Exodus 13:16-18

Common English Bible

¹⁶ It will be a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with great power.”

God leads the way

¹⁷ When Pharaoh let the people go, God didn’t lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though that was the shorter route. God thought, If the people have to fight and face war, they will run back to Egypt. ¹⁸ So God led the people by the roundabout way of the Reed Sea^[a] desert. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt ready for battle.