Numbers 9:18
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. 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.
At the Lord's command Israel set out and at the Lord's command they encamped, remaining in their tents as long as the cloud rested upon the tabernacle and marching when it lifted and moved onward. The cloud rested low over the tabernacle when they were to abide and was lifted high when they were to journey, appearing as cloud by day and fire by night to lead and protect them, while Christ present in the pillar guided them with watchful care and they moved in perfect order tribe by tribe with the ark borne before them. This guidance continued through forty years in the wilderness, holding them apart from idolatrous nations and teaching them dependence on His leading even when they were eager to press into Canaan. God's people are likewise to order their movements by His Spirit rather than by their own plans or preference, advancing when He leads and halting where He directs, and ready to go wherever He sends them. They are to wait cheerfully when He bids them wait and move forward in trust when He bids them go even when they cannot see the way, for to stand still without progress is to move backward, while following Him brings harmony with Him and power to keep pace with their Leader.
Cloud Directed Israel's Journey
At the command of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the command of the Lord they pitched, resting in their tents as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle and setting out when it lifted and moved. Every encampment and every march was at God's command, with advance when the cloud moved and rest when it remained over the tabernacle. When it was for the good of the people and for the glory of God that they abide in a place, He showed His will by causing the cloud to rest low directly over the tabernacle, and it stayed there until He would have them journey again. When He would have them journey again the cloud of glory was lifted high above the tabernacle, and then they journeyed. The cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day and fire was upon it by night in the sight of all Israel, leading and protecting them through the wilderness, and the tabernacle was built so it could be taken apart and carried with them.
In all their journeying and resting they kept perfect order. Every tribe marched under its own standard and pitched in its commanded place around the tabernacle, with the tribes camping around the tabernacle in the places God commanded. The ark of the covenant, containing the law, was borne before them when they moved and led the way. Both the halt and the departure were marked by a solemn invocation to the Lord.
Christ, present as the light in the pillar of cloud, guided the people by indicating where to rest and when to move, with watchful care throughout their journey. Angels watched over them, and God protected and led them throughout their journey, the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night leading and protecting them. This guidance by Jesus Christ in the cloud continued through forty years in the wilderness. It kept them apart from idolatrous nations and taught them dependence on His guidance. Though they were eager to enter Canaan, they waited while the cloud had not moved.
Following God's Guidance Today
God's people are to order their own movements by His Spirit just as Israel moved and rested at His command, advancing when He leads and halting where He directs rather than following plans or preferences of their own, and holding themselves ready to go wherever He leads. That means waiting when He bids them wait and going forward when He bids them go, even when they cannot see the way, trusting that He sees it and leads them safely, and remaining cheerfully where He places them. They must not stand still without making progress, for to stop where they are is to move backward, and it is by following His direction instead of their own that they are brought into harmony with Him, enabled to keep pace with their Leader and to cooperate with His power.
The verse calls for careful attention to His guidance, with gratitude and praise instead of murmuring. In mission work the same rule holds: move when the Lord directs and remain when He does not, never choosing a new field without His leading, keeping the existing work moving until the cloud moves, and not spreading into more fields or enterprises than the available workers and means can properly sustain. So also there is to be readiness to relocate the publishing work, even to leave Battle Creek, when providence shows the time has come, waiting for a clear indication from God before deciding, and in school affairs waiting for His indicated time to make changes and then acting without treating the move as defeat.
When the cloud remains, the tents are to stay up, and this is applied to the camp meeting: because it has not lifted the meeting is not yet to end, but the people are to continue seeking the Lord and giving the warning message while hearts are under conviction.