We are in Numbers chapter nine with our word for today which actually two words in the original but translated as one word in English. בֵּ֧ין הָֽעֲרְבַּ֛יִם at twilight, literally between the two evenings or the interval between evening. The word בַּ֫יִן interval, between, space between is used 480 times in the Old Testament. The word עֶ֫רֶב sunset, evening is used 134 times in the Old Testament. Both of these words together בֵּ֧ין הָֽעֲרְבַּ֛יִם translated twilight is used 11 times in the Old Testament, 3 times in our chapter. Our phrase is used in the context of the daily offerings. Numbers 28:3-4, 8 And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the Lord: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering. The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer בֵּ֥ין הָֽעַרְבָּֽיִם at twilight … The other lamb you shall offer בֵּ֣ין הָֽעַרְבָּ֑יִם at twilight. Like the grain offering of the morning, and like its drink offering, you shall offer it as a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the Lord. We also see our word used referring to the priest instructions for the lamps at the tabernacle worship. Exodus 30:7-8 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps בֵּ֥ין הָעֲרְבַּ֖יִם at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. Our phrase is used when God is responding to the people’s grumbling. Exodus 16:11-12 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, בֵּ֤ין הָֽעַרְבַּ֙יִם֙ ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” All the other uses of our word are in the context of the Passover. This is the way our phrase is used 3 times in our chapter. Numbers 9:2-5, 11-12 “Let the people of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month, בֵּ֧ין הָֽעֲרְבַּ֛יִם at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time; according to all its statutes and all its rules you shall keep it.” So Moses told the people of Israel that they should keep the Passover. And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, בֵּ֥ין הָעַרְבַּ֖יִם at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the people of Israel did … In the second month on the fourteenth day בֵּ֥ין הָעַרְבַּ֖יִם at twilight they shall keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They shall leave none of it until the morning, nor break any of its bones; according to all the statute for the Passover they shall keep it. What is interesting about our phrase is it shows the Hebrew concept of time which emphasized God’s action. As we already looked at our phrase is literally between the two evenings. We understand that the Hebrew day was reckoned from evening to evening. The Passover lamb was slain “between the evenings” on Friday the fourteenth of Nisan, before the arrival of the next day. Israel left Egypt on the fifteenth of Nisan, at night. After all of years of waiting God moved right away at the very beginning of the day He said he would act. We see this through out the Bible that it seems like things take a long time from our perspective but when God is ready he acts immediately. I’ll close with these great passages. 2 Peter 3:4, 8-10 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” … But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
