The Book Of Numbers Series 1-The Foundation

We call it Numbers because the book contains many statistics, population counts- 2 census and other numerical data.

The Hebrew title of the book (bemidbar, “in the desert”) is more descriptive of its contents. Numbers presents an account of Israel’s wandering in the desert following the establishment of the covenant of Sinai.

Numbers isn’t a standalone book. Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch—Reading Numbers without a general understanding of the first three books (Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus) is kind of like tuning in to the fourth season of a Sitcom—you’re not going to know what’s going on.

In Genesis, God makes promises to Abraham, the patriarch of Israel. God specifically promises that his descendants will be given the land of Canaan, that the nations will be blessed through him, and that God will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. Abraham’s family grows, and the book ends with about 70 of his descendants as refugees in Egypt.

At the start of Exodus, the nation of Israel has grown—but they’ve been enslaved by the Egyptians. God sends his people a prophet, Moses, God frees Israel, and leads them to a mountain in the wilderness: Exodus 19:1-2 On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypt—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai. ² After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain. MAP

Exodus 40:17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. (preparing items) Camped at Mount Sinai, Israel built a tabernacle of meeting as the center of worship and sacrifice.

The book of Leviticus focuses on how a nation of mortals can cohabitate with the God of heaven. The law was given— At the end of Leviticus, they had been out of Egypt for about a year.

We know the events of Numbers also began in the second year after the Israelites departed Egypt, as they camped at Mount Sinai: Numbers 1:1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt.

Israel is at Sinai, Preparing to Depart for the Promised Land 1:1-10:10

The Census

Levites Appointed for Service

God hands out the duties for each tribe

God purifies the people

The Nazirite vow and the Aaronic benediction

The offerings of the 12 leaders at the dedication of the tabernacle

The observance of the Passover   Two Silver Trumpets

Israel has been camping in the wilderness for over a year now, and it’s time for them to be on the move.

The covering cloud

Numbers 9:15-18 On the day the tabernacle, the tent of the covenant law, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. ¹⁶ That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. ¹⁷ Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.

Numbers 10:11-12 In the second year after Israel’s departure from Egypt—on the twentieth day of the second month—the cloud lifted from the Tabernacle of the Covenant. ¹² So the Israelites set out from the wilderness of Sinai and traveled on from place to place until the cloud stopped in the wilderness of Paran.

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1 Corinthians 10:1-12 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. ² They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. ³ They all ate the same spiritual food ⁴ and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. ⁵ Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. ⁶ Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. ⁷ Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” ⁸ We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. ⁹ We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. ¹⁰ And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. ¹¹ These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. ¹² So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

So, the message of the Book of Numbers is universal and timeless.
Numbers follow Israel’s journey from the foot of Mount Sinai to the edge of the promised land of Canaan. The journey would only take about two weeks. So why does it take 40 years? 

Numbers 11:1-3 Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. ² When the people cried out to Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down. ³ So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the Lord had burned among them.

Numbers 11:4-6 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! ⁵ We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. ⁶ But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” The people are not satisfied with manna; they want meat.

They walk around mumbling. Remembering the good old days back in Egypt when they had as much fish as they could eat – free of charge… with melons and onions and cucumbers. Ah, the good old days.

But they had forgotten that the same hands that fed them fish also cracked a whip across their back.

They had forgotten that the ones who ran the farmer’s market where they got their garlic and onions were the same ones who forced them into harsh labor…

Where many of them died of exhaustion in the desert heat…at an early age…

Dissatisfied. Discontent. It’s like quicksand. The whole nation of Israel was being sucked down into it. And they were dragging Moses down with them.

Numbers 11:10-15 Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. ¹¹ He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? ¹² Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their ancestors? ¹³ Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ ¹⁴ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. ¹⁵ If this is how you are going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favor in your eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.”   (70 Elders)

Numbers 11:18-20 “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it. ¹⁹ You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, ²⁰ but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”’”

Numbers 11:31-32 Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. ³² All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. Then they spread them out all around the camp. 

Numbers 11:33-34 But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. ³⁴ Therefore the place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food.