Each Tribe will Camp by It's own Standard

"Each family will camp by its own standard..."  I read this verse and wondered, what does that mean? I immediately thought of how we want to set our own standards and do things our own way. Oh boy, can we be so self centered. So, I began searching to find out the original meaning. 

A standard was a visible sign or banner much like a flag pole that could be raised high so all could see. 

There were three types of banners raised.

1. The great tribal banners.

2. The subdivided portions within a tribe banner.

3. The family house banner. 

It was observable.

It helped with organization.

It was strategic. 

It was positional.

It was a military communication strategy.

It was reverential.

It was spacial.

It was territorial.

It was recognizable.

It was tribal.

It was an identifier. 

It was a communal solidifer and at times divider.

It was a reminder.

No one knows what was actually on these banners. There is debate on whether it was a color, an animal, or symbol. 

If you lived under the banner all knew where you lived positional to the tabernacle where the presence of God resided. If your banner was down all knew you were either defeated by an enemy or you needed help. 

I remembered when the kids were little and on occasions when they would get out of the car, I would say things like, "Don't forget you are a Rye!" Or "don't forget you are a Christian!"

I would say those types of things because I was raising a verbal standard/banner over them as a reminder of who they are, who they belong to, and how we behave because this is our identity.

It seems that there are all kinds of "standards" being raised today. 

The "standards" revealed how close each tribe was to the presence of God in the tabernacle. This was a positional thing. But it was also a spiritual and communal thing as well. It revealed to the community that they were a part of the family of God. It revealed to outsiders that they belonged to the family of God. The standard identified them as a people that chose to worship YHWA. 

As a follower of Jesus, we now carry the presence of God within us. We no longer have the tabernacle as the place that holds the presence of God. Our standard (banners) look different. We no longer raise a flag. We might have Scripture verses hanging in our home or wear a cross, but I would like to propose that standards are our life choices. These become our banners to identify us as being close to God. 

Please hear me out, I am not talking about good works. I am talking about living out Christ like character, the sanctity of marriage, the sanctity of life, the respect for all people, loving your enemy, etc. And then living these out in humility and with a serving spirit. 

I find myself asking, What is the standard you are raising? Can others identify immediately your proximity to the LORD based on your standard? 

Something worth praying about. Don't ya think?  I know I am!