Day 42, Numbers 1-2

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Starting the Book of Numbers today, which got its name from the two censuses that are central features of this book. This book tells how God’s people traveled from Mount Sinai to the border of the Promised Land. But when they refused to take possession of the Land, God made them wander in the wilderness for nearly forty years. Traditionally, Jews and Christians recognize Moses as the author, writing during the final year of his life.

“The Lord spoke to Moses”

This is one of the most pervasive emphasis in Numbers, the fact that the Lord spoke to Moses and through Moses to Israel. From the opening words to the closing words, this is stated over 150 times and in more than 20 different ways.

The events of Numbers cover a period of 38 years and nine or ten months, i.e. the period of Israel’s desert wanderings. Thirteen months after the exodus, Numbers begins. Israel had spent the previous year in the region of Mount Sinai receiving law and erecting the tabernacle. Now she was to be mustered as a military force for an orderly march, hence taking the census.

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company. And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers.”

-Numbers 1:2-4

Moses and Aaron were to complete the task together, but primarily Moses was in charge of taking the census. Its main purpose was to form a military roster, not a social, political, or taxing document.

By having a representative from each tribe assist Moses and Aaron, the count would be regarded as legitimate by all.

For each tribe there are two verses in repetitive formulaic structure, giving: 1.) the name of the tribe
2.) the specifics of those numbered
3.) the name of the tribe again
4.) the total count for the tribe
The numbers for each tribe are rounded to the nearest hundred, except for Gad to fifty.

This large number of men calculated for the army suggests a population for the entire community in excess of 2,000,000. This is an amazing growth from the 70 Israelites who entered Egypt. This was an example of God’s blessing and his faithfulness to his covenant with Abraham.

The Levites were not listed in the census for the Lord told Moses not to list them because they would be appointed over the tabernacle, therefore they would not to go to war. They too had to perform service to the Lord, but they were to be engaged in the ceremonies and maintenance of the tabernacle. They were to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, take care of it, and camp around it. They were the ones to set up and take down the tabernacle, and were to guard over it.

The Lord told Moses that the people of Israel shall camp by their own standard, with banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.