Today started out discussing the seven lamps. They were used to give light in front of the lampstand. The lampstand was hammered work of gold. From its base to its flowers, it was all hammered craftsmanship according to the pattern that the Lord had shown to Moses.
The next section was about cleaning the Levites. This process was somewhat similar to that of the ordination of the priests, Aaron and his sons. The Levites are helpers of the priests. However, the priests were made holy, the Levites were clean; the priests were anointed and washed, the Levites sprinkled; the priests were given new garments, the Levites washed theirs; blood was applied to the priests, it was waved over the Levites.
The Levites were given as gifts to Aaron and his sons, because they were given to the Lord for his exclusive use. Then the Lord gave his Levites to the priests as aides for the work of the ministry in the tabernacle. The Levites were a protective hedge for the community so no one could trespass into the sacred precincts of the tabernacle.
It explained that all Levites from twenty-five years old and up would serve in the tent of meeting. At age fifty, they would withdraw, or retire from the duty of service and serve no more. They would still minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting by keeping guard, but would do no more service. So, basically they could still assist their younger co-workers (perhaps at festivals), but were no longer to do the difficult work they had done in their prime.
It spoke of the Passover Celebration again and gave a little more explanation for people who were unclean or traveling at the time. Instead of not allowing them to participate, God gave them an additional day to celebrate. Originally the Passover was celebrated on the 14th day of the first month. For those that were unclean or traveling at the time, they were able to celebrate on the 14th day of the second month. This shows the distance between an unclean person and the community, but shows God’s mercy for those people by allowing them to participate on a separate day.
Now, the cloud was still covering the tabernacle this whole time. By day it was a cloud, and by night it was fire. This cloud represented the Lord, and whenever it was time to move, the cloud would move and the people would know to set out.
“And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. At the command of the Lord the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the Lord they camped.”
-Numbers 9:17-18
As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in that place. Sometimes they would be in one spot for days, a month, or even longer.
The Lord told Moses to make two silver trumpets of hammered work, and they would be used to summon the congregation and to break camp. When both were blown, all the congregation would gather themselves at the entrance of the tent of meeting. But, if only one was blown then the chiefs, or heads of the tribes of Israel, would gather.
When an alarm was blown, the camps on the east side would set out. When a second alarm was blown, the camps on the south side would set out. But, when the assembly was to be gathered together a long blast would sound, but would not sound an alarm. The sons of Aaron, the priests, would blow the trumpets.
If they would go to war in their land against an adversary that oppressed them, then an alarm would be sounded with the trumpets so they would be remembered before the Lord, their God, and they would be saved from their enemies.
The trumpets would also be blown on the day of gladness, at appointed feasts, at the beginning of the months, over burnt offerings, and over sacrifices of peace offerings.
Israel is finally leaving Sinai. It was on the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day when the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle and the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai.
The people of Israel set out in this order:
1. People of Judah
2. People of Issachar
3. People of Zebulun
When the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who carried it, set out. Then,
4. People of Reuben
5. People of Simeon
6. People of Gad
Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things, and the tabernacle was set up before their arrival. Then,
7. People of Ephraim
8. People of Manasseh
9. People of Benjamin
10. People of Dan
11. People of Asher
12. People of Naphtali
“This was the order of march of the people of Israel by their companies, when they set out.” This is the same order as that given in chapter two, but has added the duties of the Gershonites, Merarites, and Kohathities.
They set out from the mount of the Lord three days’ journey before seeking out a resting place. However, because of the large numbers of people in the tribes of Israel, and this was their first organized march, they probably did not cover much ground in those three days.
“And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day, whenever they set out from camp.”
Whenever the camp set out, Moses said,
“Rise up, O Lord!
-Numbers 10:35
May your enemies be scattered;
may your foes flee before you.”
Whenever it came to rest, he said,
“Return, O Lord,
-Numbers 10:36
to the countless thousands of Israel.”
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