Numbers 10 is another of those chapters that is obviously based on two original documents. And again, it is a narrative of a fictitious past that doesn't have any obvious relevance to the time it was written, let alone the present. I don't imagine it is ever the subject of a sermon or a Bible lesson. But it's in the Bible so we have to read it. I make a couple of comments along the way.
10 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. 3 When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 4 If only one is sounded, the leaders—the heads of the clans of Israel—are to assemble before you. 5 When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out. 6 At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out. The blast will be the signal for setting out. 7 To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets, but not with the signal for setting out.
This is the Book of Numbers, so unfortunately I have to take the numbers seriously. We have already been told that there are more than 600,000 adult men in this assemblage, which alone is the entire population of Boston. There must be something like 1.5 million people here altogether, with their livestock. Ergo, it is impossible for more than a tiny fraction of them to be within earshot of these trumpets, and it is also impossible for them to assemble before the tent of meeting. They would literally stretch for miles. Nowadays silver trumpets are not actually made of silver, but of copper and an alloy of nickel and zinc which appears silvery. I doubt that an actual solid silver trumpet would sound very good, because the metal is too soft to be highly resonant.
8 “The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come. 9 When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies. 10 Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed festivals and New Moon feasts—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.”
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.
This wandering from one place to another in the desert seems pointless. Remember they're still subsisting on manna, there's nothing to graze the herds on anywhere, so why bother to move around?
14 The divisions of the camp of Judah went first, under their standard. Nahshon son of Amminadab was in command. 15 Nethanel son of Zuar was over the division of the tribe of Issachar, 16 and Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the tribe of Zebulun. 17 Then the tabernacle was taken down, and the Gershonites and Merarites, who carried it, set out.
18 The divisions of the camp of Reuben went next, under their standard. Elizur son of Shedeur was in command. 19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai was over the division of the tribe of Simeon, 20 and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad. 21 Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things. The tabernacle was to be set up before they arrived.
22 The divisions of the camp of Ephraim went next, under their standard. Elishama son of Ammihud was in command. 23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh, 24 and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.
25 Finally, as the rear guard for all the units, the divisions of the camp of Dan set out under their standard. Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai was in command. 26 Pagiel son of Okran was over the division of the tribe of Asher, 27 and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali. 28 This was the order of march for the Israelite divisions as they set out.
Again, why does anybody care about these people's names?
29 Now Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place about which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”
30 He answered, “No, I will not go; I am going back to my own land and my own people.”
31 But Moses said, “Please do not leave us. You know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. 32 If you come with us, we will share with you whatever good things the Lord gives us.”
Why the heck does this guy know where they should camp? Anyway they're just going where God guides them. However, in Exodus Moses's father-in-law was named Jethro, mostly, although in Exodus 2 he was named Reuel, who at other times was Jethro's father. This Hobab character shows up for the first time here. Either he changed his name or the mother-in-law remarried.
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.
35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses said,
“Rise up, Lord!
May your enemies be scattered;
may your foes flee before you.”36 Whenever it came to rest, he said,
“Return, Lord,
to the countless thousands of Israel.”
4 comments:
Well, Moses had at least two wives, correct?
He might have, although it is not mentioned. However it would be surprising if they were both Midianites. Remember he acquired Zipporah while he was hanging out with them. Her father was either Reuel or Jethro, but never this dude.
I think Herb Alpert would sound really different on a soft silver trumpet. We may never know.
I did a little quick googling and it appears that Alpert played a Benge trumpet which is indeed one of the nickel alloy trumpets known as silver trumpets. His style is a gentle, easy sound but I think that work because of the more resonant metal. Blowing a solid silver trumpet would require major lung power to get any kind of resonance. Actually I expect the ram's horn would sound better. Dennis Brain famously played a french horn piece on a garden hose put it didn't sound very good.
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