We continue our journey through God’s story – the Bible – by engaging the Book of Numbers.
Numbers: num·bers/ noun --- Completion of census while the people of Israel are in the desert (wilderness) for 40 years before crossing into the Promised Land.
The author of this book is Moses. He is the central figure within the book, and in at least two instances Numbers mentions him recording events by the Lord’s commands (Numbers 33:2; 36:13).
OVERVIEW: The Book of Numbers essentially bridges the gap between the Israelites receiving the Law (Exodus and Leviticus) and preparing them to enter the Promised Land (Deuteronomy and Joshua). The events of the book began in the second year after the Israelites departed Egypt, as they camped at Mount Sinai around 1444 BC (Num. 1:1). The theme of obedience and rebellion followed by repentance and blessing runs through the entire book, as well as the entire Old Testament. The theme of the holiness of God is continued from the book of Leviticus into the book of Numbers, which reveals God’s instruction and preparation of His people to enter the Promised Land of Canaan. The book ends thirty-eight years later “in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho” (Num. 36:13) in 1406 BC. The Lord directed the message of Numbers toward the younger generation, children of the former slaves who escaped through the Red Sea. Except for Joshua, Caleb, and Moses, the older generation—everyone twenty years old or older at the time of the first census—died before the completion of Numbers, due to their disobedience and disbelief in the God who rescued them from slavery (Num. 14:22–30).
Side note: It is interesting to note the mention of Caleb in Numbers as a spy for Israel. He is described as “Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite” (Numbers 32:12; Joshua 14:6, 14). The only other mention of Kenizzites in the Old Testament is in Genesis 15:19, where they are listed among the inhabitants of Canaan that Abraham’s descendants would displace. It is through Caleb, as one example, that we see God’s true plan to “bless all nations” though Abraham (Gen 12;15) as Caleb was not a native Israelite, yet was an integrated member of the nation. God’s plan from the beginning was to include all peoples among His covenant community for salvation and blessing as they follow Him (Gal 3:8-9).
SO WHAT? The harmony of God’s love and wrath is the message of Numbers in a nutshell. The wrath of God is seen in the death of the rebellious generation in the wilderness, those who never entered the Promised Land. The love of God is realized in the new generation as God protected, preserved, and provided for these people until they possessed the land. A major theme woven in the New Testament from Numbers is that sin and unbelief, rebellion, reap the judgment of God. First Corinthians specifically says, and implied in Hebrews 3:7-4:13, that these events were written as examples for believers to observe and avoid. We are not to “set our hearts on evil things” (v. 6), or be sexually immoral (v. 8), or put God to the test (v. 9) or gripe and complain (v. 10). Just as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness 40 years because of their rebellion, God sometimes allow us to wander away from Him and suffer loneliness and lack of blessings when we rebel against Him. But God is faithful and just, and just as He restored the Israelites to their rightful place in His heart, He will always restore Christians to the place of blessing and intimate fellowship with Him if we repent and return to Him (1 John 1:9). In addition, the concept of the promised Messiah pervades the book. The story in chapter 19 of the sacrifice of the red heifer “without defect or blemish” prefigures Christ, the Lamb of God without spot or blemish who was sacrificed for our sins. The image of the bronze snake lifted up on the pole to provide physical healing (chapter 21) also prefigures the lifting up of Christ, that whoever looks to Him by faith may have spiritual healing. In chapter 24, Balaam’s fourth oracle speaks of the star and the scepter who is to rise out of Jacob. Here is a prophecy of Christ who is called the "morning star" in Revelation 22:16 for His glory, brightness, and splendor, and the light that comes by Him. From his royalty, as scepter, Jesus not only has the name of a king, but has a kingdom, and rules with a scepter of grace, mercy, and righteousness.
It is vital to the health of your faith that we see these connections between the Old and New Testament. We cannot separate the two without losing a full understanding of God, Jesus’ incarnation, life, death, and resurrection. These all give us hope to the promise that the King will return for His people because God is faithful and always fulfills His promises.
Next month, we will look at the Book of Deuteronomy – a retelling by Moses of the teachings and events from Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers as the people of Israel prepare to cross over to the Promised Land. We hear Moses speak for God about the importance to love and obey the One True God.
