Pam Padgett ... teacher
After God brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, HE instructed
them to build the tabernacle and all things needed with it. The
instructions God gave allowed the tabernacle to be taken with the
children of Israel as God led them through the wilderness. A cloud
covered the tabernacle by day and the appearance of fire by night ...
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.
God led the children of Israel by the cloud on the tabernacle. When
it was taken up from the tabernacle, the children of Israel journeyed.
When the cloud abode on the tabernacle, they stopped and pitched their
tents and rested as long as the cloud stayed upon the tabernacle. By
this, the children of Israel were led by God when to journey, and when
to rest ...
Numbers 9:17 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.
As long as the cloud stayed on the tabernacle, regardless of how long this was, they rested ...
Numbers 9:19 And when the cloud tarried long upon the
tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the
Lord, 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.
When the cloud was taken up, whether in the morning or the evening, they journeyed ...
Numbers 9:21 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.
God led them in a way they could recognize, even being able to see by
night because of the appearance of fire. The children of Israel didn't
know how long they would journey or how long they would rest in their tents. They simply
journeyed when the cloud was taken up and rested when the cloud stayed
on the tabernacle, being led by God.
Today God leads us by the Holy Spirit in ways we can recognize. We rest until we are shown to do something (not setting out on our own), and take action when we are led to by the Holy Spirit to do so, all according to the will of
God.