The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Numbers 1:45-46,
"All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel's army were counted according to their families. The total number was 603,550."
The book of Numbers derives its name from this census of the fighting men as well as a second census we read of in Numbers 26:51, "The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730." The first census was taken near the beginning of Israel's forty year period in the wilderness where the second was of the next generation forty years later.
"All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel's army were counted according to their families. The total number was 603,550."
The book of Numbers derives its name from this census of the fighting men as well as a second census we read of in Numbers 26:51, "The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730." The first census was taken near the beginning of Israel's forty year period in the wilderness where the second was of the next generation forty years later.
I take these numbers as literal. It was a count of men 20 years of age and older who could serve in the military (not the older men). The count does not include the tribe of Levi as they were to serve with the tabernacle and not in Israel's fighting force. This means the total group of people (including women, children and the aged) led out of Egypt and through the desert for that forty years was several million. This was no small band of wanderers in the wilderness!
Think of the logistics! This helps us understand the provision of the Lord during Israel's wilderness wanderings: the manna, the quail, the water that came from the rock. These were no small miracles!
It seems to me that the importance of the two countings of fighting men was to show that in spite of Israel's lack of faith in God's ability to enable them to overcome the peoples in the promised land at first (remember the account of the twelve spies?) - they would do just that forty years later with no additional fighting force, the second census being slightly lower than the first.
These numbers become a faith learning tool to help us understand that victory through the Lord resides in his ability, not our resources.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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