{Word Study} Cloud “Anana”

WORD STUDY – CLOUD
Exodus 14:19-20 “And the angel of God which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them. And the pillar of cloud went from before their face and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these so that no one came not near the other all the night.”
Cloud – anana: cloud, moisture that is evaporating, gas.
In Exodus 13:21 we learn the angel of God and the cloud are one and the same. Many believe, myself included, that the Angel of God is Jesus who had manifested Himself as a cloud.  In the Hebrew the Angel of God was doing more than going before the camp of Israel, it was “yisa” before the camp of Israel.  This is from the root word “nasa” which among its many usages also means to create a shelter.  The word camp is “chanah” which is an encampment, a place of rest. This encampment was always done on the Sabbath.    Apparently, the children of Israel had reached the Red Sea and set up camp and celebrated the Sabbath.   Now the Angel of the God was preparing them to move forward when the Egyptian army arrived.  The angel of God moves in between the Egyptians and the children of Israel and creates a barrier of light and darkness.  To stay within the proper context and syntax the next phrase is really telling us that this angel of God was manifested as a cloud.
The word “cloud” in Hebrew is “anana” which means “cloud.”  Look it up in any lexicon, it will tell you it means cloud.   What is a cloud? It is gas or  moisture that is evaporating.  Surely the Angel of God which I believe is Jesus Christ Himself, is more than just evaporating moisture or a gas. In searching through Jewish literature I ran across a better definition. The double Nun preceded by an Ayin would define this word as “flowing currents of life.”   That is what I call a good description of the presence of God or Jesus Himself.  This barrier between the Egyptians and the Children of Israel was one that manifested flowing currents of life to Israel and darkness to the Egyptians.
It is interesting that the angel of God or the flowing currents of life went behind Israel to create a shelter (yisa).  Originally the Angel of the Lord created this shelter (yisa) before Israel.  Now He creates a shelter (yisa) between  Israel and the Egyptians by creating darkness or by blinding the enemy.  We note that the cloud gave light to Israel but darkness to the Egyptians.  It is very possible that where the currents of life flowed, the light of God protected and where the flowing currents of life did not flow, the light caused blindness.  Could this have been the same light that Paul saw on the road to Damascus which struck him blind?   This would surely explain why the Egyptians did not attack the nation of Israel.  The darkness they were in was physical blindness.
Israel seemed pretty oblivious to the whole event that was taking place with the Egyptians. I  can understand why the Egyptians did not come near Israel, being struck blind and all, but why did Israel not come near the Egyptians.   It would have been a good opportunity to disarm them and send their horses running off.   I tend to think that if they were caught up in the “cloud” or “flowing currents of life” they would have been worshipping and praising God and could have cared less about the enemy.
Ever feel like you have the Red Sea in front of you and the Egyptians behind you and you are trapped?   It is at those times that God becomes a cloud, a flowing current of life that you simply fall into in praise and worship as he moves behind you to blind the Egyptians and then moves back to open the Red Sea.  All this takes place while you just focus your attention on worshipping Him and not on the enemy that has you trapped. To you that light of God is warm, comforting, and precious.  To the enemy, who do not love Him, that light only blinds them.