Read Numbers 1 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraphs:
1:1-19 {s} The leaders chosen by name of their fathers’ tribes to number Israel
1:20-21 {p} The number of the army of Reuben (of Leah): 46,500.
1:22-23 {p} The number of the army of Simeon (of Leah): 59,300.
1:24-25 {p} The number of the army of Gad (of Zilpah): 45,650 (the south encampment)
1:26-27 {p} The number of the army of Judah (of Leah): 74,600.
1:28-29 {p} The number of the army of Issachar (of Leah): 54,400.
1:30-31 {p} The number of the army of Zebulun (of Leah): 57,400 (the east encamp-ment)
1:32-33 {p} The number of the army of Ephraim (of Rachel): 40,500.
1:34-35 {p} The number of the army of Manasseh (of Rachel): 32,200.
1:36-37 {p} The number of the army of Benjamin (of Rachel): 35,400 (the west en-campment)
1:38-39 {p} The number of the army of Dan (of Bilhah): 62,700.
1:40-41 {p} The number of the army of Asher (of Zilpah): 41,500.
1:42-43 {p}The number of the army of Naphtali (of Bilhah): 53,400 (the north encamp-ment)
1:44-47 {p} The number of the armies of Israel: 603,550.
1:48-54 {p} The Levites not numbered as they have charge of the tabernacle
A phrase that is Repeated over and over again, is, “all who were able to go to war.” This clue reveals to us the purpose of the census: to number the men of military age in Israel, to set them in their armies. You see, Israel is not going to stay at Mount Sinai forever. The tabernacle is now built, the priesthood is now consecrated, and the sacrifices are now being brought. Soon it will be time to move, to continue toward the goal of entering the Promised Land! And in order to enter in, Israel will have to fight.
There will be Canaanites and who knows who else who will oppose them. So Israel is going to have to fight and wage war to inherit their promise. Now God could just blast all the Canaanites in their path with His power, and Israel could just enter in unopposed. Why doesn’t He do that?
The Torah is a book of history-prophecy. It is true history, that also prophesies to us of natural and spiritual truths and realities for our day, according to the teaching tool of History That Prophesies. The history of this chapter, is that He is preparing Israel for war. The prophecy of this chapter, is that we also are in a war, we also have to fight and wage war to inherit our promise. God is not just going to blast all our enemies (who are all principalities and powers of wickedness, Eph 6:12) with His power so we enter in to our promise unopposed. This book of Torah is going to teach us how to prepare for and wage war.
The first thing we learn, is, MEN, prepare yourselves for battle! The men in the kingdom of God are on the front lines. Do you ever wonder why so many women are called to be intercessors? Women are not on the front lines. Also, the men are 20 years old and upwards. Children are not on the front lines. This destroys the common argument that Christian parents give for sending their children to the cesspool of public school in order to act as lights in the darkness. We are to protect our children from war, not throw them in the thick of it. That is what the Scripture teaches.
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