Numbers 9-10 PREVIEW: In Numbers 9-10, the Passover is commemorated and the children of Israel depart from the mountain of God and begin their wilderness wanderings led by the cloud of God. The Second Passover - Read Numbers 9:1-14 1. The Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai. What day did the Lord speak to Moses about the second Passover? (v.1) What other significant event happened in this same month? (See Exodus 40:17.) This second Passover happened a month before what other event we have studied? (See Numbers 1:1-2.) 2. The Lord instructed Moses to have His children commemorate the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight (vv. 3-4). What does the Passover commemorate? (See Deuteronomy 16:1-2 and Exodus 12:1-28.) 3. There were certain men who wanted to keep the Passover but could not. Why couldn t they keep the Passover (vv. 6-7)? (See also Numbers 5:2 and 19:11-13.) 4. What did these men who could not keep the Passover do about their circumstance (v. 6)? Numbers 9-10 Page 1
5. How is what these men did an example for us to follow when we have a spiritual situation in our life that we aren t sure how to handle? (See Proverbs 11:14, 12:15, and 19:20-21.) 6. What was Moses' response to these men s inquiry (v. 8)? 7. How is what Moses did a good example for us to follow when we need to know how to handle a spiritual situation in our life? (See Proverbs 2:3-6 and Jeremiah 29:12-13.) 8. What is the danger of not doing what these men did when they could not keep the Passover? (See Proverbs 12:15, 14:12, and 16:25.) 9. What was the Lord s response to the men s dilemma (vv. 9-12)? 10. Give some thought to the Lord's response. What does it tell you about His expectations concerning the keeping of the Passover? 11. The Lord instructed Moses about the keeping of the Passover and gave details to ensure that they didn't break the bones of the Passover lamb (v. 12). What is this detail prophetically picturing? (See Exodus 12:46 and John 19:36.) Numbers 9-10 Page 2
12. Although the church isn t required to keep the Passover, how are we commanded to remember what the Lord has done for us? (See Luke 22:19 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.) 13. What would happen to a member of the children of Israel if they were to cease to keep the Passover (v. 13)? 14. Could a stranger (a person who is not a member of the children of Israel) keep the Passover (v. 14)? The Cloud and the Fire - Read Numbers 9:15-23 15. On the day the tabernacle was raised up, what covered it? What did it look like at from evening until morning (v. 15)? 16. What happened when the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle (v. 17)? 17. It was at the command or literally the mouth of the Lord that the children of Israel would journey or camp (vv. 15-23). This guidance was provided by movement of the cloud. What is the cloud a visible manifestation of? (See Isaiah 63:10-12.) Numbers 9-10 Page 3
Two Silver Trumpets - Read Numbers 10:1-10 18. The Lord spoke to Moses, instructing him to make two silver trumpets (v. 2). What was the purpose of these two silver trumpets (v. 2)? 19. What was to happen if both silver trumpets were blown (v. 3)? (See also Jeremiah 4:5 and Joel 2:15.) 20. What was to happen if only one of the silver trumpets was blown (v. 4)? 21. There was a blowing of the trumpets and the sounding of the advance (or alarm). What happened when the advance was sounded (v. 5)? When it was sounded a second time (v. 6)? 22. Who alone was allowed to blow the trumpets and sound the advance (v. 8)? (See also Numbers 31:6, Joshua 6:4, 1 Chronicles 15:24, and 2 Chronicles 13:12.) 23. When going to war, the sounding of the alarm with the trumpets initiated two things. What were they? (v. 9)? Numbers 9-10 Page 4
24. The trumpets were also sounded in the days of gladness, the days when the children of Israel celebrated feasts, began new months, and made offerings. On these occasions, what was the purpose of the blowing of the trumpets (v. 10)? (See also Leviticus 23:24.) 25. The trumpets of the children of Israel were sounded for four different reasons: 1) convocation (vv. 2-4), 2) mobilization (vv. 5-8), 3) confrontation (v. 9), and 4) celebration (v. 10). There are two trumpets of God; the first was sounded in Exodus 19:16 to gather His people at Mount Sinai, and the second has yet to be sounded. What will happen at the sounding of the last trumpet of God? (See 1 Corinthians 15:52.) Departure from Sinai - Read Numbers 10:11-36 26. The cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle on the twentieth day of the second month in the second year (v. 11). The children of Israel had been at Sinai nearly a year (see Exodus 19:1), and it had only been 20 days after being instructed about moving (Numbers 1:1). This twentieth day marked the end of what? (See Numbers 9:9-12 and Exodus 23:15.) 27. The cloud moved and so did the children of Israel. Leaving Mount Sinai, where did the cloud lead the children of Israel (v. 12)? Numbers 9-10 Page 5
28. The order of march had been prescribed earlier by the Lord (Numbers 2:3-31). Apparently this was the unvarying pattern of their journey through the wilderness (v. 28). Who led the procession (v. 14)? What does this leader s name mean? (See Genesis 29:35.) 29. Before leaving for the Land of Promise, Moses invited his brother-inlaw Hobab (see Judges 4:11) to accompany them on their journey. What did Moses offer Hobab as an incentive to join them on their journey (v. 29)? 30. Hobab did not want to journey with Moses and the children of Israel (v. 30). What role did Moses offer Hobab if he would accompany them (v. 31)? 31. They departed from the mountain of God on a journey for three days (v. 33). Where was the cloud during this journey (v. 34)? What did the cloud provide for the children of Israel? (See Nehemiah 9:12, 19.) 32. The travel was undertaken only in the daylight hours; at night the cloud and the ark rested along with the people. When the day s march began and was over, how would Moses entreat the Lord to abide among His people (vv. 35-36)? Numbers 9-10 Page 6