Presence, Guidance

1
Presence, Guidance Obedience in the Wilderness

• Numbers 915-23

2
915a Yahweh's Presence

• On the day that the Tabernacle was set up, the
  cloud covered the Tabernacle, the Tent of the
  Testimony . . . .
• Refers back to Exodus 40 and the dedication of
  the Tabernacle
• Note the use of the past tense (Perfect tense)

3
Yahweh's Presence the Tabernacle

• 1. The Tabernacle was the portable sanctuary of
  the Presence of the God of Sinai.

4
Yahweh's Presence the Tabernacle

• 2. The Tabernacle is where God dwells in the
  midst of Israel, esp. their camp.

5
Yahweh's Presence the Tabernacle

• 3. It was made from a divine pattern is
  important. (Ex 25.9)

6
Yahweh's Presence the Tabernacle

• 4. The tablets of the Decalogue is placed within
  the Tabernacle
• In the Tent
• In the Most Holy Place
• In the Ark
• Under the Kapporeth

7
Yahweh's Presence the Tabernacle

• 5. The constant reminder of the Holiness of God
  by the graded materials.

8
Yahweh's Presence the Tabernacle

• 6. The Tabernacle was commanded by God and
  carried out by a freewill offering (Ex 25.1-9).

9
Yahweh's Presence the Tabernacle

• 6. The detailed obedience of Moses the people
  was crucial Exod 25-31 35-40.

10
Yahweh's Presence the Tabernacle

• 8. The special gifting of Bezael and Oholiab
  (Exod 31.1-11 / 36.1-7).

11
Yahweh's Presence the Tabernacle

• 9. The coming of the glory of Yahweh in Exod 40
  sets the stage for the wilderness journey.

12
915b-23a Yahweh's Guidance

• 1. The Essence of Yahweh's Guidance, 9.15b-17
• . . . and in the evening it would rest over the
  Tabernacle in the likeness of fire until morning.
  It was always so the cloud would cover it,
  appearing as fire by night. And whenever the
  cloud would lift from the Tent, the Israelites
  would set out accordingly and at the spot where
  the cloud would settle, there the Israelites
  would make camp.

13
915b-23a Yahweh's Guidance

• The guidance of Yahweh was clear to all. The sign
  was the cloud/fire.
• Written in the progressive or habitual tense
  imperfect tense.

14
915b-23a Yahweh's Guidance

• 2. Required Obedience, 918-23a
• At Yahwehs command the Israelites would break
  camp, and at Yahwehs command they would make
  camp they would remain encamped as long as the
  cloud would stay over the Tabernacle. When the
  cloud would linger over the Tabernacle many days,
  the Israelites would observe Yahwehs mandate and
  would not journey on. At such times as the cloud
  would rest over the Tabernacle for but a few
  days, they would remain encamped at Yahwehs
  command, and would break camp at Yahwehs
  command.

15
915b-23a Yahweh's Guidance

• 2. Required Obedience, 918-23a
• Day or night, whenever the cloud would lift,
  they would break camp. Whether it was two days or
  a month or a longer time -- however long the
  cloud would linger over the Tabernacle -- the
  Israelites would remain encamped and would not
  set out only when it would lift would they break
  camp. On a sign from Yahweh they would make camp
  and on a sign from Yahweh they would break camp
  . . . .

16
915b-23a Yahweh's Guidance

• The Yahwehs specific command was combined with
  the sign of cloud/fire.
• Exact obedience was required.

17
923b Israels Obedience

• . . . they observed Yahwehs command at Yahwehs
  bidding through Moses.

18
923b Israels Obedience

• Moses leadership is affirmed
• The past tense returns perfect tense

19
Conclusion

• Yahwehs Presence as remembered in the cloud
  fire over the Tabernacle in the wilderness
• Yahwehs Guidance as lived out with visible
  signs, verbal commands and Moses leadership
• Israels Obedience