Follow the Cloud

Fresh new post today… Sorry it has been a while. Have been in hospital for 15 days and then needed the time to recoup from that, but I read a nice passage this morning in my devotional time and I wanted you to read it and ponder it and maybe even pray it. 

just to set this passage up, Moses had been speaking with God and giving the Israelites rules and commands to live by and where God would live and how the people were to interact with God Himself— He is holy, therefore not just anyone can walk right in to HIs presence—(remember, this is the Old Testament… Now, because of Jesus, we have access to God 24/7/365, but that was different in the Old Testament. 

Just before the People of Israel were about to pick up camp and begin to set out in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, we are come up against this passage, found in Numbers 9:

On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it.[a] But from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire. 16 This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire. 17 Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. 18 In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle. 19 If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the Lord. 20 Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days, as the Lord commanded. Then at the Lord’s command they would break camp and move on. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and lifted the next morning. But day or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and moved on. 22 Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. 23 So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses.” (NLT2)

There is so much going on in this awesome passage! Just let me highlight a few. 

The Cloud, represented God’s Presence. It was with the people of Israel as they were crossing the Sea of Reeds, (Red Sea), and the Presence of God is here, as well. 

The people of Israel were to take their cues from the Cloud. If it lifted, it meant the people of Israel were going for a walk. 

If the cloud remains were it was— hovering over the Tabernacle, the Israelites were staying where they were. 

Sometimes the Cloud stayed over the Tabernacle for a long time, sometimes it stayed for a very short time. The idea was that if the cloud lifted, the people were on their way. If the Cloud Stayed, they stayed. 

Verse 23 is especially sweet: “So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses.” (NLT2)

I love it.

this, at its core, is a picture of obedience. For this time period, the Children of Israel were being obedient to the Lord their God. 

The same can be said about us today. All God is looking for from is the same thing. He wants us to obey Him. To move when He tells us to move. To stop when He tells us to stop. 

Maybe you could take this passage and ask the Lord where He’d have you go; what He’d have you do, and where He wants you to go. All God is looking for is obedience. 

“What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22, NLT2