Walk Through the Bible: Numbers

Passage: Numbers 14:1-12

As you read through Numbers you may find yourself asking: “What’s with all this math!?  What spiritual good is there in knowing there are 46,500 Reubenites?  Who would have thought government census documents could be inspired by the Holy Spirit?”  Before your eyes glaze over, it will help to have a bit of perspective on this book.

As the name of the book suggests Numbers is about numbers.  The most important number in the book of Numbers may be the number two.

Numbers is about two generations of God’s people, the generation that left Egypt yet increased in rebellion and became unbelieving, failing to trust God and paid the price of a lifetime of wandering in the wilderness.

They were followed by a new generation that stood on the brink of entering the Promised Land.  Would they follow the way of their parents and give in to unbelief or would they embrace God’s Word and receive the land God had promised the patriarchs?

Numbers begins and ends with the detail of two censuses, to count the number of fighting men 20 and older who would lead Israel into the conquest of the Promised Land.

Two is also the number of years in the life of God’s people that Numbers focuses on, year 2 at Mt. Sinai and year 40 on the plains of Moab on the eastern border of the Promised Land.

Two is the number of faithful spies who urged the people not to be afraid and trust God to give them the land.  Two is the number of men from the first generation that were allowed to enter the Promised Land with the second generation, Joshua and Caleb.