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Introduction…
- The whole counsel of God
- Our desire to is to teach through the whole Bible Genesis to Revelation
- Acts 20:27 – “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”
- We have finished Leviticus – and will now move on to Numbers…
- Who wrote the book of Numbers and when…
- Ultimately inspired by the Holy Spirit – the written Word of God – II Timothy 3:16
- Moses wrote the book as well as the rest of the Torah/Pentateuch (1st 5 books of the Bible)
- Thought to have been written during the wilderness wandering of Israel 1450~1490 B.C.
- The Outline of Numbers…
- There are 36 chapters / 917 verses – in the book of Numbers…
- We will cover between 1 – 5 chapters a week (4 months) – highlighting key sections…
- There are 4 main divisions to the Book…
- Numbers 1-10 – Final instructions for Israel at Mt. Sinai…
- Chapters 1-4 – The Twelve tribes counted / The Levites numbered
- Chapters 5-10 – Cleaning the camp / Nazarite vow / Dedication of the Altar / Passover / Leaving Mt. Sinai
- Numbers 11-14 – Mt. Sinai to Kadesh Barnea (Promised Land)…
- Chapter 11 – Israel complaining against Moses
- Chapter 12-13 – Moses authority challenged / Searching out the Promised Land
- Chapter 14 – Disobedience and punishment
- Numbers 15-19 – Forty years in the wilderness…
- Chapter 15-16 – Laws about offerings / Rebellion of Korah
- Chapter 17-19 – Aaron’s staff / Laws for the priests / Purification
- Numbers 20-36 – The 40th year…
- Chapter 20-21 – Sin of Moses – death of Aaron / The bronze serpent
- Chapter 22-24 – Balaam
- Chapter 25-26 – Sin of Baal Peor / the 2nd counting of the twelve tribes
- Chapter 27 – Daughters of Zelophehad
- Chapter 28-30 – Various offerings / Concerning vows
- Chapter 31-33 – War against the Midianites / Reuben – Gad – Manasseh / Review of the journey
- Chapter 34-36 – Division of the Promised Land
- Numbers 1-10 – Final instructions for Israel at Mt. Sinai…
- The theme of Numbers…
- A book of counting – the name comes from its Greek title (Αριθμοί – Arithmoi)…
- The book gets its name from the fact it contains the count (numbers) of Israel…
- It opens up with a census – numbering the people of Israel…
- This is the 1st group that God brought out of Egypt – crossed the Red Sea…
- Then it concludes with a 2nd counting of the people of Israel after the 40 years…
- This is the 2nd group – the children of those who came out of Egypt…
- They were the ones who were actually able to enter the Promised Land!
- Having received the Law of God – Leviticus…
- God had taken a group of slaves and redeemed them from the bondage of Egypt…
- He had given them His Law – made them into His nation / His people…
- God was now ready to take Israel into the Promised Land…
- Numbers covers a period of 40 years – from Mt. Sinai to the Promised Land…
- The Hebrew name for the book is במדבר ‘Bemidbar’ – meaning ‘desert’…
- Setting out from Mt. Sinai the Children of Israel came into the Negev…
- One of the most desolate – dry – barren places on earth…
- The average yearly rainfall from June-October is 0.0!
- The trip from Sinai to the Promised Land only took 11 days – Deuteronomy 1:2…
- When the Children of Israel arrived – they sent out 12 spies – for 40 days…
- 10 of the spies came back with a bad report – there are giants in the Land…
- Only Joshua & Caleb came back with a good report – ‘God has given us the victory!’
- But the people refused to go in – lacked the faith God would give them victory
- So God swore none over the age of 20 (adults) would ever go in…
- They would wander the wilderness for 40 years till they all died…
- The word ‘wandering’ is used 48 times in the book of Numbers…
- Only the children of those who came out of Egypt – would enter the Promised Land
- Most of the events in the book of numbers take place in the first 2 years / 40th year…
- The 37 years or so that take place in between are mostly left unrecorded…
- Because it was a waste of time – they wandered for 40 years because of sin!
- * I Corinthians 10:11 – “All these events happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us…”
- Being obedient – trusting in the Lord is the key to entering the ‘Promised Land’…
- If we want to have a fruitful – effective life – we need to listen to God’s Word…
- If we don’t – like Israel – we will find we are left to ‘wander’ through the wilderness
- We will miss out on all God has for us – we will wander aimlessly through life!
- The Hebrew name for the book is במדבר ‘Bemidbar’ – meaning ‘desert’…
- A book of counting – the name comes from its Greek title (Αριθμοί – Arithmoi)…
Counting the people…
- God’s Nation – Numbers 1… Read: Numbers 1:1-3
- In the 2nd month of the 2nd year…
- It had been 13 months since God brought Israel out of the bondage of Egypt…
- It took about 1 month to make the journey from Egypt to Mt. Sinai…
- Israel had now been camped at the base of the mountain for 1 year…
- God had given them His Law – Exodus 20-40 / Leviticus 1-27…
- The Tabernacle had been set up and dedicated on the 1st month of the 2nd year…
- Israel had become a nation – the first nation ever governed by God!
- God wanted Moses to organize Israel for the move to the Promised Land…
- He was to take a census of the people – also mentioned in Exodus 38:26…
- The count was only of those men capable of war (20 and older) – the army of Israel…
- It was used to organize Israel – by their Tribes – each under a leader… vs. 4-16
- If God had told Israel – all 5 millions of them – to just pick up and go – chaos!
- Moses needed help to move a nation across a wilderness – he needed a plan!
- I Corinthians 14:33 – “God is not the author of confusion but of peace…”
- God does not work in chaos – God is God of order – He works through structure…
- Even in the New Testament – God instilled order in His church – pastors/deacons…
- There is a balance – we are to be open to the Spirit – we are to be flexible…
- But we are also to be wise – we are to make plans – we are to be organized…
- Census of the people…
- According to Exodus 30:12 – they were not to take a Census of God’s people…
- If they went into Battle – knowing how many troops they had…
- They might trust in their strength of numbers – rather than trusting in the Lord…
- King David took a Census – it was sin – 70,000 men died! – I Chronicles 21:1
- Even today we have a tendency to look to and trust in ‘numbers’…
- The 1st questions someone will ask about a church – how many people come…
- We see quantity as a sign of God’s blessings – but God does not look at numbers…
- In Acts 6 – God told Philip to leave the multitudes – to go and reach just one man!
- God looks at the heart – He looks for those who truly desire to follow Him!
- Yet when God commanded Moses to take the Census – it was a blessing…
- We want to make the Christian walk a matter of following rules…
- Our flesh likes rules – it lets us be in control – look what we did – our good works!
- But our faith is not about rules – it is about relationship…
- We need to talk to God – daily – spend time with Him…
- Then we will find He directs our lives – He guides our every step!
- According to Exodus 30:12 – they were not to take a Census of God’s people…
- As many as the stars in the heavens… vs. 17-54 Read: Numbers 1:44-46
- Reuben – 46,500 / Simeon – 59,300 / Gad – 45,650 / Judah – 74,600
- Issachar – 54,400 / Zebulun – 57,400 / Ephraim – 40,500 / Manasseh – 32,200
- Benjamin – 35,400 / Dan – 62,700 / Asher – 41,500 / Naphtali – 33,400
- The tribe of Levi was not included in the census of the army of Israel…
- The total number of fighting men in Israel was 603,550!
- God had been faithful to His promise to Abraham – over 500 years later!
- Waiting on the Lord can often seem like an eternity for us…
- God’s time is never in tune with ours – we are willing to wait – for a couple of hours
- God never seems to be in a rush – But He fulfills all His promises – in His time!
- * II Peter 3:8 – “But you must not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.”
- He was to take a census of the people – also mentioned in Exodus 38:26…
- In the 2nd month of the 2nd year…
- The Camp of Israel… Numbers 2 Read: Numbers 2:32-34
- The 12 tribes of Israel were commanded to camp on 4 sides of the Tabernacle…
- They were to break camp in this order – East / South / Tabernacle / West / North…
- On the East – Judah / Issachar / Zebulon – 186,00 total troops…
- On the South – Reuben / Simeon / Gad – 151,540 total troops…
- On the West – Ephraim / Manasseh / Benjamin – 108,100 total troops…
- On the North – Dan / Asher / Naphtali – 157,600 total troops…
- If you were to look at the layout of the camp from the sky…
- Laid out by their ‘numbers’ – they formed the shape of a cross!
- Every time God looked down on Israel/Tabernacle – He saw the price of salvation!
- That He would ultimately come down to earth – and pray the price to save us from sin!
- Each side had its own banner…
- We are not told in the Bible what was on these banners…
- Jewish tradition tells us: Judah – Lion / Reuben – man / Ephraim – ox / Dan – eagle…
- The same images appear in Ezekiel 1:10 – describing the 4 cherubim (super angels)…
- We find the same imagery again in the New Testament in the Gospels…
- Matthew (Lion – Jesus is King) / Mark (Ox – Jesus is the servant of all)…
- Luke (Man – Jesus is the perfect sacrifice) / John (Eagle – Jesus is the King of Kings)!
- It occurs one last time in the Book of Revelation – at the throne of God…
- * Revelation 4:6-7 – “Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.”
- 4 different part of the Bible – all picturing the presence/throne of God…
- In Jesus we are never alone – the Lord is always right there with us…
- God still makes His home in the midst of His people – He lives in our hearts!
- * John 14:23 – “Jesus replied, ‘All those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and live with them.’”
- The 12 tribes of Israel were commanded to camp on 4 sides of the Tabernacle…
- The Tribe of Levi… Numbers 3
- God choose the Tribe of Levi… Read: Numbers 3:12-13
- Aaron and his sons – from the tribe of Levi – were appointed as the priests of God…
- The Levites – out of the 12 tribes – were also dedicated to serving the Lord…
- Why did God choose the Levites above all the other tribes…
- Exodus 32:25-29 – The Golden calf rebellion of Israel…
- Moses called out – ‘whoever is on the Lord’s side – come to me.’
- Many from Israel came to Moses – including the whole tribe of Levi…
- They did not give in to the world – they were zealous for the Lord!
- God uses us – when we keep ourselves from the world – excited about God…
- Who would you choose to be on your team – excited or apathetic…
- Often we believe in the Lord – we follow the Lord – but often from a distance…
- We want to live both for the Lord – and for the world…
- Look like a Christian on Sundays – like the world Monday – Saturday…
- Problem: the farther we are from Jesus – the closer we are to the world…
- And when we are close to the world – we tend to fall into the sins of the world!
We are many parts – but we all come together as one body/family in Jesus!
The division of the tribe of Levi…
The 3 sons of Levi were – Gershon (west) / Kohath (south) / Merari (north)…
God had every male 1 month old and older counted – 22,000 in all…
The Gershonites – 7,500 in all – responsible to take care of the Tabernacle…
The Kohathites – 8,600 in all – responsible for the menorah, table, altar, and ark…
The Merarites – 6,200 in all – responsible for the courtyard…
The 1st born of Israel…
God had Moses count all the 1st born sons in all of Israel (excluding Levi)…
The number came to 22,273 first born sons
When God brought Israel out of Egypt – 10th plague – He spared Israel’s first born…
In essence God purchased that say all the 1st born sons – Exodus 13:11-16…
God substituted the tribe of Levi – for the 1st born of all or Israel…
For the 273 ‘extra’ not covered by the Levites – God had Israel pay P150,000 each…
The Levites were not their own – they had been purchased by God…
Like the Levites we have been chosen by God – set apart to serve the Lord…
I Corinthians 6:20 – “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
He calls us to serve Him – and to be ‘priests’ to share His Word with others!
The service of the Levites… Numbers 4 Read: Numbers 4:46-49
Only the priests were allowed to prepare the menorah, table, altar, and ark to move…
If anyone else touched them – or went into the tabernacle – they were to be killed…
But once the priests had disassembled and covered everything…
The Levites were to come and help according to their families…
Every male between the ages of 30-50 – helped the priests move the Tabernacle…
Kohathites – 2,750 / Gershonites – 2,630 / Merarites – 3,200 – 8,580 in all…
We all have a purpose in Jesus!
* I Corinthians 12:27 – “Now all of you together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it.”
Each of us has a place within the body of Christ – our purpose God has given to us…
Each role is vital for the church – the body of Christ – to function properly…
If any part is missing – or not serving properly – the whole body suffers…
We might never notice we have a ‘toe’ till we injure it – then that’s all we think of!
Now some of us might think we would rather be an ‘eye’ than a ‘foot’…
But try running without a foot – every part is important / every role is necessary…
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