How many readers could say, without
referring to the chapter, with what subject the book of Exodus closes? Some may say the tabernacle, and be partly
right, but the actual closing reference is to the pillar of cloud and fire
“throughout all their journeys”.
In the book of the Psalms the exodus of
Israel is several times epitomized, and among the features of that memorable
time that are remembered is the fact that He who redeemed the people, led them
out and on through sea and wilderness until they reached the land of
promise. Notice the following:--
“In the daytime also He led them with a
cloud and all night with a light of fire” (Psa. lxxviii. 14),
“And He led them on safety, so that they
feared not; but the sea overwhelmed
their enemies” (Psa. lxxviii. 53).
He “guided (same word as led) them by skillfulness of His hands”
(lxxviii. 72).
“He spread a cloud for a covering; and a fire to give light in the night”
(Psalm.cv.39).
So in
Exod. xiii. 21, 22 we read:--
“And the Lord went before them by day in a
pillar of a cloud, to lead them in the way:
and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light: to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by
day, nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people.”
Let us notice the following features:--
1. The leading was Personal.
“The
Lord went before them.” When Moses
rehearsed, before his death, the ways of the Lord with Israel, speaking of His
leading he said, “So the Lord alone did
lead him” (Deut. xxxii. 12). It is the
Lord’s prerogative to lead His people, and the solemn statement of Moses here
seems to suggest that all other “leading” is nothing less than idolatry. This should give pause to any who rather
freely use the expression “I felt led”.
This personal Presence of the Lord was clearly realized by Moses as
being essential to the accomplishment of the Lord’s purpose:--
“My presence shall go with thee, and I
will give thee rest. And he said unto
Him, If Thy presence go not with men, carry us not up hence” (Exod. xxxiii. 14,
15).
This presence of the Lord was manifested
by an angel. “Behold Mine angel shall go
before thee” (Exod. xxxii. 34). So
in Exod. xiv. 19, 20 we find:--
“The angel of God, which went before the
camp of Israel, removed and went behind them;
and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood
behind them; and it came between the
camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel;
and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to
these.”
The presence of the Lord, the leading of
the Lord, is a great dividing line between the saint and the world. “As many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God” (Rom. viii. 14).
The leading may
be by lowlier
means than that
of an angel.
Psalm lxxvii. 20 says, “Thou leddest
Thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron”, yet though the means
be more fallible, the Lord alone is the leader, whatever medium He may choose
from time to time. The children of God
today may not see visible signs of the Lord’s presence, nevertheless the Lord
still leads His people, and largely uses the inspired Word. “Send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me” (Psa.xliii.3). We may be more certain that we “feel led”
when we are led by God’s own Word.
2. The leading
was adapted
to the need.
By day a pillar of cloud, but this would
not have been visible by night, and so the Lord manifested His presence at
night by means of a pillar of fire. The
experience of one time is not necessarily the experience of another. In the daytime and sunshine of life the
Lord’s presence will be manifest in one way.
In the dark night of life’s experiences His presence, just as real, will
be manifest in another way. Whatever the
mode of manifestation, the Lord’s personal presence is the blessed fact.
3. Leading
is a part of redemption.
“HE TOOK NOT AWAY the pillar of cloud by
day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people” (Exod. xiii. 22).
Israel many, many times failed, so
grievously indeed that many forfeited the land of promise and perished in the
wilderness; nevertheless, the pillar of
cloud went before them. This is the
closing testimony of the book of Exodus.
Coming where it does in the book (Exod. xl. 34-38) it reveals the reason
why the presence of the Lord manifested in the pillar of cloud could remain. Exodus xl.
speaks of the setting up of the tabernacle, and Lev. xvi. 2
says:--
“I will appear (or, I am wont to appear)
in the cloud upon the mercy seat.”
Numbers ix. 15-23 speaking of the same event says:--
“And on the day that the tabernacle was
reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of testimony; and at even there was upon the tabernacle as
it were the appearance of fire until the morning, SO IT WAS ALWAYS.”
Notice the way in which this closing
statement of Exodus is introduced:--
“So Moses FINISHED the
work. THEN a cloud covered the tent”
(Exod. xl. 33, 34).
The Lord’s leading is one of the results
of the Lord’s redemption, one of the fruits of a finished work. The Good Shepherd who gave His life for the
sheep, as the risen One leads them in green pastures for His name’s sake.
4. The pillar of cloud regulated
all Israel’s journeyings.
“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” (Numb. ix. 17).
The time when and the place where is
decided alone by the Lord. Further, we
read, “whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up,
they journeyed”. The Lord’s leading did
not always conform to custom, nor to convenience, but day or night Israel had
to be prepared to follow. “Or whether it
were two days, or a month, or a year” that
the cloud tarried,
there in unquestioning
obedience Israel had
to remain (Numb. ix. 15-23). What a blessed condition to be in, led by the
Lord! By day or by night, to Elim with
its palm trees and wells, or on into the desert, all is well if we are led by
the Lord.
“And thou shalt remember all the way which
the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee,
and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart” (Deut. viii. 2).
“Lead me in a plain path, because of mine
enemies” (Psa. xxvii. 11).
No comments:
Post a Comment