“God Dwelling with His People”

Numbers 9

15 And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. 16 So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.

18 At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents. 19 And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of theLord, and journeyed not.

20 And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the Lord they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed. 21 And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.

22 Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed. 23 At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

One year after the Israelites left Egypt, they came to Mt. Sinai. Here God gave Moses the plan for the Tabernacle. God instructed Moses to build it exactly as it was shown to him on the mount. When it was completed, a cloud came down from heaven and rested on the tabernacle. By day they were lead by this cloud and during the night, by a pillar of fire.

For God to come and dwell with us, we must be separate from the world and live holy lives. It is sad to see how many leave Egypt to go to the promised land, but they get weary on the way, and never reach it.

God commanded Moses that they must travel with the cloud. if the cloud remained in a certain place, they were to remain there too, until the cloud moved. Whenever the cloud moved, whether night or day, they had to go with it immediately. In our spiritual lives, we too must wait on God’s leading and guidance. We must not seek great things for ourselves to do for God, but be faithful in the slightest direction and movement of God’s Spirit. We must follow Him day by day.

We are more privileged than the Israelites, for we have God’s Spirit, whom He had given to us (Rom 8:14), to lead and guide us. God has also given us His Word, the Bible. We must read it day and night, and let God’s Spirit lead us through His Word, for the letter without the Spirit kills.
The story is told of Martin Luther having had a dream. In this dream he saw himself in a church and a very eloquent preacher preached a wonderful sermon. Somehow he knew that it was the devil. He went to him and asked him how he could preach such a wonderful sermon. The devil answered, “Did you not know that the letter without the Spirit kills. This is my greatest tool in hardening people’s hearts.”

May we therefore be lead by God’s Spirit, through His Word, day by day.

Rev Chauke also gave a short testimony on how God comforted him with the passing away of his wife some time ago.