Numbers 1 – 3
Verse 1:1 is one of those “I wish” verses:
The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
I often wonder how God spoke to Moses. Was it through an audible voice, a dream or a thought?Interestingly, the message given to Moses was take a census and then he does for the next few chapters. I never really get the census and why so much of the writing is devoted to saying almost the same thing for each tribe. Verse 1:22 – 23 is an example of how most of the first chapter is constructed:
22 Of the people of Simeon, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, those of them who were listed, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upwards, all who were able to go to war: 23 those listed of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.
Through verse 43 it is almost word for word for each tribe except Ruben from two verses prior where Moses adds “Israel’s firstborn”. This is interesting to a point, but I often wonder why so much detail. This could have been summed up in two or three verses, but I often wonder if I am missing something. Here I am questioning texts which have survived thousands of years and were inspired by God, yet I don’t get it.
I think of Tennyson’s Charge of The Light Brigade sometimes when reading where he states: “Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do and die.” Not saying that reading the Bible is a life and death thing that we should “mindlessly” do, but rather we should read without too much “questionwhy.”
At the same time my questioning has lead me down some amazing paths of discovery which lead me back to the accepting this book on faith. Some of the most amazing and questionable statements from the Bible have been resolved in my mind including the parting of the Red Sea and creation happening in six days. So with an analytical mind one sometimes goes overboard on questioning.
Chapter two is devoted to how the camp is to be arranged. We tend to think of this as not that big a deal, but really think about the size and magnitude of this problem. The “census” was just numbers fighting age men, not children or women. Since the number of men in this census was about 604,000 one could assume the camp was between 1 and 2 million people. That’s about the population of San Antonio, Texas and over the city of Atlanta proper.
That suddenly gives you an idea of the immense task Moses had before him. Now you can see why he was reluctant.
Chapter 3 is devoted to defining the role of Aaron and his family. Verses 3:45 -48 jumped out at me as interesting:
45 “Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the people of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. The Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD. 46 And as the redemption price for the 273 of the firstborn of the people of Israel, over and above the number of the male Levites, 47 you shall take five shekels per head; you shall take them according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel of twenty gerahs), 48 and give the money to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for those who are over.”
Wonder how a “tax” on the first born would go over today. Notice it included cattle!!