For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel (Exodus 40:38).

Isn't this amazing?! God's miraculous cloud by day and fire by night remained with them throughout all their journeys. This manifestation of God was not just present at the Exodus, it was not just with them at the Red Sea, it was not with them simply at Sinai, but it would remain with them even during their long, forty-year sojourn in the wilderness.

As amazing as it is today for us to read, I wonder if at some point this miraculous Presence became common and unspectacular to the people of Israel. I wonder if at some point they became less aware of God and began cutting corners on obedience. I wonder if they also began to forget the great and marvelous displays of power that God performed for them against Pharoah and Egypt. 

This is the most sensible explanation to me of why they became disobedient and known for their stubborn rebellion and unbelief. 

This also explains the importance that God put in telling the stories of God's wonderful acts, as well as the rationale behind them, to their children. The generations that follow would not experience the same miraculous displays of God's glory; therefore, they would need to be told through the reading and teaching of the Word of God.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord" (Exodus 10:1-2).

And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians’” (Exodus 12:26-27).

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb,when he said to me, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learnto revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children” (Deuteronomy 4:9-10).

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; cf. Deuteronomy 11:18-20).

Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess” (Deuteronomy 31:12-13).

When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess” (Deuteronomy 32:45-47).

Friends, our faith is not strengthened by seeking after signs, prophecies, and miraculous experiences. There was a time for such an outpouring of miraculous manifestations. It was the time of the earthly ministries of Jesus and His apostles. However, as in the days after Moses, those that came after were expected to find faith through listening to the Word of God.

And so our faith also is strengthened not by mirculous displays but by listening and adhering to the Word of God:

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).

And I encourage the parents among us: It is our responsibility to teach our children the Word of God. We must know and obey it ourselves. And then we must train our children:

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).

One of the main reasons the people of Israel fell away from the LORD was because they began to forget the LORD. And they forgot the LORD because the parents failed to faithfully teach their children about the LORD:

When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel (Judges 2:10).

Let us not be among the faithless and irresponsible generations that neglected to teach their children the Word of God.

When the Israelites were obedient to God's command, the majestic tabernacle was completed and His glory rested upon it whereas the golden calf was created when the Israelites tried their best to establish something with their own ingenuity apart from God. So what is our choice today? Are we still dependent on our own feeble mind or strength even though it is doomed to fail at the end? We have nothing to boast about! We easily and arrogantly parade our freedom in the face of God, saying that we can choose Him because we are somewhat good enough to make a right choice. Isn't that what is all about the religions, philosophies or any sort of isms of this world? God saw us eternity before and made a unshakable determination to save you and me and that's who we have become of now - imputation of His righteousness to us! Hallelujah!

But Samuel replied:

   “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
   as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
   and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
   and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
   he has rejected you as king.”

I am so glad that we are reading "the word of the LORD" together for how can we obey what we do not know. Let us continue faithfully in what we have committed ourselves to do this year so that we may become obedient servants of Christ Jesus, our LORD and SAVIOR.