Following the Pillar of Cloud and Fire

In the Old Testament, Israel was led by a pillar of cloud and fire. This pillar of cloud and fire went before them and led them into the Promised Land. Whenever this pillar moved, they also moved, and whenever it stopped, they stopped. Following the leading of God was the key to their supernatural victories. 

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.  He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.” (Exodus 13:21-22)

This is a symbol for us today. God is with us, and his Holy Spirit is inside us. The pillar of cloud and fire represents the presence of God with us as he leads us into our spiritual inheritance.

God wants to lead all of his sheep. He is leading all of us to a glorious destination in the spiritual realm. The divine goal for every Christian is the glorious bride of Christ and individual Christian maturity. In order to get to this glorious destination, we need to be led by God.

There are many things that we can learn from the pillar of cloud and fire in the Old Testament.

God leads us by his Spirit. “As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). We are not led to be led by our flesh or by our soul, but by the Holy Spirit of God. When we are led by our own minds or abilities, we will experience limited results. When we are led by God, we will experience supernatural results. 

God leads us out of bondage into a place of blessing. The Israelites were leaving slavery and oppression and going to a place of freedom and victory. In order to get to this place of blessing they had to face giants. Our enemies are sometimes huge. God will give us supernatural grace to overcome our enemies as we follow his leading, just like he overthrew the giants in the Promised Land.

God leads us according to his sovereign will. He leads us according to his own thoughts and plans. His ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 14:12). Sometimes the leading of God will not make sense to our own minds or to the minds of others.

We must be willing to move when God tells us to move (Exodus 40:36-37). If we try to go somewhere without the leading of God, it might end in loss (Numbers 14:39-45). If we try to stay somewhere when God is telling us to go, then we will stagnate. God not only tells us where to go, but he goes before us. The pillar of cloud and fire went first, and the people of God followed. God prepares the way for us, which means there is a way through all problems. God makes the rough places smooth. He lowers the hills and raises up the valleys. God does not ask us to go anywhere or do anything that he has not already done himself.

“Depart! Depart! Go out from there, touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her, be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard” (Isaiah 52:11-12).

God is calling all of us to grow spiritually and come to a higher level in him. We are called to go from one degree of glory to a higher degree (2 Corinthians 3:18). To get to this new place in God, we need to leave the old things behind. Paul said that to grow to maturity, “one thing I do – forgetting the things that are behind and reaching to the things that are ahead” (Philippians 3:13). 

Sometimes the old place that holds us back is a place of bitterness or unforgiveness. We need to be willing to leave this spiritual place of bondage – forgive others and release them. We also need to receive forgiveness from God in order to move forward. If we confess our sins, God will forgive us and cleanse us. We must not allow the devil to bring us under condemnation, because this will hold us back. Let us lay aside every weight and run with patience the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1).

We must also leave behind vain religious traditions that we have inherited from others. These things might be popular, feel good, and seem wise, but they will hinder us from reaching the fullness of our inheritance. Religious activity that is not founded on the word of God is vain worship, and it will cause problems.

When we go to a new place spiritually, Isaiah says we will not go by “haste.” This Hebrew word “haste” comes from a root word meaning weasel. As we follow God, we will not have to weasel our way into the new place, using our own ingenuity. God will make a way for us. We just need to follow him.

We won’t go by “flight.” We will not be motivated by fear. We will be motivated by God’s word, as we follow him.

God is our “rearguard.” Sometimes God will ask us to do radical things. The results of our obedience will be taken care of by God. He will protect us from the enemy who might chase after us. He will also bless others who may be affected by our radical actions of obedience. God loves people much more than we do, and the best way we can bless others is by obeying God ourselves.

The pillar of cloud and fire never left the Israelites, which teaches us that God is always there. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). God does not leave us as orphans. He sends the Holy Spirit as the Comforter into our hearts.

God leads us into provision. He is the good shepherd. He leads us to green pastures, still waters, and he restores our souls. As we follow God, there will be supernatural supply. The Israelites had manna and water that flowed out of a rock. God will provide for all we need as we follow him. 

When we follow God, he gives us light. Jesus is the light of the world. The word of God is a light – a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). Other people do not have this supernatural light from God, and that means that they cannot travel by night. But God’s people are different. Even when everything is dark in the world, they can still move forward because they are led by the light of God. When other people get stuck, we can still move forward because God’s light shines on us.

The pillar of cloud and fire means that God protects us. The safest place in the world is in the center of God’s will. As we follow God, he will cover us under his wings and keep us safe (Psalm 91).

As we follow God, his glory will be seen over us. Other nations will see the glory of God as he does supernatural works among us. 

“The Lord will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain” (Isaiah 4:5-6).

Throughout the earth, God is raising up true churches that will be formed by the word of God and guided by the Holy Spirit. This is the ark of safety for the end times; it is the bride of Christ that is being prepared for his coming. When darkness covers the earth, the light and glory of God will be seen upon his people, and as they follow him, his kingdom and power will be revealed.