God made a promise to direct and guide us through the world to the Promised Land; heaven.
I will bring you into the land which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob (Ex 6:8), which was God promising direction.
See 7 I will’s of God: – God prophetic promises to you and me
The promise was to the children of Israel but the children of Israel are a shadow of the church.
When we come to the cross, accept Jesus Christ and have great faith in Him, we become children of Abraham; children of promise.
Gal 3:7: Know you therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham
The children of Israel moving out of Egypt through the wilderness into the Promised Land is a shadow of the church from the day of Salvation on the cross moving through the world into heaven.
Wilderness is a symbol of the world while the Promised Land Israel is a symbol of heaven.
Therefore, by looking at how God directed and guided the children of Israel from Egypt, through the wilderness into the Promised Land, we see how God directs and guides us the church from the cross, through the world into the kingdom of heaven.
How God directed and guided the children of Israel
From the minute the children of Israel set their feet out of Egypt, we see God directing and guiding them through the wilderness into the Promised Land.
Remember it was God to bring them into the Promised Land not themselves. I will bring you into the land which I did swear… (Ex 6:8)
We see God directing and guiding the children of Israel in 3 ways;
1. Giving their leader Moses clear audible instructions
Ex 14:1-2: And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baal-zephon: before it shall you encamp by the sea.
Ex 14:15: And the LORD said unto Moses, ‘Why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel, that they go forward
In the entire book of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy we see God speaking audibly to Moses, instructing, directing and guiding Him on what to say and do to the children of Israel until His last day on earth.
And when Moses died, God spoke audibly to Joshua like He spoke to Moses.
2. A pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night
God led the children of Israel by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night never departed.
Ex 13:21-22: And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night. He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
3. An Angel of the Lord always went before the children of Israel
Ex 23:20: Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
Ex 14:19: And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them
Ex 33:2: And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite
The way God directed the children of Israel with clear audible instructions to their leader Moses, a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, and an angel of the Lord before them, is the same way He direct and guide the church through the wilderness into the promised land.
How God Directs and Guides Us (church) through the world
God directs and guides the church (you and me) with;
- Clear audible instructions to His chosen servants who lead the church
- A pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night
- An angel of the Lord is always before us
If you do not see the Angel of the Lord, the pillar of cloud by day, pillar of fire by night and hear God audible instructions giving you direction through His chosen servants not scoffers or those who have chosen themselves, you are yet to be born-again; yet to be a bride of Jesus Christ.
Let’s look at each one of the ways separately.
See God speaks audibly to His chosen servants the prophets who are the eyes of the church
