According to 40:36-38, the cloud of Jehovah’s glory became the guidance of the sons of Israel. When the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people journeyed: “And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel journeyed in all their journeys.” But if the cloud was not taken up, they would stay where they were: “And if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey until the day it was taken up.” Verse 38 tells us that the “cloud of Jehovah was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, before the eyes of all the house of Israel in all their journeys.”
Today Christians often talk about the Lord’s will, leading, and guidance. But according to the typology in Exodus 40, apart from God’s dwelling place there is no guidance or leading. The dwelling place of God is the unique leading. When the cloud moved, all the people of Israel moved as well. But if the cloud did not move, they stayed. This means that the children of Israel followed the tabernacle with the cloud. Our Christian journey must be a journey that follows God’s move with His dwelling place. This is clearly portrayed by the picture in Exodus 40.
In the book of Numbers we can see that everything that God does is related to His dwelling place. This was true even in the matter of fighting against the enemies: God fought them with His dwelling place. His dwelling place, the tabernacle, was the best weapon. Whatever God’s people did and wherever they went was according to the situation with respect to God’s dwelling place. We need to apply this principle today in the church life. When God’s dwelling place stays, we stay with it. But when it moves, we move with it. Furthermore, when God’s dwelling place fights, we also fight.
Genuine leading and guidance are not according to our feeling, opinion, sight, or view. However, many believers seek the knowledge of God’s will or what they call God’s leading mainly according to their point of view, sight, feeling, or concept. Have you ever heard anyone speak about the Lord’s leading and will according to the church? There is very little talk of such a thing today. This is a further indication that the situation among God’s people is far from normal. This is the reason there is the need of the Lord’s recovery.
The Lord’s recovery, which is based upon the full revelation of the holy Word, is very different from the traditional way of religion. The living house of the living God is our leading concerning whether we should stay or move, whether it is time to fight or work. We would engage in all these activities not according to our opinion or viewpoint and not even according to the Bible in dead letters, but according to God’s dwelling place with His glory. When we have a proper relationship with God’s dwelling place, we enjoy rest, victory, and blessing. When we are one with God’s dwelling place, which is filled with His glory, we have everything we need. We have the Lord’s leading and guidance; we have His blessing and victory. Furthermore, we have righteousness and holiness. We thank the Lord for this clear picture in 40:36-38.
As a concluding word to this Life-study, I would like to compare the books of Genesis and Exodus. Genesis begins with God’s creation (Gen. 1:1) and ends with a coffin in Egypt containing a dead body (Gen. 50:26). Exodus begins with slavery in Egypt (Exo. 1:11) and ends with the tabernacle covered by and filled with the glory of God on account of His redemption (Exo. 40:34-38). The book of Genesis does not have a glorious conclusion. At the end of that book we see a man dead, placed in a coffin in the world (Egypt), the very man created by God in His image for His expression and dominion. The last verse of Genesis says, “So Joseph died...and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.” In this verse we can see death, which is the result of sin, and also the world. This is the conclusion of Genesis.
How different is the conclusion of the book of Exodus! At the end of Exodus we do not have a coffin containing a dead body; we have a tabernacle containing the glorious God.
At the beginning of Exodus we have a continuation of the conclusion of Genesis. We have seen that the book of Genesis ends with a dead person in a coffin in Egypt. Exodus begins with a picture of God’s people serving as slaves in Egypt. As we consider the situation both at the end of Genesis and at the beginning of Exodus, we see that we were dead, on the one hand, and also slaves of Satan, typified by Pharaoh, on the other hand. We all were usurped by Satan and were enslaved to him. But Christ as our Passover has delivered us, released us, from this slavery. Christ’s redemption has brought us out of the satanic slavery in Egypt into a land of freedom (the wilderness). In the wilderness God’s further activity brings us to a glorified tabernacle. Here there is no death, no sin, no world. Instead, we have God with His presence and glory. No longer are we dead and in the world, but now we are part of a living and moving tabernacle for the accomplishment of God’s purpose on earth.