Categoria: Numbers

Here the question of Zelophehad’s daughters comes up again, further to chapter 27. The question raised now was that if they married outside their tribe then eventually Zelophehad’s name and inheritance would be lost. God agreed with this and said that the solution would be for the daughters only to marry within their tribe, so the women married their cousins and the problem was solved. It was from this decreed as a general law that no inheritance must pass from tribe to tribe.

The Levites didn’t inherit any land, as they were exclusively dedicated to God, so the question was where would they live upon entry into the Land of Canaan? This was solved by each tribe giving a total of 48 towns to the Levites, with surrounding pasture land for their animals, and 6 of these towns were towns of refuge. The land around each Levite town measured about 900 metres on each side.

The towns of refuge were places that killers could go to before standing trial. If there were multiple witnesses they would receive capital punishment as murderers. If the killing was judged to be accidental then the killer would be safe in the town of refuge from any would be avenger, and the killer would have to stay there until the death of the high priest.

At the end of the chapter the concept that shedding blood pollutes the land is found. Some theologians link such a concept to the flood being a purification for such defilement of the land.

This chapter defines the boundaries of Canaan as to be taken over by the Israelites by God’s decree. The southern border was the Desert of Zin. The eastern border was the Dead Sea, The Sea of Galilee and the River Jordan. The northern border was from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor, then on to Zedad, Ziphron as far as Hazar Enan. The west border was the Mediterranean Sea. It was stated that the land between these borders was to be distributed by lots between the tribes of Israel minus the 2 and a half tribes that had opted for land on the other side of the Jordan.

Joshua and Eleazar were chosen by God to conduct the distribution of the last with the help of a leader from each of the 9 and a half tribes to occupy Canaan. A list of these leaders is given.

This chapter contains a long detailed list of locations through which the Israelites passed on the 40 year journey between Egypt and Canaan. The text says that the recorded stages on the journey were kept by Moses at God’s request. The long trip started on the 15th day of the first month, the day after the Passover.

Then God gave instructions concerning the invasion of Canaan when they made the imminent crossing of the River Jordan. The Israelites were told to drive out all the Canaanites, destroy their images and idols, and demolish their open-air shrines on high points. Then they should distribute the land by lots to all the Israelites.

The Reubenites and the Gadites had big quantities of livestock and took a liking to the pasture available east of the Jordan in Gilead and Jazer. So they went to Moses proposing that they receive this land as opposed to the promised land in Canaan on the other side of the River Jordan. Initially Moses was against the idea because he felt that it could be a repetition of the negative spies in Canaan with fear of conquering Canaan. However the Reubenites and Gadites assured Moses that if he agreed with their plan then they would fight with the invasion force to take Canaan even if Gilead became their home and land. So Moses agreed as long as they did not deplete the Israelite army. This agreed Moses gave Gilead and neighbouring area to the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh charging Joshua and Eleazar to make sure that they kept their word. These tribes therefore invaded the desired land, conquered it and settled in it with their families, flocks and herds.

This chapter is one of those chapters in the Old Testament which is challenging to say the least. The ruthless gruesome annihilation of human life, including that of civilian prisoners of war, reflects a very primitive culture.

God told Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites for having led Israel into idolatry in Numbers 25. (however remember that Moses was married to a Midianite) The Israelites organized an army with 12,000 men, with 1,000 from each tribe, and Phinehas the priest was the “battle priest.” The Israelites routed the Midianites and killed all their men, whilst suffering no losses, and they returned from battle bringing the Midianite women, children, herds, flocks and goods as plunder. They also killed Balaam.

Moses was angry because they brought back the women alive as they had been the cause of the trouble in Numbers 25. So the order was given to kill all the women and boys and just spare the virgin girls. The Israelite soldiers then had to go through a 7-day cleansing process for having been in contact with dead bodies, and the spoils of battle had to be purified too.

Then the spoils were divided with half going to the warriors and half going to the Israelites in general. Part of these spoils went to the High Priest Eleazar (675 sheep, 72 cattle, 61 donkeys, 32 women) and part went to the Levites (2% of the animals and persons given to the Israelites in general). The total plunder was 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, 320,000 virgin women. 190 kilos of gold was also placed in the Tabernacle as a donation to God from the plunder of the warriors.

This chapter emphasizes that vows were made to be kept. However there are certain exceptions, which reflect a patriarchal society. In the case of a young woman living in her father’s house the father could overrule her vow if he thought fit. In the case of a married woman her husband could also overrule if he wanted to. However in both cases of the father and the husband they would have to nullify the vow without delay or else it would stand. In the case of vows made by widows or divorcees there were no loopholes and their vows would have to be fulfilled come what may.

This chapter starts with the Feast of Trumpets involving the sacrifice of 1 bull, 1 ram, 7 lambs and 1 goat together with fine flour and olive oil. These offerings are in addition to the monthly and daily offerings.

Next comes the Day of Atonement which is a day of fasting without work. On this day the offering is the same as that of the Feast of Trumpets.

Finally in this chapter comes the 7-day Feast of Tabernacles at which each day were sacrificed bulls, rams, lambs, goats, grain offering and drink offering varying in quantities of animals from day to day. When the feast ended the priest yet offered further sacrifices on the 8th day.

Now comes a reminder about daily offerings as prescribed 40 years earlier in the book of Exodus, as perhaps they needed a reminder? The Israelites were to sacrifice a year old lamb every morning and another every evening, together with 2 litres of fine flour, mixed with a litre of olive oil accompanied by 4.5 litres of wine. Such offerings showed the people’s love and respect for God and atoned for their sins. However on the sabbath the offerings were apparently to be doubled.

Next came the monthly offerings on the 1st day of every month. Being monthly these offerings were much larger than the daily ones with 2 young bulls, 1 ram, 7 male lambs and 1 goat plus fine flour, olive oil and wine.

Next came the Passover which started on the 14th day of the first month and lasted with the Feast of Unleavened Bread for 7 days. This involved the same offering as the monthly offering which was offered on top of the daily offering.

Finally in this chapter came the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) which again involved the same offering as the monthly offering.

Zelophehad died leaving 5 daughters but no sons, so the daughters went to Moses to request their land rights as their father had not been involved with rebellions or things like that. God granted the request and laid this down as law from then on, but if a man had no children at all his inheritance would go to a brother. In the lack of a brother it would go to the next of kin. (It is interesting to observe initial women’s rights emerging here in a patriarchal society)

The death of Moses was approaching so God appointed Joshua as his eventual successor, as Joshua had long been his assistant. Moses took Joshua before Eleazar the High Priest and before all the people and formally commissioned him legitimizing the imminent transference of power.

In this chapter, on the plains of Moab by the River Jordan, God told Moses and the priest Eleazar to take the second census of men 20 years old and over who were fit to fight in the army. This census was taken about 40 years after the first one and revealed changes in size in the tribes of Judah, Manasseh and Ephraim, and that the tribe of Simeon had decreased in size considerably. God had raised up a new generation of Israelites to enter the promised land replacing those who died in the wilderness.

This census showed the following tribal strengths: Reuben (43,730), Simeon (22,200), Gad (40,500), Judah (76,500), Issachar (64,300), Zebulun (60,500), Manasseh (52,700), Ephraim (32,500), Benjamin (45,600), Dan (64,400), Asher (53,400) and Naphtali (45,400). This made a total of 601,730 fighting men (down from 603,550 in the first census). All those counted in the first census had died except Caleb and Joshua.

God said that upon entering Canaan the land was to be divided up between everyone by casting lots. The 23,000 Levites (males 1 month old upwards) would not receive land as they were set aside in the service of God.

When Israel was at a place called Shittim the men engaged in sexual immorality with Moabite women coupled with spiritual immorality worshipping their god Baal of Peor. God was horrified with this and told Moses to kill the leaders involved with this and make a public spectacle of their executions.

Then an Israelite man named Zimri openly brought into the Israelite camp a Midianite woman called Cozbi and took her to his tent to have sex with her. Upon seeing this disrespect for God and his people the grandson of Aaron, Phineas, took a spear and drove it through both of them, and this halted a plague of God’s anger which killed 24,000 people!

So God told Moses that from then onwards they should treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them. Quite how this worked out for Moses I don’t know as he was married to a Midianite.

This chapter starts with Balaam’s third oracle which, so different from what Balak wanted, was gushingly positive about Israel which was “as strong as a wild ox” and “like a lioness”. Israel for the third time was blessed by Balaam and certainly not cursed, which left Balak furiously giving up on his attempts at cursing Israel.

Before parting ways Balaam yet prophesied that Israel would crush Moab, and conquer Edom, Sheth, Seir, Amalek and the Kenites. It was a message completely the opposite to what Balak had wanted.

The strange story of Balaam continues. Balaam was a practitioner of divination (Joshua 13:22) and set up, with King Balak, 7 altars with 7 bulls and 7 rams for sacrifices as was the traditional method of oriental diviners. Then, having sacrificed a bull and a ram with Balak, Balaam went alone to consult God which led to his first oracle (a message in poetic form) concerning Balak’s request to curse Israel. God however led Balaam to bless Israel, rather than curse it, which Balak didn’t like, but Balaam told him that he could not go beyond the words God puts into his mouth. (The sovereignty of God was clear here even above an oriental diviner)

So Balak insisted with Balaam on the curse and took him to another place where they set up the same diviners’ method of 7 altars, bulls and rams. So Balaam again consulted God who confirmed, in his poetic second oracle, his anti curse stance as he was not someone to change his mind, insisting on blessing “lioness” Israel much to Balak’s displeasure.

Therefore Balak took Balaam to a third site to try and get him to curse Israel, and they again set up the 7 altars, bulls and rams ritual as was the diviners’ practice.

Balak, King of Moab, was terrified of Israel in the light of their recent victories in battle, so he asked Balaam to put a curse on the Israelites so that he could defeat them and drive them out of the area. Balaam consulted God on the matter, and he spoke against him doing the curse or even going to speak with King Balak. Balak therefore sent further envoys to ask Balaam to invoke the curse, increasing the financial reward for it. God agreed this time that Balaam could go to Balak as long as his words were guided by God.

The following morning Balaam went on his donkey with the princes of Moab, but the angel of the Lord stood in their way. Apparently the donkey saw the angel but not Balaam. 3 times the angel of the Lord, drawn sword in hand, caused the donkey to rear off course, so Balaam beat the donkey each time. Then the donkey spoke to Balaam! He asked Balaam why he was beating him as he was his well relied upon donkey. Only then did Balaam perceive the presence of the angel who asked Balaam why he was beating his donkey because the animal was in fact saving him.

Balaam confessed he had sinned, after which he went on to meet King Balak who proceeded to sacrifice cattle and sheep, giving some to Balaam and to the princes. They went together to Bamoth Baal.

(Balaam is an enigmatic figure. He seems to be the sort of believer with one foot in the world and the other in the church!)

The Canaanite king of Arad attacked the Israelites and captured some of them, but Israel vowed to God that if he gave them the victory they would destroy their cities. This is what happened so Israel destroyed the people and their cities.

The Israelites travelled on avoiding Edom and were soon complaining again about the miserable food! So God sent venomous snakes amongst them and many people died. The people recognized their error and asked that the snakes be taken away, so God told Moses to put a bronze snake up on to a pole and then anyone looking to the snake would be healed. This story is probably the best known text of the book of Numbers owing to Jesus’ use of it to point to his crucifixion in John 3:14.

The text then relates the journey of the Israelites through many places such as Oboth, the Zered Valley, Beer, and the Valley of Moab. Then Israel asked for the right of passage from the Amorites, it was refused, and the Amorite army attacked them. However Israel overcame them and captured and occupied all their cities and settled in the land of the Amorites.

Then they went on towards Bashan and the King of Bashan sent out his entire army against Israel. Israel annihilated them completely and took over their land too.

In this chapter the Israelites were at the Desert of Zin and they stayed at Kadesh and there Moses’ and Aaron’s sister Miriam died. Yet again the people were moaning about the lack of water and about the bleak conditions, so God told Moses to speak to a rock so as to bring forth water, but Moses struck it twice and generated the displeasure of God causing him and Aaron being barred from Canaan. Nevertheless the rock gushed out water for the people.

(The similarities between this incident and Exodus 17 causes some theologians to suspect this is a duplication – though there are some distinctions between the texts)

Then the Israelites asked for the right of passage through the Kingdom of Edom (the Edomites descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob) but this was refused. The Israelites insisted, but they had to withdraw because Edom threatened with force.

Then the Israelites left Kadesh for Mount Hor near the border of Edom. There Moses transferred Aaron’s high priestly garments to Aaron’s son Eleazar and Aaron died and was mourned for 30 days.

This chapter describes the intriguing ritual of the red heifer to purify ceremonial impurity as a result of coming in contact with a dead person. But it wasn’t that a heifer was killed every time such purification was needed. To the contrary this was a low cost ritual made from the ashes of a sacrificed burnt heifer which was kept in stock for a long period of time.

A red heifer was killed outside the camp and then burnt together with cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet wool. The ashes were gathered and kept in a clean place outside the camp. When purification was needed some of the ash was mixed with water and sprinkled on the contaminated person in a 7-day ritual sprinkling the water of cleansing on the 3rd and 7th day. The person was clean after the 7-day ritual. Anyone who didn’t purify himself in this way would be excommunicated.

Following on from the Korah’s rebellion God reemphasized his support for the priesthood of Aaron and his sons, supported by the rest of the Levite tribe as assistants. Aaron and his sons were to care for the sanctuary and its furnishings whilst the rest of the Levites were to support keeping the Tabernacle free from intrusions punishable by death.

Then God said that part of the offerings belonged to the priests such as the wave offerings, the finest oil, the finest wine, the first fruits of the harvest and the firstborn of all clean animals brought to the Tabernacle. The priests and their families could eat all this freely along as they weren’t ceremonially unclean. Other support for the priests came from a firstborn tax of 5 silver shekels each as too was the case with firstborn unclean animals.

On the other hand none of the Levites owned land but they received tithes from the people instead. The Levites gave a tithe of the tithes to the priests.

Following on from the previous chapter full of rebellion God further underlined his support for Aaron. He requested the staff of the leader of each tribe, with Aaron’s staff representing the tribe of Levi. The staffs were put inside the Tabernacle for the night with God saying that the person who was his choice would sprout during the night. The following morning Moses went into the Tabernacle and Aaron’s staff had not only sprouted but had budded, flowered and produced almonds! So the other staffs were returned to their owners, but Aaron’s staff was kept in the Tabernacle as a sign to the rebellious.

There were an awful lot of rebellions and grumblings from the Israelites in their history. First of all in this chapter we learn of the rebellion against Moses’ and Aaron’s leadership by Korah (a Levite), Dathan and Abiram, backed by 250 leaders. This was quite a revolt which even involved an attempt to take over the priesthood! When Moses tried to talk to Dathan and Abiram they ignored and insulted him.

So Moses summoned Korah and his 250 followers to a meeting the next day in front of the Tabernacle, to which they had to bring censers with fire and incense. When they came God told Moses and Aaron to stand clear as he was about to act. Then he told the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and the earth opened up and swallowed them and their families! Then God burnt alive their 250 followers and told Eleazar the priest to gather the dead men’s censers and hammer them into bronze sheets to overlay the altar.

Even after all the demonstration of God’s solidarity with Moses and Aaron the whole Israelite community started grumbling again about what had happened on the previous day. God was furious and sent a plague to punish the people and killed 14,700 people! It only didn’t kill more because Aaron ran and made atonement with his censer with incense and fire from the altar.

Much of this chapter has a number of supplementary offering instructions similar to those found in Leviticus. When a burnt offering was made for a special vow, a fellowship/peace offering, free-will offering, or on a special feast day, then the offering was to be accompanied by fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering plus an offering of wine as a drink offering. The amount of flour and wine required increased from lamb to ram to bull sacrificed. It was stated that these rules applied to foreigners as much as to Israelites. God also said that the Israelites were to make an annual offering of the first of their dough from their grain harvest.

Then the chapter went on to discuss offerings for unintentional sins. If they were community sins then a bull was to be slaughtered as a burnt sacrifice and a male goat as a sin offering, but if they were individual unintentional sins then a female goat was to be offered as a sin offering. If however somebody sinned defiantly they were to be excommunicated.

A man was caught gathering wood on the sabbath and he was stoned to death as divine punishment. God also made the people put blue tassels on their clothes to serve as a constant reminder of God’s commandments.

The people remained rattled by the largely negative report on Canaan’s Land and appeared to be scared to die in battle for the land, so they talked about returning to Egypt and choosing a new leader to that end. The 2 spies, Caleb and Joshua, who were positive about Canaan, tried to convince the people that the land was good and that they should trust God, but they were unsuccessful and ended up being threatened with stoning by the people.

Then God intervened with great fury and decided to annihilate much of the Israelites, but Moses interceded on their behalf and God rescinded the threat, substituting it with the punishment that none of them would enter Canaan except Joshua and Caleb. For all the older generation would die wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. God also killed the 10 spies that incited the rebellion with a plague. The Israelites were gutted about their own punishment.

God told the Israelites to then use an alternative route on their journey so as to avoid confrontation with the Amalekites and Canaanites at this stage, but the Israelites thought they knew better and were defeated in battle.

God told Moses to organize a team of 12 (one leader from each tribe of Israel which included Caleb and Joshua) to go and conduct a survey of the Promised Land. They were to observe if the people were weak or strong, whether the land was good or bad, whether the towns were unwalled or fortified, whether the soil was fertile or poor etc. It is interesting to note that the Israelites did their homework and didn’t just rely on God’s promise.

The team did the survey and gathered grapes, pomegranates and figs as evidence of the produce of the land. After 40 days the team returned to report to Moses, Aaron and the general assembly of the Israelites, and presented the fruit as evidence that Canaan was flowing with milk and honey. Caleb was very positive in his feedback of the trip and said they should go up and take the land as they could conquer it. However most of the team of spies were negative, focusing on the gigantic size of the people (referring back to the Nephilim in Genesis 6:4) and saying they felt like grasshoppers in comparison with them!

This chapter tells the sad story of inter-family strife between the 3 siblings Moses, Aaron and Miriam. For Aaron and Miriam criticized Moses for having married a Cushite woman and they also challenged his leadership saying that God spoke through them too. Moses remained humble throughout this.

Then God called the 3 of them to the Tabernacle and made it quite clear that his relationship with Moses was very close and unique, so he questioned angrily how Aaron and Miriam dare speak against Moses? Then God withdrew leaving Miriam full of leprosy, but Moses cried to God for her healing. God healed her after 7 days of punishment in confinement outside the camp. Following this the Israelites moved on to the Desert of Paran.

(It is strange that only Miriam was punished in this way for her sin. Doubtless this is culturally explained.)

The events of this chapter occurred at Kibroth Hattaavah. The people hadn’t been on the move for long and they were complaining about how hard things were! God was angered by this and sent fire to burn parts of the outskirts of the camp, but thanks to the intercession of Moses this was halted.

Next came complaints about the boring food provided by God with manna provided 6 days a week. The Israelites said that the diet was more varied in Egypt and they wanted meat! So God enabled 70 leaders to share the work load with Moses and anointed them with the spirit as was upon Moses and they prophesied.

Then God sent a strong wind which drove quail from the sea leaving them a metre deep on the ground, until the people had quail coming out of their noses! But God’s anger was still ablaze and he killed some complainers with a plague.

Here God told Moses to make 2 silver trumpets to serve as a sort of loudspeaker to give instructions to the people. When the 2 trumpets sounded together all the people were to gather in front of the Tabernacle. If only 1 trumpet sounded it was to herald a meeting just of the leaders. So different trumpet signals signified different things such as going to battle, offering burnt and fellowship/peace offerings, joyful occasions, feasts and starting a new month. Thus God’s presence was symbolized through the trumpet’s sound in every aspect of Israelite life.

Then on the 20th day of the second month of the second year the cloud lifted above the Tabernacle and so the Israelites finally set out from the Sinai Desert to the Desert of Paran. The Levite families transported the Tabernacle as had been previously planned and Moses managed to convince his brother-in-law Hobab to go with them as he knew the area well and would be a real help. The journey to Paran took 3 days.

This chapter tells of the second celebration of the Passover in the wilderness, on the 14th day of the first month at twilight, following all the instructions God had given them previously.

However some people missed the Passover because they were ceremonially unclean owing to having been in contact with a dead body at the time, so they asked Moses and Aaron if there was any round this. God permitted them to celebrate the Passover on the 14th day of the second month instead. For it was essential that everyone should celebrate the Passover as failing to do so would involve excommunication.

God’s presence continued to guide the Israelites through a cloud of smoke and fire above the Tabernacle and when the cloud moved the people followed.

In this chapter God instructed Moses to set up the golden lampstand in the Tabernacle with the lamps facing forward.

There then took place a ceremony of purification and setting apart of the Levites for the service of God in the Tabernacle. The Levites had to be sprinkled with water and shave their whole bodies and wash their clothes. Then the Israelites were to lay their hands on the Levites as a wave offering before God. After this 2 bulls were sacrificed with one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, plus a grain offering.

God then said that men between 25 and 50 (it had been 30 to 50 in chapter 4) would serve in the Tabernacle under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. Retirement for the Levites was set at 50.

This is a long chapter with 89 verses relating the 12 days of offerings at the dedication of the Tabernacle. Initially the tribal leaders gave 6 covered carts and 12 oxen for the use of transporting the Tabernacle, and Moses gave 2 carts and 4 oxen to the Gershonites, and he gave the rest to the Merarites. None of these went to the Kohathites as they were to carry the holy things on their shoulders and didn’t need carts.

Over a period of 12 days the tribal leaders brought identical gifts and offerings with one tribe per day. They brought each day a silver plate and a silver sprinkling bowl – with both filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering. Then too a gold ladle filled with incense was given plus a young bull, a ram and a male lamb as a burnt offering, 1 male goat for a sin offering, 2 oxen, 5 rams, 5 male goats and 5 male lambs as a fellowship/peace offering. For 12 days this was repeated.

And at the end of it all God spoke with Moses in the Holy of Holies and Moses heard his voice and spoke with the Lord.

This chapter lays out the rules for a Nazarite Vow which was a voluntary commitment to dedicate oneself to God for a stipulated period of time. During the period of the Nazarite Vow the person could not drink wine which was normally drunk by all Israelites. In fact the person could not consume anything at all with grape in it. Nor could the person cut his hair during the vow, and could not go near a dead body even if one of their close relatives died. If a person died suddenly near a Nazarite then they had to shave the head and start the vow again, giving 2 doves or young pigeons as offerings. When the period of the vow was completed the Nazarite would offer to God a male lamb, a female lamb, a ram, loaves of unleavened bread, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, a grain offering and a drink offering. Then the Nazarite was to shave his or her hair and burn it on the altar before offering a wave offering of a ram’s thigh and a loaf and a wafer of bread. Thus the Nazarite vow was completed and the person could resume drinking wine normally.

The chapter ends with the priestly blessing which has special significance after the Covid pandemic: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.

God commanded that everyone with infectious skin disease, discharges or is ceremonially unclean owing to contact with a dead body should be sent outside the camp of Israel.

If a person sinned against another he or she should make full restitution as well as paying an additional 20% fine.

If a man suspected his wife of adultery, but couldn’t prove it, he should take her to the priest with a jealousy offering of Barley flour. There the priest would make her drink holy water mixed with dirt from the Tabernacle floor. If she was innocent there would be no ill effect from the drink, but if she was guilty she would have miscarriages and be barren.

God told Moses and Aaron to count all the men between 30 and 50 years of age in the Levite branches of the Kohathites, the Gershonites and the Merarites as it was this age group that was deemed eligible to serve in the Tabernacle.

The Kohathites totalled 2,750 men and these were responsible for transporting the ark of the covenant, the table, the lampstand, the gold and bronze altars etc. However first of all Aaron and his sons were to cover all these sacred items because the Kohathites were not allowed to touch them or even look at them, and they had to use poles to carry them as if they even just touched them they would surely die.

The Gershonites totalled 2,630 men and these were responsible for transporting the curtains of the Tabernacle, its coverings, hangings, cords and all the equipment used there.

The Merarites totalled 3,200 men and these were responsible for transporting the frames of the Tabernacle, its cross bar, posts, bases, tent pegs, ropes etc.

This chapter initially reminds us that Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the Tabernacle as the other sons Nadab and Abihu had been killed for offering a sacrifice with unauthorized fire. Now, however, God chose the tribe of Levi to assist Aaron in caring for the Tabernacle and serving God in it. The Levites were set apart from the rest of Israel and dedicated to the work of the Lord, and God counted the Levites in place of the firstborn of Israel. So God told Moses to count the Levites by their families and clans counting every male a month old or more. And the Levites were divided into 3 groups: the Gershonites, the Kohathites and the Merarites.

The Gershonites totalled 7,500 males and were told to camp on the west side of the Tabernacle and be responsible for the Tabernacle coverings and hangings around the courtyard.

The Kohathites totalled 8,600 males and were told to camp on the south side of the Tabernacle and be responsible for the Ark of the Covenant, the gold table, the lampstand, the altars and all the vessels of the Tabernacle.

The Merarites totalled 6,200 males and were told to camp on the north side of the Tabernacle and be responsible for the frames of the Tabernacle, its cross-bars, posts, bases, posts tent pegs and ropes.

Moses, Aaron and his sons and their respective families camped on the east side of the Tabernacle.

So God counted the 22,000 Levites as his exclusive servants in the place of the 22,273 firstborn of Israel and the difference was paid @ 5 shekels a head paid by the Israelites to Aaron and his sons. (There are some difficulties with the mathematics of this chapter)

This chapter shows how God is a God of organization. The things of God can’t be done any old how. People can’t just do their own thing. This chapter also clearly shows that God must be at the centre of all that his people live and do.

The camp of Israel was organized by God as follows: At the centre was God and his Tabernacle surrounded by the Levites who were responsible for caring for, protecting and carrying the Tabernacle as the Israelites travelled. On the north side were the tribes of Naphtali, Asher and Dan totaling 157,600 fighting men. On the south side were the tribes of Gad, Simeon and Reuben totalling 151,450 fighting men. On the east side were the tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun totalling 186,400 fighting men. On the west side were the tribes of Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh totalling 108,100 fighting men.

This was the formation of the Israelites as God had commanded, with 3 tribes on each side, ready to march to Canaan’s Land, with God, the Tabernacle and the Levites at the centre. When the Israelites moved it was the eastern tribes that moved first and the southern tribes that moved second. Then came the Levites with the Tabernacle followed by the western tribes and then the northern tribes.

Now we start the book of Numbers which covers nearly 40 years of Israelite history, as opposed to the previous book of Leviticus which covered just one month. And chapter 1 starts on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, when God told Moses to conduct a census counting all the men 20 years old or over who were apt to serve in the army.

Moses and Aaron conducted the census with the help of 12 tribal leaders and came up with the following results for each respective tribe: The tribe of Reuben (46,500), the tribe of Simeon (59,300), the tribe of Gad (45,650), the tribe of Judah (74,600), the tribe of Issachar (54,400), the tribe of Zebulun (57,400), the tribe of Joseph (40,500), the tribe of Manasseh (32,200), the tribe of Benjamin (35,400), the tribe of Dan (62,700), the tribe of Asher (41,500) and the tribe of Naphtali (53,400). This made a total of 603,550 fighting men and does not include women, girls, boys under 20, old people and sick people.

People from the tribe of Levi were not counted in the census as they had an exclusive job to take care of and transport the Tabernacle and nobody else was allowed to get near it under the penalty of death. The Levites had to camp around the Tabernacle to protect it.