The title of “Numbers” is likely derived from the record of the census and camp arrangements that begin the book. The Hebrew title, “In the Wilderness,” is probably more appropriate for the geographical and spiritual contents of this book.

Numbers will be broken into three very distinct sections. First, comes the aforementioned census and a variety of laws and their fulfillment. Don’t worry, because there is a substantial change in chapter 10, when Israel breaks camp and heads toward Canaan, launching the middle section of narrative (yea, narrative!). The final third of the book is a mixture of narrative, law, fulfillment… and wilderness.

Our reading begins today one month after the completion of the Tabernacle and thirteen months after the night of the Passover. A command comes to Moses: “Take a count of your soldiers, tribe by tribe.” This census is recorded in painstaking detail, as with everything else we’ve seen.

Chapter 2 diagrams how the camp was arranged: which tribes were situated on the north, south, east and west sides of the Tabernacle. Remember from Leviticus, the Tabernacle was the center of Israelite life and at the physical center of their camp.

Chapter 3 spends considerable time expounding on a theme we first saw in chapter 1: that the tribe of Levi was specially set aside for the service of the Tabernacle. Remember that Aaron, the High Priest, is a Levite. His set-apartness is representative of his entire tribe’s.

A comment needs to be made about the numbers represented here. In our English Bibles the total number of warriors exceeds 600,000. Add in women, children, and the elderly, and 2 to 3 million people could be counted here.

This number comes up against some significant factors, not the least of which is that the present nation of Israel is a densely-populated 8 million people. There is the further issue of archaeology digging up cities and towns in Canaan numbering in the hundreds – virtually empty before such an invading force.

This all hinges on the translation of one Hebrew word – elef – which is variously translated “thousand” or “clan” or “military unit.” There could have been as few as 25,000 people in the wilderness, depending on how this one word gets translated. But, since the translation issues impact all the nations they will face, and since the LORD is giving Canaan to them, the odds facing Israel are the same. Remember that neither translation nor archaeology are perfect sciences, and that there is no matter of belief impacted here. It is best left in the category of mysterious curiosity.

Our verse for this week is Ephesians 5:2: “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Numbers chapters 1 through 3. Now let’s read it!

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