Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20050529.htm

LIFE'S WILDERNESS SHORTAGES AND GOD
Part VIII: Heeding God's Provision Of Divine Guidance In Life's Wilderness Experiences
(Numbers 9:15-10:10)
  1. Introduction
    1. Being able to discern God's leading in times of great need on key issues is very important for the believer.
    2. Yet, due to trials involved, one may be so upset he may wonder if he is ABLE to discern God's will.
    3. God gave specific instructions on how Israel was to know His leading in the wilderness, and we can use that information for insight on how God communicates His will to us in our own walk today (as follows):
  2. Heeding God's Provision Of Divine Guidance In Life's Wilderness Experiences, Num. 9:15-10:10.
    1. The Lord led the nation of Israel by means of a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night that was suspended over His tabernacle, Numbers 9:15-16. When the cloud lifted and moved, the people knew God wanted them to follow the cloud; when it settled in a location, they knew they were to settle down there until the cloud lifted and started to move again! (Numbers 9:17-18)
    2. Now, the cloud did not always move at the same time of day nor did it observe the same intervals of rest!
      1. Sometimes God led by the cloud in the day where the sun was the source of light for the trip, and that in accord with God's use of His established natural order, Num. 9:16a with Gen. 1:15 (Prov. 20:12).
      2. During night trips, when it was very dark in the open wilderness, God provided light that the natural moon could not always supply by turning his cloud into a pillar of fire as a big night light, Num. 9:16b.
      3. When the cloud lifted and moved, the people followed it; when it stopped and sank, they camped, 9:17.
      4. The times God wanted His people to stay or to move VARIED GREATLY as follows:
        1. Sometimes God wanted the people to settle for a few days before moving; accordingly, the pillar of fire by night or the cloud by day would settle and begin to move after a few days, Numbers. 9:20.
        2. Now, even though they were taking 40 years to travel across the wilderness (Deut. 29:5a), at times the pillar tarried only overnight, Num. 9:21a; if it moved at dawn, the people had to get up and go!
        3. Sometimes the nation had to move at night for reasons known only to God; when this was the case, the pillar of fire moved at night, and the nation had to follow it, Numbers 9:21b.
        4. Sometimes the cloudy pillar stayed 2 days or a month or even an entire year, Numbers 9:22! In any event, until God moved the cloud or pillar of fire, the people stayed put, keeping an eye on it!
    3. In addition to this cloud, God used insight by Israel's leaders to illuminate His will, Numbers 10:1-10:
      1. God ordered trumpets to be built for the nation's leaders to sound to apply His leading in an orderly way for the congregation's moving or settling down to make camp, Numbers 10:1-2.
      2. God then supplied specific instructions to these leaders on how to blow the horns so the entire nation would understand unitedly and accurately just what His will was (as follows): (Numbers 10:3-10)
        1. When both trumpets sounded, the people of God knew the information was for all the people, 10:3.
        2. If just one horn sounded, the people could ignore it, but the leaders were responsible to meet with Moses for instructions to them from the Lord, Numbers 10:4.
        3. If both trumpets sounded for the nation to move, God had a specific order for trumpet sounds to be made so the people would move in a certain order of tribes, Numbers 10:5-6.
        4. The use of both trumpets in ordering a move or a group meeting had to be such that the notes played to move were different from the notes played for the summons to have the meeting, Numbers 10:7.
        5. Then, only the spiritual leaders, the priests, could legally blow these horns, further giving authority and credibility to the communications of God's will through the nation's leaders, Numbers 10:8.
        6. These trumpets were to be used for all summons of the nation, whether it was a summons for war (Numbers 10:9) or for a peaceful celebration of a feast (Numbers 10:10).
Lesson: God leads His people (1) by use of the natural order (the sunlight by day, Gen. 1:15), OR when THAT is INSUFFICIENT, (2) by supernatural revelation (Scripture today, cf. Ps. 19; pillar of fire and the cloud for Israel). (3) He wants us to STAY the COURSE if He is silent, Num. 9:22, but (4) be ready to change as and when He leads, Num. 9:21b. (5) God wants us to heed the leading of Biblically appointed, godly leaders as ADDED signals of God's will [as they align with the above], Num. 10:1-10!

Application: May we use Numbers 9:15-10:10 as a GENERAL pattern for discerning God's will today!