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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest, "Take a census of the whole Israelite community by families—all those twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army of Israel."

So on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them and said, "Take a census of the men twenty years old or more, as the Lord commanded Moses."

These were the Israelites who came out of Egypt:

The descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were: through Hanoch, the Hanochite clan; through Pallu, the Palluite clan; through Hezron, the Hezronite clan; through Carmi, the Carmite clan.

These were the clans of Reuben; those numbered were 43,730.

The son of Pallu was Eliab, and the sons of Eliab were Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. The same Dathan and Abiram were the community officials who rebelled against Moses and Aaron and were among Korah's followers when they rebelled against the Lord. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men. And they served as a warning sign. The line of Korah, however, did not die out.

The descendants of Simeon by their clans were:

through Nemuel, the Nemuelite clan; through Jamin, the Jaminite clan; through Jakin, the Jakinite clan; through Zerah, the Zerahite clan; through Shaul, the Shaulite clan. These were the clans of Simeon; there were 22,200 men.

The descendants of Gad by their clans were:

through Zephon, the Zephonite clan; through Haggi, the Haggite clan; through Shuni, the Shunite clan; through Ozni, the Oznite clan; through Eri, the Erite clan; through Arodi, the Arodite clan; through Areli, the Arelite clan.

These were the clans of Gad; those numbered were 40,500. Er and Onan were sons of Judah, but they died in Canaan.

The descendants of Judah by their clans were:

through Shelah, the Shelanite clan; through Perez, the Perezite clan; through Zerah, the Zerahite clan.

The descendants of Perez were:

through Hezron, the Hezronite clan; through Hamul, the Hamulite clan. These were the clans of Judah; those numbered were 76,500.

The descendants of Issachar by their clans were:

through Tola, the Tolaite clan; through Puah, the Puite clan; through Jashub, the Jashubite clan; through Shimron, the Shimronite clan. These were the clans of Issachar; those numbered were 64,300.

The descendants of Zebulun by their clans were:

through Sered, the Seredite clan; through Elon, the Elonite clan; through Jahleel, the Jahleelite clan. These were the clans of Zebulun; those numbered were 60,500.

The descendants of Joseph by their clans through Manasseh and Ephraim were:

The descendants of Manasseh: through Makir, the Makirite clan (Makir was the father of Gilead through Gilead, the Gileadite clan.

These were the descendants of Gilead:

through Lezer, the Lezerite clan; through Helek, the Helekite clan; through Asriel, the Asrielite clan; through Shechem, the Shechemite clan; through Shemida, the Shemidaite clan; through Hepher, the Hepherite clan. (Zelophehad son of Hepher had no sons; he had only daughters, whose names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah.)

These were the clans of Manasseh; those numbered were 52,700.

These were the descendants of Ephraim by their clans:

through Shuthelah, the Shuthelahite clan; through Beker, the Bekerite clan; through Tahan, the Tahanite clan.

These were the descendants of Shuthelah:

through Eran, the Eranite clan.

These were the clans of Ephraim; those numbered were 32,500.

These were the descendants of Joseph by their clans.

The descendants of Benjamin by their clans were:

through Bela, the Belaite clan; through Ashbel, the Ashbelite clan; through Ahiram, the Ahiramite clan; through Shupham, the Shuphamite clan; through Hupham, the Huphamite clan.

The descendants of Bela through Ard and Naaman were:

through Ard, the Ardite clan; through Naaman, the Naamite clan.

These were the clans of Benjamin; those numbered were 45,600.

These were the descendants of Dan by their clans:

through Shuham, the Shuhamite clan.

These were the clans of Dan:

All of them were Shuhamite clans; and those numbered were 64,400.

The descendants of Asher by their clans were:

through Imnah, the Imnite clan; through Ishvi, the Ishvite clan; through Beriah, the Beriite clan;

and through the descendants of Beriah: through Heber, the Heberite clan; through Malkiel, the Malkielite clan. (Asher had a daughter named Serah.)

These were the clans of Asher; those numbered were 53,400.

The descendants of Naphtali by their clans were:

through Jahzeel, the Jahzeelite clan; through Guni, the Gunite clan; through Jezer, the Jezerite clan; through Shillem, the Shillemite clan.

These were the clans of Naphtali; those numbered were 45,400.

The total number of the men of Israel was 601,730.

The Lord said to Moses, "The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. To a larger group, give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group, a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed. Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe. Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups."

These were the Levites who were counted by their clans:

through Gershon, the Gershonite clan; through Kohath, the Kohathite clan; through Merari, the Merarite clan.

These also were Levite clans:

the Libnite clan, the Hebronite clan, the Mahlite clan, the Mushite clan, the Korahite clan. (Kohath was the forefather of Amram; the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, who was born to the Levites in Egypt. To Amram, she bore Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam. Aaron was the father of Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died when they made an offering before the Lord with unauthorized fire.)

All the male Levites a month old or more numbered 23,000. They were not counted along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance among them.

These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun.

Numbers 26

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we look at this passage for today, we’re reminded about why this book is titled Numbers. For now that Israel is near the end of their 40 years of God-imposed desert wandering, we find the Lord ordering a second census taken, a deliberate counting of His people by tribe just as He had ordered in chapters 1 and 2 of this book as the Israelites departed the area outside of Canaan, having been denied access by the Lord.

The scriptures tell us that this census occurred "after the plague" that happened in chapter 25 after some of the Israelite men engaged in sexual sin with Moabite women, even going as far as bowing down and worshiping their false gods. We see where the Lord gives instruction to "Moses and Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest" to conduct the census and of interest, you will remember that it was Aaron that had performed the count before. But now, he had passed away and so his son took over the duties with his uncle Moses, ensuring that all "men twenty years old or more" were counted.

And so it was “on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho" as Moses and Eleazar ordered the count be carried out and it dominates a whopping forty-six verses of this chapter. When it was all said and done with, the final total came up to 601,730 men, 1,820 less than the total after Israel had left Egypt.

So why was there a reduction?

We find out at the very end of this chapter.

These are the ones counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest when they counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho. Not one of them was among those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest when they counted the Israelites in the Desert of Sinai. For the Lord had told those Israelites they would surely die in the desert, and not one of them was left except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun. Vv. 63-65

Here we’re reminded that God always keeps His word. For you’ll recall that Israel was punished for their lack of faith and disobedience as they tried to enter Canaan the first time. The Lord turned them away from the land He had promised to give them, making them wander in the desert wilderness for forty long years, one year for every day that the advance scouts had spent in Canaan surveying the land before returning with their report. Ten of the twelve spies discouraged the people from moving forward with occupying the land with only Caleb and Joshua dissenting. They tried to get the people to see that God was with them and so they could gain victory over any adversary, no matter how imposing they might be. The Israelites chose to listen to the ten, even going as far as wanting a new leader and thinking they would be better off back in the enslavement of Egypt.

And so God placed judgment on His people with the intent that the desert wandering would ensure that not a single member of the disobedient generation would get to enter the Promised Land, a goal achieved as we read in verses 65 that “not one of them was left except Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and Joshua, son of Nun”.

Going back to the first census, we know it was taken primarily for the Israelites to get organized. They had left Egypt in mass and it wasn’t until they were counted and divided up into their respective camps that they could begin their journey toward the Promised Land. Fast forward to now, as Israel was going to come to Canaan for a second time, and we see that this census was taken for an entirely different purpose, to establish rights to the land that was soon to be inherited.

Going back to our passage for today, we read where the Lord said this to Moses:

“The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group, a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed. Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe. Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups."

There was definitely a possibility that the Israelites might quarrel internally over land allotment once they took possession of Canaan so we see the Lord getting out in front of that by setting guidelines for land distribution. Of special note here is that the Lord stayed consistent with His policy on the Levites, a tribe that He called His own because of the special privileges and responsibilities they held to manage the tabernacle and all worship within (see Numbers, chapter 3). All "male Levites a month old or more" were counted and "numbered 23,000" but the scriptures tell us that they "were not counted along with the other Israelites because they received no inheritance among them". This stayed consistent with God’s earlier guidance when He said the Levites would not gain an inheritance but only tend to everything in the tabernacle.

So what do we take away from this passage, a passage so concentrated on numbers?

First, every single person counts to God. Everyone matters to Him. It was true back in the days of ancient Israel and it still hold true today.

How much does the Lord value you?

Look at these words from Jesus as He taught publicly for the first time, delivering what we know as the “Sermon on the Mount”:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:25-26

Indeed, to the Lord we are.

Our second takeaway is that God is always in control. All we need to do is allow Him to dictate how we conduct our life matters.

Moses and Eleazar weren’t allowed to come up with their own plan to distribute land. Rather, the land was God’s land, the land flowing with milk and honey, the land He was giving to the people of Israel as an inheritance. And just as a will details who will get what and how much, so too does God set the criteria as to how His inheritance will be divided. Knowing this, we can say as David did:

"Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup; You have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." Psalm 16:5-6

Finally, God is true to His promises. Although He punished a disobedient Israel, He still made the way for the next generation to enter and inhabit the land He had promised them.

In his second letter, Peter reminds us that we’re blessed today in knowing that our Lord is true to His Word:

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these, He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature." 2 Peter 1:3-4

My brothers and sisters, what an awesome blessing it is to have such a wonderful Heavenly Father who cares for us, guides us, and stays true to His promises as He blesses us and corrects us towards being the people He desires us to be as we walk through this life He has given. Let us rejoice in knowing that we count to Him, the One who deserves the fullest measure of our praise, honor, and glory.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.