The Trumpet Blast Over Your Burnt & Your Peace Offering
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
A wise man once told me that we often over-estimate what we can get done in a year. We think we can make plans, that time just flow with no obstacles, get er done. But it takes time to ramp things up, takes time to respond to unexpected, not in control of all the vatriables of life, it takes time to build habits and routines. This journey, this trip, a year after God had established the nation of Israel, at the foot of th mountain of the Lord, it only took Jacob’s sons 4 days prpomised land to Egypt. Mind you got thouusands of people, men, women and children, and all the livestock. 11 days. Now often because we under estimate how long something takes - we just give up and live dayd to day - instead of a purposeful journey to the Promised Land, we’ll see that the compaining sinning, unbelieveing genreation - just running circles for their journey. And it could be that is how our journey to heaven is going, take forever, just live any way we please.
But this wise man also told me, we often underestimate how much we can get done in five or ten years, if intentional, shouldn’t just live by the day because stuff takes time, should live inntentionally with a real plan. And these last chapters of part 1 of 3 in Numbers seems to underscore - this vital principle. We’ve just seen in the last chapters that if we’re goign to make this wilderness journey - going to need to be like Nazarites in Christ - comon people devotedto the LORD, this is repeated message again in chapter 8 , with the Levites as Holy People. And last weeek we saw in sacrifices and remember not just atonement with LORD at the altar, but remember the fellowship offering - peace offering, eat with each other and the LORD toegether, have God speak to us, and remember the meeting place from outer court and voice of God from - climax of worship where they meet - God’s shining presence from the candle sticks, shining on the bread of presence - fulnes sof blessing - Well, our bronze alatar in the outer court is Calvary its the Cross and all Christ rpetnestns, and we have one great er than Moses hearing the voice of God an dproclaiming it to us, hrist, have Holy SPiriti shining light of the Word in our worhsip - we live in the presence and with blessing for our journey. So we need holy people, holy worship,but the last thing that Moses underscores before the people head out on their wilderness journey is that they need a holy sense of time if they are going to do this journey well. Your in your journey - I hope you can say - common perosn but devoted to the LORD< i ahve holy worship - sacrifice of Christ, the steepping into God’s special presence, the hearin g of the word in that middle court - happens for me here in hchurch. But this morning I need to ask whether you are living and travelling through life with a holy sense of time.
We all go through life with a different sense of time. Very few of us have our great grand parents sense of time -aware of sun-up sun down, before light bulbs. Phases of the moon. For us blue light of tv screens but especially our phones change all that - time to have a meal together - meant time together talking, now friends get together as much with people on phones as real pepole. family time , our work comes home with us on these phones. Others us divide time - choring - I have a very different schedule than those farmers, most of you - see getting to church, or service calls, But think even of your sense of time through the year - certain rhythm some of you snow birds, March break go to south, can’t wait for that warmth, some of us dread family holidays, some of us can’t wait till all the kids home again. Seasons at work schook , drea… My point simpoly is that all need a rythm of days, weeks, months, and even years. This week two of you randomly shared how rythm of family life in front of you - one vdieo of childs life growing up - pictures, musioc - capture those rigts of passage. ANother scrap book of fond road trip they had taken.
Well, congregation as God’s people before you get out in the wilderness, before you do the tedious journey, God wants you to have a holy sense of Time! And while your time, might be structured by your phone, work, or the sun and the moon. You need to understand how God’s people's time - down to the day, year, month, week, day structured by their calendar, and punctuated by two silver holy trumpets. You need to understand how God’s people calendar was really their catechism - it’s what taught them the rhythm of their life with God, and those trumpets would integral in them remembering this, and even God remembering them.
Key Truth: Wilderness waking requires keeping time with God’s trumpet blasts & holy calendar.
So let’s look first at the calendar that God gave them to change how they journeyed through the wilderness, and then at the signal they needed to keep their time holy.
A. The Passover & Lord’s Supper, keep Mercy & Fellowship Central
Moses has already recorded the year and month at Sinai in Numbers, but now he does a flash back to the completion of the tabernacle, and records the holy worship and holy people there, slows down time - as he focuses on all twelve tribes bringing those offerings, and the cleansing of the Levites. But look in this flash back what he slows down time to record next.
“Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time.
And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time.
Not tabernacle worship, but all the people in their homes. And strange little detail, that right away some people are like what if accientally unclean, someone just died, touched dead body, or what if we’re on a a journey - so interesting that God anticipating all the problems of the wilderness journey, says of course, not perfect , lot’s out of your control, I amke provision ofor 2nd Passover - Second month 14th day, even if on trip or beconme unclean - you need to remember this salvation worked for you! SO gracious , and mindful of all the problems and sins… but God says listen you need this salvation at the centre of your time table: yes provision, but
But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people
But if anyone who is clean and is not on a journey fails to keep the Passover, that person shall be cut off from his people because he did not bring the Lord’s offering at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin.
The Passover feast celebrated in the home central to Israel’s identity in much the same way the Lord’s Supper is to us, and not about being perfect morally, even ceremonially, not about being ethnically Jewish, V.14 says for the sojourner too. We just celebrated that Supper - punctuate your days - blood bought, mercy needing, fellowship abiding in Christian. I am one redeemed bought back from sin, I’m engaged to the LORD, He abides with me, my life is about the feast with him and final feast when His Son returns.
B. Shavuot & Pentecost-Reality, keep the Spirit & Commandments Guiding Us.
keep the Spirit & Commandments Guiding Us.
But the second way that Israel was to be catechized as to who they are and what they are about as God’s people is to be a Pentecost people. You might miss this if you think Pentecost is just about 50 days after Christ resurrection the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the NT church. No, Pentecost is an Old Testament feast of the LORD, that is fulfilled by its full meaning in the sending of the Holy Spirit into your life and mine, but the meaning is right here in the book of Numbers.
But the second way that Israel was to be catechized as to who they are and what they are about as God’s people is to be a Pentecost people. You might miss this if you think Pentecost is just about 50 days after Christ resurrection the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the NT church. No, Pentecost is an Old Testament feast of the LORD, that is fulfilled by its full meaning in the sending of the Holy Spirit into your life and mine, but the meaning is right here in the book of Numbers.
But the second way that Israel was to be catechized as to who they are and what they are about as God’s people is to be a Pentecost people. You might miss this if you think Pentecost is just about 50 days after Christ resurrection the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the NT church. No, Pentecost is an Old Testament feast of the LORD, that is fulfilled by its full meaning in the sending of the Holy Spirit into your life and mine, but the meaning is right here in the book of Numbers.
On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony...
On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning.
That’s the feast of Shavuot is the second important feast of the LORD literally the Feast of Weeks. It is about how after God gave his people a new beginning in the Passover, he also met with his people in the fiery cloud of his holy presence. He descended at Mt. Sinai to meet with his people. Yes, his pillar of cloud and fire was there at the first Passover to lead God’s people and protect them as they crossed the Sea. But listen to what happened at Mount Sinai, right after God met with them, they sinned while Moses was up the Mountain in God’s fiery presence. The golden calf, and at that point a big change happens: Moses meets with God now where? Not in the middle of the people, with he people in the camp. But Moses met with God in the tent of meeting “far off from the camp. But now in our text the cloud is mentioned again, and God because of the tabernacle and the cleansed Levites and ordained priests, he is pledging to live in the middle of the people, he will speak and lead and guide from there. And that is why Pentecost isn’t just God’s appearance on Sinai and the giving of His holy law to us, but its also this presence in the desert above the tabernacle. No longer does the cloud go before, but settles on the mercy seat, and time to go at God’s direction the glory cloud rises above the tent as signal at God’s command we journey.
And that’s the resounding theme of the middle of chapter 9 God giving guidance by his command and our obedience. There is a sevenfold repetition of “At the command of the LORD.. people set out, people remained, they camped. And look at the last one:
At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses.
At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out. They kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by Moses.
Pentecos shows a clear picture of a right relationship between God and His people. Time to recall that God saves, but he also comands and His people listen and obey, anwhen that’s happening blessing of manna food, and in the promised land that first harvest. And this sevenfold repetition of command and obey - and this feeast celebrates that relationship of God as guide and protector - all foreshadowing that when we don’t listen to the commands of God, when our lives aren’t puncuated with hearing HIs voice and obeying it, the whole middle part 2 of this book - copmaiinging and sining that follows! And so I need to ask you in your journey - not just marked with regular celebration of your savlevation - come to the table knowing Christ’s fulfilled your Passover live inthose realities, but do you live in the Pentecost reality, Sccuot reality - God speaks his law into your life - sure it codenmned us led us to Christ, but now it also guide and directs us, and week to week - I want to hear this law , day by day open His will in every part of Scripture - direct me - walk in blessings provision for journey.
But what is the third part of their calendar catechism. The third feast pictured here is the one with the silver trumpets.
But what is the thrid part of their claednar catechism. The thrid feast pictured here is the one with the silver trmpets.
C. The Feast of Trumpets & the Gospel-Trumpeted keep us Gathering in God’s Assembly
.C. Keeping the Feast of Trumpets then, and Hearing the Gospel Trumpeted today, The end harvest festival was called Sukkot, also the Day of Trumpets, and later as the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah. In the same way that gives a moral map for God’s people how to be organized for holiness not just in the tabernacle, but out in the camp in your and my daily life, so too these chapters and these festivals give Israel preparation and orientation of a spiritual amp to the promised land., that would end up with the feast of Trumpets. The big harvest feast of the Promised Land. Not just salvation, sanctification, but glorification and fulness. But with this reference to the feast of trumpets, that would duplicate all the various trumpet blasts meant here, we also have instruction for these trumpets to be blown over every day of God’s people’s lives.
The end harvest festival was called Sukkot, also the Day of Trumpets, and later as the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah. In the same way that gives a moral map for God’s people how to be organized for holiness not just in the tabernacle, but out in the camp in your and my daily life, so too these chapters and these festivals give Israel preparation and orientation of a spiritual amp to the promised land., that would end up with the feast of Trumpets. The big harvest feast of the Promised Land. Not just salvation, sanctification, but glorification and fulness. But with this reference to the feast of trumpets, that would duplicate all the various trumpet blasts meant here, we also have instruction for these trumpets to be blown over every day of God’s people’s lives.
On a practical level like a miliatry camps bugle, these two straight trumpets with no vavles. Bloown maybe two different pitches, either long ofr short blasts and would signal depending on how indivdiually blown - break camp, who goes first, when to move, and also alrams for war.
But on a symbolic and spiritual level, look how the gerneal introductory statement puts it:
And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
Those words summongin the congreagion and all the congregtation whould gather - hugely ioprtant biblical words, from which we get the wrod church - the gathering the assembly, not just God’s people - but God’s people assembled to geter at the call of God for the worship, for the service to God. This assembly was the prototype of the Church as is seen in the NT, particularly in : “For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest… but ye are come unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant … “Again Clowney says: “To this heavenly assembly we come, for here is Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant. Indeed, the Christian church consists of this assembly. The active sense of the people of God assembled in the heavenlies with Christ dominates the New Testament conception of the church. The outpouring of the Spirit on the festival of Pentecost manifests the continuity of the church with the prophetic promises for the renewed and reformed people of God.”See, we have something better than being people sumoned to an earthly tent togetehr, Christ who is the new tabernacle, the new temple, he sumons week by week, to meet with him together and your heart andm y heart become that tent of meeting; and the silver trumpets call us to week by week worship to serve together. But you say, we don’t use silver trumpets here. Not trumpets of muscial accompnaniment for our singing, but these signal ones.
JETS 21/1 (March, 1978) 61
who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant … “Again Clowney says: “To this heavenly assembly we come, for here is Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant. Indeed, the Christian church consists of this assembly. The active sense of the people of God assembled in the heavenlies with Christ dominates the New Testament conception of the church. The outpouring of the Spirit on the festival of Pentecost manifests the continuity of the church with the prophetic promises for the renewed and reformed people of God.”See, we have something betterthan being people sumoned to an earthly tent togetehr, Christ who is the new tabernacle, the new temple, he sumons week by week, to meet with him together and your heart andm y heart become that tent of meeting; and the silver trumpets call us to week by week worship to serve together. But you say, we don’t use silver trumpets here. Not trumpets of muscial accompnaniment for our singing, but these signal ones.
Well, the Bible does say here:
And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. The trumpets shall be to you for a perpetual statute throughout your generations.
And while the Aaronic priesthood no longer needed, you do need to understand how the symbolic meaning of the silver trumpets still satands for you and me. Trumpets were blown in kings courts, and this is a statement that God is our king and his preists are the ones who mediate his direction and commands. We heed God’s alamrs and marching orders. But what is it that is the heart of why these sliver trumpets were blown? Look at
On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings.
On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”
Two in the bible is the number of witness - all the various gatherings for worship, which started with the weekly Sabbath - first time we read of holy convocations, with I think Levites teaching, and eventually becomes what the word synagoue meaning, meeting together, assembly. NOw marked at the tabernacle with two burnt offerings, openning of the day with the monring sacrfiace and close it with the evening sacrafice, and all the special Sabbaths - new moon, and special Sabbaths associated with these feasts, and indeed evening and monring - how they marked their days - sunset was the close, and the evening was actually the beginning of the day - began with rest and sleep and then morning - and every day a burnt offering was offreed to the LORD. They would here the two trumpets blown together over the burnt sacrafice, called to attend and mark their time with this witness of the silver trumpets to the burnt offering and to the peace offerings. Actually see where in the 2nd temple reubilt and then expanded by Herod the Great - where the trumpeters would stand in the tmeple day and night to blwo these silver trumpets: this inscription
But what was the witness that these trumpets announced. Two things - daily reminder from afar, and weekly as gathered for worship that we have sin, and that the wages of sin is death. They would think about the animals being slaughtered.
“Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins.
That’s the bad news that God knowss we need to hear day by day, week by week. If we are to get through this wilderness journey with direction and purpose, if our journey is to the Promised Land, must reckon with the death that sin is bringing in our lives. Ever heard the saing, either you get killing sin, or sin will be killing you. REminded daily at the silver trumpet of the bad new sof the gopssel. And daily. Why diffilucty in relationships, w each other, wi th God, - borknensnness abut at the bottom either a direct result of sin, or it is a related consequence. And the trumpet call of the gospel is first bad news before its good news.
But once it registers and you think of the sacrice for sin; then the other part of the gospel, the good news comes flooding in. Like - speak tenderly to Jersualem that her sin is covered… The opostiive, a burnt offering was apleasant arormao - remember - it was a symbol of life completely devoted to the LORD, and by tat sacrafice that is imputed to the worshipper. Double imputation - guilt adn sin and hell ipmuted to the sacrfice has to die - burnt offering was a poropitiation; but with sin dealt with, the trumpet is announcing Christ has im-puted in putted his righteousness to us; so that we can live oour life with and in HIm. That was the big deal of the peace offerings - and the trumpets are annoucning this day because of Christ’s sacrafice, I have full acess to the Living God - his light shine upon me, the curtain veil is torn and He desires to live in friendship with me. But its only by the blood the lamb.
Congregation this sounding of the trumpet is the last preparation recorded for your wilderness journey. And now that the burnt offering and peace offering have been fulfilled in Christ, there is no need for literal trumpets ofr you and me. But there is for the symbol that stand sbehindthem. Yes you need your weeks puncuated with the wroship of Christian Sabbath - you need to be called to assemble, and like God speak s of the Pasover, which every Sunday we rely ouopon and celebrate, Jesus ahad died rose on the First Day, celebration of his sacrafice, and third day, resurrection that brings a new creation, 8th day. - need to be calld to gather beore Lord, like Tent of Meeting, but even more you need what these trumpets represent which is the Preaching of the Gospel to yourself daily - saving, guidaing, but also forgiving and fewlloshipping reality - And you need that weekly as you gathere to getehr here.
Why? Look at the last wrods of our text:
They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”
On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”
A reminder. For us they are to be a perpetual statute - out to read God’s gospel like that daily, and meditate on it prevatley - hear it and understadn it weekly like that . But us blowiong the gospel trumpet here and out there isn the rough tumble problems of the wilderness journey, that actually does soething to God. Do you believe that - you blow the gopsel trumpet in the daily problems you face, family, work, struggle with sin, conflict, - recall promises here - and it will be a reminder of you before God!
God doesn’t get amnesia and this isn’t speaking of God just recalling you and His person and he better attend to you. No these are great covenantn wrods. Not a mental process of God descrgbied here, but the divine action of God. Many special phrases in the Bible that feature “remember.” The psalmist is thrilled that God “remembers we are dust” (), which means that He considers our weakness, and is merciful rather than judging us as our sins deserve. Perhaps most wonderful of all is the statement in that God forgives our wickedness, and “will remember their sins no more.” Because Jesus has paid for our sins, we have no fear of God acting against us. Because of Christ, God is on our side.
You know the thrill when someone remembers your birthday, when they say thank you for quiet kindness, you young people you know the thrill when someone freiinds you or living for a comment on instgram - witing oofr that. Well, here it is you want to live life well in the wilderrness, want to accolpish something not just in 1 year, but in 5 , want progress in the kingdom of God here and in your life - you need to register with God. Coveannt to remember in a way that he acts. That’s what it means when the Bible says God rememers someone . He put rainbow in the sky - remember his coveannt and won’t destory. He makes a proimse to Abraham, and then his descendants end up in slavery - and hears their cry, and remembers in a way to act:
And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
This is why in the OT when Israel was at war, someone like Jehoshophat - call on the pirests, and in prayer, sacrafice, proclaiming the goposel - blow these trrumpets - and the blowing of the trumpets was like a prayer itself - here we are God in trouble, atacked, oppresseed, prblems that we’re sinking under and can’t stand up under - trumpet call - remembering prayer - and you know that thrill ofanother person premembering you - how about the living God.
Congreation, you may be on techonolgy time Facetime, nmay be on choring tie, Haris Time, may be on run doogged tired yougn family time, may be on retirment time, Caribbean time - all have our schedules. But the LORD”s call this mornign is that we all synchronize our watches - we get on the same time with the LORD - that evening and monring - the gopsel trumpet sound in your each day of your life - attend to sacrafice Christ made that still speaks today into whatever sin reamins in your life, what ever results of sin of others hurting you. Here the ttrumpet calling us to battle, arranging our camp to see God’s work and ways win Here the trumpet calls weekly mornnignand envning - at this tent of Meeting God does speak to us and we do appear before him. = if we’re not hearing the trumpets - miss cues to follow in our week, in this community, but also miss prep and VOCATION!!! But if we do heed the trunmpet call each day and each week, we have his promise: It’s then the you can know that he remembers you and he will act. Your tweet, facetime registers with the LORD. Its’ then that you are ready for the wilderness. Which we ill begin next week in Part 2 of 3 of this book of Numbers for our wilderness journey.
This gospel sound, this assembling, this Sabbath gathering Sabbath keeping remains until Christ comes agin says both Isaiah -perpetually, and says the writer of Hbrews, a Sabbath keeping remains. And daily attending to the gospel read his word and livinto the forgiveness, fellowshi , the proises and the calling. But understand tht though the Passover is fullfilled, Petnecost fullfilled that the Feat of TRumpets awaits final fulfillment, The harvest of the promised land, ultiiamtely only comes at the Messiah’s return - and those who week by week and day by day live heeding this call, letting it be there calendear of life - they will be ready when the trumpet blows the 7th time:
but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.
ANd as those who week by week and day by day heed the command to assemble to the Christ and follow his lead through the wilderness journey, we will see our earthly life asusmed into the heavenly life of the New Jerusaelm come down to make heavenand earth one: As the fulfillment of the trumpets is announced:
JETS 21/1 (March, 1978) 61
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant … “Again Clowney says: “To this heavenly assembly we come, for here is Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant. Indeed, the Christian church consists of this assembly. The active sense of the people of God assembled in the heavenlies with Christ dominates the New Testament conception of the church. The outpouring of the Spirit on the festival of Pentecost manifests the continuity of the church with the prophetic promises for the renewed and reformed people of God.”
Time: What it means for Exodus - A) 1 st passover -cloud goes before the camp; new begging of people; but then Godlen Calf halt - and in - tent of meeting before tabernacle, had to to be put outside the camp; what’s recorded here is before journey begins, Leviticus written with Moses in taberncale now standing in the mdidle, celebrate 2nd Passover = new beginning, God graciuosly dwells with them again - but now as leave not before - but right in the middle of hte camp… offer themsevles in obedience, order, ready to move…
Now silver trumpets - verse 10 - two of them for assembly = number of witness; silver - ie. all those offerings, silver plates and basins bigger deal than the golden ones - sure golden candlesticks, cover of wood in most holy place, got bronze, but silver in the Bible especially the metal of REDEMPTION!!! While interesting commands at single blasts… Most imoprtant and sybmolbical, in fact a type - expanaded on in the temple, and pointing to Christ - the silver trumpets blast for assembly in worship and especially over the sacrafices!
1-3 summoning… entrance of tent of meeting… On the day of your glandess… Sabbath convocations … originin of synagogue … role of Levites… Not just holy worship, holy people, but holy time maked by trumpets.. do you hear the trumpets in your life???
Key Truth: Trumpet call of Gospel Proclomation Needs to Sound Clearly through Your Wilderness Joureny Puncuating your Weeks!
Pentecost = Shavuot, pillar of cloud fire, giving of the law and covenant, God’s guideance… = follow the cloud all is well, AT THE COMMAND OF THE LORD>…
Sukkot= thrid piglrmage feast, opening convocation Festival of Trumpets..
The Jew’s calendar is his catechism = through festivals, feasts learn events of their history, understand central ideas of their faith
SO two levels, trumpets summon to follow Lord forward now, but ongoing importance of worshi to orientate it theolgoically - prepare for journey and VOCATION AS A PEOPLE
= if we’re not hearing the trumpets - miss cues to follow in our week, in this community, but also miss prep and VOCATION!!!
ie. just celrated passover = Its identity as a people is not the result of a human revolution or a rationally constructed social contract—Israel is instead a people born in grace and called by God to be his firstborn. All the key symbols of Passover—blood of the lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs—point to a specific event: the exodus from Egypt, in which Israel was born as a people (→28:16–25).
TRUMPETS:
So now fiery cloud they must set out through… THE PRIESTS OF THE LORD respond siginaling the eple wi trumpets… follow God’s gudiance in the wilderness…
But also THIRD Feast: Sukkot - the Day of the Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, Jewish New Year (), intrst...In other passages of Scripture, the trumpet is also associated with the call to recognize the Lord’s presence or to hear his voice (e.g., ; ; ; , ; ; ; ; ; ; , , ). In each instance a momentous event is the occasion for the blowing of the trumpet. Gerard Van Groningen, “Numbers,” in Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, vol. 3, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995), 91.
The Bible Reader’s Companion Numbers 9–10
“Remembered by the Lord” is a promise of help. In Scripture “remember” is not a word describing a mental process, but a word describing divine action. Thus to say God remembered someone’s sin means that He acted to punish those sins. To say God remembered His covenant means He acted on the covenant promises, and came to His people’s aid.
There are many special phrases in the Bible that feature “remember.” The psalmist is thrilled that God “remembers we are dust” (Ps. 103:14), which means that He considers our weakness, and is merciful rather than judging us as our sins deserve. Perhaps most wonderful of all is the statement in Heb. 8:12 that God forgives our wickedness, and “will remember their sins no more.” Because Jesus has paid for our sins, we have no fear of God acting against us. Because of Christ, God is on our side.
Gerard Van Groningen, “Numbers,” in Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, vol. 3, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995), 91.
Sabbath conection iwth CONVOCATIONS = -4These convocations included the weekly SABBATHS (), the PASSOVER and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (), PENTECOST or Weeks (), the Feast of Trumpets (), the Feast of Tabernacles (), and the great feast day, the annual DAY OF ATONEMENT ().
Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995).
David L. Stubbs, Numbers, Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2009), 101.
On the twentieth day of the second month the cloud lifted from over the Tabernacle, and the Israelites set out on their journey. The departure was majestic and joyous with trumpets blowing and flags waving. Each tribe fell into place as God had directed. The ark of the covenant was out in front. Moses celebrated the movements of the ark with poetic verse whenever the sacred symbol set out or came to rest. The order of the rest of the procession is illustrated in Chart 38.
Chart No. 39
James E. Smith, The Pentateuch, 2nd ed., Old Testament Survey Series (Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co., 1993), 426.
Leviticus and Numbers The Text in Context
Found in the debris from the destruction of the temple near the southwest corner of the Temple Mount, this block of stone with its inscription most likely marked the location where the priest would stand announcing the beginning and the end of the Sabbath by trumpet blast.
There were various solemn assemblies of the people in the OT. They assembled for worship, for war, for renewal of the covenant with God. provided for assembly every Sabbath: “Six days shall work be done: but on the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of work: it is a sabbath unto Jehovah in all your dwellings” (v 3). In addition to these weekly convocations there were to be three special “holy convocations” each year. Besides these scheduled assemblies, there were special great assemblies recorded in the OT. Among these was the assembly to announce Solomon as David’s successor (, ). Solomon called such an assembly to dedicate the temple (). Other kings also assembled Israel—Jehoshaphat (20:5, 14), and Joash (23:3)—as did Nehemiah after the exile ().
Joel prophesied the restoration of God’s people after their judgment and exile under the figure of an assembly (2:15–20). Not only was the figure used of Israel, but also the gathering in of the Gentiles to God’s people was prophesied in this language (; ; ). From the first great assembly, the thought of the assembly included heaven and earth. “God was present on Mount Sinai in the midst of the heavenly assembly of His holy ones and with the earthly assembly at His feet (). Those who stand in God’s assembly are ‘all his holy saints’ ().”
This assembly was the prototype of the Church as is seen in the NT, particularly in : “For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest… but ye are come unto Mount Zion, unto the city of the living God, the general assembly and church of the firstborn
JETS 21/1 (March, 1978) 61
who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant … “Again Clowney says: “To this heavenly assembly we come, for here is Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant. Indeed, the Christian church consists of this assembly. The active sense of the people of God assembled in the heavenlies with Christ dominates the New Testament conception of the church. The outpouring of the Spirit on the festival of Pentecost manifests the continuity of the church with the prophetic promises for the renewed and reformed people of God.”
As we consider further the situation at Sinai, it should be observed that though this was the first great seembly of God’s people, it was not the establishment of the people as a Church. The covenant at Sinai was made with a Church already fully organized. Moses brought his first message of deliverance to a body of recognized elders (). It
The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, electronic edition. (Garland, TX: Galaxie Software, 1998).
