WEDNESDAY 12 January 2022 “Lead Me” Numbers 9:15-23

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Hello my ‘Walking with Jesus” friends,

May I ask, what’s the longest hike you’ve ever been on? How far did you travel on foot and how long did it take you? I call this daily experience with you “Walking with Jesus”, and I wonder how often you’ve imagined yourself actually doing that… physically walking along the road with Jesus and any of the Bible heroes, both Old and New Testament? Recently we’ve been ‘walking’ with Moses and the journey he traveled with God, beginning at the burning bush at Mount Sinai, all the way to now the construction of the “Tent of Meeting” at Mount Sinai.

Yesterday we saw in Numbers 9:1-5 that the people celebrated the Passover at Mount Sinai exactly one year after that first Passover which they celebrated the night the angel of death came over Egypt, and those Hebrews who had painted the blood of the Passover Lamb on their doorposts fled safely in the night, following Moses and the pillar of fire in the sky, to freedom with God! Moses wrote a powerful summary statement that I draw our attention to in Numbers 9:15. “On the day the tabernacle, ‘The Tent of Meeting’ was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire…” We’ve all seen clouds, we’ve seen fog, we’ve seen lightning and so it shouldn’t be difficult for us to imagine this sight. A cloud hovering over this “Tent of Meeting”, which then at night would have a glow inside, signifying the very presence of God with His people. Can you imagine how comforting that was for the people? And because the “Tent of Meeting” was in the center of their tent city, everyone could see the cloud, both day and night, from anywhere these more than 1 million people had pitched their tents!

In most countries of the world church buildings are easily recognized. Sometimes they have names on them or signs out front identifying them. In many parts of the world Christian churches have steeples or crosses on the buildings. Jewish Synagogues also have either the star of David or the name of their Synagogue on their buildings. In some parts of the world there are huge cathedrals, many hundred years old. So I have a question for us to consider. If the “Tent of Meeting” was positioned by God in the center of their tent city, and if God placed the cloud of His Presence over top of the tabernacle so it could be seen day or night by all the people symbolizing His presence with His people, what do you think God’s desire is that the people of your city or mine should experience whenever they see a church or synagogue in our day? How do people feel when they look at your church building, if you have one?

Moses continues his description in Numbers 9…“Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at His command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp.

Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days, at the LORD’s command they would encamp and then at His command they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning and when it lifted in the morning they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days, or a month, or a year, the Israelites would remain in the camp and not set out; but when it lifted they would set out.”

(Numbers 9:15-22)

Now friends imagine yourself, at any age, living as a Hebrew in this remarkable experience. Old people among them could easily remember so many years living in slavery in Egypt and now the comfort of knowing God was here with His people leading them. For middle age folks, comparing the contrast of living under the slave masters whip and the whims of the Pharaoh, to now living and raising their families under the cloud of God’s Presence. For children, every day and evening looking up frequently into the sky above the “Tent of Meeting” to see if the cloud or pillar of fire is there or is moving. I doubt we can overstate how comforting it was for every person in this huge city to see that cloud, day or night.

And then Moses made this summary statement: “At the LORD’s command they encamped and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with His command through Moses.” (Numbers 9:23) Now think back over your lifetime, all the way to your childhood. Consider every relocation move you or your family have made and filter it through the experience Moses is describing here. “At the LORD’s command they set out and encamped” is a powerful statement isn’t it? These people were daily ‘walking with God’. If the cloud moved, they packed and followed. When the cloud stayed put, so did they! There was never a question… should we move today or stay? The cloud always answered that question. As we begin 2022, are you content where you are in life and in our world? Do you believe God has led you to be where you are? If you are contemplating a move, are you asking God about that? Do you see the great advantages to living your life always guided by Sovereign Holy God? Do you see the great risks of taking charge of your life and charting your own path, disregarding any advice from God?

I’d like to invite us to spend some time pondering the power of the experience here of Moses and these people. “At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order…” (Numbers 9:23) Here we are only a few days into 2022, but I’d like to ask you to consider a commitment for the rest of your life. A commitment to live this way… ‘at the LORD’s command’. Fully yielding every significant decision in your life to the God who made you, keeps you alive each day, loves you, and sent His Son Jesus to pay the full price for your sinfulness, so you could live in relationship with Him for the rest of your life… truly ‘walking with Jesus’ by giving God the authority to guide your every decision! Can we imagine what the rest of our lives will be like if we live under the cloud of God’s Presence, moving only and always when and where the Holy Spirit of God guides us, every step?

Is that what Romans 8:5-9 describes for us? “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Holy Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit of God desires. The mind of the sinful nature is death but the mind controlled by the Spirit of God is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God… You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you…” The people living in that huge Hebrew city with the “Tent of Meeting” in the center and the cloud of God’s Presence hovering over it, were beginning to experience, in a very practical way, what Jesus has made possible for you and me with the Holy Spirit of God alive with us. Is that your experience my friends? The Spirit of God with us, leading us, guiding us, counseling us, as Jesus promised. (John 14:16,17)

I’ve found an acapella song titled “Lead Me LORD” which speaks so powerfully to this living reality. I urge you to listen to it, worship, and thank God for His leading in your life.

Today’s Scripture is Numbers 9:15-23.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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