For encouragement, for reflection, for meditation
In Exo. the people were led by the Lord in a cloud by day and fire by night.
Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
Exo 13:22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
We see in Neh the purpose of this was to lead them by day and by night:
Neh 9:12 And You led them in the day by a cloudy pillar, and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way in which they should go.
So what was this pillar for? To give them light, and show them the way they should go.
There is wonderful imagery in this we can draw from in the new testament, and an obvious connection with the Word of God:
Psa 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
What was the pillar? Or rather, WHO was the pillar? Simply, as I believe scripture says I think it was Christ, the Word of God:
1 Cor 10:4 .........They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them; and that rock was Christ himself.
Or, a type of Christ (not Jesus Christ). It was the spiritual rock that went with them , God's presence with His people in the cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, that quenched their thirst. It was the power that caused the water to flow out the rock, that was their true spiritual rock.
In John it says:
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
This Word became flesh, and became who we know as Jesus Christ...
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
It is the Word of God which lights our path and shows us which way to go. And I don't mean just written words in a book, I mean Jesus Himself, the Word of God, which is His name:
Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
It was in the desert where Israel was led by the pillar of fire and cloud.
Ironically, it was in the desert where Christ said man shall not live by bread alone, but every Word of God:
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God."
Matthew gives greater clarity to this, in stating it is the words that proceed out of the mouth of God that are important:
Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Think about it, there is a real , living, pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, and spiritual rock, living inside our heart. Jesus Christ, the Word of God and His Words planted in the soil of our heart.
The cloud by day and fire by night is an everpresent symbol of God's presence with His people.
Isa 4:5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense.
Likewise , Jesus Christ, Emmanuel (God with us), is also an everpresent reality of God's presence with His people. Just like the pillar of cloud and fire did not depart from the people, Jesus Christ promised to never depart from us:
Mat 28:20 and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age."
What other effects did the Lord's presence in the cloud have ?
There is one interesting situation where God gave some of the leaders His Spirit , coming upon them:
Num 11:25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy leaders. When the spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long.
Num 11:26 Two of the seventy leaders, Eldad and Medad, had stayed in the camp and had not gone out to the Tent. There in the camp the spirit came on them, and they too began to shout like prophets.
Num 11:27 A young man ran out to tell Moses what Eldad and Medad were doing.
The next they shout, "Stop them sir"!!. How many times have people tried to stop christians from prophesying today?
Num 11:28 Then Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' helper since he was a young man, spoke up and said to Moses, "Stop them, sir!"
And the following is very interesting, Moses said..
Num 11:29 Moses answered, "Are you concerned about my interests? I wish that the LORD would give his spirit to all his people and make all of them shout like prophets!"
This statement in itself was prophetic, because we know..
Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Compare these words of Moses with Paul's ,
Desire prophesy:
1Co 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
Covent, and do not forbid prophesy:
1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
The important points to consider with these comparisons, is that the Israelites knew God's presence and power with them, and knew Christ, the spiritual rock who went with them. It is not just Christians who have known the power and glory and presence of God. And as Paul says in a number of places, consider the Israelites, going through the desert, and don't take it for granted (1 Cor 10), flee idolatary, flee fornication, not tempt Christ, and take heed lest we fall, and the wonderful promise of enduring under temptation.
In Exo. the people were led by the Lord in a cloud by day and fire by night.
Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
Exo 13:22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
We see in Neh the purpose of this was to lead them by day and by night:
Neh 9:12 And You led them in the day by a cloudy pillar, and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way in which they should go.
So what was this pillar for? To give them light, and show them the way they should go.
There is wonderful imagery in this we can draw from in the new testament, and an obvious connection with the Word of God:
Psa 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
What was the pillar? Or rather, WHO was the pillar? Simply, as I believe scripture says I think it was Christ, the Word of God:
1 Cor 10:4 .........They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them; and that rock was Christ himself.
Or, a type of Christ (not Jesus Christ). It was the spiritual rock that went with them , God's presence with His people in the cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, that quenched their thirst. It was the power that caused the water to flow out the rock, that was their true spiritual rock.
In John it says:
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
This Word became flesh, and became who we know as Jesus Christ...
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
It is the Word of God which lights our path and shows us which way to go. And I don't mean just written words in a book, I mean Jesus Himself, the Word of God, which is His name:
Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
It was in the desert where Israel was led by the pillar of fire and cloud.
Ironically, it was in the desert where Christ said man shall not live by bread alone, but every Word of God:
Luk 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God."
Matthew gives greater clarity to this, in stating it is the words that proceed out of the mouth of God that are important:
Mat 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Think about it, there is a real , living, pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, and spiritual rock, living inside our heart. Jesus Christ, the Word of God and His Words planted in the soil of our heart.
The cloud by day and fire by night is an everpresent symbol of God's presence with His people.
Isa 4:5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense.
Likewise , Jesus Christ, Emmanuel (God with us), is also an everpresent reality of God's presence with His people. Just like the pillar of cloud and fire did not depart from the people, Jesus Christ promised to never depart from us:
Mat 28:20 and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age."
What other effects did the Lord's presence in the cloud have ?
There is one interesting situation where God gave some of the leaders His Spirit , coming upon them:
Num 11:25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him. He took some of the spirit he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy leaders. When the spirit came on them, they began to shout like prophets, but not for long.
Num 11:26 Two of the seventy leaders, Eldad and Medad, had stayed in the camp and had not gone out to the Tent. There in the camp the spirit came on them, and they too began to shout like prophets.
Num 11:27 A young man ran out to tell Moses what Eldad and Medad were doing.
The next they shout, "Stop them sir"!!. How many times have people tried to stop christians from prophesying today?
Num 11:28 Then Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' helper since he was a young man, spoke up and said to Moses, "Stop them, sir!"
And the following is very interesting, Moses said..
Num 11:29 Moses answered, "Are you concerned about my interests? I wish that the LORD would give his spirit to all his people and make all of them shout like prophets!"
This statement in itself was prophetic, because we know..
Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Compare these words of Moses with Paul's ,
Desire prophesy:
1Co 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
Covent, and do not forbid prophesy:
1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
The important points to consider with these comparisons, is that the Israelites knew God's presence and power with them, and knew Christ, the spiritual rock who went with them. It is not just Christians who have known the power and glory and presence of God. And as Paul says in a number of places, consider the Israelites, going through the desert, and don't take it for granted (1 Cor 10), flee idolatary, flee fornication, not tempt Christ, and take heed lest we fall, and the wonderful promise of enduring under temptation.