Moving with God

Numbers 9:15-23 holds one of the most fascinating pictures in all the Bible for me. It comes at the time when the Tabernacle was completed. Remember that the Tabernacle was a portable worship center designed by God as a place where His people could meet Him. A forerunner to the Temple in Jerusalem, the Tabernacle served as the place where the Israelites came to sacrifice, praise, receive forgiveness, and encounter the presence of God. The Tabernacle was a “tent” where the people of God would meet with God Himself.

Before the construction of the Tabernacle, Moses would meet with God in a “tent of meeting” that was set-up outside the camp of the Israelites. Exodus 33:7-11 shows us that when Moses would go into this temporary tent of meeting, God, in the form of the pillar of cloud, would come to the tent and talk with Moses face to face, as friends talk together. When the Tabernacle was completed, this temporary tent of meeting was no longer needed. This is the picture in Numbers 9. The picture of God’s presence moving to rest over the Tabernacle.

The fascinating thing about Numbers 9 for me is the physical presence of God in a pillar of cloud and fire. This pillar of cloud was a constant reminder to the people of Israel that God was present. But more than that, this pillar of cloud directed the steps of Israel.

Imagine for a moment that you live at the time of the wilderness wandering. Your home is a tent. Your community is Israel. Each morning you wake up and get ready for the day. You brush your teeth and put on your clothes. Hmmm….which shoes should I wear today? My “around the house slippers” or my good walking shoes? Just take a look outside. Is the pillar of cloud moving? If so, the decision is made for me. Today will be a day of packing up the tent and walking where God leads. If the cloud is remaining over the Tabernacle, today is a day to work around the house and take care of things here because here is where we are staying today.

I know, all this talk of walking shoes and around the house work is kind of ridiculous. But don’t miss the point. Every day the Israelites woke up and looked to see what God was doing. God’s movement dictated the movement of His people. Every decision, each action, the direction of the day, and the movement of the Israelites depended on seeing what God was doing and where God was going first. The people only moved with God.

I want that in my life. I want to live in a way that the first thing I do in the morning is look for God. I want to walk and live in the presence of God. I want to lay down at night, sure that God is near. And the really fascinating part of the whole thing is that God wants the same thing for me. So He promises to be near and guide my days. He promises to walk with me and lead me. So in order to experience this kind of relationship, I need to keep my eyes on what God is doing.

This is part of embedding the Bible. Learning to see the movement of God in my life. Learning to surrender my days and my decisions to Him. Learning how to go where He goes. Not running ahead and not lagging behind.

Each time I come to the pages of the Bible there is an opportunity to learn more about who God is and how He moves. The Bible is like a tent of meeting. It is a place where God promises to meet us and talk to us. As Lord, as God, as the Creator of all the universe, and as friends. Embedding the Bible means getting to know God more and more.

As we come to know God, we learn how He moves in the world and the lives and hearts of people. More importantly we see how God wants to move in our hearts. In the pages of the Bible we learn what to watch on television, what to say to friends, what to laugh over and what to mourn. In the pages of the Bible, God confronts our sin and promises grace. We learn to walk and talk and act and think at the direction of God.

Remember this week that as you read and pray and study, God is near. He is guiding your path and teaching you to make good decisions. God is moving and calling you to follow Him. Will you move with God this week?