This lesson is from a previous bible study from last year; but I wanted to republish today because of the interesting subject manner. Enjoy again!
Today, as we look into Chapter 10 of The Book of Numbers in THE COME AS A CHILD (every Thursday) Bible Study from this blog; we hear God telling Moses to make two silver trumpets.
SILVER MEANS REDEMPTION
We have studied the fact that silver represents redemption. Silver was always used among the people to redeem the first-born son.
On this side of history; we know that Judas traded the life of Jesus for so many silver coins.
We have seen over and over in the building of the wilderness tabernacle how silver elements represent redemption of the people of God; and how it was used to build a sanctuary that had all of the elements of the fact that a Messiah would be given and our lives would be ransomed because of Him.
If you wish to explore some of those older studies; this lesson might be a very good start: http://COME AS A CHILD LESSON 156 – THE AMAZING SILVER SOCKETS OF REDEMPTION
A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TRUMPET
The silver trumpets were different in sound and in function than the ram’s horn that God had proclaimed would be blown at The Feast of Trumpets.
These might be blown on feast days too; but more in a way of announcement instead of proclamation.
SPECIFIC SOUNDS FOR SPECIFIC REASONS
The ram’s horn had specific uses and the two silver trumpets had specific uses.
The trumpets were used to start the tribe of Judah moving in the direction that God led them whenever they broke camp because either the cloud of glory or the pillar of fire had moved.
When these things took place, the trumpets would sound and Judah would begin their tasks of leaving camp and leading the others to the new camp according to the movement of the cloud and the fire.
The other tribes would follow Judah, ending with the tribe of Dan, in a very specific order at a very specific time.
The people knew their times by the sounds of the trumpets in their days.
A SOUND MEANING TO MOVE FORWARD
Moving thousands and thousands of people was quite an assignment. It had to take place in an orderly manner and in a planned fashion.
God gave the order and the plan and Moses and Aaron implemented it.
The tribe of Judah left at one particular sound of the trumpets. When the next tribes, who always moved in specific order behind them, heard the sound of the trumpets that signaled the tribe of Judah to leave; they knew to begin packing up their things and pulling down their tents.
Sometimes there were hours in between the movements of each tribe, especially those tribes that carried the elements that made up the tabernacle. Breaking camp and putting camp back in place took many hours and lots of labor.
A different sound would sound from the trumpets for each tribe and then they would know it was time for them to begin to get ready and to move forward. That way no one was left standing around for hours and hours waiting their turn.
When the last trump was sounded; it meant the last tribe had joined in the formation and all of the people were now traveling together and in the proper order; following God to where ever He lead them next.
A SOUND TO ASSEMBLE
When it was time to stop for the Sabbath or assemble for a holy day or season; the silver trumpets had yet another sound that the people heard.
God instructed that the two silver trumpets would make a special sound as the people made their burnt offerings on feast and festival days.
They gathered, came and went, according to the different sounds of the two silver trumpets.
There were specific sounds just for leaders to gather and other specific sounds for all of the people to gather.
Having these two silver trumpets saved Moses a lot of trouble in the necessity for giving orders and making announcements. All he needed to do was to tell the Levite in charge of the trumpet to make a certain sound and all of the people would respond in unison. ,
It was actually much better than today’s modern e-mail/cell phone distributions; because the trumpets could be heard by everyone at the same time! If the trumpet player understood his job; there was no room for confusion or disorder.
A SOUND LIKE A PRAYER FOR PROTECTION
God told them ahead of time when to sound the trumpets after they entered the land of promise.
They were to do this any time that the enemy was approaching.
This would be like a summons to God, like a prayer, that asked for protection. When God heard the sound of the trumpets; He would respond and protect the people of the land from their enemies.
So we can see where these silver trumpets were very important in the ancient times of the journey through the wilderness, then again, when the people reached the promised land.
In war; to hear the sound of the trumpet meant that deliverance was on the way.
We can see a beautiful illustration of this in the story of Joseph. He was released from prison on the day of The Feast of Trumpets. His story tells of the redemption and release from captivity of Israel. He shadows the story of The Messiah and the deliverance of all believers in many ways.
WHAT SOUNDS SHOULD WE LISTEN FOR TODAY?
So; what does this mean to us today?
Are God’s people still listening for specific sounds from certain silver trumpets?
The scripture passage of Matthew 24:30-31 speaks of a future trumpet sounding:
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other.
So it is that once again, in the times of the end trumpets will assemble God’s people together.
The true ones of God (those who have God’s Holy Spirit living within them) will be gathered together from one end of the earth to the other, like a farmer picking up vegetables in his garden. God will lift us all up into one place.
Joel 2:1 speaks of a trumpet sound in Zion that will one day take place:
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all of the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand.
This is an end-time prophecy that states a trumpet sound will proceed the coming of the LORD (the second coming.) This will be like a coronation trumpet for the coronation of Christ being crowned King of All Kings as he conquers and overcomes the governments of the world.
The resurrection of the dead is also connected to the sound of the trumpet. Revelation 11:15 speaks of the last trump:
Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’
It seems at this point that a mass exodus will take place on planet earth. God’s people will be gathered to Jerusalem.
I have to wonder, will this time be orderly and in accordance with the way that the tribes of Israel moved through the dessert looking for the Promised Land?
In regards to this; Isaiah 27:13 speaks of yet another trumpet sounding:
So it shall be in that day: the great trumpet will be blown; they will come who are about to perish in the land of Assyria, and they who are outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem.
I surely hope to see all of you when we get there!