Coastal residents in Oregon understand tsunami warning-sirens. They have to—a tidal wave triggered by an earthquake on the main offshore fault would crash into the shore in about twenty minutes. City officials run regular tests of the system and post clear instructions about the sirens in public places. Whatever a person is doing, they’re always […]
Once in a lifetime the Jews experienced a year of debt cancellation. The fiftieth year of Jubilee was a super-Sabbath. A ram’s horn trumpet (shofar) signaled its beginning. Everyone knew about Sabbath years; they happened on the seventh year. The land was allowed to rest—no sowing, pruning, or gleaning. Crops that sprouted from the soil […]
Jewish New Year began with a blast—a trumpet blast (Num. 29:1-6, Lev. 23:23-25). People had a holiday and the priests made multiple sacrifices and blew a “remembrance signal” (teruah). It sounds like fun, but it was serious. The Jewish religious year begins at Passover, celebrating the Exodus, but the civil year starts with plowing to […]
Don’t think the prophets were all about doom and gloom—there is more to prophecy than that. Joel 2:1-19 is a two-toned message. Joel began by trumpeting a warning of impending judgment in the form of a ravaging army from the north. However, he emphasized that God might still relent of evil and restore His blessing […]
Old Testament prophets were about as popular as an air-raid warning. They jarred the nerves and forced a difficult choice: Put life on hold and run for cover, or take a chance that it was a false alarm and continue life as normal. “Judgment might not fall on us anyway; we’re in a safe place.” […]
Silver trumpets sounded an alarm for war (Num. 31:6) and accompanied sacrifices (Num. 10:9-10). The passage illustrates the church’s intercession. The alarms probably gave battle orders to the fighters, keeping them united and coordinated, but they had a more important function—they signaled to God. Israel did not win battles by military prowess or overwhelming numbers; […]
Jericho was a heavily fortified garrison town blocking the door to the Promised Land. Israel arrived at the city ill-equipped to capture it; she had wandered forty years in the wilderness and came with few hand weapons, let alone battering rams and siege towers. To human eyes, the situation looked hopeless—but we’re meant to see […]
Volunteer Fire Departments sometimes sound a siren to summon the firefighters to action. On hearing it, they drop everything and rush to the revved-up fire truck. Israel’s fighters listened for signals from silver trumpets (Num. 10:9; 31:6). The Judges Ehud and Gideon rallied followers with ram’s horn trumpets (Judg. 3:27, 6:34). Trumpets mobilized Israel for […]
King David was dying and the future of the kingdom hung in the balance. David’s son Adonijah had exalted himself as king-in-waiting. When David heard the news from loyal family and officials, he called a meeting. Frail David could still be decisive; he arranged an emergency coronation. Solomon rode the royal mule to Gihon and […]
When Saul first became king, he led a military campaign against the Philistines. He commanded part of the army; his son Jonathan headed another division. 1 Samuel 13:1-4 tells us “Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba … then Saul blew the trumpet (shofar) throughout the land” to announce the victory. […]