Bereans Corner
Bereans Corner
Thru the Bible - #115 - Numbers 1 - The Census of Israel's Warriors
What if the secret to understanding ancient leadership lies within the numbers? Journey with us into the heart of Numbers, Chapter 1, where we unpack the divine mandate given to Moses and Aaron: a census of Israelites poised for battle. Amidst the stark landscape of Sinai, discover how the Israelites meticulously organize themselves by clans and families, readying 603,550 men for military service. Through our discussion, we unravel the strategic intricacies behind each tribe's contribution, from Reuben to Naphtali, and the pivotal role this census plays in their journey through the wilderness.
But there's more than just numbers at play. Our exploration delves into the exceptional status of the Levites, who stand apart with their sacred responsibilities of overseeing the tabernacle. Find out why they are deliberately excused from military duties and how their unique role underscores a distinct spiritual dimension within the community. As we reflect on the Israelites' journey, gain insights into the blend of faith, duty, and organization that defined this pivotal chapter of their history. Whether you're a history enthusiast or seeking spiritual insights, this episode promises a compelling narrative that brings ancient texts to life.
Alright, everyone, welcome back. Grab yourself a cup of glass of water, a cup of coffee, a cup of tea, and let's get ready for this Bible lesson. Today, I want you to open up your Bible to Numbers, chapter 1. The title of today's lesson is the Senses of Israel's Warriors, numbers, chapter 1,. And let's read.
Speaker 2:Numbers, chapter 1, and let's read Numbers, chapter 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. He said Take a census of the whole Israelite community, by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. You and Aaron are to number, by their divisions, all the men in Israel twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army, one man from each tribe, each. The head of his family is to help you. These are the names of the men who are to assist you From Reuben, eliezer, son of Shadur. From Simeon, shalumiel, son of Zerushadai. From Judah, nashan, son of Amminadab. From Issachar, nethanel, son of Zuar. From Zebulun, eliab, son of Halon. From the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, elishema, son of Amihud. From Manasseh, gamaliel, son of Pedazur. From Benjamin, abaddon, son of Gideoni. From Dan, ahazur, son of Ahishadai. From Asher Pajiel, son of Okran. From Gad Eliasof, son of Deuel. From Naphtali, ahira, son of Inan. These are the men appointed from the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes. They were the heads of the clans of Israel. Moses and Aaron took these men whose names had been given, and they called the whole community together. On the first day of the second month, the people indicated their ancestry by their clans and families, and the men twenty years old or more were listed by name, one by one, as the Lord commanded Moses, and so he counted them in the desert of Sinai. From the descendants of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, all the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Reuben was 46,500. From the descendants of Simeon, all the men 20 years old or more who were able to serve in the army were counted and listed by name, one by one, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Simeon was 59,300. From the descendants of Gad, all the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Gad was 45,650.
Speaker 2:From the descendants of Judah, all the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Judah was 74,600. From the descendants of Issachar, all the men 20 years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Issachar was 54,400. From the descendants of Zebulun, all the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Zebulun was fifty-seven thousand four hundred. From the sons of Joseph. From the descendants of Ephraim, all the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Ephraim was 40,500.
Speaker 2:From the descendants of Manasseh, all the men 20 years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200. From the descendants of Benjamin, all the men 20 years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400. From the descendants of Dan, all the men 20 years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Benjamin was 62,700.
Speaker 2:From the descendants of Asher, all the men 20 years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Asher was 41,500. From the descendants of Naphtali, all the men 20 years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400. These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel's army were counted according to their families. The total number was 603,550. The families of the tribe of Levi, however, were not counted along with the others.
Speaker 2:The Lord had said to Moses you must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites. Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle of the testimony, over all its furnishings and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, they are to take care of it and encamp around it. Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down. And whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it. Anyone else who goes near it shall be put to death. The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each man in his own camp, under his own standard. The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle of the testimony, so that wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the testimony. The Israelites did all this just as the Lord commanded Moses.
Speaker 1:Now. The last time we were together we finished up the book of Leviticus and saw plenty of statutes and laws the Lord. God gave Moses to give Israel. Now we move into Numbers, which is a continuation of Israel being rescued by God out of Egypt. There were fragments and copies of Numbers found in Cave 2 and Cave 4, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Also, when the manuscripts of Numbers were compared to the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Greek Septuagint, it was proven to be a correct book. That was just a little history of the book of Numbers. Now we will break this lengthy chapter down into five parts.
Speaker 1:Part number one because Israel would have to go to war, moses has to number men for that purpose. We notice this in verses one through three. Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the tent of meeting on the first of the second month in the second year after in, at least here in North America and upwards. Whoever is able to go to war in israel, you and aaron shall number them by their armies. Now, in the time we live in, at least here in north america, the age is 18 when a young man is able to go into the military and prepare for war. Here, the age was 20. We move on to part number two. There needed to be helpers to get this census done. We see this in verses 4 through 16. With you, moreover, there shall be a man of each tribe, each one head of his father's household. We're talking about the 12 tribes of israel, and there's going to be a man from each household. These, then, are the names of the men who shall stand with you of ruben elizur, the son of shador, of simeon uh shalumael, the son of zurus adai, of judah nash, the son of Amminadab, of Issachar Nathanael, the son of Zuar, of Zebulun Eliab, the son of Halan. Of the sons of Joseph, of Ephraim of Lishema, the son of Amminahud, of Manasseh Gamaliel, the son of Petazur, of Benjamin, of Badaim, of Benjamin of Adain, the son of Gideon, of Dan Ahazar, the son of Amishadad or Amishadai, of Asher Pagiel, the son of Akran, of Gad Elisaph, the son of Duel of Natali Ahara, the son of duel of natalie ahara, the son of anon. These are those who are called of the congregation, the leaders of their father's tribes. They were the heads of divisions of israel.
Speaker 1:All right, you have to excuse me for that sometime. Pronouncing these guys names, you get tongue tied. Now I want to say something. I want you to keep in mind, all of those heads of the households that we just ran about, and I want to say something about each of them, because each of their names means something. Going back to Elazar, it means God is a rock. Shalumael means at peace with God. Nashon means one who was divine in touch with God. Nathael means the gift of God. Eliab means my God is father. The next two are the two sons of Joseph, through Ephraim and Manasseh. Elishamah means my God is heard. Gamaliel means my God is rewarder. Abadan means my father is judge. Ahazar means brother is helper. Pajiel means event of God. Eliasaf means God adds, and Ahara means brother is evil. So just to give you a little background on what each of those guys names mean.
Speaker 1:Now we will move on to part 3. This census was done according to obedience to the lord's word. Look at verses 17 to 19. So moses and aaron took these men who had been designated by name and they assembled all the congregation together on the first of the second month. Then they registered by ancestry in their families, by their father's households. So they did exactly what the Lord said. Part four, the census results. Okay, we're going to read look at this in verses 20 through 46. Okay, let's hang in there and let's let's get this lord's word in our ears. Verses 20 through 46 the census results.
Speaker 1:Now, the sons of reuben is your firstborn. Their genealogical registration by their families, by their father's households, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from 20 years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, their numbered men of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500. Of the sons of Simeon, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, their numbered men, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from 20 years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war. Their numbered men of the tribe of simeon were 59 300. Of the sons of gad, their generational registration by their families, by their father's households, according to the number of names, for 20 years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, their numbered men of the tribe of gad were 45 650. Of the sons of judah, their genealogical registration by their families, by their father's households, according to the number of names, for 20 years old and upwards, whoever was able to go out to war. Their numbered men of the tribe of Judah were 74,600. Of the sons of Issachar, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from 20 years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war. Their numbered men of the tribe of Issbulun, their genealogical registration by their families, by their father's households, according to the number of names, from 20 years old and upwards, whoever was able to go out to war. Their numbered men of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
Speaker 1:Of the sons of Joseph, namely of the sons of Ephraim, their genealogical registration by their families, by their father's household, according to the number of names, from 20 years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war. Their numbered men of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500. Of the sons of Manasseh, their genealogical registration by their families, by their father's households, according to the number of names, from 20 years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war. Their numbered men of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200. Of the sons of Benjamin, their genealogical registration by their families, by their father's households, according to the number of names, from 20 years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war. Their numbered men of the tribe of benjamin were 35 400. Of the sons of dan, their genealogical registration by the families, by their father's households, according to the number of names, from 20 years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war. Their numbered men of the tribe of dan were 62,700. Of the sons of Asher, their genealogical registration by their families, by their fathers' households, according to the number of names, from 20 years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, their numbered men of the tribe of Asher were 41,500. Of the sons of natalie, their genealogical registration by their families, by their father's households, according to the number of names, from 20 years old and upward, whoever was able to go out to war, their numbered men of the tribe of natalie were 53 400. These are the ones who were numbered, whom moses and aaron numbered with the, the leaders of Israel, 12 men, each of whom was of his father's household. So all the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their father's household, from 20 years old and upwards, whoever was able to go out to war in Israel, even all the numbered men, were 603,550. That was the total number of the census and they will do this again in chapter 26, part 5.
Speaker 1:The Levites were not numbered because they had tabernacle duties verses 47 through 54. The Levites, however, were not number among them by their father's tribes, for the Lord has spoken to Moses Only the tribe of Levi. You shall not number, nor shall you take their census among the sons of Israel. But you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony and over all its furnishings and over all that belong to it. They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings and they shall take care of it. They shall also camp around the tabernacle. So when a tabernacle is to set out, the levite shall take it down, and when the tabernacle encamps, the levite shall shut it up. Excuse me, shall set it up, but the layman who comes near shall be put to death.
Speaker 1:Now I'm gonna stop right there after verse 51, real quick. This was a command given to the levites, and it and all this was for the levites. The taking down of the camp, the putting up of the camp, all of this was to be done by levi, because they were the priests also too. They had no inheritance in the land and they were not numbered in the census to go to war. Picking it back up at verse 52. And the sons of israel shall camp, each man by his own camp and each man by his own standard, according to their armies, but the levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the sons of israel, so the levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the testimony. In other words, the levites are going to camp near the testimony, excuse me, near the tabernacle. Thus, the sons of israel did according to all which the Lord had commanded Moses. So they did. Now that, right, there is a beautiful thing when you hear that Israel did all that was commanded of the Lord, because we know that, uh, that is not always going to be the case. All right, that brings us to the end of numbers, chapter one.
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