Numbers 7-10
Key verses 9:15-18
Key verses 9:15-18
These days no one drives a long distance without GPS. GPS
makes our life much convenient and safe. Whenever I went to New York in the
past, I always got lost. So I felt nervous whenever I drove to New York. But
thanks to GPS, I don’t get lost any longer. I feel safe with GPS. Do you have
GPS? Actually, I am asking if you have a GPS for your life. I am asking because
life is much more complicate and dangerous than driving on the road. Today, I
am going to talk about the most reliable GPS for our life.
In the last passage (Chs. 1-6), God commanded Moses to count
every man who could serve in the army. He also arranged the tribal camps around
the tabernacle. He also set apart the Levites for the service at the
tabernacle. The Levites camped between the tabernacle and the tribal camps. Israel
should be a holy army where God would dwell. So Israel must be purified. God
first gave them the regulations on how to keep the camp clean and pure in Chs
5-6. In today’s passage, God consecrates what was at the center of the army - the
tabernacle, the twelve tribal leaders and the Levites. Then, God finally comes
down above the tabernacle in glory. He literally dwells among the Israelites and
leads them by cloud in the desert until they get to the land of promise. I pray
that God may also be among us and lead us all the way to his kingdom as he did
for Israel. How is it possible then? We will find it out in today’s passage.
The twelve leaders’ offerings at the dedication of the tabernacle
“When Moses finished
setting up the tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its
furnishings. He also anointed and consecrated the altar and all its utensils.”
(7:1)
Moses consecrated the tabernacle and its furnishing and also
the altar and its utensils. To celebrate this, the leaders of Israelites brought
six carts and twelve oxen. Their offerings were distributed to the Levites so
that they could use them to carry curtains, coverings, frames, ropes, and all
equipment used in the service of the tent. However, the Kohathites were not
given anything because they were to carry on their shoulders the holy things, such
as the ark, the altar of incense, the holy bread table, and the lampstand.
10 When the altar was anointed, the leaders brought their
offerings for its dedication and presented them before the altar. 11 For the
Lord had said to Moses, “Each day one leader is to bring his offering for the
dedication of the altar.” (7:10-11)
Then God commanded that each day one leader from each tribe
present his offering for the dedication of the altar, where they were to offer
their sacrifices for their sins. The offerings each leader brought was the same:
One young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old for burnt offering; one
male goat for sin offering; two oxen, five rams, five male goats and five male
lambs a year old for fellowship offering. These were offerings to cleanse the
sins of the twelve tribal leaders and renew their relationship with God.
Now that the tabernacle was set up and consecrated, it was
ready for service. To have the priests work at the tabernacle, they needed
light inside. So God commanded Aaron set up the lamps in the tent. The lamps
symbolized God’s light. The tabernacle would be full of God’s light.
The setting apart of the Levites
The Lord said to Moses: 6 “Take the Levites from among all
the Israelites and make them ceremonially clean. (8:5)
To serve at the tabernacle, the Levites must be purified
first. So God told Moses to purify them by sprinkling the water of cleansing on
them, having them shave their whole bodies, and washing their clothes. Then God
told Aaron to present the Levites to God as a wave offering. It was because
they belonged to God in place of the firstborns among the Israelites. As God
instructed, Aaron made atonement for the Levites with a sin offering, a burnt
offering, a grain offering, and a wave offering.
Now they were consecrated so they could come to do their
work at the tent of meeting under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. Interestingly,
the Levites could take part in the work at the tabernacle from the age of
twenty-five and they should retire from their regular service at the age of
fifty.
The Passover
1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the
first month of the second year after they came out of Egypt. He said, 2 “Have
the Israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time. 3 Celebrate it at
the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, in
accordance with all its rules and regulations.” (9:1-3)
Lastly, God commanded the Israelites to celebrate the
Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month of the second year. This
would be their first celebration of the Passover since their exodus. When God
struck down Egypt with the firstborn plague, he passed over the houses of the
Israelites. Then, God said, “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the
generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting
ordinance… 17 Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on
this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as
a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.” (Ex 12:14,17)
The Israelites were to remember what God did for them and
cleanse themselves before God. They did everything as God said. However, some
people could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were
ceremonially unclean. Graciously, God allowed them to celebrate the Passover one
month later when they became clean again.
This way, God had them all celebrate the Passover. It was
very important for them to remember that God rescued them from Egypt, which
should be the basis of their relationship with God. The Passover celebration
required them to sacrifice lambs, which could be related to sin offering and
fellowship as well. God wanted the whole community of Israel to be consecrated and
ready for their journey to the Promised Land.
Here is the summary of how God consecrated the Israelites by
various offerings.
|
Who
|
Offerings
|
|
Unfaithful wife
|
Grain offering
|
|
The Nazirite
|
Sin offering, burnt offering, guilt offering, fellowship offering,
grain offering, drink offering, wave offering, votive offering
|
|
Representatives 12 tribes
|
Grain offering, burnt offering, sin offering, fellowship offering
|
|
Levites
|
sin offering, burnt offering, grain offering, wave offering
|
|
The Passover
|
Lamb - Sin offering (?), fellowship offering (?)
|
(* See the details of the offerings in my message on the
book of Leviticus.)
This shows that there is no forgiveness of sin without
sacrifice offerings and there is no peace with God without forgiveness of sin. This
also shows that there is a great schism between God and man because of man’s
sin and that only sacrifice offerings can resolve this problem. So, for God to dwell
among Israel, they must be consecrated by the sacrifice offerings. Without
sacrifices, there is no atonement because sin requires life and life is in
blood. Sacrifice offering is costly and involves so many things, however. And
the blood of animal is not sufficient to pay for our sin. So sacrifice offering
looked forward to something perfect, which is the sacrifice of Jesus. Heb
10:4-7 read,
“4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take
away sins. 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: ‘Sacrifice
and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt
offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is
written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my God.’”
And Heb 10:14 also reads, “For by one sacrifice he has made
perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
Now we have Jesus as our perfect sacrifice offering. He is
our burnt offering, our grain offering, our fellowship offering, our sin
offering, and our guilt offering. He covers all our sins, past, present, and
future, with his blood. Amen!
The Cloud Above the Tabernacle
15 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law,
was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the
tabernacle looked like fire. 16 That is how it continued to be; the cloud
covered it, and at night it looked like fire. (9:15-16)
Now the people of Israel were purified. And the tabernacle
was consecrated. Finally, God was able to come and dwell in the tabernacle as
he wished in Ex 25:8, “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell
among them.”
God came down in a cloud and the cloud covered the tabernacle.
The cloud looked like fire at night. Ex
40:34 describes that like this, “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting,
and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” The cloud was the presence of
God and his glory. When he appeared to them for the first time, he was shown on
the top of Mount Sinai in cloud with thunder and lightning. Even though the
Israelites consecrated themselves to some degrees they could not come near
because God is so holy. If he came a little further down, all the Israelites
would die. But amazingly such a holy God came among them now and they could see
God’s presence just in front of them. This meant that Israel was the first
nation God established and ruled. She became a holy nation and a holy army of
God. She was the most blessed nation with God’s presence among them.
God’s coming down was the most historical event not only for
Israel but also for humankind. This was the first time God was closely with
humankind since the fall of man. As he did come and dwell among them, God did
the same to us. He came down in flesh. He is Jesus. So John testified like
this:
“14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the
Father, full of grace and truth.” (Jn 1:14)
The word dwell (σκηνόω) here means to dwell as in a tent or
to tabernacle. As God dwelt in the tent to be among the Israelites, Jesus came
in flesh and dwelt among men. In that sense, God’s dwelling in the tabernacle
was the precursor to the coming of Jesus. Through Jesus we see the glory of
God. Through Jesus he can be with us. As such, when you are consecrated in
Jesus, you will see and feel God’s presence and his holiness in you.
What did God do by coming over the tabernacle then?
1 Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the
Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. 18 At
the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As
long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. (9:17-18)
Traveling in the desert is dangerous – not much water and
food and no sense of direction. It was much more dangerous for such a large
number of people to travel together in desert. But the Israelites did not have
to worry because God would lead them by the cloud, providing water and food,
shades and protection. All they had to do was to set out if the cloud was
lifted up and then stop if it stayed above the tabernacle.
Sometimes, the cloud stayed only one night. Sometimes, it
stayed for a year. But that was the safest and fastest way to go to the
Promised Land. God knew where to go and how to get there. He knew where water
was and where enemies were. By leading them in cloud, God taught them how to
trust in him and obey him. Later, in Deuteronomy 8:4 Moses said to them,
“2 Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the
wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was
in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. … 4 Your clothes did
not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then
in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God
disciplines you.”
Life is like traveling in desert. We have no idea what is
ahead of us. We cannot make this travel by ourselves. Do you trust Google map? Yes
we do. Then we must trust God all the more. His way is much more reliable and
safe than Google map. All we can do is to put our full trust in him and obey
him in every part of our life – in school, at work, for marriage, for children,
and for everything. As He rescued Israel, made her a holy nation, and led her in
cloud, he will do the same for us until we enter his kingdom. So we should
fully trust in him and follow him wherever he leads us with joy and confidence.
Do not drive your life by yourself. Let him drive for you. He is your GPS.
The Israelites Leave Sinai
The Lord said to Moses: 2 “Make two trumpets of hammered
silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the
camps set out. (10:1)
For such a large number of people to move, it was very
important to communicate properly and clearly among them. So God told them to
prepare two silver trumpets calling the community together and for having the
camps set out. He gave the instructions on how to use them.
·
When both sounded, they are to assemble at the
entrance to the tent of meeting.
·
If only one is sounded, the heads of the clans
of Israel are to assemble.
·
When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes
camping on east are to set out.
·
At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on
the south are to set out.
·
Sound a blast on the trumpets when going to
battle.
·
Sound a blast on the trumpets over your burnt
offerings and fellowship offerings at festivals and New Moon feasts
Interestingly, there was a short story about Moses’
father-in-law. Initially, he did not want to go with Moses. But Moses urged him
to go together because he had knowledge and experiences in desert so he knew where
to camp. God provided such an experienced man to be their eyes.
Finally, the Israelites were ready to move on.
11 On the twentieth
day of the second month of the second year, the cloud lifted from above the
tabernacle of the covenant law. 12 Then the Israelites set out
from the Desert of Sinai and traveled from place to place until the cloud came
to rest in the Desert of Paran. 13 They set out, this first time, at the Lord’s
command through Moses.
On the twentieth day of the second month of the second year
just after the Passover, the cloud lifted and the Israelites set out from the
Desert of Sinai to the Promised Land.
This was the marching order of the Israelite divisions as
they set out.
·
The divisions of the campus of Judah
·
The tabernacle was taken down and the
Gershonites and Merarites
·
The divisions of the campus of Reuben
·
the Kohathites set out
·
The divisions of the campus of Ephraim
·
The divisions of the campus of Dan
33 So they set out from the mountain of the Lord and
traveled for three days. The ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them
during those three days to find them a place to rest. 34 The cloud of the Lord
was over them by day when they set out from the camp.
The Israelites were the army of God. They marched on to the
next place under the guidance of the cloud of the LORD, the chief commander of
Israel. Moses called for God’s blessing. Whenever the ark set out, he said, “Rise
up, Lord! May your enemies be scattered; may your foes flee before you.” Whenever
it came to rest, he said, “Return, Lord, to the countless thousands of Israel.”
Moses proudly depended on God and called for His blessing wherever they moved.
He was confident of their victory because God was among their camp. Likewise,
when God is in you, you are blessed so much. When he is among us, we are
victorious.
Overall, Chs 1-10 show how God transformed Israel into a holy
army and led her to the Promised Land. She was the most blessed nation on earth.
For this, God demanded Israel to do two things: First, they must keep
themselves holy because God is holy. Secondly, they must fully trust in God and
obey him wherever he would lead her. God’s way is perfect. So we must fully
trust and obey him. God who saved and led Israel in desert has also saved us
and is leading us to his kingdom. Uur pilgrimage is like traveling in the
desert. How can we successfully finish our pilgrimage? By keeping ourselves
holy and by fully trusting and obeying his word. Then, He will safely lead us to
his kingdom. May God be with us and give us victory! He is our God and we are
his holy people. Amen!
by David Yun
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