Num 9:15-23 | KingComments | STEP | The provisions God has given so far relate to the establishment and holiness of the camp. Now come the facilities for the trip itself. These are two: the cloud ( ) and the trumpets of silver ( ). Both means show that the people are completely dependent on God when they walk through the wilderness. The cloud is present “continuously” ( ). What a special concern of God! The special privilege of the guidance of God through the cloud is referred to several times in the history of Israel ( ; ). With the cloud we can think of the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life to give him directions for his going through the wilderness of this life. However, the personal aspect is not paramount. The cloud here is in fact the covering of the tabernacle, which is called here “the tent of testimony”. God has entrusted us with a testimony. He wants to give a testimony of Himself through us to the world. For this the Holy Spirit came to dwell in the church. The first time the cloud shows the way, after the redemption from Egypt, is to lead them to the Red Sea ( ). It is a picture of the guidance of the Holy Spirit Who, after redemption, will lead God’s people. The second time we see the cloud when it takes position at the entrance of the tent of meeting erected by Moses outside the camp ( ). The lifting and settling down of the cloud are described in detail here. The whole path of the people is connected to the lifting and settling down of the cloud. As the cloud indicates, the people must act. The people as a whole, not just the few, must aim at it. Even as local churches, we should not plan our own way, but surrender our way to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God wants every local testimony of the church to pass through the wilderness. Every exercise in a church is related to watching the cloud. In questions about allowing someone to take part in the Lord’s Supper, or in the case of removing sin from the midst of the church or any other form of care, we must pay attention to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Also in the night the cloud is there to determine our walk. In the night the cloud was like the appearance of fire. Everything is presented in a childishly simple way. It is the sure way of blessing for the testimony. Everything must be done at or according to “the command of the LORD” ( [2x], [2x], [3x]), a command expressed in the movements of the cloud. The people can go a certain way if they watch the cloud and act according to what it does. Because the people never know when the cloud will stop or move forward, it is necessary to constantly look at it. For each step we depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Taking action without His guidance only brings misery, as well as staying where we are, while the Spirit urges us to do a certain work or make a certain decision. Paying attention to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is also important in discussions of brothers with a certain responsibility in the church. It is not a matter of business minded brothers, who can talk best, but of whether there is real dependence on the Holy Spirit in a spirit of prayer. Not only a case must be clear, but also the time of action. No time is lost when we wait for God’s time. In order to act in the right way and at the right time, it is necessary to always look upward. Our actions and the time when we should act, should not be dictated by what we see around us, for example, in business. We must give the Lord the opportunity to lead us. He wants to lead us through His eye. He can also lead us through bit and bridle ( ). In the latter case, He keeps us under control so that we do not take the wrong path. In the first case there is fellowship with Him in going the right way. Therefore, we should not ask if the Lord wants to stop us when we are in danger of going wrong, but rather entrust ourselves to Him and ask for His will. Then we will not act until we are certain that something is His will.

‏ Numbers 9:15-23

The Cloud

The provisions God has given so far relate to the establishment and holiness of the camp. Now come the facilities for the trip itself. These are two: the cloud (Num 9:15-23) and the trumpets of silver (Num 10:1-10). Both means show that the people are completely dependent on God when they walk through the wilderness. The cloud is present “continuously” (Num 9:16). What a special concern of God! The special privilege of the guidance of God through the cloud is referred to several times in the history of Israel (Psa 105:39; Neh 9:19).

With the cloud we can think of the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life to give him directions for his going through the wilderness of this life. However, the personal aspect is not paramount. The cloud here is in fact the covering of the tabernacle, which is called here “the tent of testimony”. God has entrusted us with a testimony. He wants to give a testimony of Himself through us to the world. For this the Holy Spirit came to dwell in the church.

The first time the cloud shows the way, after the redemption from Egypt, is to lead them to the Red Sea (Exo 13:21). It is a picture of the guidance of the Holy Spirit Who, after redemption, will lead God’s people. The second time we see the cloud when it takes position at the entrance of the tent of meeting erected by Moses outside the camp (Exo 33:9).

The lifting and settling down of the cloud are described in detail here. The whole path of the people is connected to the lifting and settling down of the cloud. As the cloud indicates, the people must act. The people as a whole, not just the few, must aim at it. Even as local churches, we should not plan our own way, but surrender our way to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

God wants every local testimony of the church to pass through the wilderness. Every exercise in a church is related to watching the cloud. In questions about allowing someone to take part in the Lord’s Supper, or in the case of removing sin from the midst of the church or any other form of care, we must pay attention to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Also in the night the cloud is there to determine our walk. In the night the cloud was like the appearance of fire. Everything is presented in a childishly simple way. It is the sure way of blessing for the testimony. Everything must be done at or according to “the command of the LORD” (Num 9:18 [2x], Num 9:20 [2x], Num 9:23 [3x]), a command expressed in the movements of the cloud.

The people can go a certain way if they watch the cloud and act according to what it does. Because the people never know when the cloud will stop or move forward, it is necessary to constantly look at it. For each step we depend on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Taking action without His guidance only brings misery, as well as staying where we are, while the Spirit urges us to do a certain work or make a certain decision.

Paying attention to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is also important in discussions of brothers with a certain responsibility in the church. It is not a matter of business minded brothers, who can talk best, but of whether there is real dependence on the Holy Spirit in a spirit of prayer. Not only a case must be clear, but also the time of action. No time is lost when we wait for God’s time. In order to act in the right way and at the right time, it is necessary to always look upward. Our actions and the time when we should act, should not be dictated by what we see around us, for example, in business.

We must give the Lord the opportunity to lead us. He wants to lead us through His eye. He can also lead us through bit and bridle (Psa 32:8-9). In the latter case, He keeps us under control so that we do not take the wrong path. In the first case there is fellowship with Him in going the right way. Therefore, we should not ask if the Lord wants to stop us when we are in danger of going wrong, but rather entrust ourselves to Him and ask for His will. Then we will not act until we are certain that something is His will.