Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Seeing Red
Numbers 9:15-23

So- when the tabernacle was set up, it was covered by a cloud- a cloud that from evening to morning looked like fire. The Israelites were instructed to follow the fiery cloud. When it moved, they picked up camp and followed. When it stayed put, so did they. It might be just overnight- or it could stay in one place for a year- whatever the length of time, the cloud indicated when to pack up and leave.

So, would this blatant indicator of God's will make things easier or harder? There's little room for misunderstanding- we go where the cloud is. I don't have to figure out what's meant by language choices or decipher the context... I simply follow the big red cloud. But even then, could there have been debate about what the cloud meant. Hmm- it looks like it's moving more east than southeast to me. No... we need to move another 500 feet before camping. Are you sure this is the right cloud?

Clear direction often removes ambiguity but it also creates greater expectation. We may still follow the "red cloud" where It leads- but sometimes it's hard to know where it's going.