Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 233
9:16–10:10
N u mbers
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of fire. This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the
Tabernacle had the appearance of fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from
over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it.
And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp.
In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever
he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud
stayed over the Tabernacle. If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for
a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the Lord.
Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days,
so the people would stay for only a few days, as the Lord commanded.
Then at the Lord’s command they would break camp and move on. Sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and lifted the next morning. But day
or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and moved on.
Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month,
or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as
soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them
through Moses.
Now the Lord said to Moses, “Make two trumpets of hammered silver
for calling the community to assemble and for signaling the breaking of
camp. When both trumpets are blown, everyone must gather before you
at the entrance of the Tabernacle. But if only one trumpet is blown, then
only the leaders—the heads of the clans of Israel—must present themselves to you.
“When you sound the signal to move on, the tribes camped on the east
side of the Tabernacle must break camp and move forward. When you
sound the signal a second time, the tribes camped on the south will follow. You must sound short blasts as the signal for moving on. But when
you call the people to an assembly, blow the trumpets with a different
signal. Only the priests, Aaron’s descendants, are allowed to blow the
trumpets. This is a permanent law for you, to be observed from generation to generation.
“When you arrive in your own land and go to war against your enemies
who attack you, sound the alarm with the trumpets. Then the Lord your
God will remember you and rescue you from your enemies. Blow the
trumpets in times of gladness, too, sounding them at your annual festivals
and at the beginning of each month. And blow the trumpets over your
burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind your God
of his covenant with you. I am the Lord your God.”
