“On the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses” (Num. 9:15-17,2315And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. 16So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. 17And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. (Numbers 9:15‑17)
23At the commandment of the Lord they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the Lord they journeyed: they kept the charge of the Lord, at the commandment of the Lord by the hand of Moses. (Numbers 9:23)).
It is impossible to conceive a more lovely picture of absolute dependence upon divine guidance than that presented in the foregoing paragraph. There was not a footprint nor a landmark throughout that “great and terrible wilderness.” They were wholly cast upon God for every step of the way.
Trust in God
Here lies the real gist of the whole matter. Is God known, loved and trusted? If so, the heart will delight in the most absolute dependence upon Him. If not, such dependence would be perfectly insufferable. The unrenewed man loves to think himself independent, but this is the merest delusion. Man is not free: He is the slave of Satan. Yes, Satan holds the natural man in terrible bondage. He rules him by means of his lusts, his passions and his pleasures, and, sooner or later, this bondage will become evident. There is no freedom but in Christ, for He it is who says, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” And again, “If the Son ... shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:32,3632And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)
36If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36)).
Dependence
Here is true liberty. It is the liberty which the new nature finds in walking in the Spirit and doing those things that are pleasing in the sight of God. The service of the Lord is perfect freedom, but this service involves the most simple dependence upon the living God. Thus it was with the only perfect Servant that ever trod this earth. He was always dependent. Every act, every word, was the fruit of the most absolute dependence upon and subjection to God.
Such was Jesus when He lived in this world, and we are called to walk in His steps and live a life of simple dependence upon God from day to day. Of this life of dependence, we have a graphic and beautiful type at the close of Numbers 9. Israel followed the movement of the cloud. They had to look up for guidance. Man was made to turn his countenance upwards, in contrast with the brute, who is formed to look downward. Israel was entirely dependent upon the movement of the cloud.
Thus it should be with us. We are passing through a trackless desert, a moral wilderness. We would not know how to walk, were it not for that one most precious sentence which fell from the lips of our blessed Lord: “I am the way” (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)). Here is divine, infallible guidance. We are to follow Him, for “he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:1212Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)). This is living guidance; it is following a living Christ. It is keeping the eye fixed upon Jesus, having the traits of His character imprinted on our new nature and reproduced in our daily life and ways.
No Place for Our Wills
Now, this will, assuredly, involve the surrender of our own wills; we must follow the cloud; we must wait only upon God. All our movements must be placed under the regulating power of that one commanding sentence, often lightly uttered by us: “If the Lord will.” How often do we vainly imagine and confidently assert that the cloud is moving in that very direction which suits the bent of our own inclination. Thus, instead of being divinely guided, we are self-deceived. The real secret of being guided of God is to have our own will thoroughly subdued. “The meek will He guide in judgment: and the meek will He teach His way” (Psa. 25:99The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. (Psalm 25:9)). And again, “I will guide thee with Mine eye” (Psa. 32:88I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. (Psalm 32:8)).
But let us ponder the admonition: “Be ye not as a horse, as a mule, which have no understanding: whose trappings must be bit and bridle, for restraint, or they will not come unto thee” (Psa. 32:99Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee. (Psalm 32:9) JND). If our countenance is turned upwards to catch the movement of the divine “eye,” we shall not need the “bit and bridle.” But often we do not live sufficiently near to God to discern the movement of His eye; the will is at work. Thus it was with Jonah. Providence seemed to point in the direction of his will, but then he had to find his place in the belly of the whale. It was there he learned the bitterness of following his own will. He had to be taught the true meaning of the “bit and bridle,” because he would not follow the gentler guidance of the eye.
God’s Guidance
But our God is so gracious, so patient! He will teach and guide His erring children. He occupies Himself continually about us, in order that we may be kept from our own ways and walk in His ways.
There is nothing more deeply blessed than to live a life of habitual dependence upon God and to wait on Him for everything. It is the true secret of peace and lifts us above creature independence. The soul that can really say, “All my springs are in Thee” (Psa. 87:77As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee. (Psalm 87:7)) is lifted above all human confidences and hopes and earthly expectations. It is not that God does not use the creature to minister to us, but if we lean upon the creature instead of leaning upon Him, we shall get leanness in our souls.
Circumstances and Second Causes
We should deeply ponder this distinction. Often, we imagine that we are leaning upon God, when, in reality, there is an appalling amount of the leaven of creature confidence. How often do we speak of living by faith and of trusting only in God, when at the same time, if we would only look down into the depths of our hearts, we should find there a large measure of dependence upon circumstances and reference to second causes.
Let us see to it that our eye is fixed upon the living God alone, and not upon man. Let us wait on Him. If we are at a loss for anything, let our direct and simple reference be to Him. Are we at a loss to know our way, to know whither we should turn, what step we should take? Let us remember that He has said, “I am the way” (John 14:66Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)); let us follow Him. There can be no darkness, no perplexity, no uncertainty, if we are following Him, for He has said, “He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness” (John 8:1212Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12)). No darkness can ever settle down on that blessed path along which God leads those who, with a single eye, seek to follow Jesus.
Perplexity and Uncertainty
But some may say, “I am in perplexity as to my path. I really do not know which way to turn or what step to take.” If this is our situation, we may well ask ourselves, “Am I following the cloud?” Here lies the root of the whole matter. Perplexity or uncertainty is very often the fruit of the working of the will. We pray about it and get no answer, because God wants us to be quiet and simply to wait on Him.
This is the secret of peace and calm elevation. If an Israelite in the desert had taken it into his head to make some movement independent of the cloud, we can easily see what the result would have been. And so it will ever be with us. If we move when we ought to rest, or rest when we ought to move, we shall not have the divine presence with us. It is a reality to be known, not a mere theory to be talked of. May it be ours to prove it all our journey through!
Things New and Old, Vol. 11 (adapted)