We have a great family story about my late brother-in-law who came to visit us many years ago. He drove from Massachusetts to Alabama (a long drive!) … via Ohio. Now, I don’t know if you’ve looked at a map lately, but if you draw a line from the Bay State to Alabama (Obligatory Statement Home of the College Football National Champion Again Roll Tide), that line will not go through Ohio. Not even close. You don’t even have to go through Pennsylvania (but it helps). I shared that story many years ago in a sermon long since forgotten, and I was amazed how many of you came up to me afterward with a similar story — “My parents once drove from Pennsylvania to Virginia, and spent the night in Kentucky.” Whaaat? “My brother once drove all night from Virginia to St. Louis and got lost in Arkansas.” Really? Apparently, this sort of thing happens all the time.

Well, believe it or not, there’s good precedent for it. And Moses can top all our stories. Because our text for this week, Exodus 13, includes this verse, “God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. … But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea.” Now that’s way out of the way. It’s kind of like driving from Loudoun County to New York City, via Charleston, SC. Except the Hebrew people weren’t driving. They were walking. And yes, it turned out to be a long trip. A very, very long trip. (I wonder if they had any kids asking “Are we there yet?”)

So why did God do that? Why does God sometimes lead us the long way around? And when He does, how do we respond? And how we should respond? Because I think He’s very interested in our response. I guess we’ll find out more on Sunday. And you should probably take the most direct route to get there! See you then! Dr. Dave