for the LORD has said you must never again return that way.
  • Exod 14:11-12 : 11 and they said to Moses,“Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the desert? What in the world have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt,‘Leave us alone so that we can serve the Egyptians, because it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!’”
  • Neh 9:17 : 17 They refused to obey and did not recall your miracles that you had performed among them. Instead, they rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage in Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and unfailing in your loyal love. You did not abandon them,
  • Luke 14:27-32 : 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him. 30 They will say,‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace.
  • Acts 7:39 : 39 Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him, but pushed him aside and turned back to Egypt in their hearts,
  • Acts 15:38 : 38 but Paul insisted that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.
  • Deut 20:8 : 8 In addition, the officers are to say to the troops,“Who among you is afraid and fainthearted? He may go home so that he will not make his fellow soldier’s heart as fearful as his own.”
  • Judg 7:3 : 3 Now, announce to the men,‘Whoever is shaking with fear may turn around and leave Mount Gilead.’” Twenty-two thousand men went home; ten thousand remained.
  • 1 Kgs 8:47 : 47 When your people come to their senses in the land where they are held prisoner, they will repent and beg for your mercy in the land of their imprisonment, admitting,‘We have sinned and gone astray; we have done evil.’
  • Exod 16:2-3 : 2 The entire company of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them,“If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger!”