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i have always been partial to the trumpet. My grandfather gave me my first trumpet when i was nine years old. He got it used, and it had seen better days. The bell was bent and the brass finish was pitted, but there wasn’t anything more beautiful to me. i can remember, however, the dreadful sounds it initially made, due in no part to the instrument itself, when i first put it up to my lips.

Gratefully, perhaps out of self-preservation, my parents soon arranged for me to receive lessons from Mrs. Finkbinder. i thoroughly enjoyed those weekly lessons. i envisioned myself becoming a trumpet virtuoso like my instructor. But sadly, i must confess, during those early years, i was less enthusiastic about my daily practice times between lessons. So, though my knowledge of the basics soon improved, my playing was less melodious and more mechanical.

All of that changed, however, when i entered middle school. Suddenly i had the opportunity to play in a band . . . and soon a jazz band . . .and then an orchestra, and suddenly my desire to hone my skill escalated. i relished the versatility of the trumpet – its capability to be used to play a wide variety of musical styles from classical to contemporary, from fanfare to farewell, and from melodic to harmonic. It is one of the few instruments that is as much at home on the battlefield as it is at the pep rally, in the concert hall as it is in the cathedral, and in the wedding procession as it is on the burial ground. Since its creation, it has been used to sound the charge as well as the retreat, the joy of victory as well as the mourning of defeat, and the melodies of celebration as well as the dirges of commemoration.

One day in the wilderness, the Lord said to Moses, “Make two trumpets of beaten silver.”(1) The trumpets were to be used for summoning and signaling, as an alarm and a reminder, as an announcement of celebratory gladness and reverent rejoicing. But most of all, the trumpets were to serve as a reminder to the Lord of His covenant with His people. It is interesting to me that these trumpets were forged and formed in the wilderness. They were not brought from Egypt. They would have purpose in the wilderness and they would have a continuing purpose in the Promised Land.

i’ve come to believe, there is greater value in instruments formed in the wilderness. They are more durable and resilient; they are made to take more of a beating. The journey and the conditions are such that the instrument isn’t pampered; it must endure greater hardship. But that hardship results in a heartier instrument – one with greater strength and stamina.

God chose to have the trumpets made out of silver. Silver is strong – once formed, it will hold its shape. It is ductile; it can be elongated and stretched beyond its original confines. It is malleable; it can be molded and shaped into any form. It can endure extreme temperature changes. The maker will use extreme heat to remove any impurities, or dross, in the silver. And as the dross is removed, the instrument will take on an attractive shiny appearance, a finish that reflects radiated light and the image of its maker.

The purer the silver becomes, the clearer the reflected image becomes. It is interesting to note that when all of the impurities are removed, silver does not radiate its own image, it purely reflects the image of the one who made it, and those around it. Silver also gave the trumpet a richer and more resonant sound over other metals. It gave it a “voice” that was distinctly different and sounded with a superior consonance when used by the instrument’s player or maker.

God continues to form His instruments through our life journeys as well. He is forming His trumpets – you and me – for His purpose. As His instruments, we will have even greater value having been shaped by the wilderness experiences of our lives. The Maker is molding us and shaping us for His express purpose. The stress that He uses in the process will be sufficient to bend us without breaking us. (He may even choose to bring us to a place of brokenness – a complete dependence upon Him – but He will not leave us in pieces.)

The heat of the fire He uses will be sufficient to remove all of the dross without scalding the silver. He will leave no blemish, though He will probably leave His fingerprints. God leads us on our journeys of faith through the wilderness, and part of His purpose is to form us into just such an instrument – an instrument formed by the Master and forged through faith.

James writes, “For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”(2)

Yes, God will use us as His instruments in the wildernesses of our lives, but He will also use those experiences to prepare us for His use in His land of promise for our lives. And His handiwork will be a reminder to Him of His covenant with us that He is our God and we are His trumpets – formed and forged in the wilderness.

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You can read about the two trumpets in the Book of Numbers, chapter 10.

The post is taken from chapter 7 of my book, The Wandering Years. For more information about the book, click here.

(1)  Numbers 10:1-2, 6-7, 9-10 (NLT)

Now the LORD said to Moses, "Make two trumpets of beaten silver to be used for summoning the people to assemble and for signaling the breaking of camp… You must sound short blasts to signal moving on. But when you call the people to an assembly, blow the trumpets using a different signal… When you arrive in your own land and go to war against your enemies, you must sound the alarm with these trumpets so the LORD your God will remember you and rescue you from your enemies. Blow the trumpets in times of gladness, too, sounding them at your annual festivals and at the beginning of each month to rejoice over your burnt offerings and peace offerings. The trumpets will remind the LORD your God of his covenant with you. I am the LORD your God."

(2)  James 1:3-4 (NLT)

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