Numbers 10: 1 – 36
Are we there yet?
10 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps. 3 When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 4 But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you. 5 When you sound the advance, the camps that lie on the east side shall then begin their journey. 6 When you sound the advance the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall begin their journey; they shall sound the call for them to begin their journeys. 7 And when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but not sound the advance. 8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your generations. 9 “When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies. 10 Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your God.” 11 Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony. 12 And the children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai on their journeys; then the cloud settled down in the Wilderness of Paran. 13 So they started out for the first time according to the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses. 14 The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set out first according to their armies; over their army was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 15 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. 16 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon. 17 Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle. 18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their armies; over their army was Elizur the son of Shedeur. 19 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 21 Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things. (The tabernacle would be prepared for their arrival.) 22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set out according to their armies; over their army was Elishama the son of Ammihud. 23 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 24 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni. 25 Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies; over their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran. 27 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan. 28 Thus was the order of march of the children of Israel, according to their armies, when they began their journey. 29 Now Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of 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 And he said to him, “I will not go, but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives.” 31 So Moses said, “Please do not leave, inasmuch as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes. 32 And it shall be, if you go with us—indeed it shall be—that whatever good the LORD will do to us, the same we will do to you.” 33 So they departed from the mountain of the LORD on a journey of three days; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them for the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them. 34 And the cloud of the LORD was above them by day when they went out from the camp. 35 So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.” 36 And when it rested, he said: “Return, O LORD, to the many thousands of Israel.”
Have you ever heard that moving is very high on the stress levels of life events? We have many articles on moving – checklists, tips, advice, help, lists, etc. but none of them focuses on the psychological impact of moving. Relocating contains not only a sometimes rather heavy process but also stress from the changes – new place, new people, new job/ school, etc. Some moves are expected impatiently and some may bring angst and disappointment. One way or another, you need to find a way to deal with this change and also a way to help your kids do it. What are the psychological effects of moving house and how can you handle them?
Moving into a new location is definitely a big step for anyone. Everyone involved will have to get used with many differences like the environment, culture, people, moreover, difficulties with longing of relatives. Moreover, people can suffer serious psychological problems, because of the distance of their hometown and distance of family and friends People moving to a new place of settlement can suffer different effects, positive and negative. These effects are sometimes different for children, adolescents and adults. There are many positives points in moving to another place. Although the whole initial insecurity and fear exists, will be an opportunity to grow and become a mature person, and with that have the chance to begin a new life. This change can bring new opportunities for choices, for example, job opportunities, new schools for their children, new sports to be practiced, etc. You will have the chance to meet new people and make new friends, maybe build a family. In addition, there will be new cultures that can be learned, and this will add new experiences to life. On the other hand, there are also many negative effects. Along with distance comes the longing and concern. "Nostalgia elicits feelings of anxiety and depression among Individuals with a strong habit to worry. This makes it harder to get used to the changes around. Furthermore, there are differences in culture and behavior of people who might be hard to get used.
The research literature on comparison of stress caused by different life events is fairly dated. The best-known scale is the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, developed in 1967 by psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe. They asked people how stressful they found 43 different events, and from this devised a checklist which weights these events, from 100 points for death of a spouse, for example, to 11 for minor violations of the law. This allows you to tick off the things that have happened to you, and calculate a life-events score. Attempts have been made to use these scores to make a link between negative events, and rates of depression and disease.
If you look at the list, the death of a spouse does indeed come top and divorce is up at the top. We see that other concerns are marital separation, going to prison and the death of a close family member. In fact, moving doesn’t even feature as a priority on the list at all..
This isn’t the only life-events scale, but I’ve not been able to find a single one which puts moving anywhere near the top of the list. It’s also debatable how useful these scales really are. For a start we’re not very good at remembering what happened to us or when. We tend to telescope events, assuming that they happened more recently than they did. Or we forget to include them altogether. When women were asked to check off the events that happened to them each month and then again after 10 months, only a quarter of events appeared in both lists, showing just how easily we forget.
These scales also come with the assumption that a particular event will have a similar impact on you, regardless of the situation. Losing a job that you love is different from losing one you dislike. Likewise, moving house could be straightforward, or it could mean you’re fleeing a war zone and leaving your country forever. These are hardly comparable situations.
Add to that the fact that no two people’s responses to a situation will be exactly the same. The idea that a particular type of event inevitably leads to stress was debunked many years ago by leading researchers There are too many factors at play. It’s not just the event itself that matters, but how you view that event and whether you feel you have the personal resources and support from others to allow you to cope. Both emotions and cognitions play a part. There are many people who thrive on supposedly high-stress jobs, enjoying the challenge and meeting it. Even if you take an extreme event like a natural disaster, only a small proportion of the people involved will develop post-traumatic stress disorder. Most people will find a way of coping.
Another approach is to measure, not dramatic life events, but the hassles of everyday life, such as losing things or equipment breaking down. Maybe moving could fit in better here; there are certainly plenty of daily hassles. If you take all the research that’s been done on the causes of illness, life events only account for a small percent of the link, but daily hassles are more closely correlated with illness. The reason for the low figure might be one of measurement. Daily-hassle scales allow you decide whether something makes you feel stressed, rather than deciding for you than an event is inevitably stressful. What matters is how stressful you perceive an event to be, how much you ruminate about it and whether you think you have the resources to cope.
So although it doesn’t feel like it at the moment, there’s little evidence that moving is the next most stressful thing after death of a spouse or getting divorced.
Here is the list of the major stress factors we experience in life;
Death of a spouse
Divorce
Marital separation
Imprisonment
Death of a close family member
Personal injury or illness
Marriage
Loss of a job
Marital reconciliation
Retirement
Change in health of family member
Pregnancy
Sexual difficulties
Gain a new family member
Business readjustment
Change in financial state
Death of a close friend
Change to different line of work
Change in frequency of arguments
Major mortgage
Foreclosure of mortgage or loan
Change in responsibilities at work
Child leaving home
Trouble with in-laws
Outstanding personal achievement
Spouse starts or stops work
Beginning or end school
Change in living conditions
Revision of personal habits
Trouble with boss
Change in working hours or conditions
Change in residence
Our Holy God had promised to watch over, protect, and care for His people. He Is The Good Shepherd Who cares for His own. You have to realize that living in the Wilderness with their flocks and other conditions such as sanitation, grazing land, water, and other natural conditions are a realistic need. Good shepherds would keep an eye on these conditions and move his sheep when the conditions would warrant such an action.
I think from all my research into the stress levels of moving I think the problem is not stress but frustration in packing and unpacking. Yet, if we follow our Great Master’s recommendation that problem will also be eliminated. He teaches us in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 19 this advice “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.”
By just holding onto the necessary things in life a getting rid of all the excess baggage anytime we need to move can be stress and frustration free. I can just hear the Israelites singing this song as the Lord was moving them on to the Promised Land.
‘Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile, smile, smile.
Don't let your joy and laughter hear the snag
Smile boys, that's the style
What's the use of worrying
It never was worth while
So, pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile, smile, smile.
The problem for any large company on the march in those days was communication. In the case of Israel this was partly resolved by the use of two silver trumpets, by the blowing of which quick messages could be rapidly imparted over a wide area.
10 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps.
Two trumpets were to be made of beaten silver. They were to be used for the calling together of all the men in the camp for worship or consultation, or just for calling the princes of the tribe, or for giving indications about moving forward.
3 When they blow both of them, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
The normal signal, possibly two or three blasts, would call together the whole congregation at the door of the Tent of meeting. They would gather around the Tabernacle.
4 But if they blow only one, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall gather to you.
One sharp blast would be a signal for the princes, those who were the leaders of the tribes.
5 When you sound the advance, the camps that lie on the east side shall then begin their journey.
A different type of blast would be a signal to be on the move. The first such blast would be the signal for the camps that lay on the east side to commence their journey. These would be the tribes in association with Judah.
6 When you sound the advance the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall begin their journey; they shall sound the call for them to begin their journeys.
A second similar blast would indicate that it was time for those on the south side to move forward. These were the tribes in association with Reuben. Presumably the system continued for the western and northern tribes. The northern tribes in association with Dan moved last.
7 And when the assembly is to be gathered together, you shall blow, but not sound the advance.
However the calling of the assembly would be by a different kind of blast. It would not be an alarm signal..
8 The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets; and these shall be to you as an ordinance forever throughout your generations.
The blowing of the trumpets was to be by the sons of Aaron. This was to a permanently fixed practice into the distant future.
9 “When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the LORD your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.
They were assured that the sounding of the alarm when in battle against oppressors would be heard not only by their men, but by Yahweh. He would hear, and remember them, and move to deliver them. Sounding the silver trumpets would, among other things, be like a prayer directed to Yahweh.
10 Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your God.”
The trumpets would also be sounded at their feasts and at times of rejoicing and at the beginning of each moon period. They would be sounded over their whole burnt offerings, and over their sacrifices, and would be a reminder to them that they were being brought into remembrance before their God. And their God was Yahweh.
Our trumpets are our prayers which bring us into remembrance before God. And for us the final trumpet will sound when we are called to be with Him at His second coming when we will ‘march forward’ to the heavenly land. That will sound a glad note indeed.
After eleven months which have passed encamped before Mount Sinai, during which the people had received the ten words of the covenant and had set up the Tabernacle of Yahweh, the people were now called to move on towards Canaan. The remainder of this chapter covers the first setting forward from the wilderness of Sinai.
11 Now it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle of the Testimony.
The time for moving forward had come on the twentieth day of the second month of the second year. This would have given time for the additional second Passover to have taken place on the fourteenth day of the second month. The requirement for this movement was indicated by the cloud being taken up from over the Tabernacle, the place of the covenant, in accordance with Yahweh’s instructions.
12 And the children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai on their journeys; then the cloud settled down in the Wilderness of Paran.
So the children of Israel set forward in the course of their journeying from the wilderness of Sinai where they had remained for eleven months and were brought to rest by the abiding of the cloud in the wilderness of Paran.
13 So they started out for the first time according to the command of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
It is stressed that the beginning of the journey was in accordance with Yahweh’s command by Moses. This was the first stage of Yahweh’s plan to possess the land. Moses would command the silver trumpets to sound, and the march would begin.
14 The standard of the camp of the children of Judah set out first according to their armies; over their army was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 15 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. 16 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.
In the lead went the tribe of Judah accompanied by Issachar and Zebulun as described earlier. They marched under their respective chieftains. The standard of the tribe of Judah led the way. If you notice the first guy in line was Nahshon which I find to be a very interesting fact. When you turn to the Gospel of Matthew and read about the genealogy of our King Lord Jesus you find that he is an ancestor. So, in a way I see Nashon symbolic of our Lord Jesus leading all His children.
17 Then the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle.
Behind the leading troops set forward the sons of Gershon and Merari, the Levites who bore the Tabernacle itself and all that was required for its erection. Once the cloud ceased moving they would immediately erect the Tabernacle ready to receive the Sanctuary furniture.
18 And the standard of the camp of Reuben set out according to their armies; over their army was Elizur the son of Shedeur. 19 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.
These were then followed by the tribe of Reuben, along with Simeon and Gad, under their respective chieftains. The Tabernacle of Yahweh was being well protected.
21 Then the Kohathites set out, carrying the holy things. (The tabernacle would be prepared for their arrival.)
Next came the remainder of the Korathites bearing all ‘the holy things’. By the time they arrived at the next camp the Tabernacle would have been erected by the other Levites. The holy things were the furniture of the Tabernacle, apart from the Ark which led the way in its magnificent blue covering. These were the altar of incense, the table of showbread, the golden lamp stand and the brazen altar, all discreetly hidden and weather-protected beneath dolphin skins.
22 And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set out according to their armies; over their army was Elishama the son of Ammihud. 23 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 24 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
The Korathites with the holy things would be followed by the other contingents of the Israelite army. Firstly would come the tribe of Ephraim under its chieftain accompanied by Manasseh and Benjamin under their chieftains, the three tribes of Rachel.
25 Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan (the rear guard of all the camps) set out according to their armies; over their army was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26 Over the army of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran. 27 And over the army of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.
Finally taking up the rear would come the tribe of Dan under its chieftain accompanied by Asher and Naphtali under their chieftains.
28 Thus was the order of march of the children of Israel, according to their armies, when they began their journey. 29 Now Moses said to Hobab the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of 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.”
In this way the children of Israel set forward on their journeys in orderly and well managed way.
Please note that Hobab, Moses’ Midianite brother-in-law, was with them, giving assistance to Moses with his knowledge of the wilderness, but determined to return to his own people. Moses pleaded with his brother-in-law to continue to accompany them and give them the benefit of his knowledge of wilderness survival. Among other things he was clearly very knowledgeable about the whereabouts of water.
Moses emphasized that they were going towards the place which Yahweh had promised to give them, and that Yahweh had spoken good about it. Once in the land they would see that he did not lose by his act. They would ‘do him good’.
We should note here that the fact that Yahweh was leading them did not mean that Moses did not make use of all skilled help available. We must trust God fully, and at the same time make use of all the means available.
30 And he said to him, “I will not go, but I will depart to my own land and to my relatives.”
Hobab however was minded to return to his own people and refused. He wanted to return to his own land and to his own wider family.
31 So Moses said, “Please do not leave, inasmuch as you know how we are to camp in the wilderness, and you can be our eyes.
But again Moses knew his value both as an expert on wilderness lore, and as a valuable scout. He knew that Hobab was aware of how best to encamp, and where, and he could be as eyes to them as he acted as a scout, covering the areas around the camp in order to detect any possible danger, and seeking out water. Most of the travelers were wilderness novices. Here was one on whom he could rely for sound practical advice and guidance on the journey, and to pass on to others his skills..
32 And it shall be, if you go with us—indeed it shall be—that whatever good the LORD will do to us, the same we will do to you.”
Moses confirmed that if he would go with them, whatever good Yahweh did to them they would do to him. He would be treated on equal terms. He would not lose his reward. The assumption must be that he agreed to go with them.
33 So they departed from the mountain of the LORD on a journey of three days; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them for the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them.
Their first stage was on a ‘three day journey’. They were seeking out a resting place for them.
34 And the cloud of the LORD was above them by day when they went out from the camp.
Continually above was the protecting and guiding cloud. The presence of Yahweh on the journey was being made very clear.
35 So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: “Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You.”
Yahweh had risen up and left His Tabernacle in order to go before them and scatter their enemies. Those who hated Him would flee before Him. This song would be sung whenever the Ark set forward. Its declaration by Moses would encourage and give heart to the people.
36 And when it rested, he said: “Return, O LORD, to the many thousands of Israel.”
When the people had arrived to where the Lord Yahweh had directed them the Levites would set up the Tabernacle. The Ark would be place in the Holy Of Holies where it ‘rested’ The people then would take up the camping assigned areas around the Tabernacle.
As we too journey forward towards the heavenly Kingdom, we can rest assured that unseen the cloud hovers over us and the Ark goes before us. If we are His we are never out of God’s eye.
