Leviticus 10
Numbers 10 records Israel’s preparation for departure from Sinai and the beginning of the march toward the promised land. Verses 1–10 describe the making and use of two silver trumpets. Verses 11–36 describe the departure from Sinai, the order of the tribes, Moses’ conversation with Hobab, and prayers connected with the movement of the ark.
1verseNadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them.
2verseFire came out from before the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
3verseThen Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke of, saying, ‘I will show myself holy to those who come near me, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” Aaron held his peace.
4verseMoses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Draw near, carry your brothers from before the sanctuary out of the camp.”
5verseSo they came near, and carried them in their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said.
6verseMoses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons, “Don’t let the hair of your heads go loose, and don’t tear your clothes, so that you don’t die, and so that he will not be angry with all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled.
7verseYou shall not go out from the door of the Tent of Meeting, lest you die; for the anointing oil of the LORD is on you.” They did according to the word of Moses.
8verseThen the LORD said to Aaron,
9verse“You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.
10verseYou are to make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean.
11verseYou are to teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them by Moses.”
12verseMoses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons who were left, “Take the meal offering that remains of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without yeast beside the altar; for it is most holy;
13verseand you shall eat it in a holy place, because it is your portion, and your sons’ portion, of the offerings of the LORD made by fire; for so I am commanded.
14verseThe waved breast and the heaved thigh you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons, and your daughters with you: for they are given as your portion, and your sons’ portion, out of the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the children of Israel.
15verseThey shall bring the heaved thigh and the waved breast with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD. It shall be yours, and your sons’ with you, as a portion forever, as the LORD has commanded.”
16verseMoses diligently inquired about the goat of the sin offering, and, behold, it was burned. He was angry with Eleazar and with Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying,
17verse“Why haven’t you eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is most holy, and he has given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?
18verseBehold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly should have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.”
19verseAaron spoke to Moses, “Behold, today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD; and such things as these have happened to me. If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been pleasing in the LORD’s sight?”
20verseWhen Moses heard that, it was pleasing in his sight.
Making and Using the Trumpets (Verses 1–10)
God commands Moses to make two hammered silver trumpets. These trumpets are to be blown by the priests, the sons of Aaron, to summon the congregation, gather the leaders, signal the breaking of camp, sound alarm in war, and mark days of gladness, appointed feasts, and new moons. Their use shows that Israel’s communal life and movement were to be ordered under God’s command.
The Beginning of the Journey (Verses 11–28)
On the twentieth day of the second month in the second year, the cloud lifts from the tabernacle, and Israel sets out from the wilderness of Sinai. The tribes move according to the order previously given, with Judah’s camp first and Dan’s camp serving as the rear guard. The Levite clans also move in their assigned order so that the tabernacle can be transported and set up properly.
A Conversation with Hobab (Verses 29–32)
Moses asks Hobab, son of Reuel the Midianite and Moses’ relative by marriage, to go with Israel. Hobab initially declines, but Moses urges him to stay, noting that he knows the wilderness and can be of help. The passage shows that God’s guidance does not exclude practical wisdom and human cooperation.
The Presence and Guidance of God (Verses 33–36)
The ark of the covenant goes before the people as they set out, and Moses prays when the ark departs and when it rests. These prayers express reliance on the LORD’s presence in both movement and rest. The chapter closes with the image of a community journeying under divine guidance.
Points to Reflect On
- What does it mean for a community to move with shared signals, order, and purpose?
- How can practical wisdom and trust in God work together rather than compete?
- What prayers or habits help you seek God’s presence when beginning, stopping, or changing direction?
Try Applying It to Yourself
- At important moments of decision, pause to seek guidance rather than moving only by impulse.
- Consider how your choices affect the community traveling with you.
- Practice beginning and ending significant tasks with prayerful awareness and humility.
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