Moses Leading Israelites Through The Wilderness

by Ed Copley

Size: 16" x 19"
Medium: Oil on Linen

After William West, 1801-1861, 16"x19"
Moses led 600,000 people out of Egypt in the middle of the night. God did not lead Moses and the Israelites through enemy land. Rather He led them through the desert toward the Red Sea as they journeyed to the Promised Land. God led His people with a pillar of clouds during the day, and a pillar of fire at night. Following these incredible sights would remind them that God was always with them, guiding them each step of the way on their journey to the Promised Land.
Between the famous Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt and the even more famous crossing of the Red Sea, we find this passage about God’s ever-present Pillar of Fire. What an adrenalin rush to finally be led out of hundreds of years of captivity! But then, suddenly, out there in the wilderness, the people surely must have taken pause.
It is in this uncertainty that the Israelites could trust God’s ever-present Light. The Israelites did not know what was coming next, but they did know God was “there”. Don’t you want to see God “here” every step of the way? In between the amazing acts of God in our lives, there is always waiting. Always a little hesitancy about what on earth God has in mind. The Pillar of Light teaches us a great deal about God and how magnificently “present” He really is. --Ed Copley