Read: Numbers 10:1-11:23; Mark 14:1-21; Psalm 51:1-19; Proverbs 10:31-32
God told them to make two silver trumpets to use for calling the community together and for setting out to march. When both were sounded, the whole community was to meet at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting (the tabernacle). If only one was sounded only the leaders were to come. They had a special signal that meant the tribes on the east were to set out and the next blast meant the ones on the south were to set out. This is how our military works today.
They were to sound the trumpet before going to war so the Lord would go with them. They were also to sound the trumpets when they celebrated their appointed feasts and New Moon festivals and over their burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. The trumpet was a way of letting their voice be heard as one sound. It was the sound of praise, unity, and courage.
On the 20th day of the 2nd month of the 2nd year, God raised the cloud for them to move. (That’s a lot of 2’s.) I think they had gotten step one accomplished and were moving into step two.
I couldn’t help but notice that there were three tribes, then the Gershonites and Merarites who carried all the equipment to set up the tabernacle, then three more tribes, then the family of the Kohathites who carried the ark and the furniture. By the time they got to the camp, the Gershonites and Merarites had everything ready for the furniture to be set in place. And last were the last five tribes. God is very strategic and orderly.
This is the first time they had traveled since receiving the law. It took them three days of travel for the people to complain so loudly that God heard them and sent fire to consume those on the outskirts of the camp. Moses prayed for them and the fire stopped but as Moses walked the camp he realized that every family was complaining about the same ole manna as they remembered all the choices they had in Egypt. They somehow forgot the cost of those onions and the slavery and bondage.
Moses went to the Lord and complained about the people wanting meat and his great responsibility to please the people. God saw that Moses load was too much for one man so he told him to pick 70 men to put His spirit in to help lead the people. Then he told Moses to tell the people to consecrate themselves because tomorrow they would eat meat.
In Mark, it was almost time for the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Jesus was at Simon’s house when a woman came in with a bottle of very expensive perfume. She quietly anointed Jesus’ head with the whole bottle. No doubt it was perfume that she had saved for her wedding day but wanted to use it on someone much more important - her eternal groom. This is when Judas took his leave. This must have been the last straw for him. He was so concerned with money and his own selfish end he couldn’t understand what was going on. Jesus exposed him at the last supper but only he knew it was happening. The other disciples’ eyes were closed till later. I think those last days were a fog to them. Even though Jesus had laid it all out just as it would happen, they couldn’t comprehend it. They had preconceived ideas to how God was going to reveal the Messiah and set up his kingdom and they couldn’t make the transition. I think this is us many times. We know we are in the last days and everyone has their opinion about how it is going to happen but God has spelled it out in the Word and will reveal it more and more the closer it gets. We just have to trust and try not to get set in our minds as to exactly how it is going to happen. God always plays the trump card!
Lord, help us to have total faith in your plan. Help us to understand the times we are in and be prepared.
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