Today’s Reading: Numbers 8:5-10:36; Psalm 48

In Exodus 24, the Lord called Moses to come and spend time in His presence on the mountain. There the Lord would give him instructions, equipping Moses to lead God’s people. The Israelites watched as Moses climbed the mountain and disappeared into the cloud, and they did not see their leader again for forty days and nights. In his absence, they lost confidence in God’s presence and created a physical object to worship — the golden calf.

In Exodus 33, we again see the presence of the Lord appearing in a pillar of cloud. If the people needed evidence that God was faithful, He would give it to them.

Whenever Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting, all the people would get up and stand in the entrances of their own tents. They would all watch Moses until he disappeared inside. As he went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and hover at its entrance while the Lord spoke with Moses. When the people saw the cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would stand and bow down in front of their own tents. – Exodus 33:8-10

GOD MADE HIS PRESENCE KNOWN THROUGH A PILLAR OF CLOUD.

When Moses climbed back up Mount Sinai to receive a second set of stone tablets, the Lord came down in a cloud and stood on the mountain with Moses (Exodus 34:5). On that day, the Lord revealed Himself as Yahweh, and He continues to be Yahweh for us today. He is the God of mercy and compassion; He is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. He lavishes this unfailing love upon generation after generation, forgiving us for our iniquity, rebellion and sin, just as He forgave the Israelites for worshiping the golden calf.

In both Exodus 40 and Numbers 9, we read the beautiful description of the Lord’s presence inhabiting the Tabernacle in a cloud. The people had created a place of worship just as the Lord had instructed them to, and God faithfully dwelled among them. Daily the Lord guided them through the movement of the cloud.

On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it. But from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire. This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. – Numbers 9:15-18a

GOD WAS FAITHFUL TO LEAD HIS PEOPLE AND HIS PEOPLE WERE FAITHFUL TO FOLLOW.

Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses. – Numbers 9:22-23

God also equipped Moses with the trumpet call in order to lead the people where they needed to go. If they heard two trumpets, all of God’s people were to gather at the entrance of the Tabernacle. If only one trumpet was blown, only the leaders needed to assemble. The Lord gave Moses various trumpet calls in order to communicate instructions to God’s people. This provided an organized way to move the large group of people, while also providing a method to signal alarm when enemies would come to attack them (Exodus 10:1-10). God provided a way for His people to see His presence through the cloud and also to hear His instructions through the sound of the trumpet.

GOD’S PEOPLE DO NOT NEED TO QUESTION HIS PRESENCE OR HIS WILLINGNESS TO LEAD US.

We can start our day with confidence in who God is — He is Yahweh, the God of compassion and mercy whose unfailing love is lavished on us as He willingly forgives us for our iniquities, rebellion and sin. Just as He forgave the Israelites when they repented of their sin of idol worship, He is willing to forgive us when we humbly repent of our waywardness.

We can step into our day with the assurance of God’s presence. When we surrender our lives to Him, allowing Him to be Lord, He generously provides His Spirit to dwell among us and in us. Just as the cloud descended upon the mountain and then on the Tabernacle, God is faithful. He never forgets us; He never abandons us. He responds to our worship and hears our prayers.

For that is what God is like.
He is our God forever and ever,
and he will guide us until we die. – Psalm 48:14

We can daily live out our confidence in the instructions God has given us in His word. Through scripture, the Lord leads us. He has laid out a plan for us, promising to fill us with His righteousness and transform our hearts and minds. He equips us for all that He has called us to be and do. Our God is faithful to guide each decision we face. He is Yahweh, God Almighty, and we can trust Him. Now it’s our turn to look, listen and obey.