It was God’s plan to teach the Israelites to have total obedience to Him, even thought they might not understand what He was doing.
Numbers 9: 15-23
And 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 alway: 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 thereon, 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.
The dictionary definition of obedience: 1. complying with or conforming to a command; being dutiful 2. Deferring habitually to laws or superiors; being submissive
The above verses show that God expected the Israelites to be ready to move as soon as the cloud moved, whether it was morning, noon, or night.
It is easy for most people to get into a rut of doing the same things each day without much variation. In fact, we don’t like a lot of change because it upsets our whole routine and makes us feel uncomfortable.
God wanted the Israelites to put aside their own agendas and let Him be their guide. He had something waiting for them that was far greater than they had ever known. He just wanted them to learn obedience for every single thing in their life, and in return He would provide handsomely for them.
The people were used to a certain lifestyle while they had been in Egypt. They had been made slaves and it was a terrible existence, but it was all they knew and they had grown accustomed to it. As terrible as it was, they came to a point that they preferred “terrible” over the places God took them because it was such a different environment.
They could not see where they were going; they could only see where they were in the present.
It was very hard for them to place their future in God’s hands and trust Him to give them the very best.
Many Christians today prefer a dismal existence and terrible circumstances over making a radical change of total obedience; the only reason is that they have just become accustomed to everything the way it is.
Don’t let yourself stay in a miserable place just because you are afraid to step out of the boat and trust God to miraculously take you where He wants you to be. It will be the ride of your life!
God also expects us to make wise decisions and learn to have discernment in our finances and everyday living. It is just another aspect of living in obedience. Here is a site that I think can benefit you greatly:
The God I serve is faithful and has helped me in every way, in every need. It has not always been the help I thought I wanted, but it was the correct help I needed.
The Importance Of Total Obedience -
Saul was another man whom God chose to lead Israel. Saul never wanted to be a king. It was God Who placed him on the throne of Israel. And when the Israelites came to make him king, Saul hid himself, saying, "Who am I to be the king? My family is the least of all the families of Israel" (1 Sam.10:21,22). What a humble man he was!
But it wasn't long before Saul became big in his own eyes and God had to take away the anointing from him.
In 1 Samuel 15, we read that Saul modified God's commands and did not kill everything of Amalek, as God had commanded him to. He followed his own reason, and did what pleased the people. This is what happens when anyone becomes big in his own eyes. And here we see two of the greatest snares that every servant of God faces - the opinion of his own reason and the opinion of other people. Saul lost his anointing because he allowed himself to be influenced by these two factors. We have no right to modify any of God's commands according to our own wisdom. And if we seek to please men, we "cannot be servants of Christ" (Gal.1:10).
If Saul had remained small in his own eyes, he would have retained the anointing until the end of his life. But he began to love his throne. And that is how many another servant of God has lost his anointing too. Standing repeatedly before people, as God's spokesmen, has a way of going to our heads, if we are not watchful.
But Saul did not only cling on to being king. When he saw an anointed younger brother (David) coming up, and others having confidence in him, he schemed to suppress him. He was jealous of David, because David had a faith that Saul did not have. And he wanted to kill David because the people admired him.
But does God ignore the actions of such Sauls - who stick to their thrones, even after God has rejected them? For a long time God may spare them. In Saul's case, God spared him for 13 years. David was about 17 years old when he killed Goliath. But he became king only when he was 30. For 13 years after David had been anointed by God, God allowed Saul to continue to rule as Israel's king.
What lesson does all of this have for us?
God may allow us, even after we have become backsliders, to stay on in a ministry, long after we have lost the anointing of the Spirit.
Others may not recognise that we have lost the anointing, because of their lack of discernment. So they may continue to accept us as servants of God, because they respect our age or Bible knowledge or experience. But we must not imagine that such acceptance by the people is sufficient for us to remain as God's servants.
What is the use of man accepting us if God Himself has rejected us? It is a terrible tragedy when a man continues to serve the Lord or to lead a church, even after the anointing has gone from his life.
Bottom of Form
Have you ever wondered what God's will is for your life? Have you needed to make a difficult decision and wondered what God wanted you to do in that situation?
We all struggle with questions about our future. Questions like: How can I know God's plan for my life? Which job should I take? Is this the person God wants me to marry? Is this a good investment to make? Should I share the gospel with my boss? You probably have questions you could add to that list.
The greatest discovery I have ever made concerning how to know the will of God involves the following:
Many Christians are trying so hard to discover the will of God that they lose the joy of the Lord and leave their first love for Him.
But all we need to do is abide in Christ, maintain our first love for Him, and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, and we will be in the will of God. So as you continue to walk in the Spirit, He will guide you in making the most important decisions of life. He will also guide you in the daily, moment-by-moment decisions and actions of your life.
Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says, "When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth...and he will tell you what is yet to come" (John 16:13). So the key to knowing God's will is to be obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit of truth. If you are willing to trust and obey God and live a holy life, God will reveal Himself to you and direct your steps as a way of life.
Satan is the enemy of our soul. His mission is to keep us from being effective and fruitful in our witness. But although he wields great power, Satan can never defeat us if we are completely yielded and obedient to Christ
Some people are reluctant to trust God completely with their lives, fearing that He may want to make a change in their plans. Yes, He will change our plans. His plans are infinitely better than the very best we could ever conceive.
Is it not logical that the One who created us knows better than we the purpose for which we were created? And since He loves us enough to die for us, is it not logical to believe that His way is best (Romans 8:32)?
Obedience is the true test of our love for Christ and the secret to discovering God's will for our life.
Read Acts 9:1-22. What was God's command to Paul (here called Saul)?
How did he comply? Why was Paul's obedience so important at this particular time?
How do you think Paul's obedience illustrates the truth of the principle in I Samuel 15:22?
Read Acts 9:10-22. What was God's command to Anannias?
What was Anannias' reaction? How did he finally respond?
Why was his obedience so essential at this time?
How does his obedience indirectly influence you?
How would you have felt in Anannias' place?
What is the most important thing this lesson teaches you about obedience?
What specific area of weakness in your life do you need to bring into obedience to Christ? What steps will you take to become obedient in this area?
Insincere obedience
At a high school graduation recently, one student was heard to make these remarks: "Yeah, I finally made it. It's a good thing, too. If I had blown it, my parents would have killed me!"
In contrast, during the ceremony one of the student speakers, an oriental girl who was a foreign exchange student declared through her tears, "I want to express my deepest appreciation to my parents for loving me and for giving me the opportunity to get an education in this great land. I want to do everything I can to show them how much I love them and to make them proud of me."
What a difference in motivation between these students. The first obviously lived in fear of his parents, while the second understood and appreciated what her parents had done for her.
The epitaph of Amaziah, a king of Israel, reads, "He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a loyal heart" (2 Chronicles 25:2, NKJ). Obedience involves attitude, not merely outward actions. What is your motivation when you obey Christ? Do you serve Christ out of fear and self-serving ambition? Or from a loyal heart because you understand and appreciate God's love and what He has done for you?
Read Acts 4:32-5:11. At one time, Jerusalem Christians held goods as common property. Each Christian put his funds into a common treasury, which then supplied the needs of the Christian community. What made them willing to give up personal possessions (verse 32)?
One writer has said that many today view the local church as if it were a restaurant where all kinds of people meet for a short time, sit down together in the same room, then part, not knowing or caring anything about each other.
What is your estimation of the fellowship in our churches today compared with the fellowship of the Jerusalem Christians? What kind of attitude did the early Christians display?
Do you think this is true in your church? What can you do to improve the fellowship in your church?
When Barnabas sold his land, which was probably valuable, and gave the money to the church, no doubt other Christians praised his devotion. How do you think Barnabas' action might have influenced Ananias and Sapphira?
What do you suppose motivated Ananias and Sapphira to sell their possessions and give money to the church? How did their motive differ from Barnabas' motive?
How can it be possible to study the Bible, share Christ with others, or attend Christian meetings, and yet be committing sin when you think you are pleasing God?
What did Christ say was wrong with the people of His day (Mark 7:6)?
Why is your heart attitude just as important to God as your outward action?
Each of us has a tendency to do things for the approval of our friends. When this desire becomes our sole motivation, our attitude is wrong. Think of a person you know who has a godly attitude toward giving.
How do his actions differ from those described in Matthew 6?
List some ways you can help keep your giving sincere.
Public prayer is not wrong in itself. when you pray aloud with others, to whom are you talking? How can you make your public prayers a testimony to how much you love God?
Read I Corinthians 13:1-3. In terms meaningful to you, paraphrase these three verses.
On the basis of this passage, what would you say is the relationship between love and sincere obedience? What action or activity in your life needs a change in motivation?
How do you expect that change to affect other people with whom you come in contact? How do you expect that change to affect your life?