Month: June 2023

45.u. “Wilderness” – 10. “The Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.”

 

Numbers 3:11-13  And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the people of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the people of Israel. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine. On the day that I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both of man and of beast. They shall be mine: I am the LORD.”

 Numbers 3:45     “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.

 Numbers 3:45    “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.

 Numbers 8:16     For they are wholly given to me from among the people of Israel. Instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the people of Israel, I have taken them for myself.

 Numbers 8:18    and I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel.

 Numbers 18:6    And behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the people of Israel. They are a gift to you, given to the LORD, to do the service of the tent of meeting.

 I have taken the Levites, &c.—The consecration of this tribe did not originate in the legislative wisdom of Moses, but in the special appointment of God, who chose them as substitutes for the first-born. By an appointment made in memory of the last solemn judgment on Egypt (from which the Israelitish households were miraculously exempt) all the first-born were consecrated to God (Ex 13:12; 22:29), who thus, under peculiar circumstances, seemed to adopt the patriarchal usage of appointing the oldest to act as the priest of the family. But the privilege of redemption that was allowed the first-born opened the way for a change; and accordingly, on the full organization of the Mosaic economy, the administration of sacred things formerly committed to the first-born was transferred from them to the Levites, who received that honor partly as a tribute to Moses and Aaron, partly because this tribe had distinguished themselves by their zeal in the affair of the golden calf (Ex 32:29), and also because, being the smallest of the tribes, they could ill find suitable employment and support in the work. (See on [55]De 33:8). The designation of a special class for the sacred offices of religion was a wise arrangement; for, on their settlement in Canaan, the people would be so occupied that they might not be at leisure to wait on the service of the sanctuary, and sacred things might, from various causes, fall into neglect. But the appointment of an entire tribe to the divine service ensured the regular performance of the rites of religion. The subsequent portion of the chapter relates to the formal substitution of this tribe.

I am the Lord—that is, I decree it to be so; and being possessed of sovereign authority, I expect full obedience. (Brown)

Moreover, the Levites had proved themselves to be the most suitable of all the tribes for his post, through their firm and faithful defence of the honour of the Lord at the worship of the golden calf (Exodus 32:26.). It is in this spirit, which distinguished the tribe of Levi, that we may undoubtedly discover the reason why they were chosen by God for the service of the sanctuary. (Keil)

Loosen The Stranglehold Of Greed – Dr. Jeffress

Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
–1 Timothy 6:18-19

Immorality quenches the Spirit’s presence in our lives. Bitterness quenches the Spirit’s power to heal our hurts.  Greed quenches the Spirit’s purpose in our lives. Let me explain what I mean.

Romans 8:28-29 says God has one purpose for every Christian, and that is to conform us to the image of Christ in our actions, our attitudes, and our affections. But God also has a specific plan for your life, a unique path He wants you to travel on. And the way He communicates His unique purpose to you is through the Holy Spirit. In Philippians 2:13, Paul wrote, “It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” God has given you both the desire and the power to fulfill His unique plan for your life.

But do you know what can quench the Spirit’s purpose in your life more quickly than anything? Holding on to your money. Now, in Luke 14, Jesus said a wise person counts the cost before starting a project. But sometimes we do not follow through on what the Spirit is leading us to do because of an obsession with money. We say, “I would like to do that, God, but I just do not have the money right now,” or, “I do not want to leave my high-paying job,” or, “I had other plans for this money.” Greed can quench what the Holy Spirit is saying to us.

How do you keep greed from extinguishing God’s purpose in your life? First of all, view money realistically. Its power to protect you and satisfy you is far less than you imagine.

Second, hold on to money loosely. After you have tithed and set aside funds for your future and for emergencies, learn to hold the rest of your money loosely. Learn to hear the quiet whispers of the Holy Spirit in regard to generously giving and seek to flee from greed in your life.

Third, thank God for your money regularly.  When you express gratitude to God for what He has given you, you are reminded that it all belongs to Him, and we are but stewards of His gifts.

45.t. “Wilderness” – 9.z. “Unauthorized fire before the LORD”

 

Numbers 3:1-4  These are the generations of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.  These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to serve as priests.  But Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father.

Lev 10:1-7  – 1 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2 So fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. 3 And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace. 4 Then Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.” 5 So they went near and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said. 6 And Moses said to Aaron, and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, “Do not uncover your heads nor tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the people. But let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD has kindled. 7 “You shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD [is] upon you.” And they did according to the word of Moses.

What was their sin in thus offering it? Plainly, the narrative points to the essence of the crime in calling it ‘fire which He had not commanded.’ So this was their crime, that they were tampering with the appointed order which but a week before they had been consecrated to conserve and administer; that they were thus thrusting in self-will and personal caprice, as of equal authority with the divine commandment; that they were arrogating the right to cut and carve God’s appointments, as the whim or excitement of the moment dictated; and that they were doing their best to obliterate the distinction on the preservation of which religion, morality, and the national existence depended; namely, the distinction between holy and common, clean and unclean. To plough that distinction deep into the national consciousness was no small part of the purpose of the law; and here were two of its appointed witnesses disregarding it, and flying in its face.  They have had many successors, not only in Israel, while a ritual demanding punctilious conformity lasted, but in Christendom since. Alas! our censers are often flaming with ‘strange fire.’ How much so-called Christian worship glows with self-will or with partisan zeal! When we seek to worship God for what we can get, when we rush into His presence with hot, eager desires which we have not subordinated to His will, we are burning ‘strange fire which He has not commanded.’ The only fire which should kindle the incense in our censers, and send it up to heaven in fragrant wreaths, is fire caught from the altar of sacrifice. God must kindle the flame in our hearts if we are to render these else cold hearts to Him. (MacLaren)

This may be an emblem of dissembled love, when a man performs religious duties, prays to God, or praises him without any cordial affection to him, or obeys commands not from love, but selfish views; or of an ignorant, false, and misguided zeal, a zeal not according to knowledge, superstitious and hypocritical; or of false and strange doctrines, such as are not of God, nor agree with the voice of Christ, and are foreign to the Scriptures; or of human ordinances, and the inventions of men, and of everything that man brings of his own, in order to obtain eternal life and salvation. (Gill)

Hearing and reading God’s Word must come into willing, obedient, and reliant hearts. If not we will have worldly desires of what is right and wrong and try to mix the Word of God with that which is not ordained by God, nor does it give Honor and Glory to Him. The Word of God has little benefit in a disobedient heart that is set on its own desires and paths in life. Without a desire to be led by God for the single purpose of honoring and glorifying Him our hearts and minds become dull and our ears deaf and our hearts like stone. It is easy to spot and identify the first steps away from God that lead to such lukewarm commitment – Neglect and Complacency. The loss of desire to honor and glorify God is always preceded by a lacking desire to honor and glorify Him in all thoughts, words, and actions, which is closely followed by neglect of His Word. We might live content with our place in life but we should never be content with our growth, maturity, and service to God.

Will Graham Devotion

 

Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

A big house on several acres with multiple cars in the driveway. A prosperous life full of comfort and free from suffering. The opportunity to plot your own course and achieve your dreams through hard work and diligence.

These are a few examples of what some consider the American Dream, that national ethos which was summarized in the Declaration of Independence: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

On the surface, this is almost all you could ever ask for—the opportunity to choose your own way and have the freedom to pick your path to happiness. It’s certainly something that is not promised in other parts of the world. Many would give everything they have to come to the United States and pursue the American Dream.

I must ask, though: How’s your American Dream going? Are you finding the happiness you’re free to pursue, or has your American Dream become a nightmare?

You see, I love the idea of the American Dream. I love the belief that we all have opportunities in this great country, and if we’re willing to work and sacrifice, we can reap the benefits. With that said, there’s a bit of an inherent risk with that attitude. When it’s all about me (I’m working hard, I’m making my way, I’m going to do what I need to get ahead), it leaves very little room for the One who has promised that He has a plan for us.

I believe in the American Dream and agree that we should all work hard, for the Bible has plenty to say about downfalls of laziness. But I also believe that it’s impossible to find true and lasting peace and happiness through simply chasing prosperity and comfort.

Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21, ESV).

I don’t think I’m going too far out on a limb by assuming that many of you reading this are struggling with something in your lives. Maybe the American Dream has come true for you and you have all the money that you could ever need, but you’re finding that the material possessions aren’t buying you any happiness. Or maybe you’ve worked hard every day of your life but nothing has come easy, and it feels like you’re spinning your wheels with little hope of ever catching up, let alone getting ahead.

Regardless of where you are in the journey, I’d humbly suggest that you examine your life and see if everything you’re amassing—both your successes and struggles—are bringing you happiness and hope. Truly consider if you’ve allowed Jesus to consume your life. Are you following His path and calling, rather than your own?

The American Dream is fine—incredible, in fact—but don’t forget that for Christians “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20, ESV). By turning your eyes to Jesus, you not only find joy here on earth, but have hope for eternity as well.

45.s. “Wilderness” – 9.y. “Levites”

 

Num 1:47  But the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe. For the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle. When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. And if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death. The people of Israel shall pitch their tents by their companies, each man in his own camp and each man by his own standard. But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the people of Israel. And the Levites shall keep guard over the tabernacle of the testimony.” Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.

 Because this was a census of potential soldiers, the Tribe of Levi was not counted. They alone among the tribes of Israel did not go to war because they had special responsibility to God for the priestly duties of Israel. We also must see, that as in the case of Levi, there are some things that can’t – or shouldn’t – be counted. Israel had to appreciate that some of the most important things can’t be counted. (Guzik)

But the Levites … were not numbered among them—They were obliged to keep a register of their own. They were consecrated to the priestly office, which in all countries has been exempted customarily, and in Israel by the express authority of God, from military service. The custody of the things devoted to the divine service was assigned to them so exclusively, that “no stranger”—that is, no person, not even an Israelite of any other tribe, was allowed, under penalty of death, to approach these [Nu 16:40]. Hence they encamped round the tabernacle in order that there should be no manifestation of the divine displeasure among the people.  (Brown)

Being set aside for a particular work of God is a blessing. With it comes responsibilities and being accountable for obedience to His direction, purpose, plans, and will. Being willing, “Here am I use me, or send me” is so much more than words that come out of our mouths. It is a solid willing commitment to follow, trust, rely on, and obey the Word of God. This is where the beginning of a servant’s heart, mind, and soul is birthed. It is where the quiet whispers become seemingly shouts of thunderous direction and leading. It is where seeds of God’s Word grow and mature. It is where peace, rest, joy, hope, faith, patience, and love blossom. Where there is no watering of the heart, mind, and soul, there is no growth or maturing. Where there is no feeding there is no growth and strength. God’s Word is the bread of life and living water for the soul. Feed and drink on the Word of God with a hungering and thirsting desire and the blessings of service to others will be manifested new each day in your lives.

45.r. “Wilderness” – 9.x. “every man able to go to war in Israel— all those listed were 603,550”

 

Num 1:45  So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel— all those listed were 603,550.

 Genesis 12:2    And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

 Deuteronomy 10:22   Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

 Hebrews 11:11-12     By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.  Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

 Revelation 7:9    After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

Including women, children, and old men, together with the Levites, the whole population of Israel, on the ordinary principles of computation, amounted to about 2,400,000. (Brown)

We have here the sum total. How much was required to maintain all these in the wilderness! They were all provided for by God every day. When we observe the faithfulness of God, however unlikely the performance of his promise may appear, we may take courage as to those which yet remain to be fulfilled to the church of God. (Henry)

It is hard to imagine how a small group of ~70 that came into Egypt became greater than 2,000,000 in 200+ years not to mention how these were fed and cared for in the wilderness for 40 years. If you try to math this out it is something only God’s plans, purpose, and will could accomplish. We read in Ephesians that God can do more than we ask and much more than we can imagine. This is true here. Our God has more power, might, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and whatever other words of greatness the dictionary has. He is limitless in what He can do and what He does is according to His perfect plans, purposes, and will. The more we read His Word the more we see of His awesomeness. This is the God we serve and for sure we ought to serve Him worthy of who He is. Our thoughts each day should be in line with faithfulness, trust, reliance, obedience, and how we might honor and glorify Jesus Christ more today than yesterday.

45.q. “Wilderness” – 9.w. “So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai”

 

Num 1:19  as the LORD commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.

Num 1:21 those listed of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.

Num 1:23 those listed of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.

Num 1:25 those listed of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.

Num 1:27 those listed of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.

Num 1:29 those listed of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.

Num 1:31 those listed of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.

Num 1:33 those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.

Num 1:35 those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.

Num 1:37 those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.

Num 1:39 those listed of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.

Num 1:41 those listed of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.

Num 1:43  those listed of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400. all those listed were 603,550.

The people were numbered to show God’s faithfulness in thus increasing the seed of Jacob, that they might be the better trained for the wars and conquest of Canaan, and to ascertain their families in order to the division of the land. It is said of each tribe, that those were numbered who were able to go forth to war; they had wars before them, though now they met with no opposition. (Henry)

There is nothing material to observe, or anything different from what is in these verses, but the particular sums of each tribe numbered in which may be observed the various increase of the tribes, agreeably to divine predictions, and according to the sovereign will and infinite wisdom of God. (Gill)

600,000 men of age for battle but not ready for battle. It would be another 38 years before they would step into battle and start to claim the Promised Land. 

After we take inventory or thought to what we have we may think we are ready for something or to do something, Yet there is a timing of which God ordains as perfect. In this perfection is His purpose, will, plans, and timing. All of God’s plans and purposes are perfect. God can and does direct the paths of those called according to His purpose, of which, Honoring and Glorifying Jesus Christ is most certainly first. We come into all kinds of problems when we live apart from this purpose. Direction from God does not fall on deaf ears and hardened hearts of stone. Plans made in this state of neglect will be outside of His plans and purpose. Oh, they may seem like they are right and worthy, but are they of God’s direction? Only you know. You know if you are walking with God, living to honor and glorify Jesus Christ, growing and maturing in the knowledge of God’s Holiness and the sinfulness of sin, or if you are living apart from Him in a lukewarm commitment. You know if you are complacent, seeking more of the worldly than godly, letting the busyness of life consume your time and give you an excuse to be neglectful and complacent.  You know. 

45.p. “Wilderness” – 9.v. “The names of the men who shall assist you”

 

Numbers 1:5-18.   And these are the names of the men who shall assist you. From Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran; from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.” These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the chiefs of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel. Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named, and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, as the LORD commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.

In general, the names have a significant and positive spiritual meaning, saying something good about the spiritual life of the Israeli community that left Egypt. These are Hebrew names. believing names; not Egyptian names. Most all the names make reference to God (Elohim).

 From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur– whose name can mean, (My) God Is a Rock.

· From the tribe of Simeon, Shelumiel– whose name can mean, (My) Peace Is God.

· From the tribe of Judah, Nahshon– whose name can mean, (My) People Are Noble.

· From the tribe of Issachar, Nethanel– whose name can mean, Gift of God.

· From the tribe of Zebulun, Eliab– whose name can mean, (My) God Is Father.

· From the tribe of Ephraim, Elishama– whose name can mean, (My) God Hears. This man was the grandfather of Joshua · From the tribe of Manasseh, Gamaliel– whose name can mean, Reward of God.

· From the tribe of Benjamin, Abidan– whose name can mean, (My) Father Is Judge.

· From the tribe of Dan, Ahiezer– whose name can mean, (My) Brother Is a Helper.

· From the tribe of Asher, Pagiel– whose name can mean, Met by God.

· From the tribe of Gad, Eliasaph– whose name can mean, (My) God Has Added, Multiplied.

· From the tribe of Naphtali, Ahira– whose name can mean, (My) Brother Is Evil.

God’s guidance to Israel gave attention to both the individual and to the community. Both aspects were important and continue to be important today. “Under the New Covenant there is a distribution of grace to every one, an endowment of each according to his faith with priestly and even kingly powers…. [Yet] The commission each receives is not to be a free- lance in the Divine warfare, but to take his right place in the ranks; and that place he must find.” (Guzik)

It will be another 38-39 years before they go into battle in the promised land. Establishing numbers, ranks, order, and will not only affect these men but those born over the next 38 years. In establishing order there is not only purpose but a joining together, but a uniting of spirit for the cause. Plans are developed and actions taken based on rank and order. Unity in purpose is a strong bond that will overcome doubts. Having God lead, guide, and teach them in the wilderness about godliness, sin, obedience, and faith will take time for them to mature as a unified nation before moving into take the promised land.

God’s Will Be Done – Dr. Jeffress

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
–Proverbs 3:5-6

If we are going to pray consistently, we have to settle the question of what we ought to pray for. Is it wrong to pray for things we want? Should we just pray, “Lord, Your will be done”? The model prayer Jesus gave us in Matthew 6 includes the priority of God’s purpose: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (v. 10). When we pray “Your kingdom come,” we are praying for Jesus’s future kingdom on earth. But we are also praying for the rule of Jesus in our lives right now. We are saying, “God, I am going to obey Your preceptive will–the precepts you have revealed in the Bible. I am going to quit fighting You and obey.”

You see, the Bible says you do not have to wait until you die to experience the benefits of being a Christian–you can experience them right now to the extent that you allow God to be your King and submit to His rule in your life.

For example, what part of heaven are you most looking forward to? You might say, “I want to be free from anxiety.” You do not have wait until you die to experience that. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). You can have that peace right now by submitting to God’s rule in your life. Or you might say, “I am looking forward to not worrying about money all the time.” You do not have to wait until you die to have contentment. Paul said, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” (Philippians 4:11). Or you might say, “I want to being free from the results of sin.” Guess what? You do not have to wait until you die to be free from the power of sin. Paul said in Romans 6:12, “Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts.” You can experience God’s power in your life right now by doing the things you already know are pleasing to Him.

But submitting to God’s rule also means submitting to His providential will–His plan that governs our lives. Let’s face it: most of the time, we can only see God’s will in the rearview mirror. We pray, “Lord, please restore this relationship,” or, “Lord, please heal my loved one,” but we do not know whether that is God’s will. So how do we pray in those situations?

Jesus gave us a model in the garden of Gethsemane. He prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me.” Then He added, “Yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). That is what it means to acquiesce to God’s will: pray for what you want to be done, but then submit to God’s ultimate will, trusting He has your best interests at heart.

45.o. “Wilderness” – 9.u. “Take a census”

 

Numbers 1:1-4  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 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.

As recorded in the book of Exodus, God miraculously rescued Israel from their long slavery in Egypt. They came through the Red Sea and saw God provide through the desert wilderness. Israel then came to Mount Sinai where God appeared to them in a spectacular way. At Mount Sinai Moses went up to meet with God and receive the law. At Mount Sinai, the people of Israel also honored an idolatrous image of a golden calf and were afterward corrected by the LORD. The main part of the book of Exodus covers about one year, and Leviticus only a month – but the story of the book of Numbers covers more than 38 years.

The book of Numbers approaches it all God’s way. In the wilderness, one may be tempted to launch a hundred different schemes and plans to move forward. But only God’s way really works; and the book of Numbers tells us about God’s way. The idea that the LORD spoke to Moses is repeated more than 150 times

The book of Numbers is all about God’s people in the Wilderness – how they got there, how God dealt with them in the wilderness, and how He brought them out of the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land.

“The theme of the book of Numbers is the journey to the Promised Land of Canaan. Its opening ten chapters, covering a mere fifty days, describe how Moses organized Israel for the march from Sinai to the Promised Land.”

“So the Israelites had been slaves in the land of Goshen; their tasks were appointed, and their taskmasters compelled their obedience. Their difficulties had been great, their bondage cruel, but they were free from the necessity of thought and arrangement. Having escaped from their taskmaster, they imagined that freedom meant escape from rule. They had been taught in their year of encampment under the shadow of the mountain that they had to submit to law, and it was irksome to them, and they became discontented. This discontent resulted from lack of perfect confidence in God.”

Now they were numbered again for the purpose of organizing and counting an army. God wanted the count made by their families because the strength of Israel was determined by looking at the strength of individual families. This was a military census to see who could fight for Israel in taking the Promised Land. This was the first step in taking the Promised Land – an inventory to understand the resources they had to conquer the Promised Land. The taking of this census would have a great effect on the nation. As the count was made, every family knew preparations were being made for war. (Guzik)