numbers 1 and 2

The Hebrew paragraph divisions for today’s chapters are:

Num 1:1-19 {s} The leaders chosen by name of their fathers’ tribes to number Israel
Num 1:20-21 {p} The number of the army of Reuben (of Leah): 46,500.
Num 1:22-23 {p} The number of the army of Simeon (of Leah): 59,300.
Num 1:24-25 {p} The number of the army of Gad (of Zilpah): 45,650 (the south encampment)
Num 1:26-27 {p} The number of the army of Judah (of Leah): 74,600.
Num 1:28-29 {p} The number of the army of Issachar (of Leah): 54,400.
Num 1:30-31 {p} The number of the army of Zebulun (of Leah): 57,400 (the east encampment)
Num 1:32-33 {p} The number of the army of Ephraim (of Rachel): 40,500.
Num 1:34-35 {p} The number of the army of Manasseh (of Rachel): 32,200.
Num 1:36-37 {p} The number of the army of Benjamin (of Rachel): 35,400 (the west encampment)
Num 1:38-39 {p} The number of the army of Dan (of Bilhah): 62,700.
Num 1:40-41 {p} The number of the army of Asher (of Zilpah): 41,500.
Num 1:42-43 {p} The number of the army of Naphtali (of Bilhah): 53,400 (the north encampment)
Num 1:44-47 {p} The number of the armies of Israel: 603,550.
Num 1:48-54 {p} The Levites not numbered as they have charge of the tabernacle
Num 2:1-9 {s} The east camp 1st: Judah, Issachar, Zebulun: 186,400.
Num 2:10-16 {s} The south camp 2nd: Reuben, Simeon, Gad: 151,450.
Num 2:17 {s} The tabernacle of meeting with the Levites in the middle
Num 2:18-24 {s} The west camp 3rd: Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin: 108,100.
Num 2:25-31 {p} The north camp last: Dan, Asher, Naphtali: 157,600.
Num 2:32-34 {p} The number of the children of Israel + Levites not numbered

These two chapters do form a chiastic structure, which helps us see the central point of the seemingly mind-numbing detail of the census:

1a) Num 1:20-54 {px14} The number of the children of Israel + the Levites not numbered;

1b) Num 2:1-16 {s+s} The east + south camps of Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Reuben, Simeon, Gad;

central axis) Num 2:17 {s} The tabernacle of meeting with the Levites in the center of the camp;

2b) Num 2:18-31 {s+p} The west + north camps of Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, Dan, Asher, Naphtali;

2a) Num 2:32-34 {p} The number of the children of Israel + the Levites not numbered.

Now why would God put neon flashing lights around the fact that the tabernacle of meeting, with the Levites, was in the center of the camp? This is where it gets cool! If we draw out the encampment as described in these two chapters, as if we were taking an aerial snapshot of it, we would get:

encampment of the tribes around the tabernacle | christine’s bible study at a little perspective

Three times the tabernacle is called, the tabernacle of the Testimony, not the tent of meeting as we are used to seeing. This is on purpose! First, we have already seen that three is a sign of Messiah in Torah. And what do we see, but the cross, with GOD in the center of the cross, or perhaps more accurately, ON the cross.

For further reading:
num 1-2, who is to go to war