Numbers 9-10 Celebrating, Then Getting The Move On

My commentary said that chapters 7-9 preceded chapters 1-6.  The Israelites had camped at Mount Sinai for a year getting God’s instructions.  “On the first day of that second year, the tabernacle was erected and the tribal leaders began to present their gifts to God, which took 12 days.  On the 13^th day, the Levites were consecrated and on the 14^th, they celebrated Passover.”

Because of the quick timing, some Jews were defiled by touching a dead body and were therefore unable to celebrate it.  God in His grace permitted them to celebrate it on the 14^th day of the following month.

The great tragedy was that “this was the last Passover the Jews celebrated until Joshua led them into the Promised Land nearly 40 years later!”

God had given them the pillar of cloud and fire to direct them in when they camped and when they moved.  No matter what they were doing, when they heard the silver trumpets blow, they knew they had to quickly pack up and be ready.  Then the tribes, in sets of three, would unwind from around the tabernacle and begin moving as a marching column as God directed.  “Knowing the will of God and doing it is vitally important to a fulfilled and fruitful Christian life today … To assist us in determining and doing God’s will, we have the Holy Spirit within us, the Word of God before us, and the interceding Savior above us.”

Father, we await the sound of the trumpet that will signal Christ’s return to gather us to You.  What a day that will be!  Make us so anxious for that day to arrive that we will not fail to tell others about Your salvation so that no one we love will be left behind!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford