I love the foreshadowing that we see in Number that points to the need of Jesus Christ, the better sacrifice. The people had God dwelling among them in the Tabernacle in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God loved the Israelites so much that he blessed them with his law. Yet the obstinate and headstrong people continued to complain. Their disbelief culminated in their wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. During the years in the wilderness God imparted structure to the people of Israel. I wonder at how it would have been for the surrounding nations to see a people coming out of the wilderness as a cohesive entity. The people constantly had to learn to depend on God  and they needed to learn who they were in light of who God is. Still the people complained, grumbled, and disbelieved God and consistently challenged His authority in their lives. As time progressed leaders developed like Joshua and Eleazar who desired to stand for God and remind the people to constantly look to God. The constant failure of the Israelites to follow God’s commands points to the greatest insurmountable wall. The wall was only able to be overcome when Jesus Christ came and died on the cross for the sins of the world.

Do you believe that God is sovereign and that His will is better for your life? I know that my life parallels the journey of the Israelites because I constantly finding myself prone to wander away form God. I am thankful that I am completely helpless in this struggle. I know that God has given me a hope that is greater than anything I could hope to attain to in my own strength. The Hope that is Jesus Christ is the only way that I will find true satisfaction in my life. The story in Numbers is a signpost pointing to the only way to find true satisfaction. I know that disbelief will cloud the way at times but God is faithful and he will bring me through any valley that seems greater than what I may be able to overcome.

– Numbers 10:35

The Israelites are setting out in Numbers chapter 10 to claim the land that God had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What an amazing site it must have been to hear the ring of a silver trumpet and then the orchestration of the multiple millions began as the Israelites set out and follow God. The image that is given in Numbers chapters 9 and 10 is one of dependance. The only time that the Israelites moved the camp was when God raised the cloud up from the Tabernacle.

I have never looked at the journey of the Israelites in such a structured way. I had thought that when the Israelites moved about in the wilderness that it was more of a random wandering. It was truthfully a relationship that was one of a Father leading His children.

Before the departure of the Israelites they celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month two years after their departure from Egypt. It was their time to remember what God had done in delivering them from their bondage in Egypt. I think that the passover was a passionate time of remembrance because in Numbers 9:6-10 God gives instruction for people who become unclean because of a dead person. These men wanted to bring their offering to the Lord but they were unclean. This is contrasted to a man who is clean and doesn’t observe the Passover. The clean man will be cut off from his people. The Passover celebration seems a little foreign to me today. What significance does it hold for the church today? I think the Passover is a marker that points me to Jesus Christ and His ultimate sacrifice on the cross. There is a lot of foreshadowing of the Messiah in the story of the Israelites freedom from their bondage. Just as the Egyptians held the Israelites in bondage so too my sin held me in bondage. I was under the wrath of God for the sins that I committed. There was not way for me to find freedom until Jesus Christ died on the cross. His blood is the lambs blood placed upon me just as the blood was places on the lintel and doorposts of the Israelites. I am very thankful for the provision that God blessed the world with through the death of Jesus Christ.

In chapter 10 God instructs Moses to create two trumpets of silver which were blown at various and different times such as when the Israelites were heading to war so that “[they] may be remembered before the Lord [their] God, and be saved from your enemies” Numbers 10:9b. I see many similarities in my daily life to the blowing of these trumpets. These trumpets blown for feast, assembly, and war were an integral part of the Israelites daily lives. I look upon these trumpets as one way that the Israelites were communicating and showing dependance on God. My trumpet is prayer. When I go to God in prayer it is my reaching out seeking to be remembered by God and seeking assistance. Seeing how much just a trumpet played a role for a nation I am convinced that my prayer life is even of greater importance.

Lord, I pray that you will instill a desire to include you in all areas of my life and that I will seek you in prayer. This journey I am on is one where I am following you and unsure where I am headed but I trust that you are faithful. I am thankful for your help.

I have been blogging since February 2005 and since then I have gone through many painful moments. The resounding truth that is proclaimed throughout this ragamuffin sojourning I call life is that God is faithful to bring us through what ever we face. If you look at what I write today and wonder that a relationship with Jesus Christ is like please ask me and I will gladly share what He has done. If you take the time to read through the journey I am on you will learn of a Faithful Savior who has kept me in perfect peace in the midst of the storms of life.

This is the first blog I posted back in 2005 Certain uncertainty when looking for the road through the fog. Please feel free to use this post as a starting point and just hit the next post link.