Between

“and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea;”  Exodus 14:2

Between – God would not have made a very good general in the army today.  He doesn’t act according to any of the usual military strategy.  In fact, in this instance, He takes His children right into a dead end.

Bayin, the Hebrew word for “between”, indicates that God directed the Israelites to make camp with their backs to the sea and their flanks to the wilderness.  They might as well as have walked into a trap.  There was no way out for them.  And that is exactly what God wanted them to see.  It wasn’t military prowess or advance planning or clever escapes that would save them.  It was God.  But in order for the message to get through loud and clear, the Israelites had to be led to a dead end.  Pharaoh thought it was a colossal mistake.  God had something else in mind.

Has God led you to a dead end?  When you looked around and saw “no exit”, did you cry out like the faithless Israelites, “Oh, God, why did you bring me here?  I was so much better off in my old imprisoned lifestyle.  Even though I was a slave, I didn’t have to deal with this dreadful anxiety.  I knew what to expect.”  The Israelites thought God made a mistake.  They agreed with the observation of their former captors.  The truth is that they thought God was impotent.

It is always a mistake to underestimate the salvation of the Lord.  God doesn’t make mistakes.  If you stand with your back to the sea and the enemy is coming, don’t you think that this is exactly where God wants you?  How will you ever be able to see the strength of the Lord if you are always planning the next move?

God likes dead ends.  That’s when He does some of His best work. 

Why do you suppose we try so hard to avoid them?