Beginnings of life in the wilderness

Numbers 33:5-7 (ESV)
So the people of Israel set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth. [6] And they set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness. [7] And they set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which is east of Baal-zephon, and they camped before Migdol. [8] And they set out from before Hahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and they went a three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.

People of Israel set out from Ramses and camped at Succoth. What was Succoth? Succoth means 'booths'. It was a place named by Jacob, because at this place Jacob made booths for his cattle:
Genesis 33:17 (KJV)
And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
It is to be noted here that Israel left their homes in Egypt and began dwelling in booths, like livestock. Jacob dwelt in a house in Succoth, but it was his cattle that dwelt in booths. And so begins Israel's uncomfortable life in the wilderness which would last forty years. It is likewise with the Christian. Before we were Christian we were at home in this world, with sin and with our flesh. But when we were saved, God moved us from being at ease, to make us dwell in tents. He gave us citizenship in heaven, and gave us the hope of a new home, where righteousness dwells. He gave us the hope of resurrection in a spiritual body, in which we will no longer sin. But while we are still here, He makes us to dwell in tents. We go from here to there, like wanderers. Here we have no permanent city. Foxes have holes to sleep in, and birds nests to dwell in, but we, like Christ did, have nowhere we can call home. Our Home is Jesus Christ, but He is in heaven now. Here we are sojourners, and we live on earth on temporary visas, which will soon expire, and we will need to go back to our home. Paul knew exactly what this meant when he wrote this:
2 Corinthians 5:1-9 (ESV)
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. [2] For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, [3] if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. [4] For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened-not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. [5] He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. [6] So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, [7] for we walk by faith, not by sight. [8] Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. [9] So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

Another reason why God made Israel to dwell in booths was so that Israel may know that God was their Shepherd, and them His sheep:
Leviticus 23:43 (ESV)
that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God."
Jacob was a shepherd, and he made his sheep to dwell in booths. Jacob built for himself a house, and made booths for his sheep. God also commanded Moses to build a tabernacle for His holy presence to dwell in, so that He may dwell among His people. Israel was God's sheep.

Being Jesus Christ's obedient sheep is how we live through this wilderness. We were all sheep that have gone astray, but we have now been returned to unto the Shepherd of our souls. When we listen to our Shepherd's callings, and follow Him obediently wherever He goes, we will surely be in safe hands:
Psalm 23:4 (ESV)
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Our shepherd is with us, always guiding us with His rod and with His staff. They comfort our weary and lost souls when we feel like we don't know where we are going. What a beautiful Saviour we have, who goes through the valleys of the shadow of death with us. How else shall we survive this desert, without our Shepherd to gives us water and food? He is our Manna for our hunger and the Rock from whence comes the water for our thirsty souls. Therefore, since we are His sheep, the bible tells us we are not to harden our hearts when we hear His voice, but to believe and obey Him:
Psalm 95:7-9 (ESV)
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, [8] do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, [9] when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
Soft hearts full of faith is what will take us to the promised land. Let us trust in our Shepherd who has rescued, provided and fought for us all this time in the wilderness, and not put Him to the test as though He has not done so. Let us believe and obey this Shepherd who even laid down His own life for us that we may live. Because He died for us, He is our true Shepherd, and we belong to Him. Hirelings cannot compare to the love that He has shown us.

They set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth. We remember from Exodus why God led Israel to Etham, and then turned them back, to lead them instead through the Red Sea. Firstly, it was to trick Pharoah into thinking that Israel was lost in the wilderness, so that God may destroy him:
Exodus 14:3-4 (ESV)
For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ''They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.'' [4] And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD." And they did so.
Likewise did God confuse Satan on the cross of Jesus Christ. Satan thought that he was getting a great victory over Jesus, by scorning Him and nailing Him to the cross. Through the men who crucified Him he spoke and hurled abuse, and made him a laughingstock. He thought, after all this time, he had finally defeated the Son of God. But God had hardened Satan's heart. God was using this evil for His good. Through the spitting, scorning, beating and the cross, He was atoning the sins of His people. Satan was utterly undone by this cross. His plans to damn everyone to hell failed, and the light of immortality broke into the hearts for all who would believe. God could now freely justify all sinners were to believe in Christ. Not that Satan did not know that the cross was bad for him. He tried to stop Christ many times from going to Calvary. But he was so confused by his own sin, so excited over the thought of killing Jesus, that he had lost his mind and actually helped God fulfill His sovereign will. God received great glory over this wicked serpent, as He did over Pharaoh.

Likewise we learn that what may seem like a retreat for us, may result in our victory. We feel like the devil is trampling over us, and that we are all but defeated, and that there is no hope, but we know that the devil is still confused. Christ has already won the war. He died for all our sins, that God's love may be poured out infinitely upon us forever. Nothing will cut His love away from us, because Christ His beloved Son was hated on that cross. God hated Christ on Calvary, and His great love for Christ was poured out upon us instead. We know that we will never be lost, for whom Christ died, but that He will save us in the end, and crush Satan's head before all our sight on that Day of Judgment. We will overcome, and the flood of the Red Sea will come upon Satan and all his servants.

And God will make us to go through the Red Sea instead to make us to go through the impossible. Who would have thought the waters would part and be like walls for Israel so that they may go through dry land? Israel was ready to stone Moses because they saw themselves stuck before the sea, and blamed God for bringing them there. They saw themselves as Pharaoh saw them. And this is also our trouble. We ought to see ourselves as in our situations as GOD sees us. God sees us a righteous, blessed and doing fine no matter where we are. God can part the Red Sea and raise people from the dead. We are blessed if we see that things impossible with man are possible with God. God made a way for us filthy, evil sinners to avoid hell and go to heaven. If He did this thing would seem impossible for such a holy God to do, why are we worried about smaller things? God will make a way through anything, if only we, like Moses, lift up our hands and call out to God in faith.

God also made Israel go through the Red Sea that they may all be baptized together. Christ also makes us to be baptized by the Spirit into Him. We are united with Him through this baptism before we begin this journey in the wilderness. We must first be one with Him before we can do anything. We remember what He said:
John 15:4 (ESV)
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
We must always ask that we be filled with the Holy Spirit, that we may be more fully united with Christ. We can't do anything without Him. For us, everything is impossible without Him, but all things are possible with Jesus Christ. Christ does not just want us to rely on Him in big things like facing the Red Sea, but He wants us to rely on Him even in the smallest things, in every single thing. The just shall live by faith, and we must always be filled with this faith. Let us die with Christ every day, that we may live with Him every day.

It is to be noted here that God led Israel from Etham, back to Pi-hahiroth, through the Sea, and back to the wilderness of Etham. God may also take us to a place, make us to back track and go through another route to come back to where we came from. Did God make us to go in circles? By no means. The place may be the same as when we left off, but we ourselves have changed. We are not the same person as when we first came to this place. Israel after the Red Sea was totally different crowd from before they saw God's glory. They were no longer afraid of Pharaoh, but they were a people who had seen God's salvation and His power.

Jacob likewise was not the same person when he came to Bethel the second time. He was now no longer Jacob, but he was now named Israel. It was the same Bethel, but he himself was a man now who had seen God face to face and saw His glory:
Genesis 35:6-7 (ESV)
And Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people who were with him, [7] and there he built an altar and called the place El-bethel, because there God had revealed himself to him when he fled from his brother.
It doesn't matter if it may look like we are back in the same place we are started, or if it feels like we're going in circles. What matters is, 'Has God revealed Himself to us?' and 'Are we being changed from glory to glory?' It doesn't matter if the world is still the same and it has not become a better place - the Bible says it will only go from bad to worse. But what matters is whether have WE been changed into the likeness of God's Son. And if we have been changed, nothing will be for us just another drudge and routine. If God has revealed His glory to us in the face of His Son, and if we continue beholding Him, then nothing for us will be the same. God is the same yesterday, today and forever, but His mercies are new towards us every day. Eternity will therefore never be boring, for our God will continually reveal something new of Himself for us every day. When will we ever figure our eternal God out? We will forever be in awe with knowing our God and of His love. Our God makes all things new for us, and the old things are ready to fade away before Him, who is always new. Let us live then, having our minds renewed everyday by His Holy Spirit. The challenges, temptations and struggles may all be the same, but we will be able to face them with different hearts and minds every time. Hallelujah to our God.