Today we are beginning the study of the Book of Numbers. Although there are lots of lists in this book, there are also some great stories as well. Pastor Chuck Swindoll in Insight for Living describes Numbers this way:
“Who wrote the book?
As it does for the rest of the Pentateuch, universal Jewish and Christian tradition attributes the authorship of the book of Numbers to Moses. Moses is the central figure within the book, and in at least two instances Numbers mentions him recording events by the Lord’s commands (Numbers 33:2; 36:13).
The name “Numbers” is a translation of Arithmoi, from the Septuagint, titled thus because the book contains many statistics, population counts, tribal and priestly figures, and other numerical data. The Hebrew name comes from the first sentence of the book and means “in the desert of ”; it is perhaps an even more accurate description of the book’s content, which follows the Israelites through almost forty years of wandering in the desert.1
Where are we?
The events of the book began in the second year after the Israelites departed Egypt, as they camped at Mount Sinai around 1444 BC (Numbers 1:1). The narrative ends thirty-eight years later “in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho” (36:13) in 1406 BC. Numbers records the people’s long wandering in the desert of Sinai, their time at the oasis of Kadesh-barnea, and their eventual arrival at the banks of the Jordan River across from the Promised Land.
The Lord directed the message of Numbers toward the younger generation, children of the former slaves who escaped through the Red Sea. Except for Joshua, Caleb, and Moses, the older generation—everyone twenty years old or older at the time of the first census—died before the completion of Numbers, due to their disobedience and disbelief (Numbers 14:22–30). Moses completed the book before his death (Deuteronomy 31:24).
Why is Numbers so important?
Numbers takes the reader on a long and winding path through a desert of excruciating detail. The book records census results for all twelve tribes not once, but twice; it documents priestly instructions for handling the Ark of the Covenant and the tabernacle; and it even spells out the placement of the tribes when they camped. But through it all, we cannot doubt God’s unfailing direction over the nation.
As a history of the nation not yet established in the land promised them long ago, this book unveils significant events sometimes referenced later in Scripture. Joshua and Caleb alone among the twelve spies encouraged Israel to take possession of the land (Numbers 13–14; Joshua 14:7); Moses struck a rock and water spouted forth (Numbers 20:11; Psalm 106:32); Moses lifted up a bronze serpent on a pole so that believing Israelites might be healed of their snake bites (Numbers 21:6–9; John 3:14); and Balaam was rebuked by his donkey (Numbers 22:21–34; Revelation 2:14).
What’s the big idea?
In this book, the people of Israel tested God’s patience, and He in turn tested their endurance and faithfulness. Though the people failed many times, God showed His own faithfulness by His constant presence leading the way: through a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
More than just a history lesson, the book of Numbers reveals how God reminded Israel that He does not tolerate rebellion, complaining, and disbelief without invoking consequences. He taught His people how to walk with Him—not just with their feet through the wilderness but with their mouths in worship, hands in service, and lives as witnesses to the surrounding nations. He was their God, they were His people, and He expected them to act like it.”
How do I apply this?
Modern readers can take away from Numbers not only a thorough history of Israel’s early days but also a renewed sense of God’s delight in obedience. He is our God, too, and He wants us to live righteously, worshipping Him through our words and works.
The journey of the Israelites through the wilderness earned the apostle Paul’s notice when he penned his first letter to the Corinthian church. “These things happened,” he wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:6, “as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.”
Do you see any resemblance between the grumbling, rebellious Israelites and yourself? How can you avoid following their example? With humility and sincerity, pray for a soft heart, open to God’s guiding hand.”
APPLICATION: My feeling regarding the lists in Numbers is “chew up the meat and spit out the bones.” Lists can be tedious; however, just as we find ourselves going to sleep, there will be a nugget of wisdom or insight stuck in the middle of a list.
The big stumbling block for the Israelites was obedience. God deliberately chose a people who had virtually lost their identity during 400 years of slavery to become His people. Were these people grateful and eager to obey? Are you kidding? Once delivered, the Israelites “got the big head,” as people in the American South are likely to say of anyone thinking better of himself than he should.
Despite incredible miracles of food, water, protection, etc., the Israelites were rarely grateful and generally griping. (Some people think that the name “manna” means “what is it?”) Poor Moses! There were undoubtedly times when he wished he were back herding sheep. No matter how many miracles God was doing, the Israelites were kvetching. (The term “kvetch” is a Yiddish term that refers to complaining constantly in a nagging way. A kvetcher never gives up and always finds new things to complain about. An old lady in a nursing home was complaining about the food, “It’s not fit for dogs! They should take it away! And such small portions!” That lady was a chronic kvetcher. One Ghanaian friend recently described an ungrateful person as someone who would eat and then claim he never had touched a bite of food.
As we study Numbers, we must ask ourselves how closely we resemble the ancient Israelites. God has given us life and health-do we thank Him for those things or take them for granted? When God asks us to do something that is unpleasant or difficult, do we obey or argue? It’s all about choices. Today, let’s choose to be grateful and avoid kvetching.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to love You more each day than we did the day before. Help us to remember that You bring hard things into our lives for a variety of reasons. Help us to obey instead of rebelling. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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