God's guiding Presence

• This has been described as one of the most beautiful expressions of the Presence of God in the whole Bible. The description of the Presence is genuinely Israelite.
  
  
• The different strands of tradition place different emphases on God's Presence:
  • J has the presence giving guidance and protection.
  • E depicts the revealing presence as at the Tent of Meeting.
  • P depicts the dwelling Presence - living in the Tabernacle.
  
  
  
• A lively sense of God's presence runs throughout the Bible. Often it is in anthropomorphic terms which portray God's personal vitality. But the Israelites also recognised a supernatural dimension to God and at times they even felt God had removed his presence from them e.g. when they were in exile in Babylon. The belief was that wherever God's ultimate dwelling might be, he could be found on earth and dwelling amongst people.
  
  
• For the Israelite, there was no problem as to what form God took to appear on earth. Humankind was made in God's image and so God was thought of in human terms without question e.g. 'he' visited Adam and Eve, 'he' came down to see the tower or defeat the Egyptians at the Red Sea. Being understood in this way, God was spoken of as having a bodily presence and bodily parts. At no place do we find a verbal portrait. To describe experiences of God which came to people through their senses of sight, hearing and very rarely, touch, God was said to have features, limbs and a voice. Moses was allowed to see God's face but later he was made to see only 'the back parts' of God's retreating figure (Exodus 33:17-23). Moses was also accredited with speaking to God face to face (Exodus 33:11).
  
  
• It was God's presence at a spot that constituted a sanctuary. Presence does not imply any sort of representation of God; God himself is present in person there.
  
  
• The cloud and fire were both visible symbols of God's presence. The cloud was a veil to hide the brilliance and strength of his Presence, while the fire was a barrier to separate humans from God's full glory.
  
  
• God's Presence is everywhere: there is no place where it cannot be. The term 'shekinah' meaning 'dwelling' conveys the idea of God's presence on earth. A story is told by the rabbis: A heathen asked the rabbi: Why did God speak to Moses from the thorn bush? The rabbi replied: 'If he had spoken from a carob tree or from a sycamore, you would have asked me the same question. But God spoke from the thorn bush to teach you that there is no place where the Shekinah is not, not even a thorn bush'.

Cloud

• The strands of tradition that are combined in these chapters have different things to say about the cloud:
  • E claims that when Moses entered the Tent of Meeting or Tabernacle, a pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the door of the tent as God spoke with Moses (Exodus 33:7-11; Numbers 11:25; 12:5,10; Deuteronomy 31:15). This tradition does not mention a fiery cloud at night, as the cloud is not intended to guide the people, but to indicate God's presence.
  • P notes that a cloud covered the Tent of Meeting and Moses could not enter at this time. Whenever the cloud lifted, the Israelites continued their journey, resting when the cloud rested. At night, the cloud appeared as fire (Exodus 40:34-38; Numbers 9:15-16). Thus P agrees with E in associating the cloud with the Tent of Meeting and with J in envisaging it as a guide.
  • J represents God as leading the Israelites as a pillar of cloud in the day and one of fire by night, allowing continuous travel (Exodus 14:19-20; Numbers 14:14).
  
  
  
• What might be the origin of these traditions of the 'cloud'?
  • Possibly it stems from the ancient custom of carrying torches at the head of an army / caravan to guide the procession or rather honour important people (see above v.21).
  • It may derive from the smoke of sacrifices.
  • The Israelites probably had knowledge of smoking volcanoes. The thick clouds and lightening associated with Mt Sinai suggest volcanic activity (see Exodus 14:19-20; Numbers 14:14).
  
  
  
• The pillar of cloud is important throughout the wilderness accounts. It serves as:
  • protection in battle against the pursuing Egyptians (Exodus 14:19-20).
  • a visible sign that God is present (Numbers 11:24-25).
  • a visible sign to guide the Israelites, as they stay or move according to whether the cloud stays or lifts (Numbers 9: 15-23).
  • a sign of Moses' authority (Numbers 11:24-25).
  • a veil to hide God from human gaze because human corruption could not come in direct contact with God's purity, brilliance and power.
  
  
  

Fire

• Fire as a symbol for God's presence might have come about because:
  • the flames of fire from the sacrifice burn upwards to God.
  • volcanoes produced fire and it was believed volcanic mountains, with their powerful noise, smoke and fire, were the dwelling places of gods / God.
  
  
  
• Fire has a variety of characteristics which symbolise God's nature and presence:
  • it is mysterious in its movement and cannot be pinned down or captured, just as God is surrounded in mystery for humans.
  • it is purifying through its heat, just as God is holy and pure and desires that people should also be like that.
  • it is vital for life, for heat and light, just as God's providence supplies these essentials for humans.
  • it is illuminating, just as God guides people's lives or illuminates and inspires their spirits.
  • it is destructive, just as God's power can destroy sin and evil.
  • it devours, just as the fire of God's judgement.
  • it is 'free-flowing', just as God's spirit.
  • it is seen as forming a barrier to protect humans from the sheer splendour of God.
  
  
  
• Fire represents God in other biblical passages:
  • Fire appears in the narrative of God 'passing by' when Elijah visited Mount Sinai. (2 Kings 19:11f).
  • Flaming angels and coals appear in Isaiah's vision of God in the Temple (Isaiah 6:2, 6-7).
  • The spirit and fire of judgement belong to one who is mightier than John the Baptist (Luke 3:16).
  • The arrival of the Holy Spirit to the disciples is described as like 'tongues of fire' (Acts 2:3).
  
  
  

God's relationship with Israel

• In Exodus 13:17-18 the writer discloses what God is thinking. So there is the lovely picture of God contemplating how he will now cope with Israel!
  
  
• God could foresee trouble. He knew that when these freed slaves realised that freedom would have its difficulties they would be tempted to return to the relative comfort of slavery.
  
  
• So God makes plans to deal with their possible change of mind. Instead of leading them directly to Canaan he decides on a roundabout route so that en route they will be trained and taught how to cope with the demands of taking over Canaan and working together to establish themselves in their Promised Land.
  
  
• Here the providential parent God is caring for his firstborn Israel. Israel's struggle with God is often emphasised at the expense perhaps of God's constant struggle with Israel! The Bible plays out the drama between a loving Father God and his rebellious son, Israel.

Joseph's bones buried at Shechem.

• The Joseph story closed with an account of his death and the promise he made his brothers give him, that when the Israelites left Egypt they would carry his body back to Canaan. They embalmed him and he was put in a coffin in Egypt. Joseph's story was over and its purpose had been fulfilled. Israel was installed in Egypt and awaited her redemption as the people of God, in the Exodus deliverance.
  
  
• Joseph was well-known for his insight and here he has foreseen the time when Israel will leave Egypt because he knew God would rescue her. It is therefore appropriate for his bones to accompany the Israelites back home.
  
  
• In Joshua 24:32 the bones of Joseph were buried at Shechem in ground bought by Jacob from the sons of Hamor (Genesis 33:19).
  
  
• At Shechem there was a solemn assembly which established for the first time the league of the twelve tribes in Canaan on the basis of the covenant. And there was a definite acceptance of God as the God of the united tribes and the cults of Canaan were rejected. The choice was ratified with due ceremonial at the sanctuary at Shechem (Joshua 24:1-28). It is poignant that Joseph's bones should be laid to rest at this sanctuary where all the tribes united to re-assert their covenant relationship with God. God had delivered Joseph from his brothers' jealousy and hostility to Egypt. Now, God again had delivered his descendants from Egypt back to Canaan for a new start, sealed by their allegiance to God's covenant relationship.