September 29, 1999
FAMILY BIBLE SERIES:
When you have the Holy Spirit,
who needs clouds?
___Exodus 40:34-38; Numbers 9:15-19, 22-23
___By Susan Pigott
___Logsdon School of Theology, Abilene
___The Israelites knew without any question that God was present with them. This wasn't just a "feeling" or a "hope"--they could see God's presence represented by the cloud that hovered over the tabernacle both day and night. What a comfort to know God was with them on their journey, offering them guidance and leading them step-by-step toward the Promised Land.
___Interpreters spend a great deal of time trying to decipher the mystery of the cloud and its function. They argue about whether there were two separate clouds or just one. Some attempt to explain the cloud phenomenon naturalistically, while others see it as a unique expression of miracle.
___But I find that most readers of the Old Testament aren't as concerned with these issuesas much as they are the question of why God doesn't guide us this way now. "It seems like it would have been easy to follow God back then," my students sometimes remark. "All they had to do was wait for the cloud to lift up or settle down, and they knew whether they were to move or encamp. If God gave me some sort of visible guidance like that, I wouldn't have any problem obeying!"
___Certainly it seems as though Israel had no problem obeying God in these passages. The text recounts over and over how the Israelites followed God's every move without question (Exodus 40:36-37; Numbers 9:17-23). Nevertheless, it must be remembered, that even with the visible presence of God in their midst, the Israelites eventually questioned Moses' leadership, and by implication God's (see especially Numbers 12; 16; 17), complained and grumbled about their predicament almost unceasingly (Numbers 11-14; 20-21) and failed miserably when the most important opportunity for following God's guidance occurred (Numbers 13-14; see next week's lesson). Even with God's visible presence in their midst, the Israelites still had trouble doing God's will.
___Discerning God's will is difficult no matter what time period you live in, but Christians today have some distinct advantages. While we may not have a visible symbol of God's leadership, Christians have the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit who teaches us, pricks our consciences and empowers us to do God's will. In addition, we have ready access to the entire revealed word of God (something that neither the Israelites nor the early Christians had). We can open this word up any time we desire to encounter God's presence and hear God's will for us. Yet even this is no guarantee of our obedience. For instance, we know the most important commandment is to love God and love others (Mark 12:28-31), yet we find it hard to keep our eyes focused on God and even more difficult to love the unlovable. Like Israel before us, we are given many clear directives as the people of God. But knowing what God wants and doing it are two separate matters, as is evident from the story of Israel in the wilderness and our own stories of faith and doubt.
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