I was telling Rudy Ross today that you must dig deeply into the Book of Numbers to find the gold that is contained in the chapters. However, if we do, there will be some profound nuggets that we will treasure and make the activity of God through Jesus even richer for us.
Let’s look at some of the nuggets of truth we will find in chapter one.
(1) And the Lord Spoke: A committee didn’t determine the information we find in numbers, nor was this book’s substance formed by an excellent author proposing an interesting theory about God.
Instead, what we read is the Word of God, declared 150 times as “God spoke.”
The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
“Take a census of the whole congregation of Israelites, in their clans, by ancestral houses, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and up, everyone in Israel able to go to war.*
You and Aaron shall enroll them, company by company” (Numbers 1:1-3).
One Hebrew name for the book of Numbers is “And Yahweh spoke,” which is the first word in the Hebrew text. It was the Vulgate, the Latin translation, that gave the book its title: Numbers.
Reflection
While the Book of Numbers certainly contains many numbers, it’s crucial not to overlook the primary emphasis: God spoke.
When God speaks, He desires, more than anything, for people to listen. He wants those who will find joy in obeying Him and whose responsive actions will please Him.
(2) In the Wilderness:
Another Hebrew title for the book of Numbers is “In the Wilderness,” which is, in fact, its most frequent Hebrew title.
As we consider the census, remember as we read the events of this book that every person counted over the age of 20 will spend their remaining days in the wilderness.
In his commentary on Numbers, Ronald Allen points out that the book begins thirteen months after the Exodus. For the past year, the Israelites have been at Mount Sinai, where they received the law, erected the tabernacle, and became God’s people.
Now, they are organized as a military force and a unified group.
The remainder of Numbers covers the thirty-eight years and nine or ten months of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness.
Reflection
Immediately following the Exodus, Israel’s time in the wilderness began with God’s provision and presence, marked by their willing obedience and the reception of His gifts. Yet, as our reading of Numbers will reveal, the wilderness soon became a place of death.
Their failure to walk in faith led them to turn their backs on God, resulting in a tragic outcome: none of the adults who left Egypt, apart from Joshua and Caleb, ever entered the Promised Land.
We do well to focus on finishing our walk with God full of faith and obedience.
(3) Prepare for Conquest: The census’s purpose was to identify those eligible for war.
As we’ll see later in the Old Testament, King David fell out of God’s favor for taking a census. The key difference, as indicated by the opening words of Numbers 1 (“And the Lord said”), is that God did not command David’s census. David’s census showed a lack of faith, while this one reflected obedience.
This census also reminds us that the nation, once enslaved, now stands as a unified people with an army.
(4) The Role of the Levites
When we account for all individuals aged 20 and older, and then include women and children, the total Israelite population at this point in their history is estimated to be between two and two and a half million.
The Levites were excluded from this census because their unique role involved ministering at God’s meeting place, the Tabernacle.
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not enroll, and you shall not take a census of them with the other Israelites.
Rather, you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the covenant and over all its equipment and over all that belongs to it; they are to carry the tabernacle and all its equipment, and they shall tend it and shall camp around the tabernacle” (Numbers 1:48-50).
Ronald Allen provides an insightful analysis of the Levites, asserting that their encampment surrounding the Tabernacle acted as a protective barrier. This prevented trespass by non-Levites and protected them from incurring God’s wrath.
The other Israelites shall camp in their respective regimental camps, by companies, but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the covenant,
That there may be no wrath on the congregation of the Israelites, and the Levites shall perform the duties of the tabernacle of the covenant” (Numbers 1:52-53).
Allen further suggests that the Levites’ proximity to the Tabernacle signified both an act of God’s grace and a tangible reminder of His presence.
Reflection
Allen repeatedly emphasizes in his commentary that Numbers is a book of worship. Despite the many numbers and sometimes troubling events within its pages, we will discover God’s constant, willing presence among His people.
We will find a God who graciously reaches out, accepting their communion, worship, and obedience.
When we dig deep into Numbers, we’ll find nuggets of truth that can draw us into a more profound love for God, a deeper obedience, and heartfelt worship of who He is.
YouTube Discussion
Join Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and me on YouTube as we discuss this chapter.
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