Address—N. Berry
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Numbers, Chapter 9.
And verse 15.
And on the day that the Tabernacle was reared up.
The cloud covered the Tabernacle, namely the tent of the testimony.
And that 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, the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord.
They pitched as long as the cloud abode upon the Tabernacle, they rested in their tents, and when the cloud tarried long upon the Tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not. And so it was when the cloud was a few days upon the Tabernacle, according to the commandment of the Lord.
They abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord.
They journeyed, and so it was when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning. Then they journeyed. Whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed, or whether it were two days or a month or a year.
That the cloud tarried upon the Tabernacle, remaining wrong. The children of Israel abode in their tents and journeyed not.
But when it was taken up, they journeyed 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.
Well.
It's a beautiful scene.
The Tabernacle is completed.
And the journey that lay before the children of Israel.
All was in the heart of God.
And there was one.
Glorious.
Article that was going to remain with them throughout that journey.
A cloud that which would bring before you and me.
This afternoon, the presence of the Lord with us.
Oh, beloved ones.
That long, long journey that Israel took those 40 years.
Found its end, its culmination in that land of promise.
And beloved Saints of God, I really believe in my heart that you and I, forming part of the Church, are just at the end of the journey.
You'll notice three times here that it says Until the morning. Oh beloved ones, this is man's day, but this is only for you and for me. Until the morning, says in the 15th verse and on the day that the Tabernacle was reared up.
The cloud covered the Tabernacle.
Namely, the tent of the testimony.
Well, I believe that this was heaven's confirmation of all that had been built the Tabernacle.
And it's a beautiful picture of the church traveling through the wilderness. This cloud was God's presence hovering over this building that had been reared up in the wilderness.
It was only a tent. It wasn't a permanent building as the temple was. It was taken down from day-to-day, never remaining in one place more than less than two days, as we saw there. But nevertheless it was journeying on but over. It hovered that cloud.
Oh, beloved ones, let's get our eyes up. Let's see that that presence of the Lord is with us. He's not going to abandon us by day or by night. Let's not become discouraged just at the end of the day of grace. This is the time now to lift our eyes up and keep our eyes, beloved ones, on that cloud.
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It had its different aspects during the day. It was that which protected them.
From all the heat of that blistering sun of the desert and that night, it was that warmth, that fire that gave him light. Oh, what a rich provision Israel had. Oh, it's nothing, beloved ones, compared with having the presence of the Lord with us.
Day and night.
And then it says in the middle of that fifteenth verse, and that even there was upon the Tabernacle, as it were, the appearance of fire until the morning. Isn't that beautiful? Until the morning? Oh, beloved ones, the morning is coming.
The Tabernacle all was looked toward the east. It all was looked toward the sunrise. And if you and I know the Lord as our Savior, we face that E too. For those who do not know the Lord, it's an eternal night that is coming. You look toward the West if you're unsaved here this afternoon. But oh, how pressure this precious it is to know that we look for the morning and we can say now as these meetings.
Draw to a close until the morning or morning is coming. Beloved ones, that may be our last day here on earth. This may be the end of the journey. We may be just about to step into that blessed presence forever until the morning.
So it was.
Always. I think that's beautiful. So it was always.
God's promise was kept. All that He promised He kept. It was, and so it was always. Oh how lovely it is to meet those who have been long on the journey and to find their hearts refreshed. I said to a sister one time who had been long on this journey, what is the most wonderful day of your life?
She had spent many years out in China and I thought she would tell of some rich experience out there. That a moment's hesitation, she said to day, Oh, I said, what happened today? Well, she said to me, the glory comes on. So every day is greater for me.
Oh, and so it was always, oh beloved ones, the best is yet to come. Now the journey may be long. It may be at sometimes that we get so weary with the journey as Israel.
Must have. But oh how glorious it is for you and for me, beloved ones, to look on to the end. That blessed man is waiting now this afternoon, waiting for His blood bought bride to usher us, to welcome us into His blessed presence, into His bosom forever. Will it be worth it? Oh yes, In the words of Mr. GV Wigram though, the path were 10,000 times more.
Jury. Still, it would be worth it. Beloved Bronc ones. Let us press on now.
Not becoming discouraged. This is the day when people are giving up, they're turning aside. May we, as the result of our occupation with Christ in these days, say, and so it was always we can go back now to our several assemblies with this deep consciousness that the cloud, the blessed Lord is with us. He won't abandoned us, He won't forsake you, young or old here.
Oh no, He will keep. He will be with us ever.
Over and above us.
17th Verse. 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.
Now, sometimes we're faced with problems, are we not? As to our jobs, changing jobs. Brother was speaking just today about the uncertainty of whether he should take this job or not. There are many, many problems that face you and me.
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1.
There's only one thing to do for you and for me to keep our eye on the cloud, keep our eye on Christ. Beloved ones, this is all these children of Israel needed to do. They didn't need to have a, a, a, a road map. They didn't need to have a time schedule. They didn't need to know where the difficult difficulties were, This great camp that was set up.
Were required a a flat area of about 40 square miles.
They didn't know the desert. They had never been there before. Every day was a new day for them.
Oh, that cloud was with them. That cloud went before them to search out a place for them. All they needed to do was to keep the eye on the cloud. And when the cloud was raised up off the Tabernacle, they prepared to move, and at the commandment of the Lord.
They it doesn't say stopped. It's very remarkable that it says they rested. Sometimes you and I have to move.
Sometimes we have to rest. Oh, how precious it is to know.
That if you and I, each one of us, listens to the commandment of the Lord, we'll all be doing the same thing.
There wasn't one message to one part of the camp or to Judah to move on. And Issachar, you stay behind and so on. Oh no, it was in unison. Oh beloved ones, we've been hearing about that unity to day. If you and I listen to the Word of God, if we are eyes on Christ, we're going to hear the one message, that unity.
And that is going to keep us in happy communion.
At the commandment of the Lord they journeyed. Sometimes we have to move, Sometimes we have to go slowly. Sometimes we have to stop. We have to rest. The only way you and I are going to know when to move and when to remain quiet is our eye with our eye upon the Lord. Well, you know, beloved ones were passing through.
A very difficult time. We might as well face these facts and we know that the journey.
Is going to become more difficult just before the dawn.
The days of evil are on us. Wickedness of the worst kind surround us. That which is appealing to the mind is so distracting to young and old alike. Beloved ones, there's only one person to look to in all our difficulties, Christ and Christ alone.
And if you and I keep that ear tuned to that blessed voice of the Shepherd.
Never make a misstep.
These things be in you and abound. They make you that ye shall never fall. We can know with that blessed confidence that if we keep our eye on Christ, that we will journey on, and we will go on in happy communion and fellowship, one with another and with the Lord. 18th verse. And at the commandment of the Lord, the children of Israel journeyed, and that the commandment of the Lord they pitched.
As long as the cloud abode upon the Tabernacle, they rested in their tents. Isn't that nice? Rested.
We meet a lot of different people, many Lords people.
I believe from the bottom of my heart that it is only when we are gathered to the blessed name of the Lord Jesus Christ that there can be true heart rest. They rested in their tents. They were content. They didn't get impatient, They rested. All beloved ones, let's rest in those everlasting arms.
This is where security is found, This is where true rest is found with in communion with that Blessed One, and when the terror of the cloud tarried long upon the journey upon the Tabernacle many days.
00:15:02
Then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord and journeyed not well. As I said before, sometimes it was long and we get weary, don't we? If the long, long journey and we say, Oh Lord, how long, things seem to be crumbling.
At all we can know that the journey has all been been defined by the Blessed Lord's hand Himself.
And if you and I just walk in obedience to His will, we will walk in that path that He has defined force. So here was the journey, sometimes long and sometimes short, but they just kept their eye on the Lord and their ear tuned to His voice at the commandment of the Lord. I believe it's six times that it's mentioned here. At the commandment of the Lord they journeyed and at the.
Commandment of the Lord. They rested 21St and so it was.
When the cloud was a few days upon the Tabernacle, according to the commandment of the Lord, they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the Lord they journeyed. And so it was when the cloud abode from even unto the morning.
Even unto the morning, each time, the morning it is always spoken of us until, until the morning. Oh, I want to leave this with us, beloved ones, It's just until the morning. 01 of these moments. Now the blessed Lord Jesus is going to meet us on that cloud.
Are we watching? Are we waiting?
Are we patiently going on? Are we seeking to act in a in obedience to His precious Word, separating from all that would hinder? I don't believe, beloved ones, that the answer to our many problems are searching at all the details of the problems, but rather to have a single eye upon Christ.
Be walking in obedience individually with Him and then everything will become crystal clear.
To us, and we will all hear that same word from Him directing us on in that unity. Well, beloved ones, it's just that little thought until the morning.