Numbers. That's the title we got in our English Bibles.
We are quickly reminded that the promises of God to Abraham are coming true through the census of the tribes. The tribes continue to grow larger and larger in numbers.
But don't let this census and title keep you from digging. This text is about so much more than the number of people in the tribes.
First you can find so many more numbers if you look
- People, Tribes & Spies
- Bulls, rams, oxen, lambs, and goats
- Plates, basins, dishes, and lamps
- Days, months, and years
- Censers, tests, and
- Rock strikes
And where did this all happen, midbar, the wilderness and desert.
This is the Hebrew name because of the first line in the book. But it is also the setting for the entire book. Remember God is taking them to a land of milk and honey. And yet they are stuck in the wilderness. A dry, tough place. And every chapter it seems the people want to go back and live under Pharaoh's rule. They haven't really left yet.
Miriam means rebellion. Meribah means strife. We are to see the cost of rebellion against God.
God's chosen people are not ready for their mission. One setback after another. Even in the face of miraculous signs and wrath they continue to test and disbelieve the story of the one true God.
We can use the numbers through the text to help remember the stories and the lessons, but don't overlook where this is happening. The people could have been in the promised land in days but instead continue to wander the wilderness for years.
