"The sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow the trumpets" (v. 8a). Only the sons of Aaron, the most spiritual persons, those closest to God, those who knew His heart and intention, could blow the trumpets.
The sons of Israel were to sound an alarm with the trumpets when they went to war in their own land against their adversary. "When you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you shall be remembered before Jehovah your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies" (v. 9). This verse speaks of the adversary, the enemy, and being remembered before God. An adversary is different from an enemy. Whereas an enemy comes from without, an adversary comes from within. To sound an alarm with the trumpet is a marvelous thing because this causes us to be remembered by God and to be saved from our enemies.
"On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts, and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; they shall be to you for remembrance before your God: I am Jehovah your God" (v. 10). This verse speaks of three kinds of occasions: the day of gladness, the appointed feasts, and the beginning of months. (In typology God pays much attention to the new moon, to the beginning of a new month; we, however, may not pay adequate attention to the matter of a new beginning daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly.) On these occasions the sons of Israel were to blow the trumpets over their burnt offerings and their peace offerings. The burnt offering signifies Christ as our acceptance by God and as our living; the peace offering signifies Christ as our peace and enjoyment with God.
Of the five basic offerings, the burnt offering and the peace offering are great enjoyments to God and to His people. The burnt offering indicates that God's people are absolute for Him. Because of this offering, God has enjoyment, and His people also have enjoyment. Hence, both God and His people are happy, and the day becomes a day of gladness, even a feast. At such a time, the trumpets were to be sounded over the burnt offerings. This indicates that when we are absolute for God, there will be a day of gladness, a day for both God and us to have enjoyment. In the same principle, when we and God live in peace, remain in peace, and enjoy peace as a mutual fellowship, there will also be a great day. When in the church today God's children are absolute for Him and dwell together with God in peace, there will be a great day, a day worthy of blowing the trumpets.
The guidance for the children of Israel in their move was both from the heavens (the cloud) and from the earth (the two trumpets). When the cloud moved, all the people received the sign to move. When the trumpets sounded, they took action to set out. Today we have the Spirit and the Word, and quite often the Word becomes an alarm to us.