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The Pillar of His Presence

The Pillar of His Presence

The Pillar of His Presence.

“For the cloud of Yahweh was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.” (Exodus 40:38).

God provided a tangible sign of His presence to the Hebrews right from the start of their escape from Egypt, as they were attempting to escape from the Egyptian army. God gave them a pillar of cloud and fire to protect them when the Israelites found themselves at a dead end at the Red Sea. The heavenly pillar was placed between the army and the runaway slaves and kept the Egyptians from attacking them. The fire gave light to the Hebrews, but somehow the accompanying cloud kept the Egyptians in the dark (Ex. 14:20). The fearsome pillar allowed the Hebrews to cross the Red Sea into freedom. That wasn’t the last they would see of that pillar… that was only the beginning of the celestial pillar of cloud and fire. “The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire did not depart from before the people.” (Ex. 13:21-22). This pillar that seemed to change when day gave way to night, from cloud to fire, was a gift of Almighty God. The pillar was a constant reminder of God’s presence with them, His direct aid to guide and to reassure them of His help in the wilderness. Many have said that this fire was an angel revealing the fire of heaven. Others have said the fire was God’s shekinah presence. Others say this fire was a clear display of the Holy Spirit, a flame from the consuming fire of God’s glory. With this fire, it didn’t consume anything, it illuminated, guided, and spoke of God’s loving power. The Hebrews learned to trust this, God’s gift to them, as they wandered in unknown territory. And this powerful pillar never left them during their forty year journey, which means God never left them either.