Israel - Born out of Slavery and Wandering

Ok, so I'm trying to play catch up. I've been meaning to write for some time and have not made the time to do it. So this may be a bunch of random thoughts that may end up connecting in the end. We'll see. This is some more reflection of my read through the bible.
Again, God works and does things so unlike we humans would do them. So, God allows Joseph to be sold into slavery to get him to Egypt. He becomes a great leader and organizer there. Then God eventually commands Israel (Joseph's papa) to go to Egypt to see his son. It is here in Egypt that God tells Israel he will be made into a great nation. Now it's my guess that when Jacob heard this he didn't think that the great nation would flourish by being put into slavery. God is a strange one. But, that is what he does. If I were God, and thank God that I'm not, but if I were, I would have placed Israel in the promised land right from the start. It would have been whole lot easier and faster. All this slavery and wandering around in the desert doesn't seem like the quickest way to the promised land.
So why does God do it this way? Well, it seems in my humble opinion that it is three fold. One, that the people of Israel would become a holy (set apart) people of God. It is in their exodus that God really begins to set them apart. In the Passover sequence, the first thing God does is begins a new calendar for Israel. A different calendar it seems from the rest of the nations. The first thing that we hear from God in the commands for the Passover is this, "This month is to be FOR YOU the first month, the first month of your year." So, Israels deliverance is the beginning of a new way of keeping time. It may seem small, but it says that God is charge of our time, and it is different then how other nations do it. Our rhythm of life is different then yours. God is in charge of our rhythm of life. The rhythm of life continues to be set apart when God commands that the Passover will need to celebrated every year. I find it interesting that God commands this even before it all happens. It is so important that this is celebrated that God tells them that those that do not celebrate the Passover need to be cut off from the community of Israel. This is some commitment to a celebration and remembrance. It is important. It is important to their rhythm of life, it is a remembrance that other's don't celebrate, and it is an identity former. It begins to form their identity to the point of saying that if you don't do it, you are not a part. In the desert God also gives them a Sabbath. Which again is a new rhythm of life that is not like any where else. Besides setting them apart as a people of God, Passover of course reminds them that God has delivered and provided.
Which is the second reason I see God has done things the way he did them. Without their deliverance and wandering through the desert, Israel would never learn that God is trustworthy. Ok, ok, some may ask if they EVER really trusted and got it, but they had the opportunity to learn. Yes, it amazes me how much they grumbled about wandering around in the desert wishing they were back in captivity. "Where are you God?" And then I think of me and am amazed about how much I don't trust and wish God would have lead me to different places. And how I take more then my share of the manna for fear God won't provide for the next day. God provided enough for them to eat their fill and still some didn't trust. Reminds me of myself. (See my note God Provides) God then does gives them another lasting reminder of God's provision by commanding that a jar be filled with manna and placed in front of the Testimony. Cool that it is called the Testimony. A testimony of what God has done. Which brings me to the number three.
I find interesting in how often the phrase "That they (Egyptians) will know that I am Lord" is used. It seems to pop up everywhere in some form another. Israel was not made for itself. It was formed for the nations. God works through Israel to let the nations know who is really God. I think it has to do with number one above. Israel is not just set apart for their sake, to keep them protected as a nice little nation, but for the benefit that the Nations would see the Glory of God. How do we as whole people of God do this today?? I think about the state of today's Church a lot. And am saddened many times by it, but I know that God is still in control. Israel didn't always obey, didn't always live as God commanded, but many times God's glory and might were still seen because God was at work, not because Israel was a always a faithful people. Do we still need to strive to be a people set apart, of course, and we need to continually listen and obey, but I know that even when we screw up God is ultimately in control. So, maybe, this connected a lot better then I thought. Sweet.