Saturday - Numbers 10 - Trumpets & Traveling

The Jews were tuned in for the sound of a trumpet too. Of course, they heard it over and over. God had Moses order the construction of two solid silver trumpets.  Every time the Spirit moved then those trumpets were used to communicate to the nation that it was time for them to move too.  There were also other circumstances where the trumpets were used to convey messages to the people. Different sounds meant different things. The priests were in charge of blowing the trumpets to call the tribal chiefs for meetings, for national assemblies, to go to war on feast days, the first day of each month, over certain sacrifices and for the various stages of dismissal to march. It seems that there was probably quite a variety of sounds that meant different things for the people.

Based upon the sound of the trumpets, Judah's quarter was dismissed to strike camp and to march forward behind the Ark of the Covenant (Numbers 10:33). Then, after the Gershonites and Merarites moved forward with the Tabernacle loaded onto their wagons, with another blast the group under Reuben would follow after them. In the middle of the line, the Kohathites carried the tabernacle furniture. Lastly Ephraim's quarter proceeded with Dan's group bringing up the rear.