And Went Behind Them

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Keraza Magazine issue 43-44 October 30, 2015

When the children of Israel left Egypt, "The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night" (Exodus 13:21). In many situations, God repeatedly took care to assure that He is the Lord walking before the people: "Therefore understand today that the Lord your God is He who goes over before you as a consuming fire" (Deuteronomy 9:3); "The Lord your God Himself crosses over before you" (Deuteronomy 31:3);"And the Lord, He is the one who goes before you" (Deuteronomy 31:8); "I will go before you and make the crooked places straight" (Isaiah 45:2). Perhaps this reminds us of the Lord Christ's words of Himself: "And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them" (John 10:4).

Therefore, God who passes over and walks before His people is: 1) God the good shepherd who prepares the way before us and leads us on it by the light of His countenance; 2) The incarnate Word who preceded us to death and broke its sting, so that if we pass over after Him, death has no authority over us; 3) The Son of God who was temped in everything like us, so that He can help those who are tempted who walk behind Him; 4) Christ who became man to be our example and model: "Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2:21; "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15)

Perhaps this is what David understood of God walking before the people, and so he said, "I have set the Lord always before me" (Psalm 16:8). This is also what Moses the Prophet understood and so he clung to Him beseeching Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here" (Exodus 33:15).

Yet, what about God walking behind His people? This was mentioned in the Holy Bible: "And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night" (Exodus 14:19-20). This is also what happened when "Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away" (Matthew 14:22). Here the question that poses itself is: "When does God move from walking before us, to walking behind us? When does God make us go before Him, while He follows?" Both conditions are similar; in the first case the enemy was following His people seeking their destruction, while in the second case the boat was "in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary" (Matthew 14:24). Therefore, God who is walking after His people is God who fights for them against the enemy, who protects them in all their trials.

Yet, the person who suffers under the burden of his pains as he no longer sees God walking before in the time of trials, complains with Job saying: "Look, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him; when He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him" (Job 23:8-9). As he does not realize that God moved to walk behind him, protecting him, he assumes that He has shielded His face from him and abandoned him.

May God open our eyes to see Him walking before us and behind us, and then we will rejoice with David saying: "You have hedged me behind and before" (Psalm 139:5).

Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States