Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever been part of a big project, which when completed left everyone with a huge sense of both relief and accomplishment? Do you remember what you felt a few days later? Was it a sense of “ok, what’s next”? We’re only a few days into 2022 and are you already wondering what this year will bring?
Yesterday I left you standing among a throng of people as eye witness to one of the most remarkable sites in history. Moses and his helpers had completed the assembling of the “Tent of Meeting” in one day, there at the foot of Mount Sinai. As the people celebrated, suddenly the ‘cloud of God’s Presence’ descended upon and engulfed that “Tent of Meeting”. Moses describes it this way: “Then the cloud [of God’s Presence] covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the ‘Tent of Meeting’ because the cloud had settled upon it..”. (Ex. 40:34,35) It must have been a stunning sight, would you agree? If I had been in that crowd of people watching it that day, I don’t think I would have left the scene to return to my tent until a long time had passed.
Moses wrote the book of Exodus for us. It’s a remarkable account of the miracles of God with Moses and the people isn’t it? Look with me at this summary statement made by Moses as he concludes Exodus: “In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out – until the day it lifted. So the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel during all their travels.” (Ex. 40:36-38) What does it mean my friends, and how does it apply to you and me in 2022?
One of the reasons we’re walking through the story of Moses and the people in Exodus, is that it’s a picture of how God offers to every person in our day deliverance from our sin bondage, a vibrant, growing relationship with God, and His promise to be with us and lead us through life everyday. The whole story of the book of Exodus can be summarized, I believe, in these few statements…
* Moses’ Exodus 3 encounter with God at the burning bush told Moses, and tells us, that God is FULLY aware of all that is going on here on planet earth, at all times, in all places.
* God is a Holy God and a God of Love for all people whom He has created in His image.
As God sees humanity suffering in the ravages of sinful attitudes, choices and behavior, Compassionate God is concerned and desires to provide help, rescue for us. God rescued His people out of their Egyptian bondage by His mighty power, and He led them to Mount Sinai where God and His people could spend an extended period of time building relationship! (Ex. 29:45,46) In the same way God provides a way of deliverance for us from our sin bondage, through our trust in Jesus Christ who paid our deliverance price on the cross when He died. (John 3:16; 5:24) When delivered from our sin, God desires that we daily build a relationship with Him. (Romans 8:5-9, 14-17)
* God led the freed Hebrew slaves from Egypt to Mount Sinai by a cloud hovering over them by day and a pillar of fire in the sky by night. (Ex. 13:21,22)
God desires to lead us through life today by the Holy Spirit of God living within His people. (John 16:5-15& 10:27-30)
* God designed a “Tent of Meeting” to be constructed as a place of worship encounter for God and His people. (Ex. 29:42,43)
The cloud of God’s Presence descended and rested upon this “Tent of Meeting” as a tangible evidence of God’s Presence among His people. Whenever the cloud lifted and moved, the people packed up their belongings and moved with the cloud. (Ex. 40:34-39)
Now ponder all that a moment my friends. Put yourself there among those 1 million people who had escaped out of Egypt. One year after that miraculous midnight escape, (Exodus 14) now at Mount Sinai, the cloud of God’s Presence settles down hovering over the “Tent of Meeting”, and at night a fire glows from inside that cloud. It is the undeniable evidence of the Presence of God there with His people. Could anything be more comforting for them?
Can you imagine it? If you had been there, no matter where your tent was pitched in this huge tent city of more than 1 million people, the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night was visible and assured you of God’s Presence. The manna which fell from heaven every morning was also tangible evidence of God’s provision for His people in the desert. Do you have such assurance today, no matter where you live in the world? Are you confident of God’s Presence with you and your family? Do you see and celebrate God’s provision for you each day? Have you been delivered by God from the sin bondage into which you were born? Are you nurturing your relationship with God every day?
The book of Leviticus follows Exodus in our Bible. I’m not going to lead us through those 27 chapters of religious laws God gave to His people for that time in history, but it was important for them, as it further clarified how distinctive they were from all other people on earth. Rather, may I call us to see the next practical thing God instructed Moses to do there at Sinai after the construction of the “Tent of Meeting”? Numbers chapter 1:1 says: “The LORD spoke to Moses in the Tent of Meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said: ‘Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. You and Aaron are to number, by their divisions, all the men in Israel 20 yrs old or more who are able to serve in the army…” (Numbers 1:1-3)
Have you noticed God is always looking at TODAY through the lenses of YESTERDAY and in anticipation of what HE knows TOMORROW will hold? These people were not going to spend much more time at Mount Sinai. God had delivered them from Egypt to conquer and possess the land God promised to Abraham 500 years before. But that land was now occupied by thousands of other people and many battles therefore awaited them. An army would be essential. But it was also important there was an accurate accounting of WHO was here at Sinai, experiencing the miracles of God’s deliverance and God’s Presence with His people. For the Hebrews, family lineage was very important. So a complete census was undertaken!
I’d like us to pause here watching this amazing human calculation taking place. The record says: “all the Israelites twenty years and older who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. The total number was 605,550…” (Numbers 1:45,46) Can you hear the questions being asked to man after man: What is your name? What is your age? Which Hebrew tribe, clan and family are you from? Remember a large number of people OTHER than Hebrew slaves had run out of Egypt that Passover night, (Exodus 12:37,38) and evidently they were NOT included in this army eligibility census. Also any man who identified himself as being born in the tribe of Levi was NOT included in this census. Why? “The LORD had said to Moses, ‘You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census… Instead appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle, over all its furnishings and everything belonging to it. They are to carry and take care of the tabernacle and all its furnishings…” (Numbers 1:47-50)
So 1 year and 1 month after their departure from Egypt that Passover night, there are now 605,550 Hebrew men 20 years and older, but not so old they could not serve in the army. In addition was the entire tribe of the Levites, plus all the Hebrew women and children under age 20. So how many people can you imagine this huge crowd was at Mount Sinai? And don’t forget all the other non-Hebrew people not counted in the census.
Now look around you… how big is your city? What is the demographic of the people of your city and mine? How many of those people have a Bible and read it often? How many have an authentic relationship with God through Jesus Christ? How many celebrate God’s Presence and hunger to grow their relationship with Jesus in 2022? How many are led by the Holy Spirit in living their lives each day? And how many would have little understanding of the questions I just asked?
Here’s my last question for today: What does God see as HE looks at your city and mine? What does God want you and me to see and feel as we look at the cities where we live? Here’s a song to help us consider those questions, my friends, I think God wants to speak to us today!
Today’s Scripture is Numbers 1:1-3.
Choose below to read or listen.
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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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