1 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.
See God Each Morning
In Numbers chapter two we have the instructions by Moses about how each of the twelve tribes of Israel are to pitch their camps. God is a God of order and laid out to Moses exactly how He wanted the camp arranged. This was for structure and protection, no doubt. But, there is also one important aspect of how they arranged the tribes in the above passage. No matter where they were in God’s arrangement they were to pitch their tents “facing the tent of the meeting on every side.” The “tent of the meeting” was the Tabernacle. The Levites would pitch the Tabernacle and then each of the tribes would set their tents up facing the Tabernacle. This way, every morning when they woke up they would see the Glory of God above the Tabernacle. Every night before they went to bed, the last thing they would see was the Glory of God above the Tabernacle. This is were God dwelt among them. God did not want them to lose sight that He was in their midst. Notice what the writer of this Psalm said about this same thought:
Psalms 16:8-11 (ESV Strong's)
8 I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
When we “set the LORD always before” us, we can be assured we know His paths, His fullness of joy and His pleasures forevermore. But, we have to make sure we have Him before us each day. Notice what happened when King David failed to do this very thing (who, by the way, wrote those words in the psalm):
2 Samuel 11:1-2 (ESV Strong's)
David and Bathsheba
1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.
David “saw” Bathsheba bathing and committed adultery with her. IF he would have had God’s glory in front of him he would have had the experience of God’s pleasures forevermore rather than sin’s pleasures for a season. It matters which way you pitch your tent!!
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