Números 2

Números 2

Guzik - Israel had been on this Exodus journey for more than a year, and had assembled just about any way they had pleased. But now, ready to enter into the Promised Land, they had to take the next step in organization: Ordering themselves. THOUGHT - O, for His good soldiers (2 Ti 2:3-4+) to have ears to hear and hearts to obey His instructions to us as to how we are to march out against our inveterate deadly enemies "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph 6:12+, see "Good Soldier of Christ") Standard (01714)(degel) is a masculine noun used almost exclusively in Numbers and which denotes a flag, a banner, or a standard which identified the various tribes of Israel (Nu 1:52; 2:2). It represented the tribe to which a group belonged (Nu 2:3, 10). It depicted the attitude and intent of the lover toward his bride (Song 2:4).“He has brought me to his banquet hall, And his banner over me is love." The love of the maiden for the man was the rallying point of her life. Keil and Delitzsch - “Neither the Mosaic law, nor the Old Testament generally gives us any intimation as to the form or character of the standard (deqhel). According to rabbinical tradition, the standard of Judah bore the figure of a lion, that of Reuben the likeness of a man, or of a man’s head, that of Ephraim the figure of an ox, and that of Dan the figure of an eagle; so that the four living creatures united in the cherubic forms described by Ezekiel were represented upon these four standards.” Ezekiel 1:10+ As for the form of their faces, each had the face of a man; all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull (ox) on the left, and all four had the face of an eagle. Degel - 14x in 14v - banner(1), standard(10), standards(3). Num. 1:52; Num. 2:2; Num. 2:3; Num. 2:10; Num. 2:17; Num. 2:18; Num. 2:25; Num. 2:31; Num. 2:34; Num. 10:14; Num. 10:18; Num. 10:22; Num. 10:25; Song. 2:4 Banners (0226)('oth) means a sign and most of the eighty occurrences of ʾôt refer to "miraculous signs." All the plagues on the Egyptians are called "signs." Clearly it this context it means an ensign, a standard, a flag, that marked each of the 12 tribes of Israel. Oth in Numbers - Num. 2:2; Num. 14:11; Num. 14:22; Num. 16:38; Num. 17:10; NLT Study Bible - The use of such tribal symbols or battle flags finds an analogy in modern bedouin life, where the divisions of tribe, clan, and family have long held great importance. They shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance - God in the center when camped or marching (Nu 2:31, 34), good advice for all God's soldiers! The Hebrew word for camp is chanah meaning to decline, pitch one's tent, encamp. The Lxx uses the verb paremballo meaning literally to throw up and so to enclose an object or area on all sides. Paremballo was actually a military technical term expressing preparations to besiege a city (Lk 19:43+), so even the camp was in a sense prepared for war by encircling the Tabernacle of God, a good position to assume when preparing for war (then and now beloved - Jehovah in our midst - see passage below). One is reminded of the old westerns when a wagon train was attacked by Indians and took up position to fight by encircling the wagons. NET Note adds that shall camp (must camp) is in "The imperfect tense is to be taken in the nuance of instruction." Note the phrase at a distance ("some distance" NIV, NET) with the tribe of Levi serving as guardians to prevent defilement of the sacred space and to keep anyone from experiencing God's punishment from coming too close to the tabernacle. Deut 7:21 “You shall not dread them (YOUR ENEMIES), for (TERM OF EXPLANATION) the LORD your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God. THOUGHT - Websters says "dread" usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety. Moses is telling Israel "Don't let your knees start knocking when you see the giants". God is greater & more awesome than any obstacle. This is good advice for us all in regard to addressing and defeating any of the giants (giant problems, giant obstacles, giant disappointments, giant losses, etc) in the land where God has brought us. None of these issues He allows in our life are TOO BIG for God. So don't dread them. (See How to Handle Fear) Zeph 3:17+ “The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. The tent of meeting - (See note below) This phrase is used 146x in 140v in the OT and is first used in Ex 27:21+. Tent of Meeting 56x in 54v in Numbers - Num. 1:1; Num. 2:2; Num. 2:17; Num. 3:7; Num. 3:8; Num. 3:25; Num. 3:38; Num. 4:3; Num. 4:4; Num. 4:15; Num. 4:23; Num. 4:25; Num. 4:28; Num. 4:30; Num. 4:31; Num. 4:33; Num. 4:35; Num. 4:37; Num. 4:39; Num. 4:41; Num. 4:43; Num. 4:47; Num. 6:10; Num. 6:13; Num. 6:18; Num. 7:5; Num. 7:89; Num. 8:9; Num. 8:15; Num. 8:19; Num. 8:22; Num. 8:24; Num. 8:26; Num. 10:3; Num. 11:16; Num. 12:4; Num. 14:10; Num. 16:18; Num. 16:19; Num. 16:42; Num. 16:43; Num. 16:50; Num. 17:4; Num. 18:4; Num. 18:6; Num. 18:21; Num. 18:22; Num. 18:23; Num. 18:31; Num. 19:4; Num. 20:6; Num. 25:6; Num. 27:2; Num. 31:54; Meeting (appointed times, festival, feast, meeting) (04150)(moed from the verb ya'ad meaning to appoint or fix) can refer to either a time or place of meeting (eg, in "tent of meeting"). Appointed sign, appointed time, appointed season, place of assembly, set feast. An appointed meeting time in general (Gen. 18:14; Ex. 13:10). Moed often designates a determined time or place without any regard for the purpose. Since the Jewish festivals occurred at regular intervals, this word becomes closely identified with them. Thus moed is a common term for the worshiping assembly of God's people. A specific appointed time, usually for a sacred feast or festival (Hos. 9:5; 12:9). Moed as in the present context is used of those places where God’s people were to focus on God and their relationship with Him, which would include: the tent of meeting (Ex. 33:7); the Temple (Lam. 2:6); the synagogues (Ps. 74:8). Testimony, the Hebrew noun moed, is translated marturion/martyrion (source of English "martyr") means evidence, proof, the content of what a witness tells. In the context of the "tabernacle of testimony" God Himself is the PERFECT WITNESS! Marturion is is the declaration of facts which confirms or makes something known, which is apropos for Jehovah made His will known to Moses in the Tent of Meeting! Testimony (marturion) means just that—a testimony or witness. A person can only testify to what he himself has seen or heard or experienced. A witness in a courtroom is to report only what he knows objectively, factually, and personally. He is not to speculate, guess, or deduce. Jehovah is Truth, so whatever He says is dependable and true. Marturion/martyrion in Numbers - Num. 1:1; Num. 1:50; Num. 1:53; Num. 2:2; Num. 2:17; Num. 3:7; Num. 3:8; Num. 3:10; Num. 3:25; Num. 3:38; Num. 4:3; Num. 4:4; Num. 4:5; Num. 4:15; Num. 4:23; Num. 4:25; Num. 4:26; Num. 4:28; Num. 4:30; Num. 4:31; Num. 4:33; Num. 4:35; Num. 4:37; Num. 4:39; Num. 4:41; Num. 4:43; Num. 4:47; Num. 5:17; Num. 6:10; Num. 6:13; Num. 6:18; Num. 7:5; Num. 7:89; Num. 8:9; Num. 8:15; Num. 8:19; Num. 8:22; Num. 8:24; Num. 8:26; Num. 9:15; Num. 10:3; Num. 10:11; Num. 11:16; Num. 12:4; Num. 12:5; Num. 14:10; Num. 16:18; Num. 16:19; Num. 16:42; Num. 16:43; Num. 16:50; Num. 17:4; Num. 17:7; Num. 17:8; Num. 17:10; Num. 18:2; Num. 18:4; Num. 18:6; Num. 18:21; Num. 18:22; Num. 18:23; Num. 18:31; Num. 19:4; Num. 20:6; Num. 25:6; Num. 27:2; Num. 31:54 Mishkan as it related to God's Dwelling place had at least two names - (1) Tent of meeting - First Chronicles we read "they ministered with song before the tabernacle (Lxx = skene = generally used to describe a transitory, movable lodging place for nomads, pilgrims, etc) of the tent (Heb = ohel) of meeting (See discussion of "tent of meeting"), until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem; and they served in their office according to their order." (2) Tent of Testimony - (Ex. 38:21; Nu 9:15) because the the Ten Commandments (God's "Testimony") were kept in the Holy of Holies. Of note is that once Solomon's Temple was finished, the word mishkan was almost never used of that structure.