Numbers 10:29-36: in context

As Israel sets out from Sinai on the journey through the wilderness toward the promised land, the account notes how they were led. They set out from the mountain of the LORD a three days' journey, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them a three days' journey, to seek out a resting place for them. The ark, the sign of God's presence, went ahead of the people on their journey, not behind or merely among them, but before them, going ahead to find a place for them to rest.

The image of the ark going before the people to seek out a resting place is one to hold. Israel was traveling through an unknown and difficult wilderness, toward a land they had not seen, with dangers and uncertainties on every side. And they did not go first, feeling their own way; God went before them. The ark went ahead, seeking out a resting place for them, so that the people followed a God who had already gone before to prepare their way and find their rest. They did not travel into the unknown alone or unaccompanied; God led the way. This is a comfort for our own journey through life, which often feels like an unknown and uncertain wilderness. We can feel that we are going first into the unknown, feeling our own way, uncertain where we are headed or where we will find rest. But the picture of the ark going before Israel says that God goes before his people; he does not send us into the unknown alone but goes ahead of us, preparing the way, seeking out our resting place. It is the LORD who goes before you, Moses says elsewhere; he went before you on the way to seek out a place to pitch your tents. We follow a God who has gone ahead. And this reaches its fullest expression in Christ, who said, I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place, I will come again and receive you to myself. As the ark went before Israel to seek out their resting place, so Christ has gone before us to prepare our place, our final rest with him. This steadies us in the uncertainty of our journey. We are not going first into the unknown, feeling our own way toward we know not where. God goes before us, preparing the way, seeking out our rest, as the ark went before Israel through the wilderness. My presence will go with you, God told Moses, and I will give you rest. This calls us to follow the God who goes before us, trusting that he has gone ahead to prepare our way and find our rest, rather than facing the unknown as if we went first and alone. The ark went before Israel to seek out a resting place; and God goes before us still, and Christ has gone ahead to prepare our place, so that we follow a God who has already gone before us into the unknown to prepare the way and secure our rest.

When my journey through life feels like an unknown and uncertain wilderness, do I feel that I am going first into the unknown, feeling my own way toward I know not where, or can the ark that went before Israel to seek out a resting place, and Christ who has gone ahead to prepare a place for us, assure me that God goes before his people, preparing the way and seeking out my rest, so that I follow a God who has already gone before me rather than facing the unknown as if I went first and alone?