The Tribes and Leaders by Armies
“And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: “Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father’s house; they shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting. On the east side, toward the rising of the sun, those of the standard of the forces with Judah shall camp according to their armies; and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be the leader of the children of Judah.” And his army was numbered at seventy-four thousand six hundred.
“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and Nethanel the son of Zuar shall be the leader of the children of Issachar.” And his army was numbered at fifty-four thousand four hundred.
“Then comes the tribe of Zebulun, and Eliab the son of Helon shall be the leader of the children of Zebulun.” And his army was numbered at fifty-seven thousand four hundred. “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Judah, one hundred and eighty-six thousand four hundred—these shall break camp first.
“On the south side shall be the standard of the forces with Reuben according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.” And his army was numbered at forty-six thousand five hundred.
“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, and the leader of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.” And his army was numbered at fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
“Then comes the tribe of Gad, and the leader of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of [c]Reuel.” And his army was numbered at forty-five thousand six hundred and fifty. “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Reuben, one hundred and fifty-one thousand four hundred and fifty—they shall be the second to break camp.
“And the tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps; as they camp, so they shall move out, everyone in his place, by their standards.
“On the west side shall be the standard of the forces with Ephraim according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud.” And his army was numbered at forty thousand five hundred.
“Next to him comes the tribe of Manasseh, and the leader of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.” And his army was numbered at thirty-two thousand two hundred.
“Then comes the tribe of Benjamin, and the leader of the children of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni.” And his army was numbered at thirty-five thousand four hundred. “All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Ephraim, one hundred and eight thousand one hundred—they shall be the third to break camp.
“The standard of the forces with Dan shall be on the north side according to their armies, and the leader of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.” And his army was numbered at sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
“Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, and the leader of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran.” And his army was numbered at forty-one thousand five hundred.
“Then comes the tribe of Naphtali, and the leader of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan.” And his army was numbered at fifty-three thousand four hundred. “All who were numbered of the forces with Dan, one hundred and fifty-seven thousand six hundred—they shall break camp last, with their standards.”
These are the ones who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers’ houses. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, just as the Lord commanded Moses.
Thus the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses; so they camped by their standards and so they broke camp, each one by his family, according to their fathers’ houses.”
O.K. So, you’re Moses and you have just crossed the Red Sea with the Israelites, a throng of about two million people. Now you have the tabernacle to protect and God wants you to move all these people across a wilderness in an organized fashion. If you call a meeting of your leaders, there will be nothing but wrangling: “We should be first! We are the biggest tribe!” “No! We should be first! We have the most warriors!” “No, we should be first. We are the most important!” And then there’s the question of tribal leadership, an issue that will lead to even more disputes. Organizing this mob is going to be as easy and predictable as herding cats that will take off in all directions. Meanwhile, you know that there are enemies out there. Everybody knows the Egyptians were so anxious to get rid of the Israelites that the Egyptians loaded up the Israelites with all their treasures. Now the Israelites are a rich prize simply ripe for the plucking by the first band of marauders that comes along. This is when God steps in and gives orders.
God arranges things so that there are three tribes on each side of the Levites, protecting the Tabernacle and all of its furnishings. Remember that Ephraim and Manasseh are each counted separately, allowing for this arrangement. There are 186,400 warriors on the east, 151,450 on the south, 108,100 on the west, and 157,600 on the north. God not only orders the arrangement but also identifies the commander for each tribe. The tribe of Levi will always be in the center of the group, receiving protection from the other tribes.
APPLICATION: God is a God of order, not a God of confusion. Centuries later, Saint Paul will tell the Corinthians, “ For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” (1 Corinthians 14:33) Why is this so important for us? If we find ourselves confused, we can ask God for enlightenment, confident that He will give us perfect guidance. But we must be willing to receive that guidance and to act on it. “God, you MUST be kidding!” is not a useful answer.
James 1:5-8 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” As we study Numbers, we will realize that the Israelites messed up repeatedly; however, when they followed God’s commands, they had peace and order. Are you struggling with a thorny problem? Bring it to God in prayer and ask Him for guidance. But be ready to obey; otherwise, you are wasting both your time and God’s!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, many of us feel confused and upset. Help us to bring our problems to You and then trust You for perfect solutions. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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