Numbers 2:17-21: a reflection

17“Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place, by their standards. 18“On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their divisions. The prince of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud. 19His division, and those who were counted of them, were forty thousand five hundred. 20“Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh. The prince of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 21His division, and those who were counted of them, were thirty-two thousand two hundred.

As Israel journeyed through the wilderness, the Tent of Meeting, where God's presence dwelt, traveled in the very midst of the camps, so that God went with his people not only when they rested but as they moved. Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, the instruction says, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place. When Israel broke camp and set out on the journey, the tabernacle did not stay behind or go to the edge; it traveled in the middle of the moving company, God's presence in the very midst of his people as they journeyed. Whether they rested or moved, God was among them, at the center of their going as of their staying. This shows God's presence going with his people in their midst, on the journey and not only at rest. God's presence goes with you on the journey, not only when you rest. God is in the midst of your movement, not only your stillness. Wherever you go, God travels with his people. God is at the center of your journeying as of your staying.

Notice where God's presence was as the people moved. When Israel was encamped, the tabernacle stood at the center of the camp, God's presence in their midst. But this was true not only when they were settled; when they broke camp and set out on the journey, the tabernacle traveled in the very middle of the moving company. God's presence did not stay behind when they moved, nor did it go to the margins; it went with them, in their midst, as they journeyed. Whether at rest or on the move, God was among his people, at the center of their going as of their staying. This holds a comfort for our own journeying. We can think of God's presence as something we come to when we are still, at rest, settled, in worship; and it is that. But God's presence is not left behind when we are on the move, in the midst of our journeying, our transitions, our busy going. God goes with his people on the journey, in the very midst of their movement, not only when they are still. As Israel's God traveled in the midst of the moving camp, so God is with us as we go, at the center of our journeying, not only our resting. We are not left to journey alone once we leave our places of rest; God goes with us, in our midst, wherever we go. We do well to remember that God's presence goes with us on the journey, in the midst of our movement, and not only when we are still. Remember that God's presence goes with you on the journey, not only when you rest. God is in the midst of your movement and transitions, not only your stillness. You do not journey alone; God travels with his people. God is at the center of your going as of your staying.

That is worth resting in, for God's presence goes with his people on the journey, in their midst, not only when they rest, as the tabernacle traveled in the middle of the moving camp. We can think God's presence is only for our times of stillness; but God traveled in the midst of Israel as they moved, at the center of their journey. God goes with you. When you are on the move, in transition, in the busy going of life, remember that God's presence goes with you, in your midst, not left behind with your times of rest. Remember that God's presence goes with you on the journey, in the very midst of your movement, and not only when you are still, as when Israel journeyed through the wilderness the Tent of Meeting, where God's presence dwelt, traveled in the midst of the camps, so that God went with his people not only when they rested but as they moved, since when they broke camp and set out the tabernacle traveled in the middle of the moving company; for God's presence did not stay behind when they moved nor go to the margins but went with them in their midst as they journeyed, so that whether they rested or moved God was among them at the center of their going as of their staying, which holds a comfort for our own journeying, since we can think of God's presence as something we come to when we are still and settled and in worship, and it is that, but God's presence is not left behind when we are on the move and in the midst of our journeying and transitions and busy going, since God goes with his people on the journey in the very midst of their movement, not only when they are still, so that as Israel's God traveled in the midst of the moving camp God is with us as we go, at the center of our journeying and not only our resting, and we are not left to journey alone once we leave our places of rest but God goes with us wherever we go, so that we do well to remember it.

Lord, as Israel journeyed through the wilderness, the Tent of Meeting, where your presence dwelt, traveled in the very midst of the camps, so that you went with your people not only when they rested but as they moved. Then the Tent of Meeting shall set out, the instruction says, with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. As they encamp, so shall they set out, every man in his place. When Israel broke camp and set out on the journey, the tabernacle did not stay behind or go to the edge; it traveled in the middle of the moving company, your presence in the very midst of your people as they journeyed. Whether they rested or moved, you were among them, at the center of their going as of their staying. Show me where your presence was as the people moved. When Israel was encamped, the tabernacle stood at the center, your presence in their midst. But this was true not only when they were settled; when they set out on the journey, the tabernacle traveled in the very middle of the moving company. Your presence did not stay behind when they moved, nor go to the margins; it went with them, in their midst, as they journeyed. Whether at rest or on the move, you were among your people. This holds a comfort for my own journeying. I can think of your presence as something I come to when I am still, at rest, settled, in worship; and it is that. But your presence is not left behind when I am on the move, in the midst of my journeying, my transitions, my busy going. You go with your people on the journey, in the very midst of their movement, not only when they are still. As Israel's God traveled in the midst of the moving camp, so you are with me as I go, at the center of my journeying, not only my resting. I do not journey alone once I leave my places of rest; you go with me. Take that to my heart. When I am on the move, in transition, in the busy going of life, help me remember, Lord, that your presence goes with me, in my midst, not left behind with my times of rest, for you are at the center of my going as of my staying, and I do not journey alone.