Daily Scripture Reading Numbers 9:15-23

A concept that appears frequently in the Old Testament is the concept of walking with God. Genesis 5 tells us Enoch walked with God and was taken up to heaven without dying. Genesis 6 tells us Noah walked with God and was saved from the worldwide flood. Yahweh commanded Abraham to walk with Him and be blameless (see Genesis 17). This should cause us to ask what it means to walk with God. The ninth chapter of Numbers gives us a tangible example.

Num. 9:15 ¶ Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and in the evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle until morning.

Num. 9:16 So it was continuously; the cloud would cover it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.

Notice the cloud was always visible. During the day, the cloud contrasted with the sky and could be seen. At night the cloud appeared to be fire so that the colors of fire would contrast with the black of night.

Num. 9:17 Now whenever the cloud would go up from over the tent, afterward the sons of Israel would then set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp.

Num. 9:18 At the command of Yahweh the sons of Israel would set out, and at the command of Yahweh they would camp; as long as the cloud settled over the tabernacle, they remained camped.

The Israelites literally traveled or camped when Yahweh commanded them. Yahweh communicated His command by moving the cloud.

Num. 9:19 Even when the cloud lingered over the tabernacle for many days, the sons of Israel would keep the charge of Yahweh and not set out.

Num. 9:20 If sometimes the cloud remained a few days over the tabernacle, according to the command of Yahweh they remained camped. Then according to the command of Yahweh they set out.

Num. 9:21 If sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning, when the cloud was lifted in the morning, they would move out; or if it remained in the daytime and at night, whenever the cloud was lifted, they would set out.

Num. 9:22 Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, dwelling above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but when it was lifted, they did set out.

Num. 9:23 At the command of Yahweh they camped, and at the command of Yahweh they set out; they kept the charge of Yahweh, according to the command of Yahweh by the hand of Moses.

The cloud was God’s presence. The Israelites always stayed with the cloud. When the cloud moved, which meant God was moving, then the Israelites moved with Him. This is a tangible example of what it means to walk with God.

The concept of walking with God is found throughout the rest of the Bible. Micah reminded the Israelites that Yahweh only requires a few things, one of which is to walk humbly with Him (see Micah 6:8). When Jesus called His disciples, He called them to follow Him (see Matthew 4:19). Paul wrote about walking by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) and walking by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Paul commanded us to walk in Christ (Colossians 2:6).

Since we don’t have a visible cloud to follow as the Israelites had in the wilderness, and since we can’t literally follow the incarnate Christ around Galilee and Judea as the disciples did in the 1st century AD, how do we walk with God and follow Jesus in the 21st century?

First, the word of God is living (see Hebrews 4:12). When we read the Bible, God is talking to us. Thus, if we read the Bible every day, then God is talking to us every day. Second, when we pray, we are talking to God. Thus, if we pray every day, then we talk to God every day. Reading the Bible and praying are how we carry on a conversation with God. Thus, that is how we walk with God and follow Jesus.

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”