Numbers 9:15-23
“And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.” (Numbers 9:15-16)
The word tabernacle means literally a residence or dwelling place, but was usually used to refer to a tent. The Tabernacle itself was technically a tent, depending on a fabric type covering for protection from the weather. It housed the covenant or contract between God and Israel. It was also the place God had chosen to fill with his glory and manifest himself to the people. One of the ways he manifested his presence was by the pillar of cloud on the Tabernacle during the day and of fire at night.
“And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.” (Numbers 9:17-18)
God manifested his directions for Israel by lifting the cloud or fire off the Tabernacle to indicate they were to prepare to move to another location. Each day God indicated what they were to do for that day. Just as Abraham was not told in advance where he was to go, but was to trust God day by day, Israel was trust God day by day. Christians today are expected to do the same.
Romans 14:23 states, “…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” James 4:13-16 points out that the idea of rigidly committing to long range plans is in fact evil. “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”
“And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not. And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.” (Numbers 9:19-22)
God might direct Israel to move by day or by night, and they might remain for just a couple of days or a year or more, solely at God’s pleasure. It is a lesson we need to learn about trusting and obeying God. How many of us decide we’ve been in a place long enough, or hesitate to leave because we like it here? How easy is it for us to judge others for their actions when we have no clue what God is directing them to do? Romans 14:4 asks, “Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.”
“At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.” (Numbers 9:23)
Israel’s movements might seem erratic to us, but they were obeying God in each place they went, and in the way they kept his commandments.
“And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.” (Numbers 9:15-16)
The word tabernacle means literally a residence or dwelling place, but was usually used to refer to a tent. The Tabernacle itself was technically a tent, depending on a fabric type covering for protection from the weather. It housed the covenant or contract between God and Israel. It was also the place God had chosen to fill with his glory and manifest himself to the people. One of the ways he manifested his presence was by the pillar of cloud on the Tabernacle during the day and of fire at night.
“And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.” (Numbers 9:17-18)
God manifested his directions for Israel by lifting the cloud or fire off the Tabernacle to indicate they were to prepare to move to another location. Each day God indicated what they were to do for that day. Just as Abraham was not told in advance where he was to go, but was to trust God day by day, Israel was trust God day by day. Christians today are expected to do the same.
Romans 14:23 states, “…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” James 4:13-16 points out that the idea of rigidly committing to long range plans is in fact evil. “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”
“And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not. And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.” (Numbers 9:19-22)
God might direct Israel to move by day or by night, and they might remain for just a couple of days or a year or more, solely at God’s pleasure. It is a lesson we need to learn about trusting and obeying God. How many of us decide we’ve been in a place long enough, or hesitate to leave because we like it here? How easy is it for us to judge others for their actions when we have no clue what God is directing them to do? Romans 14:4 asks, “Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.”
“At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.” (Numbers 9:23)
Israel’s movements might seem erratic to us, but they were obeying God in each place they went, and in the way they kept his commandments.
No comments:
Post a Comment