The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-08-16

An awful guide, smoke RuQ mama
By day, along the estonish'd lands
The cloudy pillar glided slow;
BY night, Arabia's crimson sands
ResuEB'd the de<y columns glow.
Thus present STILL though now unseen,
When bFightlyshines .he PROSPEROUS day,
Be thoughts of thee cloudy screen,
To temper the deceitful ray.
And o, when gathers on our path,
In shade and storm, the frequent niEht
BE thou iOng-sUfI7 ring, slow wrath,
n burning and shining light.
ION smoke and fame, aee lisa, Asa
8. Azalysis.
Origin,
Nature
The Uses Of the Cloud.
Disappearance,
Suggestions
8. The DiscusgiSa.
1. Origin. The first intimation we have Of
the appearance Of the cloud is ia Ex. Is 20-22.
The children of Israel left Rameses in Egypt.
~: 81 Their first station cut was Snceoth.
tIdem.J Their next stop was at Ethan.
(l3:20) That place was at the head of
the Red Sea. Up to that point they may have
known their way and gotten along with
out direction. They would, however lack
shade. 1t ia possible the cloud appeared little
out Of Rsmeses. From the face, however, of
the account, it seNsls the cloud was seen first
just out from EtENki. Had it not appeared and
turned the Israelites from their direct course,
they could haye proceeded, reaching the bor-
ders OF Canaan within few days, but instead,
they were diverted from their route aud led
about by the cloud for 40 years 1t was
we'll they were not permitted at once to enter
the Promised Land. a. They needed to get ready
for war. B. They must first formulate them
selves into nation. C. They required pre-
viOus training In morals and religion. q. They
vuusE bapoTna pd from id0iafrv fDbav
must lose ali longing for Egypt f. They
must be taught m0noGheism. o. tSee Deu,,
8:2.) They needed to be humbled proved,
tested. H. Ii was we'll the Egyptians be de-
stroyed. !. Lessons were to be impressed on
the minds of the Philestnes, leading them to
respect and fear the wanderers.
2. Nature Of The cloud When Christ lived
on the earth he was incarnated. God cannot
appear in his full deity TO human eyes He
needs to dilute the eiulgence of his presence.
II he would converse with man or be near as
in visible way, he must be clothed in some
form. That form need net necessarily be
human. de can put on, IS it wers q robe OF
cloud. Once he spoke from bush. He can
make the lightning tongue and the thunder
speech 1t is arbitrary with him as to form.
The cloud had the shape Of q pillar. Eek,
ID: q, ~; 14:19 1873, 10; NJ, IA: IA;
Neh., ~, 49, This gave the idea Of stabil-
ity, frmness strength. God is all three 1t
could at the same moment be light on one
side and dark on the other. (Ex., IA: 20) 1t
was not mere cloud. 1t had voluntary action,
intelligent motion. No ordinary cloud could
have about it SO many personal qualities. From
it came voices, distinct utterances threats
and commands. 1t was really God in the form
of cloud. 1t WAS better God assume some such
indeinable form and thus prevent idolatry.
Images Of clouds would be very unsatisfactory
gods 1t was made clear to the IsraeliteS that
Ia
outlines The heather clothed their objects of
worship either in clouds or in etfulgence The
| Greeks say that when Thrasybulus was leading
| back certain Athenian exile5 a fire appeared
and conducted him Rt night. The classic
writer may have gotten his idea from tradi-
| tiOnal account of the subject which we study.
! The heather declare that g marvellous light
| guided TimoleOn into his Italian port. It has
| been thought the dual pillars--cloud and fire
suggested the two pillars in the temple to Her
cules at Tyre, and also the two in the temple to
| the sun in Egypt. The Persians see God in
the fire and worship the blaze.
| 3. The uses Of the cloud. a It was a vehicle
for Deity. Eek, 10: q, %; IA: "a; SO g, 10;
| NJ, IA 14) Hence at its appearance it is said
| Gods glory was manifested. Ex., 40 {: 81, 80 :;
| NJ, Is: 49, Thus, too God was able to speak
to man. Eek, 80: g. III The cloud repre-
| sented God. 1t was Jehovah, the LORD, Christ
Emmanuel Deity with u.s. It had authority TO
command and to threaten. So personal and
divine was the cloud that the Israelites made
| it an object of worship and received no rebuke
| Eek, 80: 1O) By comparing Ex., 13 :21, p /;
| IA 10, 20; % 20, 81, we see the cloud called
| Lord or Jehovah and the Lord styled the cloud,
| showing the identity of the cloud with Deity
By means Of the cloud the divine attributes
were softened so that God and man could com
municste with each. b. The cloud served as a
| guide to the Israelites. They marcned in di-
| ii
! a desert with no landmarks; not even having
| blazed trees. The compass is comparatively
modern invention. Tx, ID: 81, %; Ii : 10;
| 40: 36-3S; M, 10: His, So 81 II: Ia Deu.,
l.: 80; 80 10; Neh., 8: IL, 10; Ps., 70: la
| Armies used to have poles with iron pots at the
end filled with some intammatOry substance,
! furnishing blaze by which marches at night
were effected. Caravans are often seen guided
| in a similar way. c. ghe cloud also served as
| q protective wall against enemies. Eek, Il: 10
| 90 Compare Isa, 90 12.) d. The cloud gave
| light. Whether resting or moving the Israelites
needed illumination. At times they marched
at night. eek, 1921, %; Nu ID Ii; Deu.,
1913; Neh., 8: -, 10; Ps., "a: 14.l {. The
| cloud also answered the purpose of sun-shades
| That was warm country. The region did not
abound in trees. Very much of the marching
was by day. (Nu, 10: 34.) 1t was grateful
| provision of Jehovah thus to 0vershadoW the
pilgrims with such an effective protection
against the intense heat
A. Disappearance. See galway" V. 16. We
know the cloud appeared at Ethan, which was
practically the start point of the wanderings
or the exodus proper. It continued till the
| children of Israel reached the river Jordan.
Notice it says in Elk, 13 %, He took not
away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the
pillar of fire by night, from before the people,"
Hence it was enjoyed for 10 years. After its
disappearance the guide was the ark. Whittier
it went the people followed.
| 5. Suggestions.
q. Obey Gods commandments Go whore
and when God directs. Let his cloud guide
you. The Israeltes never save in one instance
resisted the guidance of the cloud. (Nu., Il |: