Sounding Silver Trumpets

Numbers 10:1-10 

    1 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.”

Trumpets were long metal horns for signaling, in this case to announce a gathering of the people, or to direct the camp to pick up and move as God led them through their journey to the promised land before them.  Here it was explained how both meant to gather at the tabernacle tent of meeting where God spoke to and through Moses.  When just one horn was blown, one group would pack up and begin to move out; the next blow signaled the other group.  Even when they were to go into battle later they would use these trumpets to signal the advance, and God would hear to deliver them from their enemies.  Then again, they would be blown at feasts and over offerings so they would remember their Lord God - who He is and all He has done.  The trumpets were to gain attention, bring remembrance, and direct their way.  In a similar way, God’s heralds and shepherds signal direction and worship by His word, and our spirits are then led by the understanding of His Holy Spirit in His people.