Contemplative Bible Reading

Numbers 9:15-23 (New International Version)

15 On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire.

17 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. 18 At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19 When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out.

20 Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. 22 Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out.

23 At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

Life wasn’t easy for the 600,000 people who lived in the camp of the people of God. This was a large group of people. Setting camp, breaking camp, moving – these things were much more difficult than strapping the kids into their child-safety seats in the minivan.

The thing that struck me about this passage was the indefinite time of their encampments. They didn’t know how long they were to stay in one place. Notice verse 22, Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out.

How could anyone plan anything? How would you know to make a really solid camp that would work well for months or just throw something up so it would be easy to move on tomorrow?

These travails (not travels not travails) that the people in God’s camp had to endure remind me of the Christian’s life today. We know Jesus is coming back to earth, but we don’t know when. It may be this evening, tomorrow morning, or 300 years from now. We are here to serve God and love our fellow man. We have these duties and we don’t know for how long we have them. The time period is indefinite.

Pray for the strength and patience to live the Christian life until the cloud lifts, Jesus returns, and we can break our earthly camp.