OK....this chapter is called Numbers because it is all about the very first census ever taken...did you know that? I didn't....Very cool...all men over the age of 20 that can fight, are counted. The Tribe of Levi is not, because they will maintain the Tabernacle. Numbers also comes from the Hebrew word Bamidar which means 'In the Wilderness'.....you are going to find out that the Hebrews are going to get grumbly and discontented which will lead to rebellion...therefore, the nation is going to be "in the wilderness" for a lot longer than they needed to be......remember,we just finished Leviticus which talked about blessings for obedience.......
Moses is now preparing the nation to pack up and move forward to the Promised Land (Canaan)......
All the numbers shows the organization that Moses is trying do. The large nation (remember it was a covenant to increase the descendents of Abraham) is organized into tribes....this will help to divide up the Promised Land when they get there....the Hebrews weren't known by last names like we were are today, but by family or tribe.....these detailed geneology records were the only thing to prove membership in God's chosen nation....the people followed the banner (or flag) of the particular tribe they were in. Can you imagine all this? That is over 2 million people that Moses had to manage.....wonder if he had any of the problems that we have with a "growing church" LOL
Look what comes up from the depths of the sea.
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Just wondering can Jewish people today trace their ancestry through the male line all the way back to one of these tribes? Wasn't Jesus was a descendant of the tribe of Dan?
ReplyDeleteJesus actually came from the tribe of Judah! You'll see in Hebrews that when a new covenant came, a new priesthood was needed, so Jesus, our High Priest is not from the Levite tribe...pretty cool, huh?
ReplyDeleteMy bible gives description of each book at the beginning. It says that Numbers teach us that God will allow us to go through a prolonged wilderness experiences, not only to get our attention, but to change our thinking and behavior. Numbers shows us that wrong choices bring specific consequences, and some are very painful.
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