In this episode of the Daily Bible Podcast, the hosts delve into Numbers chapters 8-10, covering various topics including the consecration of the Levites, the details of the wave offering, the establishment of Passover, and the practicalities of camp life with two silver trumpets. They also touch on the significance of the cloud representing God's guidance and discuss the importance of utilizing general revelation in conjunction with the scriptures. Through humorous banter and insightful commentary, they provide a comprehensive overview of these chapters while emphasizing the relevance of biblical principles in everyday life.

00:00 Intro: Weatherman PPJ Returns

00:45 Discussion on Numbers 8: The Levites and Lampstands

02:49 Retirement of the Levites

05:16 The Passover Observance

07:04 God's Guidance Through the Cloud

10:57 The Silver Trumpets and Camp Organization

13:12 Departure from Sinai and Seeking Wisdom

15:40 Conclusion and Prayer

Find out more about Compass Bible Church.

Learn more about our Bible Reading Plan.

Questions or Comments? Email us podcast@compassntx.org

Hey everybody, welcome back to another

edition of the daily Bible podcast.

2

Yo, yo, yo.

3

It's a Thursday and we are

in the book of numbers still

4

numbers eight through 10 today.

5

But yeah, I mean the weather's

been quite a nice change this week.

6

It's it's not freezing

cold anymore, which is it?

7

It's a break until it goes back.

8

Yeah, I don't know that it is again

though We're in 60s and 70s for the

9

foreseeable future You don't you can't

make any determination based on what

10

you have today or this week even Texas

is different, man Yeah, not here.

11

At least that's yeah,

this is not California.

12

You just got to be prepared for

whatever Could be 90 tomorrow.

13

It might or it could be

five or it could be five.

14

Yeah, we don't know.

15

Yeah You Yeah.

16

Anyways, we hope that you're having

a good week wherever you are.

17

And the word of God is

definitely a part of that.

18

Yeah, we are in numbers eight through 10.

19

So I guess let's just jump right into it.

20

Numbers eight.

21

We deal again with the Levites here.

22

And so in the first four verses,

we have the lampstands mentioned.

23

There's seven lampstands now.

24

That's interesting because the, the

seven lamps are going to eventually be

25

compared to the, the Holy Spirit later

on down the road in the, the prophets.

26

And so.

27

We have the number seven lamp

stands, the number of completion.

28

God is represented by the

number of seven as well.

29

And so we've, we've got that here.

30

The seven lamps, I should say, not

the lamp stands, but the seven lamps.

31

That's the, the, the arms of the

menorah menorah coming off the

32

the main center branch there.

33

But These are meant to give light

there in the tabernacle itself.

34

And then we get to Levites

are going to be consecrated.

35

They're going to be set apart as

holy for the service of the Lord.

36

They are offered as a wave

offering, which is a comical sight.

37

Moses picked them up and started

moving them side to side.

38

Say everyone do it.

39

Pick up your neighbor.

40

That's what came into my mind.

41

Pick up your neighbor and

wave them side to side.

42

Give it to you, Lord.

43

You're worried that we're going

to do greeting time at church.

44

We're going to do wave offering

time at church this Sunday.

45

Everybody's going to pick up their

neighbor and wave them before the Lord.

46

Which must have meant that Moses

meant more than actually waving.

47

It's a process, a form of dedication.

48

I don't think he actually

picked anybody up.

49

No way.

50

So the wave offering must mean

more than just actually waving.

51

Although you would think that's probably

part of the wave offering ordinarily.

52

Maybe not in this case.

53

Yeah, I mean If it's, if you're asking

of all the different offerings, which

54

one would I want to be offered as, as

a Levite, I think a wave offering is,

55

is probably the best option out there.

56

I guess.

57

I don't want to be a burnt offering.

58

I don't want to be a sin offering.

59

Serial offering.

60

I don't want to be offered as incense.

61

I don't want to have my hair lit on fire.

62

And I'm just, that's true.

63

Yeah.

64

So wave offering is, is pretty easy there.

65

Yeah.

66

But yeah, dedication to the Lord in place.

67

Again, remember of the first

point that God was going to

68

take the Levites for himself.

69

Yeah.

70

And, and God is merciful here.

71

'cause even after the sin of, of Levi,

remember Ruben and Levi and their,

72

their sinfulness, God chooses Levites

for this important role in service of

73

him and in service of the tabernacle.

74

Verses 23 through 26 gives

us an age for retirement for

75

the Levites of 50 years old.

76

Is there anything to press on that?

77

Pr I mean, we, we talk a lot about

retirement and John Piper wrote that

78

book, don't Waste Your Life and talked

about retirement there, and that it's not

79

about shuffleboard and going on cruises.

80

Here we see the Levites retiring

from service at the age of 50.

81

Is there any principle for

us to, to pull from that?

82

Is there a reason for that?

83

Why might we see that, that

number associated here?

84

Well, I don't want to press it too hard

because he also says from 25 upward.

85

So you're looking at the

ballpark of 20 to 50.

86

And what this tells us is that

God wanted the Levites in their

87

prime age of strength so that they

could transport the tabernacle.

88

Their work was largely physical.

89

And so it makes sense that

God would say, I'm going to.

90

I'm going to give you a certain timeframe

where we can expect the best out of you.

91

But I don't think this has a direct

connection to our work today, except

92

to say that there are seasons where

our work is going to be most valuable.

93

And it sounds like 20 to 50, 20 to maybe

60, depending on how much you press it,

94

where our work is going to be the best.

95

It's going to be, which is why about

this time of life, you know, 20 to 50

96

years when you're going to make the most

money, when you're going to have the

97

most prospects and most opportunities,

not that it's all over before that or

98

after that, but this is, this is To say

God's getting your best and as it should

99

be God's getting your best in this stage

in life Ordinarily, I think our our

100

time frame of saying I can only do this

job until this time is a good thing If

101

you don't think of yourself as saying

i'm quitting work entirely God does not

102

design us to not work right the nature of

the work might change but working never

103

changes We're made to work in this life.

104

And hopefully hopefully, you know

this we're going to work in the next

105

life as well Those are my thoughts.

106

What would you say to that?

107

Yeah.

108

Work is not a result of the fall.

109

Work was there in the

garden prior to the fall.

110

And so, yeah, to your point,

we're going to be working, I

111

think, in it's in eternity.

112

Absolutely.

113

I would agree with you.

114

And my only caveat would be those of

you on the setup and teardown team

115

that might be on the backside of 50,

this is not your green light to retire

116

from our setup and teardown team.

117

We still need you as long as

you're physically capable.

118

We need you, we need you out there.

119

So yeah.

120

Yeah, but I think that that's a good

principle to pull from here for sure.

121

But we should get some

younger people to help.

122

That's on, I think

that's a good point too.

123

Yep.

124

Those, those stage pieces are heavy.

125

They can be very heavy.

126

Yeah, they are.

127

They can't, they are very heavy.

128

They are very heavy.

129

Yeah.

130

I mean, Matt Perales just picks them

up single handedly and throws them

131

around, but you know, aside from

that, well, not all of us are Matt.

132

Not all of us.

133

I think he's between 20 and 50.

134

That's probably it.

135

That's true.

136

Yeah.

137

My guess is he's not pushing 50.

138

I don't think, I don't think.

139

Carries his age.

140

Well, yeah Chapter nine we

get into the the passover.

141

So the people this is year two out

of the the wilderness I don't know

142

what happened year one But year two

we are told here that the lord is

143

commanding them to observe the passover.

144

So we're 1444 around there bc and

the lord wants them to observe this

145

and remember and so he instructs

everyone to keep the passover And

146

there's a question there about okay.

147

What if somebody has become defiled

and now it's interesting because

148

the case You That's presented is,

is somebody who's been defiled

149

because they come into contact with

a dead body or somebody who has been

150

traveling and they're a sojourner.

151

What do you do with these people who

are ceremonially, I think, unclean.

152

And the response from God

is this is a unique feast.

153

This is a unique act of worship.

154

Everyone is to keep the Passover.

155

And if someone failed to keep it,

even somebody who was ceremonially

156

defiled at the time, that person was

to be cut off from the people of God.

157

So God wants everybody

remembering the Passover.

158

And there's a special dispensation

of, I don't know, mercy for those that

159

would have otherwise been disqualified

from worship at the time to be able to

160

worship at the Passover feast because

of the significance of the feast itself.

161

Ironically, Israel is going to

fail to keep the Passover many,

162

many, many, many, many times.

163

In fact, we're going to get into the Kings

and there's going to be times where we're

164

going to read that the Kings observed

the Passover for the first time in eons.

165

And, and they do so in

a big celebratory way.

166

And so this is, you know, Problematic

because here God says if anyone fails

167

to keep the Passover that they're gonna

be cut off from the people of God.

168

So God doesn't cut off all of Israel

because they didn't keep the Passover

169

But that's part of what stacks against

the people that leads them into exile is

170

their neglect of this This this command

of God as the the seasons progress and

171

the years progress in the nation of

Israel there Verses 15 through 23 then

172

this is Israel camping and breaking camp.

173

According to the cloud that,

that covered the tabernacle.

174

This is the first GPS.

175

This is God's positioning system.

176

He is represented there in the cloud

and the cloud is going to take up

177

residents above the tabernacle.

178

And anytime that the cloud

goes, the people were to go.

179

And, and so that they are, are

to follow him in that sense.

180

I mean, that would be great

if that were still true.

181

Yeah.

182

Today, I think in so many ways, if we

had God's presence represented visibly

183

and we could say, okay, it's time to

go, or no, I need to hang out here and

184

wait here because I see it so clearly.

185

And yet I think that's part of our, you

know and we walk by faith and not by

186

sight now, but, but this was, it seemed

pretty simple at this time to, to know

187

when they were to go and when they were

to stay, when the cloud went, they went.

188

Yeah.

189

I guess let's, let's kick that around

a bit because I think some people would

190

agree with you and say, man, that would be

so nice if God just told me exactly what

191

I need to be doing day in and day out.

192

And but we find out from the book

of Hebrews at this covenant and this

193

dispensation is of a greater glory.

194

It's better in every way

Than the old covenant.

195

Yeah, someone's gonna say well,

I don't think this is better.

196

I would like to have this

Let's kick that around.

197

Why, why is a new covenant still better?

198

Why is having the spirit better

than having the cloud lead people

199

through the streets of prosper?

200

And it's Alina and Frisco.

201

Yeah.

202

Oh, well, I think it's a little bit like

we talked about in the gospel of John.

203

The spirit inside you is better

than the Jesus beside you.

204

Right?

205

I mean, they, they had

the cloud beside them.

206

They have the cloud

residing at the tabernacle.

207

And yet we have so many more benefits.

208

We may not have the, okay, turn left.

209

Go take this job, go move over here, do

this, make this decision with your family.

210

We may not have that clear direction,

the way that they had as far as

211

moving through the wilderness, but

the blessings that we have with

212

the spirit which are innumerable.

213

I mean, that just the idea of the

confidence, the security, the peace,

214

the access that the, the spirit

groaning with groanings too deep for

215

words on our behalf, and we don't

know how to pray as we ought all of

216

these things that we possess now.

217

That's why the writer of Hebrew says

it's, it's a better thing that we

218

have the spirit in this, in the form

that we have rather than the visible

219

cloud that they had in the wilderness.

220

Amen.

221

Amen.

222

Yeah.

223

And remember, they didn't have the Bible.

224

I mean, they had Moses.

225

So they had a guy that was connected to

God in a really significant way that got

226

preserved, but they didn't have the Bible.

227

I don't know that I would give up

my Bible to have a cloud because

228

the cloud could be misinterpreted.

229

You know, a cloud could, or, or, or.

230

Pillar of cloud by day, fire by

night, the dispensation that was

231

cool for them, I'm sure didn't result

in them being more faithful to God.

232

In fact, in short order, just a couple

of chapters, we're going to see that

233

despite the fact that they had the

greatest privilege in front of them,

234

that still did not preserve them.

235

And therefore having the spirit inside

me and have his word in front of

236

me, guiding me is, is a better thing

than having the fire and the cloud.

237

And so, yeah, there's something

about us that says, well,

238

that would just be so nice.

239

And I get that.

240

I have that same instinct,

but man, this is way better.

241

This is way better.

242

I have so much more to work with.

243

I have, I have the spirit to guide me.

244

I have the word that I could read and

understand and study and scrutinize.

245

That will give me better

clarity and direction.

246

It's like what Peter says.

247

We have something more sure than

the transfiguration on the mountain.

248

We have his sure word.

249

Yeah.

250

And, and to your point, it's not as

though if we had that, even if we had

251

the, the, the The direct audible voice

saying, do this, do this, that, that

252

all of a sudden we wouldn't sin or

wouldn't struggle with sin or battle

253

temptation because yeah, you're right.

254

The Israelites have such a clear

depiction of God's power and leadership.

255

And yet they still, they

still grumble against him.

256

They still put them to the test.

257

They still sin.

258

They still rebel.

259

And, and we do have.

260

His guidance.

261

We do have to your point the word of God.

262

We do have what Peter says is everything

necessary for life and godliness

263

Contained within the scriptures my son

Luke this morning was just asking me.

264

He said dad Why didn't God

keep talking to people?

265

Why didn't the Bible keep being

written after John and Revelation?

266

Why didn't?

267

Keep going and was able to talk to

him and say, because we, we've got

268

everything we need, we've got everything

necessary for life and godliness.

269

And he does communicate to us

today, as we talked about recently

270

in a sermon through the spirit.

271

It's just not in the direct special

revelation kind of communication to

272

us that we find in the scriptures.

273

All right.

274

It's not infallible.

275

Right.

276

Right.

277

Yeah.

278

Numbers 10.

279

Numbers 10.

280

Then we get into this.

281

God provides more instructions on camp

life with a command to make these two

282

silver trumpets, which would be used.

283

Do, do, do, do, do, do,

do Louis Armstrong jazz.

284

No.

285

Who is that?

286

Tell me.

287

You know what that is.

288

I'm blanking, man.

289

It's the green Ranger, bro.

290

Oh dude.

291

That was not a power Rangers.

292

Oh, I forget all the time.

293

Everybody was anyway.

294

Okay.

295

This is not about power Rangers,

but that is the quintessential.

296

Trumpet solo the green ranger

when he summons the dragon zord.

297

Yes.

298

Okay.

299

Okay.

300

Go ahead.

301

By the way, if you're wondering what this

looked like in the zondervan international

302

bible backgrounds commentary We have

a picture of it We referenced there

303

is a picture of a trumpet from egypt

around the same time Wow, and it's a

304

it's a I think a brass trumpet or maybe

a gold trumpet there But it would have

305

looked similar to that So don't think

like louis armstrong with the buttons

306

on it and things think more like the

medieval long trumpet tubular trumpet.

307

But these were going to be used

to sound different instructions.

308

There was a sound for assembling a

sound for assembling just the, the

309

elders, a sound for the people to

set out in different directions.

310

And so they were going to use

these trumpets to communicate.

311

Cause again, even if it's

not the 2 million that are

312

out there, it is a vast camp.

313

It's not like a lot of people

and there's no microphone.

314

So it's not like the, and

there was no mass text message.

315

This system.

316

And so they needed a way to

communicate to everybody.

317

And God says, here, this is how

you're going to communicate.

318

So there's a lot that's just

very practical in the scriptures.

319

And I think sometimes I forget that

God provides detail, not just about

320

the massive big ticket spiritual items,

but gives them instructions on this

321

is just how you're going to operate.

322

This is how you're going to function.

323

And this is important for you to know.

324

And we read about a lot of that

here in the book of numbers.

325

Yeah.

326

And just to reiterate, notice how God is

using these things to organize the camp.

327

I just need to point out that

God himself is an organized God.

328

He's giving them instruction for

how to do things and decently in an

329

order, which is why some of that still

bleeds into our church services today.

330

Not to say I'm taking shot at

any one particular denomination.

331

I'm just saying God cares about order.

332

He cares about organization to the point

where he commands his people to do it.

333

And he uses in this case, music,

musical instruments, sound to convey

334

his instructions, which I think

335

Yeah.

336

Yep.

337

Numbers 10, then 11 through 36, that the

people leave Sinai, and this is massive.

338

They're, they're setting out there

and maybe you forgot that they're

339

still there, but they have not

left Sinai yet at this point.

340

And now they're, they're.

341

Departing the mountain.

342

They're, they're leaving the

place where the law was given.

343

And and they're going to go out and

notice in verse 29, Moses says to

344

Hobab, which that's a name for you.

345

The son of rule, the media nights,

Moses, his father in law, we're

346

setting up for the place which the

Lord said, I will give it to you.

347

Come with us and we will do good to you

for the Lord promised good to Israel.

348

The media nights were Were nomads

they were desert wanderers.

349

And so it's it's possible that that Moses

signals this guy and singles out Hobab

350

here To say hey, we could really use your

expertise here to to help us and to guide

351

us in this And so that's one reason for

for this guy that is singled out here.

352

You might otherwise go What who is this

guy and why is he anyone significant here?

353

But I think that might be what Moses

was doing which again just another

354

point notice that Moses doesn't

say well, we've got God We're good.

355

I, I think that's incredibly huge

because the Lord, as we were just

356

talking about, was leading them.

357

And yet he still sought out wisdom

and expertise from somebody that, I

358

mean, I guess Hobab he's, he's related,

but he's, he's not, he's not a Yahweh

359

worshiper to my knowledge, right?

360

He might've become one

after this, but he asks for.

361

Expertise and wisdom outside of his

immediate circle, even though he had the

362

spirit of God operating up on him and

teaching him and literally Instructing

363

the whole congregation through but I think

that's amazing I guess my takeaway if I

364

can if I can simplify this is that god

expects us to utilize the resources that

365

we have available It is wise and good

stewardship Not to say well, i'm just

366

going to only read my bible I'm going to

close my eyes to everything else that god

367

opens our eyes to And i'm going to wisely

use resources that god Gives me access

368

to now that's harder to do today because

there's so much bad information out among

369

us I'm, not going to deny that but the

fact that god Endorses moses doing this.

370

I think this is a really helpful

And an insightful guide for us to

371

say we should use general revelation

Hobab is general revelation a

372

textbook is general revelation.

373

We ought to use it not Not foolishly

and not without scrutiny, but we should

374

as god shows us here Take advantage of

general revelation as god affords it Yeah.

375

Yeah.

376

Good word.

377

Yeah.

378

And at the same time as, as

Bereans, I mean, that's, that's

379

how you do that in a wise way.

380

You take it back to the scripture.

381

You got to know your Bible.

382

Yep.

383

You got to master your Bible to

take advantage of general revelation

384

and the best way possible.

385

Yep.

386

Yeah.

387

Well, let's pray and we will

be done with this episode.

388

God, we pray that that would be true

of our church, that we would be masters

389

of the scriptures such that we would

be able to engage with the sources of

390

general revelation that you've given us

in this world and to learn better how to

391

serve you, how to follow you, how to be

your, your disciples, and that we would

392

we would see the benefit therein and

not just bury our heads in the sand and

393

say, we've got everything that we need.

394

But God, that we would know that you've

given us other sources to of truth and

395

revelation as long as they coincide

with and agree with the scriptures.

396

And so God, we pray that we would know our

word well, and we pray this in Jesus name.

397

Amen.

398

Amen.

399

Keep reading your Bibles and tune

in again tomorrow for another

400

edition of the daily Bible podcast.

401

See you folks.

402

Bye.

403

Speaker: Hey, thanks for

joining us for another episode

404

of the daily Bible podcast.

405

We hope and pray this has been a blessing

to you and your time in the word.

406

If it has, if you would subscribe to this

podcast, leave a like, leave a comment

407

and share it with some friends and family.

408

That would be awesome.

409

If you need more information about

Compass Bible Church here in North

410

Texas, you can go to compassntx.

411

org.

412

Again, that's compassntx.

413

org.

414

And we'll be back with you

tomorrow for another episode

415

of the daily Bible podcast.