Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

Moses went into the tabernacle and God spoke to him with an audible voice. What did He say?

He spoke of the importance of the positioning of the menorah. It had to be positioned so that it shone on the table of showbread. The light HAD to shine on the loaves representing the tribes of Israel and the table itself, representing Torah (or the Word).

Then instructions were given for the consecration of the Levites for service in the tabernacle, to do the work and the maintaining. They were to be splashed with purifying water (it’s believed this was the water purified with the ashes of the red heifer, which we’ll get to later in Numbers). They were to wash their clothes so that they could be clean. The offering they were to being was a young bull with a grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and a second young bull as a sin offering. The Levites were to be gathered in front of the tent of meeting in full view of all the Israelites. They were to be offered there before the Lord as a wave offering. This is when the Levites officially replaced the firstborn (Exodus 12:29; Numbers 8:18). The Levites and Aaron did all this and all the Levites twenty-five to fifty were designated as the official workers of the tabernacle. After fifty they could help out, but were no longer official workers.

Next they celebrated Passover – in the first month of the second year after they came out of Egypt. The tabernacle had been put up on the first day of the month, Passover happened fourteen days later. All the rites of Passover had been given in Exodus 12:1-28, but this is the first time doing it. It is also the only recorded instance of them keeping it from here to Joshua 5:10. We don’t know if they kept it in the interim.

A group of men had been defiled from coming into contact with a dead body and they wanted to know what they were supposed to do. They desperately wanted to participate. In an excellent show of leadership, Moses had them wait and went to find out what God thought. God gave them a day (the fourteenth of the second month, at twilight) anyone could keep it if they were ritually defiled the first time around. Note: if anyone didn’t keep it because they didn’t feel like it, they would be killed. Passover was a direct command. There was no not doing it. The only people that could do it on the second day were those who could not participate the first time by God’s ordinances.

“They set out for the first time on the command of Yahweh in the hand of Moses.” (Numbers 10:13).

The pillar of cloud rested over the tabernacle by day and the pillar of fire at night. If it lifted up and moved, that was the signal for everyone to move. Wherever it stopped, that’s where camp was made. God decided when they moved. Middle of the night or middle of the day. Camping for a week or a day or a year. It was ALL determined by God. To help all of the camp (big camp) understand what was happening, God had them make silver trumpets. When both trumpets were blown, everyone was to gather before the tabernacle. When one trumpet was blown, only the princes of the tribes were to gather. When they sounded advance (whatever pattern of blows that was) the camps on the east would set out. When advance was sounded a second time, the camps on the south, and so on. Only the serving priests (Aaron’s descendants) would blow them. They were to be blown for battle – or the Lord would NOT watch out for them. They were to be blown at the feasts. They were to be blown over the offerings. They were a call to the Lord and to the people together. A covenant of remembrance to bring attention of the one to the other (reminds me a lot of communion (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).

On the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year from coming out from Egypt, the cloud lifted off the tabernacle. Three days later it set down in the Wilderness of Paran. The standards of the Israelites were raised. The princes (named by God in Numbers Chapter 1) led the people. Judah went first, then Issachar, and then Zebulun. The entire tabernacle was taken down and packed up, but only Gershon and Merari travelled. Next came Reuben, then Simeon, and Gad. Then the Kohathites carrying the Holy Place went out. When the first two Levite groups stopped, the tabernacle would be set up and when the Kohathites arrived the most holy things could be put right into the Holy Place. No chance for deaths from sneak peeks or from improper handling. Next travelled Ephraim, then Manasseh, and then Benjamin. Coming last were Dan, and then Asher, and finally Naphtali. This is the order they travelled and how they set out and arrived.

The next bit is confusing. I was debating leaving it out. But Moses talked to his relative and asked him to go with them – kind of as a tour guide able to show them the best water and grazing wherever God led them. At first the relative said no, and Moses tried again. It doesn’t give a final answer, but later in Judges we deal with the relative’s descendants so it appears they went. The trouble is who the relative is. Named is Hobab, son of Reuel, the father-in-law of Moses. Meaning Hobab is Moses’ brother-in-law because Reuel (Exodus 2:18) is another name for Jethro (Exodus 18:1). Except Judges 4:11 calls Hobab the father-in-law of Moses. So EITHER Jethro, Reuel, and Hobab are the same guy. OR Jethro and Hobab are the same and Reuel is a Grandfather to Moses’ wife and called ‘father’ as an honourific. OR Jethro and Reuel are the same guy and Hobab is a brother-in-law. There is some debate and wildly different translations of these verses. In the end, it doesn’t really matter who is who. We gain the same lessons whether they are fathers in law, brothers in law, or grandfathers.

Lastly, it is revealed that every time the cloud rose from the tabernacle Moses would cry out: “Rise up, Yahweh! May your enemies be scattered; may the ones that hate you flee from your presence” (Numbers 10:35). Every time it stopped, he cried out: “Return, Yahweh, to the countless thousands of Israel” (Numbers 10:36 – the Hebrew is ‘ten thousands’). It is important to remember what the Lord is doing and will do. It is important to speak out His Blessings over our lives, our families, our friends, and our churches. Death and life is in the power of the tongue, and the fruit we grow is the fruit we will eat (Proverbs 18:21).

Summary

Key Players: God, Moses, Aaron, Levites

Key Themes: Priesthood, Sanctification/Cleansing

Key Verse(s): Numbers 8:14; 9:2-3, 10-13; 10:2, 11-12, 35-36