Numbers 9:15-23

This inset of instructions is positioned on the first day of the first month as the second year of leaving Egypt began. The tabernacle—the central place of worship—had just been established, and in the analogy we are to understand that God occupies the same position in relation to us. "He is there!" That is the name Abraham gave to God. "He is there." Wherever His people are, He is there. It is His Family that He is with, and His oversight of His Family is to be understood by anybody who is trying to live by faith. He is there!

We cannot literally see the Cloud, but nonetheless, by faith we know that He is there, and one of the major elements in this section is establishing not only that God's presence is with them, but His sovereignty over them at all times. I read the whole thing so that you could see when God said, "Go," they went. When God said, "Stop," they stopped. If it was for one year, one day, or whatever, God was always in charge of His Family and the progress they made toward the Promised Land. So in terms of their overall movement toward the Promised Land—the goal—He always triggered them.

Numbers 9:15-23

You can see that things are beginning to develop. This is not an accident. The people of God are led by God in and out of things! The people of God move forward at the command of God. They stop at the commandment of God. They are dispersed and scattered by the command of God. They are brought together by the command of God. It is God who raises up leaders. It is God who puts down leaders—in the church.

Numbers 9:17-20

I could go on there, but I want you to see this, that God actively led His people. He did not force them into situations—they made their own choices—but all the while they were making their choices, He was also leading as well.