Numbers 9:1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
This chapter opens with a time marker; we are still in the first month of the second year as noted in the first verse of the book. The 15th of the month will mark a full year since they left Egypt. The LORD speaks to Moses to tell him that the time to observe Passover is approaching. The original command is recorded in Exodus 12.
Exodus 12:24–27 “And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses.”
Note that it states that the people are to observe it forever, but it then seems to indicate that this only applied once they entered the promised land. This instruction clears up any possible misunderstanding.
Numbers 9:2 Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.
Numbers 9:3 In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.
Numbers 9:4 And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.
Numbers 9:5 And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.
The LORD instructs Moses once again that the people of Israel are to observe the Passover at the same time each year—on the 14th day of the first month as designated in reference to when they were delivered from bondage in Egypt. Moses, in turn, spoke to the people and instructed them accordingly. So, a year after leaving Egypt, the people of Israel kept the Passover on the 14th day of the month in the wilderness of Sinai in obedience to the LORD’s command.
Numbers 9:6 And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
Numbers 9:7 And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man: wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in his appointed season among the children of Israel?
Numbers 9:8 And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you.
There were some men in the camp who came to Moses on the day of Passover to explain that they could not keep the feast because they were unclean from association with a dead body (probably from the death of a relative). They didn’t feel that it was right for them to be excluded from observing the feast and making their offering before the LORD with the rest of the people during Passover. Moses immediately told them to wait, and he would go and find out what the LORD’s response would be to their problem.
My heart resonates with Courson re verse 8: “‘I need to ask the Lord,’ Moses said. I like that! Too often I’m too ready to give my own opinion. How I want to be more like Moses. How I want to be one whose first inclination is to pray."
Numbers 9:9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Numbers 9:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD.
Numbers 9:11 The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
Numbers 9:12 They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.
The LORD gave Moses the answer—the implication is immediately. The LORD told Moses to tell the people that one who was unclean from a dead body or away on a far journey at the designated time for Passover should observe it on the 14th day of the second month. The instructions remained the same:
They were to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
None of it was to be left over for the morning.
None of the lamb’s bones were to be broken.
Every ordinance of the regular Passover was to be followed.
Unleavened bread speaks of sin and bitter herbs of suffering. This all points toward the fact that Jesus, the Lamb of God, bore our sin and suffered on the cross in payment for our sin. Also, it was foretold that not one of His bones was to be broken, so the Passover lamb was to picture that truth as well.
John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
1 Corinthians 5:7 “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:”
John 19:32–36 “Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.”
Numbers 9:13 But the man that is clean, and is not in a journey, and forbeareth to keep the passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people: because he brought not the offering of the LORD in his appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.
The LORD also had Moses warn the people against disregarding the feast. The man that is clean and not on a journey is expected to observe the feast. If he does not, he is to be cast out of the camp. That is the consequence one is to suffer for his disobedience.
Numbers 9:14 And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto the LORD; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.
If there is a stranger dwelling among you that wants to keep the Passover before the LORD, he is to be allowed to do so in accordance with the same instructions followed by those who were Israeli by birth. We also know from the record in Exodus that males had to be circumcised to be able to keep the Passover.
Exodus 12:48 “And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.”
Numbers 9:15 ¶ And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning.
Numbers 9:16 So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.
Numbers 9:17 And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.
Numbers 9:18 At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents.
Numbers 9:19 And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD, and journeyed not.
Numbers 9:20 And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the commandment of the LORD they abode in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.
Numbers 9:21 And so it was, when the cloud abode from even unto the morning, and that the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed: whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.
Numbers 9:22 Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed.
Numbers 9:23 At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
This whole section is basically stating that the people were to be led by the LORD through the movement of the cloud over the tabernacle that marked His presence in the camp. When it was stationary, they established camp. When it moved, they packed up and followed where it led. We are reminded that it appeared as a cloud by day and as a cloud of fire by night. Point is made that they were to pay attention to the cloud daily.
The LORD wants us to look to Him daily for His direction and provision. Jesus emphasized this truth in the model prayer He taught His disciples.
Matthew 6:11 “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Isaiah 58:11 “And the LORD shall guide thee continually….”
Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
I liked this quote from the NIV Commentary concerning the cloud: “This symbolizes God’s nearness and remoteness. He is present as a cloud but hovers above; he is near as a fire, but one cannot draw very close.”
Numbers 10:1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Numbers 10:2 Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.
Numbers 10:3 And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
I think it is good to remind ourselves that this record, along with others in scripture, was not necessarily written in a chronological format, while some others are. This usually becomes apparent from the context. Also, many times the focus is more on the big picture. The details are included when they are needed to help our understanding of the things that God wants us to learn as we study His word. Moses is making a record as inspired by the Holy Spirit of God and includes everything He intends for us to know.
Romans 15:4 “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
1 Corinthians 10:9–11 “Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
This chapter opens with the LORD instructing Moses to make two trumpets. Each one is to be made from a solid piece of silver. They are to be used to call the people to assemble at the door of the tabernacle and to signal that it was time to journey. The NIV Commentary notes: “The silver trumpet was a long, straight, slender metal tube with a flared end.” According to JFB, Josephus informs us that the arch of Titus represents that these trumpets were “straight, a cubit or more in length, the tubes of the thickness of a flute.” JFB also explains that the sound from these trumpets would “be quite sufficient, for sound is conveyed easily through the pure atmosphere and reverberated strongly among the valleys of the Sinaitic hills.”
Considering the size of the congregation, I liked Adam Clarke’s observation: “The necessity of such instruments will at once appear, when the amazing extent of this numerous army is considered; and how even the sound of two trumpets could reach them all is difficult to conceive; but we may suppose that, when they were sounded, the motion of those that were within reach of that sound taught the others in succession what they should do.”
I love to study prophecy and what to expect in the future, and I remember the special insights that Jon Courson shared about these two trumpets in connection with that subject. He noted that just as these two trumpets were used to call the people together and announce that it was time to depart, so too would the trump of God be used to call His people out for the rapture to depart for heaven.
1 Corinthians 15:51–52 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Joe Focht pointed out that the people were to be ready at any moment to respond to the signal of the trumpets. The obvious prophetic comparison—Are we ready to hear God’s trumpet that will call us home at any moment? Are you looking forward to that moment? Are we living so as not to be ashamed when that time comes?
Wiersbe: “Like the Old Testament people of God, the children of God today are awaiting ‘the sound of the trumpet’ that signals our gathering together to Jesus as well as God’s declaration of war against a wicked world ready for judgment. Until that hour, we remain a pilgrim people in this wilderness world, following His directions and serving Him faithfully.”
Numbers 10:4 And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, which are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.
Numbers 10:5 When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.
Numbers 10:6 When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.
Numbers 10:7 But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.
Numbers 10:8 And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.
This section implies that the use of the trumpets involved different sounds and/or signals to convey different messages. Only the sons of Aaron, the priests, were to blow the trumpets—not the Levites. At the sound of one trumpet, the princes or heads of Israel were to gather together before Moses at the tabernacle. At the sound of an alarm (obviously a specific identifiable sound), the camps on the east of the tabernacle were to move forward. The second alarm signaled that the camps on the south were to move forward. A different sounding alarm was used to call the whole congregation to gather together.
JFB notes that the Septuagint states that “on three alarms being sounded, those on the west; while on four blasts, those on the north decamped.”
Numbers 10:9 And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.
This verse implies that yet a different sound from the trumpets signaled an alarm that called for the LORD to save them from any enemy who might choose to attack them in an act of war once they were in the promised land.
The NIV Commentary explains it this way: “The trumpet blast was analogous to prayer, a means of participation in activating the will of God. By blowing the trumpets before the battle, Israel expected God’s active presence in the battle scene.”
Numbers 10:10 Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.
The trumpets were also to be used to reflect gladness and in conjunction with appointed feast days (from the Hebrew for solemn days) in connection with the burnt offerings and sacrifices for peace offerings. This seems to be another way of showing their submission to and recognition of God as their LORD.
Numbers 10:11 ¶ And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony.
Numbers 10:12 And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.
Numbers 10:13 And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
We have another time marker in these verses—the 20th day of the 2nd month in the 2nd year since leaving Egypt. On this day the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle signaling that the children of Israel were to prepare to depart from the wilderness of Sinai. It eventually came to rest in the wilderness of Paran. According to Eerdman’s Dictionary, Paran was “a desert region S of Judah, W of Edom, and N of the wilderness of Sinai, and probably encompassing Kadesh-barnea.”
Point is made that Moses was directing their journey according to the LORD’s command.
JFB points out that it should only have taken a few weeks for the LORD to lead them into conquest of the land of Canaan from this place.
I liked David Guzik’s observation: “One would be tempted to think that after such extensive preparation - a virtual transformation from slave people to Promised Land people - the actual entering into the Promised Land would be easy. This was not the case. The preparation was exactly that - preparation. Ahead of them are the greatest challenges, challenges that can only be met by faith. A soldier might think boot camp finishes something - but it doesn’t. It only prepares for a greater challenge: The actual battle itself.”
Numbers 10:14 In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies: and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.
Numbers 10:15 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.
Numbers 10:16 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.
As previously commanded, the camp of Judah on the east led the departure—the tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. Their leaders were Nahshon the son of Amminadab, Nethaneel the son of Zuar and Eliab the son of Helon respectively.
Numbers 10:17 And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward, bearing the tabernacle.
Numbers 10:18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur.
Numbers 10:19 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.
Numbers 10:20 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
The record here notes that the tabernacle was taken down and that the sons of Gershon and Merari followed next carrying all the things necessary to assemble the tabernacle in readiness for receiving the most holy things. (This differs from the general overview given in Numbers 2, but makes sense in view of the lead time necessary to be ready to place the most holy things in the holy place.) These two groups of Levites were to be followed by the camp of Reuben—the tribes of Reuben, Simeon and Gad. Their leaders were Elizur the son of Shedeur, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai and Eliasaph the son of Deuel respectively.
Numbers 10:21 And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary: and the other did set up the tabernacle against they came.
The camp of Reuben was to be followed by the Kohathites who carried the most holy things pertaining to the sanctuary. Moses notes that the tabernacle would be ready to receive them due to their lead time.
Numbers 10:22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies: and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.
Numbers 10:23 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.
Numbers 10:24 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
The Kohathites were to be followed by the camp of Ephraim—the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin. Their leaders were Elishama the son of Ammihud, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur and Abidan the son of Gideoni.
Numbers 10:25 And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the rereward of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
Numbers 10:26 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.
Numbers 10:27 And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.
Numbers 10:28 Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies, when they set forward.
At the rear followed the camp of Dan—the tribes of Dan, Asher and Naphtali. Their leaders were Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, Pagiel the son of Ocran and Ahira the son of Enan.
Numbers 10:29 ¶ And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel.
Numbers 10:30 And he said unto him, I will not go; but I will depart to mine own land, and to my kindred.
Numbers 10:31 And he said, Leave us not, I pray thee; forasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.
Numbers 10:32 And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be, that what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee.
This section is a bit confusing to me. Moses asks his brother-in-law (or father-in-law—the wording is confusing) Hobab to stay and journey with them and enjoy “the good” that God had planned for His people once they reached the promised land. Hobab declined and declared his intent to return home. Moses then begs him to stay and help direct them on their journey since he was so familiar with the territory. Some of the translations even specify that he could tell them where to camp. My understanding is that they are supposed to be following the cloud of God’s presence for direction.
JFB offers the following explanation: “But it should be recollected that the guidance of the cloud, though it showed the general route to be taken through the trackless desert, would not be so special and minute as to point out the places where pasture, shade, and water were to be obtained and which were often hid in obscure spots by the shifting sands.”
Though we aren’t told Hobab’s decision here in Numbers, the book of Judges seems to indicate that he agreed to stay with them.
Judges 1:16 “And the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.”
Wiersbe: Moses “invited others to come with Israel to enjoy the blessings God had prepared for them. The church today is a pilgrim people in this world traveling toward heaven, and it’s our privilege to invite others to come along with us. The journey isn’t easy, but God is blessing His people now and will bless them forever. How many have we invited lately?”
Numbers 10:33 And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.
Numbers 10:34 And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp.
The record notes that they journeyed for three days in search of a place to rest and that the cloud of the LORD covered them each day (for protection is implied).
Another niggling problem—Moses states that the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them. My understanding is that the ark was being carried by the Kohathites who were traveling behind the camp of Reuben.
John Gill offers an explanation that makes good sense to me: “…yet others think it may be said to go before, though in the middle; just as a general of an army may be said to go before, and lead his army, though he is not directly in the front of it; so the cloud being always over the ark, directing the march, it may be said to go before and point out a convenient place to rest in; for searching cannot be properly ascribed to the ark, nor even to the Lord himself, and can only signify pointing out or discovering a proper place to take up their abode in: this ark of the covenant, so called because the covenant or law was laid up in it, was a type of Christ the end of the law for righteousness, and who is the forerunner of his people, is gone before them to prepare a place for them; and the three days' journey may have respect to his resurrection from the dead on the third day for their justification, which is the foundation of their rest, peace, and joy.”
Numbers 10:35 And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee.
Numbers 10:36 And when it rested, he said, Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel.
The NLT gives a clearer understanding of these two verses.
Numbers 10:35–36 “And whenever the Ark set out, Moses would cry, “Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered! Let them flee before you!” And when the Ark was set down, he would say, “Return, O LORD, to the countless thousands of Israel!””
It’s like when my family takes a trip, we pray beforehand for God’s safety and protection and thank Him for answering that prayer when we arrive at our destination.
As I observe what is happening in our country today, my heart resonates with the cry of Moses—“Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered! Let them flee before you!”