Numbers 2:1-2, “The LORD spoke to Moses
and Aaron, saying, (2) "The people of Israel shall camp each by
his own standard, with the banners of their fathers' houses. They shall camp
facing the tent of meeting on every side.”
What is it that lies at the centre of your life? What is it that lies
at the centre of our nation? Numbers 2 paints a beautiful picture for us, a
picture that shows who was to be at the centre of every Israelite’s life and
who was to be the centre of their nation. God, the glory of God, the presence
of God, the worship of God, the service of God. God was the one they were to
look towards constantly, their lives where to revolve around God.
What a daily encouragement it must have been for the Israelites, that
as they stepped out of their tents every morning, the first sight to greet them
was that of the tabernacle, and as they closed their tent for the evening, the
last sight they saw was the tabernacle. They had the daily reminder that God
was their centre, and that God was present with them, God was amongst them, God
was their provider and their protector.
Firstly, this daily reminder was designed by God to help the people of
Israel to understand the high and exalted position of God, He is the centre of
everything. Secondly to teach them that they were always living in the face, in
the presence, in the sight of a holy God, God was amongst them, He both saw and
knew all that which they did. Thirdly this reminded the Israelites that God was
to be the centre of their lives, of their nation and that there was to be
nothing more valuable, precious or greater than their relationship with God,
than having the presence of God amongst them. They were not to look to another,
or to face, or walk in any direction than other towards God.
The key to Israel’s success as a nation depended much on how well they
learned all these truths and upheld them in their individual lives and their national
life. For as long as they faced God, had God as the centre, lived before the
face of God and treasured Him above all things, their lives and nation would
prosper, they would know the blessing of God. But when they turned away, when
they face and worshipped another, when they disregarded God, it would be to
their own peril and to the peril of their nation. What we are witnessing here
is the manner in which God is seeking to forge, shape and mould this nation
before they even enter into the Promised Land, He desires to have them already following
an established way of life, rather than trying to figure it all out when they
took possession of the land. God is graciously making, establishing a nation in
such a way that if they follow the pattern they would radiate with the glory of
God and come under His blessing.
The application for us immediate, for God desires the same for us, it
is in fact the way in which God created us to be and to live. God and God alone
was meant to be the centre point of our lives, we were created to live before
Him, in His presence, enjoying His many rich blessings. It is our sin that has
caused us to put other things or even ourselves at the centre. We live our
lives before the face of the world, or those around us, we live as though we
are the centre and that we are the most important ones. It is this selfishness,
this removal of God from the centre point that has led to so much misery,
sorrow, grief and distress in every area of life. By turning away from God, we
have not turned to something better and more fulfilling, rather we have turned
to something far lesser, far worse and that which takes more than it gives.
Furthermore when we make ourselves the centre, every relationship we have
suffers as we are consumed with ourselves, we think only of ourselves, and our
wants, desires and needs become more important than that of others. This only
multiplies the grief, distress, misery and sorrow.
But God in His grace has acted so as to enable us to restore Him back
to the centre of our lives. He does this through the person and work of the
Lord Jesus Christ. For when we come to Christ in repentance and faith He
reorients our lives, from being turned away from God, He turns us towards God.
Think of the joy, life and fullness we felt at that moment!
Sadly that joy, life and fullness is short lived, as many Christians
frequently turn away and live in selfishness. Living in this manner only
produces guilt, sorrow and distress, and leads to the discipline of God. God
desires for us to live our lives before Him and to know the many rich blessings
that come to us when keep Him as the centre point. The challenge for us is to
remind ourselves every day that we live before the presence and sight of a holy
God, He is to be our centre, and who better to live our lives before and to
look to at all times, in all things, for all things than God!
Who is the centre of your life? Who are you living your life in the
sight of? Who are you constantly looking to and trusting in for all things?
Ever-present, all-seeing, all-knowing God,
it is humbling for us to be reminded of the fact that You see all, know all and
are ever present, that our lives are laid bare and open before You. But we
thank You that You are not a cruel, evil, unkind God, who delights in our
miseries. You are the God who created us to live for You, before Your presence,
under Your blessing. We worship You as we remember that You did not just create
us for this purpose, but You also acted in and through Christ so as to redeem
us from that empty and selfish life, so that we could become what You desire us
to be. We pray that You will help us to keep You as the centre point of our
lives and that we will desire to only live for You. Amen.
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