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The sermon reads Moses’ prayer as a continuing watchword for God’s church and as a typological anticipation of Christ’s resurrection and ascension. The church is portrayed as a pilgrim people guided by God’s providence, called to move forward in mission while relying on divine power rather than human strength. Spurgeon emphasizes that Christ’s apparent defeat at the cross was actually the decisive defeat of His enemies. The appropriate response is confident, persistent prayer for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to save sinners, empower proclamation, guide the church, and overcome opposition.
Theological center: The death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ are God’s decisive victory over sin, death, and every enemy, accomplished and applied by the triune God.
Applications: Pray for God to arise · Proclaim Christ’s truth boldly · Pray for others’ salvation · The church is on pilgrimage
Primary texts: Numbers 10:35 · Psalm 68 · Numbers 33:8-14
“And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee.” Numbers 10:35 THE people of God in the wilderness were led instrumentally by the wisdom of Moses and his father-in-law Hobab, but really their guiding star was the visible presence of God in the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. I suppose that the possession of this pillar as a guide did not remove from them the duty and the necessity of using the judgment of Moses and Hobab as to the place where they should encamp. You will remember that Moses expressly said to his relative, “Thou knowest how to encamp in the wilderness, and thou shalt be unto us instead of eyes.” They had the guidance of God, yet they were not to neglect the wisdom which God had given to His servants and the judgment with which He had endowed them. We ought to learn from this, I think, that while we ever seek the guidance of God in providence, yet we may frequently find direction and guidance in the use of our own common sense, our own discretion with which the Lord has endowed us. As long as the pillar of cloud tarried, the people always waited. However inconvenient the spot might be, if it rested one day, or twenty days, or a month, or a whole year, they stood still. But the moment that the cloud moved, whether the fiery column marched through the darkness of the night, or the cloudy pillar mellowed the brightness of the sun, and screened them from its torrid heat, they removed at once. However excellent might be their quarters, they never dared to delay when once the presence of God moved from above them. It was His to lead—it was theirs to follow. Yet, before they began the march, before the standard of Judah was uplifted, and that tribe began to take up its tents to lead the van, the silver trumpet was always blown in the front. It was heard through the entire encampment—the silver trumpet, which seemed to say, “Arise! Depart!—this is not your rest. Your God has removed, and you must follow.” Then Moses himself came forward, and stretching out his hands, he cried, “Arise, O God, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee.” When this was done, on marched the mighty host, and when they came to their halting place again, and the trumpet sounded for the rest of eventide, up came the king in Jeshurun, the prophet of Horeb, and lifting up his hands, again he cried, “Return unto thy rest and unto the many thousands of Israel,” and the pillar rested over the top of the gre…