With the tall cloud, you led them by day.\par And at night you used the column of fire.\par That is the way you lit their path,\par and showed them where to go.\par
You are very kind!\par So you didn’t leave them in the desert.\par You didn’t take the tall cloud\par away from them by day.\par You continued to lead them.\par You didn’t take the column of fire\par away from them at night.\par You continued to light their path\par and show them which way to go.\par
Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea [99] and into the Shur desert. They traveled for three days in the desert. The people could not find any water.
The people will not be hungry.\par They will not be thirsty.\par The hot sun and wind will not hurt them.\par Why? Because God comforts them\par and God will lead them.\par He will lead them near springs of water.\par
The Lord led you through that great and terrible desert. Poisonous snakes and scorpions [52] were in that desert! The ground was dry, and there was no water anywhere. But the Lord gave you water out of the rock.
And you must remember the whole trip that the Lord your God has led you through these 40 years in the desert. The Lord was testing you. He wanted to make you humble. He wanted to know the things in your heart. He wanted to know if you would obey his commands.