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The pillar of
cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night
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Exodus 13:21-22(NIV)
By day the LORD went
ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in
a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or
night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night
left its place in front of the people.
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3
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The Israelites who
were in slavery of Egypt were led out by Moses through God's 10 disasters and
started their journey to Canaan where they missed so much. "To get out
of Egypt" that is the meaning of the word, ¡°Exodus.¡± Exodus is a book
containing the stories of Israelites getting out of Egypt and afterwards.
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4
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The number of men who
followed Moses from Egypt was about 600,000 men who were over 20 years old.
So we can say that the whole population of the Israelites was about 2
million.
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5
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When Moses left Egypt he bro ught the bones of his ancestor Joseph who had been the Prime Minister of
Egypt a long time ago. Moses brought Joseph¡¯s bones because before Joseph
died he requested his children to bring his bones with them and bury them in Canaan.
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6
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There are two ways to
get to Canaan. One way would have been very short and it looked like an easy
way. But there were the "Philistines" who were experts in war and
they were very violent. It was sure that they wouldn't let the Israelites
just pass by their land.
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7
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Therefore, God led
the Israelites to the desert because He didn't want the Israelites to go back
to Egypt by the Philistines.
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8
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In the desert there
were also some Israelites who were worried.
Some said, ¡°In the
desert in the morning won¡¯t it be very hot like burning and at night it will
be so cold?"
"If that's so
won't that be a big problem?"
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9
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It was true.
In the desert there
weren¡¯t many plants that could live because the sunlight was too strong. The
environment was so bad that at night it was very cold that you might freeze
to death because the temperature would go down very low. About 2,000,000
people including the children have to pass by this desert.
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10
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From the place called
Succoth going to the desert the Israelites saw a pillar of cloud blocking the
sunlight in front of them. Because the cloud blocked the sunlight they were
able to go through the shadow.
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11
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"Wow, we are
very grateful for that cloud. It knows the way we are going and blocks the
sun." Many people thought that they were fortunate on that day that the cloud
lessened their hardness. When they arrived at the place called Etham, the
Israelites decided to set up their tents and pass the night there.
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12
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"Sleep, wearing
as many clothes as you can because when night comes the heat will cool down
and become very cold." Mothers started to sleep after strictly caring
about their children. Oh, but when it was already midnight it still wasn't
cold but warm like there was a fireplace.
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13
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God kept the cold
away by the pillar of fire for the Israelites to not suffer for the cold.
"We are
fortunate that it was not cold as we had worried. I was worried because of
the children."
The Israelites
thought that it was only good fortune.
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14
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But it had not
happened by coincidence.
Since God knows it would
be hard for the Israelites to handle being in the desert God kept off the sun
by the pillar of cloud.
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15
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And, at night, God
covered the tents of the Israelites by the pillar of fire. God was not
strictly guarding them, but He was protecting the Israelites from not
suffering from a bigger problem.
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16
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A new year has come.
This past year even though we didn't notice, God had protected us like He
protected the Israelites with the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud. And
He will continue to protect us again this New Year, too. We, the children of
faith, should act bravely at any circumstance believing God is protecting us
with our ¡°pillar of fire¡± and ¡°pillar of cloud.¡± God will protect us forever
because He loves us.
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