Numbers 9:15-23
15 Now on the day that the tabernacle was raised up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the Testimony; from evening until morning it was above the tabernacle like the appearance of fire. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents.
18 At the command of the Lord the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. 19 Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not journey. 20 So it was, when the cloud was above the tabernacle a few days: according to the command of the Lord they would remain encamped, and according to the command of the Lord they would journey. 21 So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey. 23 At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed; they kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
18 At the command of the Lord the children of Israel would journey, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud stayed above the tabernacle they remained encamped. 19 Even when the cloud continued long, many days above the tabernacle, the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and did not journey. 20 So it was, when the cloud was above the tabernacle a few days: according to the command of the Lord they would remain encamped, and according to the command of the Lord they would journey. 21 So it was, when the cloud remained only from evening until morning: when the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they would journey; whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud was taken up, they would journey. 22 Whether it was two days, a month, or a year that the cloud remained above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would remain encamped and not journey; but when it was taken up, they would journey. 23 At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed; they kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
God led His people by removing the cloud and fire from His tabernacle of meeting. Whereas their journey out of Egypt was a cloud to them and a fire to those pursuing them, now it was the fire over the tent at night and a cloud all day long. The light which looked like fife at night brought attention to where God met with Moses as a reminder of His presence as well as deliverance, while the cloud could have been a reminder of both the mystery of Himself and the presence during the day. When God led them through the desert to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (who was Israel), He showed them when to move by the cloud instead of fire and only at night. The removal of the cloud was the time for each tribe to pack up their portion of the tabernacle and move to where God again placed His presence in the cloud at a new location. There they would reassemble the tent to meet with God until the next move. Forty years in the desert wilderness God led them this way that they might learn to trust and follow His leading and not their own wisdom. We now are led by His Spirit living in us according to His word written to guide us more clearly, yet we still look to Him along life’s narrow way where He walks and talks this with us. The lesson from God’s leading by cloud and the light like fire then is to follow His way and not according to our own imaginations.
No comments:
Post a Comment