Tag: pillar of cloud

When to Stay, When to Move (Numbers 9:15-23)

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Cloud in the Desert, stained glass at the Congregation Beth Emeth, Herndon, Virginia

On the day the Tent of the Lord’s presence was set up, a cloud came and covered it. At night the cloud looked like fire. Whenever the cloud lifted, the people of Israel broke camp, and they set up camp again in the place where the cloud came down. The people broke camp at the command of the Lord, and at his command they set up camp.

As long as the cloud stayed over the Tent, they stayed in the same camp. When the cloud stayed over the Tent for a long time, they obeyed the Lord and did not move on. Sometimes the cloud remained over the Tent for only a few days; in any case, they remained in camp or moved, according to the command of the Lord. Sometimes the cloud remained only from evening until morning, and they moved on as soon as the cloud lifted.

Whenever the cloud lifted, they moved on. Whether it was two days, a month, a year, or longer, as long as the cloud remained over the Tent, they did not move on; but when it lifted, they moved. They set up camp and broke camp in obedience to the commands which the Lord gave through Moses. (Good News Translation)

I know a few believers who would really like to have their spiritual lives governed by a cloud lifting and moving and settling. Then, there wouldn’t be any doubt about what to do and when to do it.

But keep in mind that this arrangement of a cloud was temporary; it was only meant to get the Israelites from one place to another until they entered the Promised Land. Anytime we try and make something permanent which is designed to be temporary, we become stuck, not to mention missing out on the good things intended for us.

Clouds of Glory, by Yoram Raanan, 2014

In a time of transition for the nation of Israel, the gracious presence of God provided both guidance and assurance. The Lord was with them; and the divine presence reminded the people that God’s promise would be fulfilled.

The book of Numbers begins at the point where the book of Exodus leaves off. Leviticus is in between, interrupting the narrative flow with detailed legislation, especially of the sacrificial worship system. Exodus ends with the construction of the tabernacle (the sacred tent with the ark of the covenant and worship utensils).

Numbers then begins a year after Israel came out of Egypt. It covers the years of wandering in the desert wilderness in which an entire generation dies off and their children are poised to enter the Promised Land. The bulk of the book is given to the beginning and ending of the 40 years of wandering.

The Sinai Peninsula, where the Israelites walked, is a rather harsh environment. This is on purpose; it’s part of the nation’s spiritual development. The desert is the place where failures are acknowledged and purged. It’s a unique place and time which required a special system to safeguard the people. They needed to be guided toward holiness so that they could be a holy nation, set apart for God.

In many ways, Numbers is a depressing book. It tells us the painful shortcomings of Israel to their divinely appointed calling. There are plenty of murmurings, rebellions, and outright transgressions of all kinds. I can just imagine God shaking his head in disappointment.

Yet, even though many individuals were punished and an entire generation died, God’s covenant with the people held firm – namely because the Lord tenaciously held to it and did not abandon Israel altogether. The tabernacle remained, despite the fickle people.

The point is strongly made that God was with the people and governed their comings and goings. And this teaches us something about our own spiritual pilgrimage on this earth; and the decisions and discernments which must be made in that sojourn.

There are times we need to pack up and get moving; and there are other times when we need to stay put, pause, and wait on the Lord’s timing. Our entire earthly life is one big sojourn from birth to death. How we go about this pilgrimage is of upmost importance.

We are meant to connect with transcendent things, to discover the Divine. The Lord wants us to discern what to do, when to do it, and where. So we keep moving, learning both the value of putting down roots and blessing a particular place, as well as the importance of walking, traveling, and spreading out across the earth. In engaging these dynamics of movement and stillness, we learn about realities greater than ourselves.

There is a lot of work to do with discernment and decision-making. We may long for a pillar of cloud, but the Lord seems to want us leaping into the unknown with faith when it’s time; or to stop talking, sit down, and listen for the still small voice of God. And we’ll need to work together for this discernment to happen.

A change in direction requires right motives and proper attitudes. It’s got to have some solid knowledge, understanding, and wisdom behind it. And our movements must be purposeful in a way which blesses the world and doesn’t curse it.

In short, faith and trust are to be developed. Faith is not a static word, but dynamic. Believing is always moving, either in redemptive and helpful ways, or in the unbelieving ways of self-centeredness and ignorance. And since the believer serves a good God who has our best interests at mind, we can trust that we’re headed toward the place of promise and abundance.

Course corrections will always be needed, and that’s okay. But what’s not okay is the refusal to change, move, and discern next steps. One of the wonderful gifts of taking time for silence, solitude, and prayer is that we learn the subtle movements of God’s spiritual rhythms. We discern who we are, how we are, where we are, and where we need to be.

May it please the supreme and divine Goodness to give us all abundant grace ever to know his most holy will and perfectly to fulfill it. Amen.  —St. Ignatius of Loyola

Exodus 13:17-22 – The Presence of God

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality Blog, Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year ALeave a comment

Pillar of Cloud and Fire

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, “If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.” So, God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle. And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph who had required a solemn oath of the Israelites, saying, “God will surely take notice of you, and then you must carry my bones with you from here.” They set out from Succoth, and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. (NRSV)

From a human perspective, God makes a lot of nonsensical decisions in the Bible. Telling Noah to build a big boat in a place with no water; Abraham to leave everything, and later, to sacrifice his son; Moses to stroll into Egypt and tell Pharaoh to let the people go; and, the people to walk through a body of water without getting wet. Indeed, its as if God has an odd predilection for making weird requests of people.

Although today’s Old Testament story gives us a glimpse into God’s thinking, the people were not privy to that information. Yes, God’s people were experiencing an unbelievable exodus out of Egypt. Their wildest dreams could not have imagined such a reality as strolling out of slavery having seen not one but a string of miraculous wonders. Yet, God was not done with the miracle thing.

Although many people would really like to see a miracle happen in their lives, rarely do we think about the circumstances we might need face for that miracle to occur. God typically asks folks to do some outrageous-sounding things to set up the miracle.

An entire nation left Egypt with celebration only to be told to go in a misdirection toward the Promised Land, as if God were somehow geographically challenged. I can imagine that decision had Moses raising a Spock-like eyebrow and the Israelites wondering if God was off his celestial rocker. There is, however, a reason why folks like Noah, Abraham, and Moses obeyed instructions that didn’t make sense to them at the time: The Presence of God.

It is the personal Presence and power of God which makes all the difference.

For God has not promised to create an existence with a zero factor of hardship. God, instead, has created a world that is full, vibrant, and alive with Presence – and a zero tolerance for bullies like Egypt. The uncertainty, doubt, and mystery of the future is thoroughly mitigated with the effusive Presence.

When sitting with patients in the hospital who struggle with the unknown of why they are there and what will become of them (and their families) the last thing I do is try to fabricate reasons so that it makes sense. It doesn’t, and I’m not going pretend that it does. Rather, I remind them of what I do know: The Presence of God is here. God does not go out of his way to give us an easy life. God does, however, go far out his way to communicate his glorious Presence with us.

Pillar of Cloud and Fire 2

God kept constant vigil over the ancient Israelites, powerfully seen with the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. Nothing was going to happen to the Jewish people without first passing through the mighty hands of God. Not only do I know God is with us, I also know he neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121). When God keeps vigil, God keeps vigil! No smoke or bathroom breaks with God. God’s vigilance is relentless and wondrous, giving assurance to the godly and terrifying the ungodly.

Once we are out in the wilderness of uncertainty, there is no turning back.

That’s okay. The Presence of God patrols the area and divinely guards our every move. For the Christian, the Presence has found its fulfillment in the person of Jesus. Although Christians everywhere serve a risen and ascended Christ, the Divine Presence remains with glorious constancy through the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the One who is consistently alongside us, empowering us and advocating on our behalf. The beautiful theological truth here is that God is both transcendent (far above us) and immanent (intimately close to us) at the same time, all the time.

Armed with such a robust theological understanding, trust and confidence come to us without having to resort to ginning up positive thoughts. Instructions and commands which seem like nonsense? No problem. The Transcendent and Immanent One has the Presence all over it. In between a rock-and-hard-place (or an Egyptian army and a Red Sea)? Not an issue. I willingly place myself there knowing that with the Presence, the miraculous is about to happen. We need not buck the difficult circumstances. The Presence has got this.

So, then, let us pray for the Church and for the world, and let us thank God for the great Presence: In the power of the Spirit and in union with Christ, we pray to you, Almighty God, and Father. From the rising of the sun to its setting, we pray to you, ever-vigilant Lord, on behalf of those in despair and darkness, that they may find the hope and light of Christ; those in fear of death, that they may find faith through the resurrection of Jesus; prisoners and captives, widows and orphans, and all those who today need a blessed assurance of the Presence; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit are one God, now and forever. Amen.

Click God With Us written and sung by Terrian Woods as we contemplate The Presence among us.