Numbers 25-27 - Jealous for his God

Israel Sacrifices to Baal

Num 25:3 LSB - [3] So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel.

Hos 9:10 LSB - [10] I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first [season]. [But] they came to Baal-peor and devoted themselves to shame, And they became as detestable as that which they loved.

Num 25:7-9 LSB - [7] And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, so he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, [8] and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. Then the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. [9] So those who died by the plague were 24,000.

The Jealousy of Phinehas

Num 25:10-13 LSB - [10] Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, [11] "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel in that he was jealous with My jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the sons of Israel in My jealousy. [12] "Therefore say, 'Behold, I give him My covenant of peace; [13] and it shall be for him and his seed after him, a covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel.'"

Census of the Sons of Israel

Num 26:9-11 LSB - [9] And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel and Dathan and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram who were called [upon] by the congregation, who contended against Moses and against Aaron in the congregation of Korah, when they contended against Yahweh, [10] and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah, when that congregation died, when the fire consumed 250 men, so that they became a warning. [11] The sons of Korah, however, did not die.

Psa 106:17 LSB - [17] The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, And covered up the company of Abiram.

Jde 1:4, 11 LSB - [4] For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. ... [11] Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have poured themselves into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Psa 42:1 LSB - [1] For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.

Num 26:59 LSB - [59] And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and she bore to Amram: Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam.

The Daughters of Zelophehad

Num 27:6-7 LSB - [6] Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, [7] "The daughters of Zelophehad are right in [their] statements. You shall surely give them a possession for an inheritance among their father's brothers, and you shall have the inheritance of their father pass on to them.

Num 27:12-14 LSB - [12] Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Go up to this mountain of Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the sons of Israel. [13] "So [when] you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was, [14] for in the wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to treat Me as holy before their eyes at the water." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)

Moses Commissions Joshua

Num 27:18-19 LSB - [18] So Yahweh said to Moses, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; [19] and have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and commission him in their sight.

 

Numbers 22-24 - A star shall come forth from Jacob

Balak Sends for Balaam

Num 22:7 LSB - [7] So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went away with the [fees for] divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and spoke Balak's words to him.

Num 22:20-21 LSB - [20] And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise up [and] go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do." [21] So Balaam arose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.

Balaam’s Donkey and the Angel

Num 22:22 LSB - [22] But God was angry because he was going, so the angel of Yahweh took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two young men were with him.

Num 22:31 LSB - [31] Then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed his head down and prostrated himself to the ground.

Num 22:41 LSB - [41] Then it happened in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, and he saw from there the end of [the camp] of the people.

Yahweh Speaks Through Balaam

Num 23:5 LSB - [5] Then Yahweh put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus."

Balaam’s Discourse

Num 23:16 LSB - [16] Then Yahweh met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."

Spirit of God Comes upon Balaam

Num 24:1-2 LSB - [1] And Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of Yahweh to bless Israel, so he did not go as at other times to encounter omens, but he set his face toward the wilderness. [2] And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

Oracle of Balaam

Num 24:17 LSB - [17] "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.

What star is this, with beams so bright, More lovely than the noon-day light?

Translator: John Chandler; Author: Charles Coffin (1736)

1. What star is this, with beams so bright,

Which shame the sun’s less radiant light?

’Tis sent t’ announce a new-born King,

Glad tidings of our God to bring.

2. ’Tis now fulfilled what God decreed:

“From Jacob shall a star proceed”;

And lo! the eastern sages stand

To read in heav’n the Lord’s command.

3. While outward signs the star displays,

An inward light the Lord conveys,

And urges them, with force benign,

To seek the Giver of the sign.

4. Oh, while the star of heav’nly grace

Invites us, Lord, to seek thy face,

May we no more that grace repel,

Or quench that light, which shines so well!

5. To God the Father, God the Son,

And Holy Spirit, Three in One,

May every tongue and nation raise

An endless song of thankful praise!

Numbers 19-21 - Bronze Serpent

Statute of the Red Heifer

Num 19:5 LSB - [5] 'Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its hide and its flesh and its blood, with its refuse, shall be burned.

Num 19:9 LSB - [9] 'Now a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and deposit them outside the camp in a clean place, and the congregation of the sons of Israel shall keep it as water to remove impurity; it is purification from sin.

Num 19:17-19 LSB - [17] 'Then for the unclean [person] they shall take some of the ashes of the burnt purification from sin and flowing water shall be added to them in a vessel. [18] 'And a clean person shall take hyssop and dip [it] in the water and sprinkle [it] on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there and on the one who touched the bone or the one slain or the one dying [naturally] or the grave. [19] 'Then the clean [person] shall sprinkle on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify him from uncleanness, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe [himself] in water and shall be clean by evening.

There is a fountain filled with blood Drawn from Emmanuel's veins (Cowper)

Author: William Cowper (1772)

1 There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,

Lose all their guilty stains:

Lose all their guilty stains,

Lose all their guilty stains;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,

Lose all their guilty stains.

2 The dying thief rejoiced to see

That fountain in his day;

And there may I, though vile as he,

Wash all my sins away:

Wash all my sins away,

Wash all my sins away;

And there may I, though vile as he,

Wash all my sins away.

3 Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood

Shall never lose its power,

Till all the ransomed ones of God

Be saved, to sin no more:

Be saved, to sin no more,

Be saved, to sin no more;

Till all the ransomed ones of God,

Be saved to sin no more.

4 E’er since by faith I saw the stream

Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till I die:

And shall be till I die,

And shall be till I die;

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till I die.

5 When this poor lisping, stammering tongue

Lies silent in the grave,

Then in a nobler, sweeter song,

I’ll sing Thy power to save:

I’ll sing Thy power to save,

I’ll sing Thy power to save;

Then in a nobler, sweeter song,

I’ll sing Thy power to save.

No Water for the Congregation

Num 20:7-8 LSB - [7] and Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, [8] "Take the rod; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it may yield its water. You shall thus bring forth water for them out of the rock and let the congregation and their beasts drink."

Moses Strikes the Rock

Num 20:11-12 LSB - [11] Then Moses raised high his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation and their beasts drank. [12] But Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."

Speak to the Rock

Author: Albert B. Simpson

1 Fainting in the desert,

Israel’s thousands stand

At the rock of Kadesh.

Hark! the Lord’s command,

Speak to the Rock,

Bid the waters flow,

Strike not its bosom

Opened long ago.

Speak to the Rock,

Till the waters flow.

 

Speak to the Rock,

Bid the waters flow,

Doubt not the Spirit,

Given long ago;

Take what He waiteth,

Freely to bestow,

Drink till its fulness

All Thy being know.

2 Blessed Rock of Ages,

Thou art open still;

Thy blest Holy Spirit

All our being fill;

Still Thou dost say,

Wherefore struggle so?

Call for the Spirit,

Whisper soft and low,

Speak to the Rock

Bid the waters flow.

3 Oh, for trust more simple,

Fully to believe;

Oh, for hearts more childlike,

Freely to receive;

E’en as a babe,

On its mother’s breast,

So on Thy bosom

Let my spirit rest,

Filled with Thy life,

With Thy blessing blest.

Edom Refuses Passage

Num 20:21-22 LSB - [21] Thus Edom refused to allow Israel to pass through his territory; so Israel turned away from him. [22] Then they set out from Kadesh, and the sons of Israel, the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.

The Death of Aaron

Num 20:23-24 LSB - [23] And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor by the border of the land of Edom, saying, [24] "Aaron will be gathered to his people, for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the sons of Israel because you rebelled against My command at the waters of Meribah.

Num 20:28-29 LSB - [28] And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments and put them on his son Eleazar, and Aaron died there on the mountain top. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. [29] So all the congregation saw that Aaron breathed his last, and all the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

Destruction of Canaanite Cities

The Bronze Serpent

Num 21:5-6 LSB - [5] And the people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food." [6] So Yahweh sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people so that many people of Israel died.

Num 21:9 LSB - [9] And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it happened, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.

Jhn 3:14-15 LSB - [14] "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; [15] so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

 

Serpent of Brass
Dr. Watts

1 When Israel's grieving tribes complain'd,
With fiery serpents greatly pain'd,
A serpent straight the prophet made
Of molten brass, to view display'd.

2 Around the fainting crowds attend,
To heaven their mournful sighs ascend;
They hope, they look, while from the pole,
Descends a pow'r that makes them whole.

3 But, O, what healing to the heart,
Doth our Redeemer's cross impart!
What life, by faith, our souls receive!
What pleasures do his sorrows give!

4 Still may I view the Saviour's cross,
And other objects count but loss:
Here still be fix'd my feasted eyes,
Enraptur'd with his sacrifice.

5 Jesus the Saviour! balmy name!
Thy worth my tongue would now proclaim;
By thy atonement set me free,
My life, my hope, is all from thee.

Sihon and Og Struck Down

Num 21:34 LSB - [34] But Yahweh said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have given him into your hand, and all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon."

Numbers 16-18 - Aaron’s Rod Buds

Korah Rises Up Against Moses

Num 16:3 LSB - [3] Then they assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and Yahweh is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Yahweh?"

Num 16:8-10 LSB - [8] Then Moses said to Korah, "Hear now, you sons of Levi, [9] is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the [rest of] the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to perform the service of the tabernacle of Yahweh, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; [10] and that He has brought you near, [Korah], and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also?

Num 16:31-33 LSB - [31] And it happened that as he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open; [32] and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with [their] possessions. [33] So they and all that belonged to them went down to Sheol alive; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

Num 16:35 LSB - [35] Fire also came forth from Yahweh and consumed the 250 men who were bringing near the incense.

Grumbling and Plague

Num 16:47-49 LSB - [47] Then Aaron took [it] as Moses had spoken, and ran into the midst of the assembly, for behold, the plague had begun among the people. So he put [on] the incense and made atonement for the people. [48] And he took his stand between the dead and the living, so that the plague was checked. [49] But those who died by the plague were 14,700, besides those who died on account of Korah.

Aaron’s Rod Buds

Num 17:8 LSB - [8] Now it happened on the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced flowers, and it bore ripe almonds.

Aaron's Rod

Author: George Richards

1 See Isr'el's tribes brought near to God;

And ev'ry prince present his rod:

Whilst one alone with blossoms blooms,

And sheds the almond's rich perfumes.

2 'Twas his, the type of him divine,

Whom thou, O Lord, hast chose as thine;

The man, the priest, the stem, the root,

Who bears for us immortal fruit.

3 Jesus, High Priest of good to come!

Thy rod, thy staff shall guide us home:

Thro' death's dark vale, we'll trust its pow'r,

Nor fear a shadow's shaded hour.

 

Responsibilities of the Levites

Num 18:6-7 LSB - [6] "And behold, I Myself have taken your brothers the Levites from among the sons of Israel; they are a gift to you, given to Yahweh, to perform the service for the tent of meeting. [7] "But you and your sons with you shall keep your priesthood in everything that concerns the altar and inside the veil, and you are to perform service. I am giving you the priesthood as a bestowed service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death."

The Priests’ Portion

Num 18:20 LSB - [20] Then Yahweh said to Aaron, "You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.

Num 18:24 LSB - [24] "For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they raise up as a contribution offering to Yahweh, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, 'They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.'"

Numbers 13-15 - We Are Surely Able

The Spies Sent into Canaan

Num 13:1-2 LSB - [1] Then Yahweh spoke to Moses saying, [2] "Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers' tribes, every one a leader among them."

Num 13:22-23 LSB - [22] And they had gone up into the Negev and came to Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) [23] Then they came to the valley of Eshcol and from there cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two [men] with some of the pomegranates and the figs.

The Spies Recount What They Saw

Num 13:27 LSB - [27] Thus they recounted to him and said, "We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.

Num 13:30 LSB - [30] Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we are surely able to overcome it."

Num 13:33 LSB - [33] "There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

We Are Well Able

Author: Mrs. Frederick W. Suffield

1. ’Twas the Lord of hosts that led us out of Egypt’s sand;

And He led us through the Red Sea by His mighty hand,

Never halting in the wilderness, but His command

Gave assurance we were able to possess the land.

Refrain

We are able to go up and take the country,

And possess the land from Jordan to the sea;

And, though giants tall be there our way to hinder,

God will surely give the victory.

2. When the spies brought back the message, this is what they said:

Against giants and walled cities, we cannot be led;

But a Caleb and a Joshua said, They’ll be as bread;

We are able to go up, possess the land ahead. [Refrain]

3. When we crossed the river Jordan, in the land we found:

Wine and oil and milk and honey, richest fruits abound;

Sparkling fountains, and the showers come upon the ground;

We are able, Hallelujah! Let God’s praise resound. [Refrain]

4. There’s no thirsting for old Egypt, since we’re in this way,

And we care not what the critics or the ten spies say;

For the land abounds in plenty, and we’re here to stay,

Won’t you come and join us, brother, enter in today? [Refrain]

The People Rebel

Num 14:4 LSB - [4] So they said to one another, "Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt."

Num 14:6-9 LSB - [6] And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; [7] and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, "The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. [8] "If Yahweh is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us--a land which flows with milk and honey. [9] "But as for you, only do not rebel against Yahweh; and do not fear the people of the land, for they are our bread. Their protection has been removed from them, and Yahweh is with us; do not fear them."

Num 14:10 LSB - [10] But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of Yahweh appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.

Moses Prays for the People

Num 14:17-19 LSB - [17] "So now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, [18] 'Yahweh is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear [the guilty], visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth [generations].' [19] "Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now."

Evil Complainers

Num 14:20-23 LSB - [20] So Yahweh said, "I have pardoned [them] according to your word; [21] but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of Yahweh. [22] "Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I have done in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, [23] shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it.

Num 14:30-32 LSB - [30] 'Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. [31] 'Your little ones, however, who you said would become plunder--I will bring them in, so that they will know the land which you have rejected. [32] 'But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness.

Israel Struck Down

Num 14:44-45 LSB - [44] But they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country; neither the ark of the covenant of Yahweh nor Moses moved from the camp. [45] Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and beat them down as far as Hormah.

Offerings When Entering Canaan

Num 15:2-3 LSB - [2] "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'When you enter the land of your places of habitation, which I am going to give you, [3] then make an offering by fire to Yahweh, a burnt offering or a sacrifice to fulfill a special vow, or as a freewill offering or in your appointed times, to make a soothing aroma to Yahweh, from the herd or from the flock.

Statute for the Sojourner

Num 15:27-28 LSB - [27] 'Also if one person sins unintentionally, then he shall bring near a one year old female goat for a sin offering. [28] 'And the priest shall make atonement before Yahweh for the person who goes astray when he sins unintentionally, making atonement for him that he may be pardoned.

Num 15:30 LSB - [30] 'But the person who does [anything] with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, that one is blaspheming Yahweh; and that person shall be cut off from among his people.

A Sabbath-breaker Put to Death

Num 15:38-41 LSB - [38] "Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. [39] "And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of Yahweh, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, [40] so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God. [41] "I am Yahweh your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be your God; I am Yahweh your God."

Numbers 10-12 - With him I speak mouth to mouth

The Silver Trumpets

Num 10:2 LSB - [2] "Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out.

Israel Sets Out from Sinai

Num 10:11-12 LSB - [11] Now it happened in the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth of the month, [that] the cloud was lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony; [12] and the sons of Israel set out on their journeys from the wilderness of Sinai. Then the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran.

Num 10:35-36 LSB - [35] Then it happened when the ark set out that Moses said, "Rise up, O Yahweh! And let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You." [36] And when it came to rest, he said, "Return, O Yahweh, [To] the myriad thousands of Israel."

The People Complain

Num 11:7-9 LSB - [7] Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. [8] The people would go about and gather [it] and grind [it] between two millstones or beat [it] in the mortar, and boil [it] in the pot and make cakes with it; and its taste was as the taste of cakes baked with oil. [9] And when the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it.

Moses Complains

Num 11:13-14 LSB - [13] "Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, 'Give us meat that we may eat!' [14] "I alone am not able to carry all this people because it is too heavy for me.

The Spirit Rests upon the Elders

Num 11:21 LSB - [21] But Moses said, "The people, among whom I am, are 600,000 on foot; yet You have said, 'I will give them meat, so that they may eat for a whole month.'

Num 11:25 LSB - [25] Then Yahweh came down in the cloud and spoke to him; and He took of the Spirit who was upon him and placed [Him] upon the seventy elders. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do [it] again.

The Quail and the Plague

Num 11:31 LSB - [31] Now there went forth a wind from Yahweh, and it brought quail from the sea, and let [them] fall beside the camp, about a day's journey on this side and a day's journey on the other side, all around the camp and about two cubits over the surface of the ground.

Num 11:33 LSB - [33] While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of Yahweh was kindled against the people, and Yahweh struck the people with a very severe plague.

Miriam and Aaron Speak Against Moses

Num 12:1-2 LSB - [1] Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had taken [as a wife] (for he had taken a Cushite woman); [2] and they said, "Has Yahweh indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?" And Yahweh heard it.

Num 12:6-8 LSB - [6] and He said, "Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, Yahweh, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. [7] "Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; [8] With him I speak mouth to mouth, Indeed clearly, and not in riddles, And he beholds the form of Yahweh. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?"

Numbers 7-9 - Whenever the Cloud Would Go Up from over the Tent

Offerings of the Leaders

Num 7:9 LSB - [9] But he did not give [any] to the sons of Kohath because theirs [was] the service of the holy [objects, which] they carried on the shoulder.

Num 7:89 LSB - [89] Now when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him.

The Seven Lamps

Cleansing of the Levites

Num 8:17-19 LSB - [17] "For every firstborn among the sons of Israel is Mine, among the men and among the animals; on the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself. [18] "But I have taken the Levites instead of every firstborn among the sons of Israel. [19] "And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the sons of Israel, to perform the service of the sons of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement on behalf of the sons of Israel, so that there will be no plague among the sons of Israel by their coming near to the sanctuary."

Retirement of the Levites

Num 8:25-26 LSB - [25] "But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from [their] duty in the service and not serve anymore. [26] "They may, however, minister to their brothers in the tent of meeting in order to keep [up] their responsibility, but they [themselves] shall perform no service. Thus you shall deal with the Levites concerning their responsibilities."

The Passover

Num 9:8-9 LSB - [8] Moses therefore said to them, "Wait, and I will listen to what Yahweh will command concerning you." [9] Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Num 9:13 LSB - [13] 'But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet neglects to celebrate the Passover, that person shall then be cut off from his people, for he did not bring near the offering of Yahweh at its appointed time. That man will bear his sin.

The Cloud Covering the Tabernacle

Num 9:15-16 LSB - [15] Now on the day that the tabernacle was erected the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony, and in the evening it was like the appearance of fire over the tabernacle until morning. [16] So it was continuously; the cloud would cover it [by day], and the appearance of fire by night.

Num 9:17 LSB - [17] Now whenever the cloud would go up from over the tent, afterward the sons of Israel would then set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp.

Num 9:22 LSB - [22] Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, dwelling above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but when it was lifted, they did set out.

Lead on, O King Eternal, The day of march has come

Author: Ernest W. Shurtleff (1887)

1 Lead on, O King eternal,

the day of march has come;

henceforth in fields of conquest

your tents will be our home.

Through days of preparation

your grace has made us strong;

and now, O King eternal,

we lift our battle song.

2 Lead on, O King eternal,

till sin's fierce war shall cease,

and holiness shall whisper

the sweet amen of peace.

For not with swords' loud clashing

or roll of stirring drums

with deeds of love and mercy

the heavenly kingdom comes.

3 Lead on, O King eternal;

we follow, not with fears,

for gladness breaks like morning

where'er your face appears.

Your cross is lifted o'er us,

we journey in its light;

the crown awaits the conquest;

lead on, O God of might.