Numbers 9

Numbers 9:22

Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, staying above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but when it was lifted, they did set out.

The Isrealites had the perfect direction of God about what they were supposed to do.  Now, they're given an extra direction, that of when to do it.  There's no uncertainty of when the camp is supposed to move, or where it's supposed to go, or when it's supposed to stop.  God is their navigator, with no possibility for misunderstanding.

Today, we're not so blessed.  We don't have a cloud hovering there to tell us where we're supposed to go.  So how do we know when to move, or where?  The traditional answer is that the Holy Spirit gives us that guidance.  Honestly, I've never been comfortable with that answer.  I can only recall one time when I've had any impression of where God wanted me, and that was choosing what college to go to.  Beyond that, I have never had any real idea of what God's path for me is.  Does this mean that I'm a "bad Christian," not in tune enough with the Holy Spirit to understand His will for me, or strayed so far from that path that He can't use me?  I would be the first to admit that I'm far from perfect, and certainly have failings that I am working on.  But have those failings caused the communication from God to collapse?

The other lesson here that springs to mind is about patience.  The Israelites don't have to worry about whether they're following God, because his direction is right there to be seen by all.  But if the cloud doesn't move, they don't either, and I'm sure there were times when they wondered what the delay was for.  Today, in modern Christian culture it seems like you're expected to have something amazing happening in your life, or something is wrong between you and God.  Given that nothing amazing has ever happened to me, I always hate it when people ask questions like "what has God been doing in your life recently?" because I never really have an answer.

But is that really a bad thing?  I've known for a long time that I'm not called to be a missionary, or a pastor, or anything like that, and that my place was in the workforce.  So is God still supposed to be having something revolutionary occurring every day of my life (or even if I were called to those areas, would I have anything to talk about)?  Or do I still have something to learn about patience, and just doing my best until that direction comes through?  Or, have I been waiting too long, and missed when the cloud lifted?

Numbers 8

Numbers 8:25

But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work any more.

This caught me by surprise.  I'm one of those people who never has seriously considered retirement.  Granted, I'm not quite thirty, so I've got plenty of time before I have to really think about it, but I just can't see myself retiring in the normal sense of the word.  My dad's the same way; he'll keep going at his work until he physically can't anymore.

So why the mandatory retirement age for priests?  Is it because that was about the life expectancy at the time?  We see many people older than that listed in various parts of the history, so that may or may not be accurate.  My first thought on that age is that that is the point where the body really starts to show its wear.  Part of the priests' duties is to carry out certain rituals, the same way every time.  I'm only guessing, but maybe the retirement age is to help minimize/prevent priests from trying to do things they physically can't anymore, messing up ceremony, and possibly incurring God's wrath?

Numbers 7

Numbers 7:89

Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him.

I'll admit it's been a while (far too long) since I was covering this, but I believe that this is the first instance of God speaking from the ark.  The formal line of communication is now set between God and man.

So why does God now only speak from the ark?  Is it because it's now there, so He can use it?  It's not like He had any trouble before this in speaking to Moses.  And throughout the Bible, He speaks many times elsewhere.  The only thought I have is that because He has to choose those He will speak through, and He has now set aside a special people to do His service, the ark is used because only those people can enter in to it safely.  Also, this way everyone will know when someone is falsely speaking.

Numbers 6

Numbers 6:25

The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;

I've heard this blessing more times than I can remember, but for some reason this stuck out at me today.  Suddenly, this doesn't make nearly as much sense as it often does.

The one instance we have of God's face that I can recall is that it comes with a death sentence.  If you see God's face, you are a dead man, for none imperfect can look upon Him.  So how can His face shining on you match His being gracious to you?  Death isn't generally considered gracious.

Maybe it's something about it being so close to Christmas, and how it signifies Christ coming to Earth.  If that were the context, this would make a lot more sense, especially given all the Romantic-era paintings out there that show Jesus' face as somewhat luminous.  But that isn't the context.  Instead, the context is the Father, not too long after Mt. Sinai, where Moses specifically could not see God's face, yet the radiance of His back was enough to make Moses' face glow.  That would be what I think of as gracious.  God could have given Moses his wish, even at the price of his life, but didn't.

So how do I interpret this?  Is it that God's face doesn't appear, but we get some kind of indirect exposure to it that benefits us?  Is it linked to the next verse, which refers to His countenance, which when I looked up the definition can also mean approval?  Or is it that when you die and see God's face, that He deals with you graciously?