Numbers

In the Wilderness

These are the journeys of the children of Israel.—Numbers 33:1

Jeffrey Earl

The book of Numbers gets its title from the English translation of the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament. In the Hebrew Bible the title is "In the Wilderness," which is more fitting since only a few chapters deal with the actual numbering of the Israelites. The time period covered by the book is about 38 years starting from the second year after the exodus from Egypt. It includes the journey to Canaan, the years of wilderness wanderings after Israel’s lack of faith in God, and ends with the journey back to Canaan prior to taking possession of the land.

To get a better perspective of the book of Numbers, rather than summarize events strictly by sequential chapters we will group each of the "sub-topics" into the five major themes outlined below. After that the numbering of the tribes, the vow of the Nazirite, and Balaam’s fourth oracle will be discussed further.

Numbering the Tribes of Israel

1. The first numbering is taken "in the second year" after the exodus from Egypt and includes all the males 20 years old and over with the exception of the tribe of Levi (chapter 1).

2. The placement of the 12 tribes around the tent of meeting is specified with Judah on the favored east part of the camp. The order of the tribes when the camp is moved is also specified—Judah in the lead and Dan at the end, acting as a rear guard. The meaning of the sounding of the two silver trumpets is also described (chapters 2 and 10).

3. The Levites and the first-born males one month and older are numbered. The Levites are taken in exchange for the firstborn of the other tribes; 273 more first-born than Levites are redeemed for five shekels each. The Levites are set apart to assist the Aaronic priests (chapter 3).

4. The males aged 30 to 50 from the Levite families of Kohath, Gershon, and Merari are numbered and are given specific assignments in the tabernacle (chapter 4).

5. A second census is taken before the Israelites enter the promised land; the Levites are again numbered separately (chapter 26).

Levites, Worship, Vows and Atonement

1. The guilty are to confess their sin and make full restitution to the victim; the procedure for determining guilt for secret adultery with no witnesses (chapter 5).

2. Requirements for the Nazirite vow of full consecration to God (chapter 6).

3. The offerings from the leaders of Israel after the consecration of the tabernacle and altar (chapter 7).

4. Procedures for the cleansing of the Levites, their consecration, and separation from the rest of Israel; the responsibilities of Aaron and his sons and the other Levites in and around the tabernacle; the Levites are to work in the tabernacle only from age 25 to 50 (chapters 8 and 18).

5. Instructions on how and when to keep the Passover and the procedures if someone is unclean at the time of the Passover. The variableness of time the cloud would cover the tabernacle and when to move the camp if the cloud was "taken up" (chapter 9).

6. Offerings when entering the land and the sin offerings (chapter 15).

7. Procedures for the purification of someone who has been defiled by a corpse (chapter 19).

8. Presentation of offerings for various occasions and times of the year (New Year, Day of Atonement, Feast of Booths, etc.) (chapters 18 and 29).

9. God’s commands about vows made by men and women (chapter 30).

10. The distinction made between murder (to be put to death) and manslaughter (to be sent to a city of refuge) (chapter 35).

Complaints and Rebellions

1. The Israelites complain about their "misfortunes"; God sends fire and consumes some outlying parts of the camp (perhaps as a warning?) since no deaths are recorded. The Israelites complain about eating manna and long for meat; Moses asks for help from God to deal with the people and is given 70 elders; God provides quail but many overeat and die (chapter 11).

2. Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses; God tells them that he speaks to Moses directly, not in dreams as he does to prophets; God then strikes Miriam with leprosy (chapter 12).

3. After accepting the report from 10 of the 12 spies that went into Canaan that the people of that land cannot be defeated, the unfaithful Israelites are sentenced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years; the 10 spies die in a plague. When the Israelites try to enter the land without God’s blessing they are soundly defeated by the Canaanites and Amalekites (chapter 14).

4. Rebellion of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, On, and 250 chosen men; God causes an earthquake that swallows them up with their families. Israel complains against Moses and a plague is sent by God—14,700 die; Moses’ intercession with God stops the plague (chapter 16).

5. To stop the rebellion by Israel and to prove through whom God speaks, a rod is taken from each of the 12 tribes and placed in the tent of meeting; Aaron’s is the only rod that buds (chapter 17).

6. Complaints by the Israelites against Moses and Aaron because of a water shortage; Moses strikes the rock twice instead of speaking to it as directed by God and is denied entry into the promised land. Aaron dies and Eleazar is made high priest (chapter 20).

7. The Israelites speak out against God and Moses when bypassing the land of Edom; God sends "fiery serpents"—many are bitten and die until Moses prays to God on behalf of the people; a bronze serpent is made and placed on a pole—the people that were bitten look on it and are saved (chapter 21).

8. Israelites mix with the "daughters of Moab" and are lured into idolatry; 24,000 are killed by God as a result. All the chiefs of Israel who worshipped Baal are hanged as punishment. Phineas (son of Eleazar the high priest) and his descendants are given "a perpetual priesthood" by covenant (chapter 25).

The Lands Traversed and Their Inhabitants

1. One spy from each of the tribes is sent out to spy out the land of Canaan for 40 days; Caleb and Joshua state that the people can be overcome—the other ten spies say they saw giants in the landthat cannot be overcome by Israel (chapter 13).

2. God gives Israel victory over the Canaanites dwelling in the Negeb; Israel defeats the Amorites and Bashan, taking possession of their lands (chapter 21).

3. Balak, king of Moab, hires Balaam to curse the Israelites, but God "persuades" him to bless Israel; sacrifices are made on seven altars in three different locations with Balaam uttering a blessing to Israel at each; a fourth oracle of prophecy is made by Balaam (chapters 22-24).

4. Israel is told to smite the Midianites (chapter 25); 12,000 men are sent to war against the Midianites; Balaam is killed; the spoils of war are purified (chapter 31).

5. The listing of the Israelites’ itinerary during their wilderness wanderings. Israel is told to drive out all the inhabitants of Canaan and to destroy all idols—Canaanites who remain will be thorns in their sides (chapter 33).

Dividing the Land

1. There is no inheritance in the land by the Levites; the Israelites are tithed to support the Levites (chapter 18).

2. The size of the inheritance for each of the tribes is to be proportional to the population of the tribe (chapter 26).

3. Provision for an inheritance to be given to the daughters or other relatives if there is no son to receive the inheritance (chapter 27).

4. Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh given land east of the Jordan, but they agree to fight with the rest of the tribes to subdue the people in the land west of the Jordan (chapter 32).

5. Israel’s boundaries are defined when they are given the promised land (chapter 34).

6. The people of Israel are to give the Levites cities and surrounding land to live in—they are scattered throughout Israel; arrangements for the six cities of refuge for those convicted of manslaughter (chapter 35).

7. There is to be no transfer of property between the tribes or tribal intermarriage if a woman is an heiress (chapter 36).

Numbering the 12 Tribes

About the same number of Israelite males 20 years and older were counted at the first census in the second year after the Exodus and the second census near the end of the 40 years of wandering the wilderness: 603,550 vs. 601,730. The Scriptures state that all over the age of 20who "murmured against me" except Joshua and Caleb died during the 40 years in the wilderness (Numbers 14:29,30). Since this age distinction is the same as when the males were numbered, it is an open question whether all the women 20 and over were also condemned to die in the wilderness.

The tribe of Simeon seems to have been the most rebellious. While most tribes lost or gained no more than 10,000 (males over 20), Simeon’s numbers went from nearly 60,000 at the first census to just over 22,000 at the second, a loss of about 38,000. Perhaps this was prophesied in Genesis 49:5-7, when it states "Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords ... O my spirit, be not joined to their company. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce ... I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel." Simeon is not even mentioned in Deuteronomy 33 when Moses gives his blessing to the tribes of Israel. Perhaps Simeon was the first tribe to be corrupted, scattered, and absorbed by the heathen people in their portion of the land given them (south of Judah).

Levi is also cursed in Genesis 49 and is subsequently given no inheritance in the land but was provided with cities that were scattered throughout Israel. The Levites increased only from 22,000 in the first census to 23,000 in the second census. Perhaps their numbers were reduced during the rebellion of Korah (great-grandson of Levi) and the 250 "chosen, well-known" Levites. Korah, his family, the 250, and his other supporters from the tribe of Levi were destroyed by God in an earthquake.

It should be noted that there are grave consequences when a numbering of the tribes of Israel is done without God’s command or done so with a proud heart. In 2 Samuel 24, King David was punished with a "pestilence upon Israel" for numbering the men of fighting age when he was not authorized by God to do so. Even the commander of his army, Joab, knew that David was being prideful in numbering his men, and was possibly fearful of the consequences.

The Vow of the Nazirite

Nazirite comes from the word Nazir, and means a separated person, one devoted and consecrated to the service of God. The vow of the Nazirite is described in Numbers 6:1-21 and includes the following: 1) Cannot drink wine or strong drink or even consume grapes in any form (including the seeds); 2) Cannot shave or cut his hair; 3) Cannot go near a dead body, including anyone from his family. If he makes accidental contact with a dead body, he must shave his head and present sacrifices to the priest for a sin, burnt, and guilt offering. The priest also must make an atonement for him. He must then start the vow over again. When the time of his separation, or vow, has been completed, he must present sacrifices to the priest for a sin, burnt, peace, cereal, drink, and wave offering to God.

Those throughout the Bible that took the Nazirite vow included Samuel (1 Samuel 1:11), Samson (Judges 13-16), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:5; 7:29), John the Baptist (Luke 1:15), and possibly the apostle Paul participated in the vow with others (Acts 18:18; 21:23,24). Of those, Samuel, Samson and John the Baptist took the vow for life. Jesus was not a Nazirite since he both drank wine and touched the dead, but he was certainly devoted to the service of his Father in heaven.

The Nazirite may be a picture of true Christians in that they are to be separated from the world and by full consecration are dedicated to the service of God. A difference between the consecration of the Jew as a Nazirite and the full consecration of Christians is that the Nazirite was promised earthly blessings as a reward for faithfulness, and Christians are promised spiritual blessings if they overcome "the world, the flesh, and the devil," "present their bodies as a living sacrifice," and "remain faithful unto death."

Balaam’s Fourth Oracle

Another interesting part of Numbers is Balaam’s fourth oracle. This oracle is given in Numbers 24:15-19 and says "a star shall come forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab ... Edom shall be dispossessed." This is a prophesy that appears to have three fulfillments—two literal and one symbolic. The first was a defeat of Moab and Edom during King David’s reign, the second when Israel will defeat the descendants of Moab and Edom in a future battle with them, and a third in which symbolic Edom, "Christendom," is finally overthrown.

The Moabites and Edomites (and also the Ammonites) were idol worshipers who populated the areas southeast and east of Israel. When Esau sold his birthright to Jacob and did not receive Isaac’s blessing, his name was changed to Edom (Genesis 25:30), which means "red" (taken from the "red pottage" Jacob had made, Genesis 25:30). Furthermore, Esau married Canaanite women (Genesis 36:1,2,8,40-43) who "made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah" (Genesis 26:34), probably at least partly due to their idol worship. Both of these actions would contribute to Esau not being in God’s favor. Also, in Numbers 20:14-21, Edom refused Moses’ pleas for safe passage through their land, even though Moses told them Israel would pay for any water they would use. Moab and Ammon were also not favored of God since they descended from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his two daughters (Genesis 19:30-36). Their descendants were also idol worshipers.

The "star ... out of Jacob" and the "scepter ... out of Israel" refer to those descending from the line of Jacob who would have the right to rule. This can be applied to both King David and Christ. The "star out of Jacob" could be connected to Matthew 2:2,9 when it refers to the birth of Jesus and the "wise men from the East" being guided by the "star in the east" which led them to the place where the child was located.

The first fulfillment of Balaam’s fourth oracle occurred during the reign of King David when Israel defeated the Moabites and Edomites (2 Samuel 8:2,13,14). The Moabites that were not killed in battle were divided into thirds. Two-thirds were put to death and one-third became David’s servants and paid him tribute. After he defeated Syria, David’s army then slew 18,000 Edomites and made the rest his servants.

The second fulfillment is a reference to a future defeat and control of the peoples of Moab and Edom (and Ammon) by Israel with the guidance of Christ and is found in Isaiah 11:11-14 when "the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant which is left of his people [Israel] ... they shall plunder the people of the east. They shall put forth their hand against Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites shall obey them." This area would be in what is now Jordan. In a reference after the defeat of those peoples, it is stated in Jeremiah 23:5-8 that "the days are coming ... when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land ... Israel will dwell securely."

The third fulfillment may be referenced in Genesis 49:10 when it says "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he [Christ] comes to whom it belongs; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples." Psalms 110:2 also refers to this right to rule when it states "The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your foes." This line descending from Jacob is also mentioned in Isaiah 11:1-5 when the "shoot from the stump of Jesse" with "the spirit of counsel and might" will "smite the earth with the rod of his mouth," speaking of the kingdom and rulership of Christ over the earth.

Brother Russell suggests that Edom symbolizes "Christendom" or "The Christian World" because they sell their birthright of special advantages for "a mess of pottage," and misrepresent the true character of Christ for their own earthly gain. He suggests that symbolic Edom can be equated with symbolic Babylon in Revelation. Isaiah 63:1-4 is consistent with this. There Christ is described as he "that comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments," red from having trodden the winepress, an event which Revelation 14:18-20 associates with Christendom, the "vine of the earth."

The death of Balaam is recorded in Numbers 31:8, "Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword," evidently because of his counsel to entice the men of Israel with the idolatrous women of Midian (Numbers 31:16). Jude 11 also seems to imply that Balaam was chiefly interested in prophesying for monetary gain, speaking of those who "abandon themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error." This can also be applied to the tendency of many in Christendom throughout this age to seek monetary gain and acclaim. Edom refusing Israel passage through their land (making them "go around") could symbolize Christendom’s refusal to allow other doctrinal viewpoints, causing the true church to hide during the height of the Papacy, and to separate from Christendom from the late 1800s onward.

It is also interesting to note that in Jeremiah 48:1-46 Moab is described repeatedly as being "broken down," "destroyed," and "no longer a people," yet in verse 47 it is stated "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days, says the Lord" implying the destruction is not final and complete. Also, in Jeremiah 49:1-5, Ammon is described similarly as becoming "a desolate mound," "burned with fire" and "laid waste," yet is restored in verse 6, "afterward I will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites."

The same is not true for Edom. Jeremiah 49:7-22 states that "he is no more," "Edom shall become a horror," "no man shall dwell there, no man shall sojourn there" and "at the sound of their fall the earth shall tremble." This is consistent with the symbology of Edom representing Christendom since their destruction will be final, known throughout the earth, and without restoration.