But there’s a Trivia challenge below the next article!

April 12, 2025

Scripture Study Series–

Stories from Numbers and Deuteronomy: Marching Orders, Numbers 10, part 4

—I used to march! Not to “The Caissons Keeps Rolling Along,” a tune I somehow managed to learn as a child even though my dad was a Navy man. Not even to “Anchors Away” or “Wild Blue Yonder,” and I’ve certainly never made it as far as the halls of Montezuma or the shores of Tripoli. Instead, trombone in hand, I used to march to the tunes of “Honey Boys on Parade,” “Trombone Section” and “Under the Double Eagle.” My high school band marched nearly two hundred strong, military style, with twelve majorettes in parade formation leading the way in their green skirts, silver blouses and white Cowboy hats. Next came the trombones, loud and proud. Behind us the trumpets. Always in that order though no one ever seemed to question why. We simply hurried to our spots, awaited Mr. Kunkel’s nod to begin, and listened for our drum major’s whistle for “Attention!” before stepping off smartly in our proud green and white.

—If you were to make a quick scan of Numbers 10 as it plods through various “whistle” commands and its detailed marching alignments for the twelve tribes of Israel and if you decided instead to skip ahead to the more exciting fire, leprosy, spies and giants described in the next three chapters, then no one would really blame you. Still, you’d miss more than you know—“Piccolo Pete” Kunkel standing alongside the band with chin in his hand, feeling the weight of perfection; a series of predetermined whistles from Laura Jackson, our drum major, that prepared us for the march; and the all-around pageantry of majorettes with twirling batons and of musicians in their shakos and plumes. Or more precisely, gray-headed Moses with his staff and Law, the sharp blasts of two silver trumpets, colorful tribal banners raised by six hundred thousand fighting men, and holy priests carrying the tabernacle furniture under the cloud of God’s presence.

—But are there any practical takeaways from this chapter? Strikingly, the silver trumpets are called “an ordinance forever throughout your generations” (v. 8). In other words, the trumpet blasts are a call to worship both then and now. It would make more sense to me if the silver trumpets announced the start of a worship service like modern church bells sometimes do. But why should trumpet blasts announcing war or the start of a festival day prompt the Israelites to worship? Because God would save them from their enemies (v. 9), and he would receive their voluntary offerings at the tabernacle (v. 10). The trumpet blasts represented God’s promise that he would remember them when they faced giants. That he would forgive their sin. That though they once shook their fists at him and questioned his plans, he still desired a relationship with them.

—Still today the silver trumpets echo God’s comforting promise that he will fill our future with his presence. Impenetrable walls—even the ones you don’t yet know exist—will crumble before the one who trusts the Lord, and one day soon, Lord willing, another trumpet, “the trumpet of God,” will sound to announce that Jesus has returned for his people. We will have completed our march, and from that day forward “we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thes. 4:1).

—But a second, quick lesson springs from Numbers 10, for marching order does matter. Mr. Kunkel’s placement of the baritones, clarinets and tubas achieved his aim—the right blend and balance, the right look and feel. He charted every step. He timed every pinwheel, counter march and “to the rear” maneuver. God likewise has a perfect plan for his church. He is not the author of confusion (1 Cor. 14:33). Your place on the field fulfills his divine purpose, so line up where he directs you. Stand tall whether he’s called you to march in front or in the rear. Listen for his whistle and march in step with the Holy Spirit, trusting that his design is for your good and for his glory.

–Daniel McCabe

Trivia (answer at bottom of this page)

—What is the third largest city in Israel behind Jerusalem and Tel Aviv?

—A. Ashdod

—B. Beersheba

—C. Haifa

—D. Nazareth

Life in the Land: Unleavened Bread

—Every spring Jews celebrate a holiday known as Hag HaMatzot. Notice the word matzot in the name of this holiday. Matzot is a plural word that in the singular would be written as matzah, and now that’s a word that you might recognize. Matzah is the Hebrew word for “unleavened bread,” and so Hag HaMatzot translates to the “Holiday of the Unleavened Bread.”

—You can read about this Jewish holiday in Leviticus 23, which begins annually on Nisan 15. One day earlier on Nisan 14 the Jews celebrate Passover, and one day later on Nisan 16 they celebrate Firstfruits. Although these three days are unique in their emphases, they are not unrelated, prompting modern worshippers to refer to the three together as the one holiday of Passover, which runs from Nisan 14-21 in compliance with the biblical directive from Exodus 12:15 for the Israelites to eat unleavened bread for seven straight days. The holiday of Unleavened Bread remembers the hasty departure of the Israelites from Egypt, following the tenth plague of the death of the firstborn, when “the people took their dough [with them] before it was leavened” (v. 34).

—Luke 12:1 records these words of Jesus to his disciples, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy,” and Paul refers to “the leaven of malice and wickedness,” thus signifying that leaven represents sin and unleavened bread represents “sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8). Thus, in the days leading up to the start of Passover week, Jewish families today remove all leaven from their home, perhaps the origin of our Western practice of “spring cleaning,” and on the night before Passover Jewish fathers make one final playful search through their home by candlelight with their children to sweep up bread crumbs that had been conspicuously placed around the house earlier in the day. With feather, spoon and paper bag in hand the children collect the remaining leaven to be burned the next morning. With their hearts and homes cleansed, the family is now ready to celebrate all that God did in bringing their forefathers safely out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.

—Daniel McCabe

Podcast #58:: The Ashes of the Red Heifer

—Our latest episode is up! Click on the logo below to be redirected to our Apple Podcasts page. Our podcasts are also available on Spotify and all major platforms.

Life in the Land: Firstfruits

—Most Bible teachers believe that Jesus died on a Friday and rose from the dead the following Sunday. Jesus died on Passover, lay in the grave on the first day of Unleavened Bread, and rose again the third day. Christians commonly call this third day Easter or perhaps Resurrection Day. Rarely do you hear it called Firstfruits, but, according to Leviticus 23, that’s its correct name, for on that day Moses instructed the Israelites to bring their first ripe sheaf of barley as an offering to the Lord in order to express their gratitude for the harvest. On Passover the people bundled a sheaf of barley and left it standing in the field. On the next day they cut and prepared the barley, and on the third day they brought their offering to the temple where the priest waved it before the Lord.

—Although rarely celebrated today by the Jews, this third day, Firstfruits, Nisan 16 on the Jewish calendar, holds great significance for Christians because on this day, the first day of the week, Jesus triumphed over death. The apostle Paul explains its significance in this way, “But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep … for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Corinthians 15:20, 22-23). Firstfruits then pictures Christ’s resurrection and it also serves as a promise to Christians that they too will one day be resurrected. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

—Daniel McCabe

History & Geography:: Shechem, part 1

—It is one of the most important locations in all of the Bible, yet it is one that seems to fly under the radar for so many people. Maybe it’s because the events that happen there are not the most famous or well understood. However, I would like to highlight a couple of notable points in biblical history that took place at Shechem.

—The first set of events is the covenant renewals that Joshua led with the people of Israel. After Israel defeated the cities of Jericho and Ai at the beginning of the Canaanite conquest, Joshua took the people to Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, which flank the city of Shechem on the north and south, respectively, and which are essentially in the center of the Promised Land.

You can read about this in Joshua chapter 8 where he built a stone altar on Mount Ebal and sacrificed to the Lord. Half of the people assembled in front of Mount Ebal to the north and heard the curses of the Law. The other half of the people assembled before Mount Gerizim to the south and heard the blessings of the Law. Joshua also wrote down the Law on tablets of stone. All of this was done in accordance to what Moses commanded them to do in this specific place, recorded back in Deuteronomy 11 and 27.

What happened was an observance of the covenant relationship between God and His people, Israel. Joshua 8:35 states, “There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.” The timing of this covenant renewal was important; the ethics of the Law were to be observed properly if Israel was to have success in conquering and inheriting the entire Promised Land. It was the first thing they did in the Land after taking care of Jericho and Ai.

—At the end of Joshua’s life, he would bring the people back to Shechem to again renew the covenant before the Lord. You can read about this in Joshua 24, the final chapter of the book. Verses 14-15 record some familiar words. Joshua said, “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

—The people claimed and promised that they would serve the Lord only, but Joshua knew better than to trust that they could actually do it. Regardless, he did something very striking to serve as a witness to their claim. Verses 24-28 tell us that “the people said to Joshua, ‘The Lord our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.’ So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and put in place statutes and rules for them at Shechem. And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone and set it up there under the terebinth that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. And Joshua said to all the people, ‘Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness against you, lest you deal falsely with your God.’ So Joshua sent the people away, every man to his inheritance.” Joshua then died and the people of Israel buried Joseph’s bones there as well. Remember that Joseph insisted that his people carry his bones out of Egypt so that he would be buried in the Promised Land (Gen. 50:25).

—Imagine a giant stone being put in place in your hometown that would serve as a constant reminder that you promised to remain faithful to the one true God. That’s what occurred at Shechem, and that is also what makes the second event that I will address next time all the more disappointing.

—Adam Keim

Answer to the Trivia:

C. Haifa