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    Today begins our study of the Old Testament book of Numbers. Numbers is the fourth book of the five books of Moses and describes the period between the establishment of God’s covenant with the Israelites’ at Mount Sinai and when they finally entered the Holy Land some 38 years later. As several commentaries point out, the tale of Numbers is the tale of the Israelite nation being shaped from their pagan slave past to their future as the chosen people of God.
    Numbers, like may of the books of the Old Testament, can be a difficult book for modern Christians to understand and apply to their faith, yet Numbers carries with it the tale of God’s grace toward mankind just as surely as the Gospels themselves. To better understand that tale of Grace, it is always advisable to seek out the commentaries of other Christians on the subject. There are many such commentaries, and the venerable Northwest Publishing House People’s Bible Commentary might be a good place to start. Here also is the link to the BibleGateway.com commentary.
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    The first two chapters of Numbers describe an important event in the history of the nation of Israel. Upon sealing His covenant with them, God’s next order of business was to form the nation of freed slaves into an army for the conquest of the Holy Land. To that end, God ordered a census of the people of Israel so that they could see the strength God arrayed among them.
    Some Biblical scholars take great exception to the numbers described in these chapters because they indicate a very large people. The truth is that we do not know how many Israelites there were in the desert, but it is obvious they were a great host.
    Behind those numbers, we see the formation of a nation, sealed to God’s covenant and being prepared for what is to come. We see in these descriptions a pattern which applies to our own lives. When we bend to God’s Will, he reveals His Grace in us, just as He revealed strength to the Israelites. In the revelation of that Grace, we are made bold in the things God places in our way to do, for we know that this is a Grace that does not disappoint.
DLH
