1Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 2“Make two trumpets of silver. You shall make them of beaten work. You shall use them for the calling of the congregation and for the journeying of the camps. 3When they blow them, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 4If they blow just one, then the princes, the heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 5When you blow an alarm, the camps that lie on the east side shall go forward. 6When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that lie on the south side shall go forward. They shall blow an alarm for their journeys. 7But when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but you shall not sound an alarm.
8“The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets. This shall be to you for a statute forever throughout your generations. 9When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets. Then you will be remembered before Yahweh your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.
10“Also in the day of your gladness, and in your set feasts, and in the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial before your God. I am Yahweh your God.”
11In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle of the covenant. 12The children of Israel went forward on their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud stayed in the wilderness of Paran. 13They first went forward according to the commandment of Yahweh by Moses.
14First, the standard of the camp of the children of Judah went forward according to their armies. Nahshon the son of Amminadab was over his army. 15Nethanel the son of Zuar was over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar. 16Eliab the son of Helon was over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun. 17The tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, who bore the tabernacle, went forward. 18The standard of the camp of Reuben went forward according to their armies. Elizur the son of Shedeur was over his army. 19Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai was over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon. 20Eliasaph the son of Deuel was over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad.
21The Kohathites set forward, bearing the sanctuary. The others set up the tabernacle before they arrived.
22The standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set forward according to their armies. Elishama the son of Ammihud was over his army. 23Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur was over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh. 24Abidan the son of Gideoni was over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin.
25The standard of the camp of the children of Dan, which was the rear guard of all the camps, set forward according to their armies. Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai was over his army. 26Pagiel the son of Ochran was over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher. 27Ahira the son of Enan was over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali. 28Thus were the travels of the children of Israel according to their armies; and they went forward.
29Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are journeying to the place of which Yahweh said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will treat you well; for Yahweh has spoken good concerning Israel.”
30He said to him, “I will not go; but I will depart to my own land, and to my relatives.”
31Moses said, “Don’t leave us, please; because you know how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. 32It shall be, if you go with us—yes, it shall be—that whatever good Yahweh does to us, we will do the same to you.”
33They set forward from the Mount of Yahweh three days’ journey. The ark of Yahweh’s covenant went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. 34The cloud of Yahweh was over them by day, when they set forward from the camp. 35When the ark went forward, Moses said, “Rise up, Yahweh, and let your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!” 36When it rested, he said, “Return, Yahweh, to the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel.”
Your Prayers will rise Like Incense Up to the Throne Room of God
Blowing the Trumpet at the Altar
Time references are so that we, as humans, can have some understanding of what we’re reading. What we find here is a pregnant pause. This is the calm before the storm. And then the blowing of the trumpets begins.
The trumpets referred to here may be the Shofarot used for various purposes in Israel. They were used to call Israel to war (Numbers 10:1-10) and to proclaim freedom (Leviticus 25:9). Likewise, the trumpets could be like the brass Roman trumpets with which John and the readers are familiar. There were 7 angels before the throne, and an 8th angel took a censer and threw it on the earth. During this entire time of judgment, the first thing that happens is that the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints is brought before God, and all of these prayers mingled with fire are cast upon the earth. These prayers for justice are now being answered. Think of all of the prayers of the faithful as they have undergone persecution, and God is going to answer each and every one of those prayers. These are prayers for justice, and justice is coming. They will bring wrath upon the earth.
As I was preaching this in our study of Revelation, I wanted to impress on the congregation how pervasive our prayers are and how God truly hears them. I called a deacon at a local Catholic church, and he gave me some incense. On Sunday morning, I put it down in front of the pulpit and lit it in a censer. It was a tiny bit of incense. Within 3 minutes, the molecules of that smoke had permeated every part of our sanctuary. Even the people working in the sound booth could smell the incense. Those in the front several rows began fanning the smoke away from their nostrils. It was a tiny bit of incense. I used this illustration that our prayers do not go unnoticed by God. They do not go into a great abyss where they are unseen and unheard by God. He hears every prayer that we pray. I don’t know how He hears the prayers of billions of people at once, but He does.
Many books have been written about prayer. They purport to discuss why and how we should pray. They wrestle with the thought that God has His purposes and designs for everything in the universe. Can our prayers really change God’s mind? Does He really hear every prayer that is prayed? At the bottom of it all, I believe we should pray because God tells us to pray. And, He listens. I have heard all of the Sunday School discussions about prayer. It is often said that we should just pray long enough until our prayers line up with God’s will. As stated, I really don’t know how all this works, but I do know these truths. “16 Always rejoice. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 WEB) This is a mandate in the Old and the New Testament. 3 ‘Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great and difficult things, which you don’t know.’(Jeremiah 33:3 WEB) Prayer is God’s mandate to help us to deal with things that are beyond our control. It is our means to inform Him of what He already knows, but what is important to us. It is just a glorious gift He has given to us with the assurance that He hears us, no matter when we pray, how we pray, or in what language we pray. 6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 WEB). Reader, just pray. It will rise like incense into the throne room of heaven, and God will know exactly the condition of your heart.