Mystery and light. Numbers 9.15-23
Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Leviticus/Numbers (5)
Pray Psalm 139.11-14.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
Sing Psalm 139.11-14.
(Ripley: Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah, O My Soul)
Neither light nor dark conceals me; day as night is with You, LORD!
All my inward parts You fashioned by Your all-decreeing Word.
Praise the LORD, for You have made me; all Your wondrous works I’ll tell!
All Your works declare Your glory, and my soul knows this full well!
Read Numbers 9.15-23; meditate on verse 23.
Preparation
1. How did God make His Presence known to Israel?
2. What was His purpose in doing this?
Meditation
God was present with His people throughout their wanderings in the wilderness. He was present in the tabernacle, but He was also visibly present in the cloud and fire.
These two manifestations of God not only marked His Presence but also taught His people how to think about Him. God inhabits great mystery, represented by the cloud, which His people could not completely penetrate. By faith they knew Him, but they also knew there were things about Him which were far beyond their ken (Deut. 29.29).
The fire reminded them that God is Light. He illumined their understanding, their path, and the way they should live in love for Him and their neighbors. He gave them His Word and promises, and He commanded them to obey. As they obeyed the LORD and kept His charge (v. 29), they found Him to be true and reliable, faithful to all His Word and ready to bless them abundantly.
And they knew Him to be with them. Here Jesus, Immanuel, is foreshadowed. The mystery of His incarnation and His perfect dual nature—God and Man—is unfathomable; but the light of His truth and love, and of the Gospel and the Word, is ours to possess and enjoy. And His Spirit is in us, just as God was in the tabernacle; and He teaches us the things of Jesus, so that we know, love, and serve Him as we hear and heed His Word.
Wonder at and worship Jesus as God’s great Mystery; hear and follow Him as God’s abiding Light. He is with us always, and His charge to us is clear: “You follow Me” (Jn. 21.22).
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.
I hope the children of Israel appreciated the tender way that God was so obviously leading them (Num. 9.23). Because all of us long to know which way, where, and when to go, and what to do. We can often be heard to opine, “Oh, if only I could know the will of the LORD!”.
How glorious that at the command of the LORD they encamped and at the command of the LORD they journeyed. And while they were either encamped or journeying, they had God’s guide of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20.1-17) to keep their hearts and minds obedient as well. Following all the loving guidance of the LORD at every turn. “For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death” (Ps. 48.14).
Happily, we need not envy the traveling troupe of Israelites, for we have the very same Leadership and Guidance that they had. We, too, can keep “the charge of the LORD”, and Jesus will “guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lk. 1.79; Is. 9.2-7).
Jesus, Himself, explained about the coming Cloud and Fire: “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (Jn. 16.13, 14).
But can we always know the will of God? Indeed, we can. Paul wrote:
“Be at peace among yourselves…
Warn those who are unruly,
comfort the fainthearted,
uphold the weak,
be patient with all.
See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone,
but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.
Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
in everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophecies.
Test all things; hold fast what is good.
Abstain from every form of evil” (2 Thess. 5.13-22).
As Solomon said: “Hear, my son, and be wise; and guide your heart in the way” (Prov. 23.19).
That’s how we follow best; by obediently guiding our hearts into the Word of God daily, to see and learn about how the New Testament Cloud and Fire leads us into all truth today and every day.
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but Thou art mighty; hold me with Thy pow’rful hand;
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more,
Feed me till I want no more.
Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through;
Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield,
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
(William Williams, 1745)
Reflection
1. How will you know the guidance of the Lord today?
2. What can you do to be more sensitive to His Presence with you always?
3. How do you expect the Lord to show Himself—His Presence in you—to the people in your Personal Mission Field?
At the commandment of the Lord, our hearts should always move and rest, saying, Father, thy will be done; dispose of me and mine as thou pleasest. What thou wilt, and where thou wilt; only let me be thine, and always in the way of my duty. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Numbers 9.15-23
Pray Psalm 139.1-10, 23, 24.
Ask the Lord to make His Presence known to you today, by His Spirit, through the things He has made and the blessings He provides. As you become aware of His Presence throughout the day, look to Jesus—Immanuel—and give Him specific thanks and praise.
Sing Psalm 139.1-10, 23, 24.
(Ripley: Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah, O My Soul)
You have searched me, LORD, and known me, when I sit and when I rise;
from afar, my thoughts discerning, all my path before You lies.
Every word, before it’s spoken, You behold and know it well.
Both behind me and before me, Your sweet Presence I can tell!
Such a blessing is more wondrous than my searching soul can know.
From Your ever-present Spirit there is nowhere I can go.
Whether high above the heaven or below the earth in hell,
even there Your hand shall lead me and Your Right Hand hold me well!
Search my heart, O LORD, and know me, as You only, LORD, can do.
Test my thoughts and contemplations, whether they be vain or true.
Let there be no sin in me, LORD, nothing that Your Spirit grieves.
Lead me in the righteous way, LORD, unto everlasting peace!
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
