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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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"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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"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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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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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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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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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.