Numbers – A brief introduction

This post is all about the Book of Numbers.

The book of Numbers is another tale of being in the Wilderness. Although the Book of Leviticus took place over only one month in the wilderness as the Israelites waited for Moses to receive words from the Lord, the book of Numbers spans 40 years of wilderness wanderings.

Related post: Leviticus – A brief introduction.

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Important themes in Numbers

Obedience

The book of numbers begins with an ordering of the camp. Before the Israelites could move on to the promised land, they needed to know where their focus was and where they belonged within the camp and the nation as a whole. The Tabernacle was designated to be in the center of the camp, with the tribe of Levi – the family of priests – directly surrounding it. The other tribes were placed around it. when they moved from one place to the next, they marched in accordance with their position around the Tabernacle.

This correlates with the spiritual reality that the Israelites were meant to always be looking toward God and His dwelling place. Surrounding the Tabernacle and moving only when the Tabernacle moved was a daily reminder that God is the center of everything. The New Testament encourages this view of keeping Christ at the center of our lives. Hebrews 12:1-2 is a reminder to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and to throw off anything that hinders.

During this initial census of the camp, the idea that every man is numbered by name is repeated, showing that God does not just want a group of people following Hid laws, but He desires an individual relationship with all of His people.

Disobedience and unbelief

When the Israelites were getting ready to enter the promised land, Moses sent spies to take inventory of the land and report back what they saw. Unfortunately 10 of the 12 spies came back with an unfaithful report, stating that they would never be able to win over the land. Two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, rightly proclaimed that God had already given them the land, they just needed to advance in faith. Unfortunately, the Israelites became afraid, and because of their unwillingness to trust in God to provide, they ended up wandering in the wilderness for 39 years – until that entire generation dies and a new one rose up to takes its place.

There is not much of an account of these wandering years, showing the relative uselessness of this time. Although there is not much to be said, however, it was a time of strengthening a new generations’ faith and preparing them to inherit the promised land.

Renewed obedience to a faithful God

Numbers ends with the faithfulness of God being displayed. The Israelites grumbled and complained and refused to trust in God, so God let them wander in their grumbling and unbelief for a little while. God is a just God who cannot ignore rebellion or allow disobedience among His people, but He is also a faithful God who patiently guides and provides for His people. God never removed His presence from His people, and the end of the book of numbers sets them in position to come into the promised land of Canaan.

The W’s of Numbers

Who wrote Numbers

Moses was the author of Numbers, as well as the other 5 books of the Torah.

What it’s about

The book of Numbers is about Israel’s wanderings in the Wilderness. It follows the nations start as Obedient children, who then follow their own evil desires and become disobedient to God, resulting in an extended period of wondering. Finally, we see the redemptive arc of God allowing multiple chances for the Israelites to return to Him as they follow in renewed obedience once again.

When it was written

Numbers was written in 1405 B.C. during the final year of Moses’ life, and just before the book of Deuteronomy was written.

When the story takes place

The story takes place during the second year after the exodus from Egypt and continues until the 40th year. Although the book of Numbers spans 40 years, most of the story takes place only in the second and fortieth years, leaving the middle years unaccounted for.

Where the main locations are

The Israelites begin their journey at the foot of Mt. Sinai, where they received the stone tablets and words from God, then they march forward to Kadesh-barne. It is here that they become disobedient to God, resulting in the years of wandering aimlessly in the wilderness. Finally, they march on towards the promised land stopping on the east bank of the Jordan river across from Jericho.

Why Numbers is important to study

Although it can be easy to view our wilderness wanderings as worthless, there is often great growth during these times. Here, we can see how God used this time to grow Israel spiritually. They needed to go from a slave mindset to a free people mindset.

How God demonstrated His Character to us through Numbers

God is gracious and forgiving. The Israelites complained about anything and everything they could think of, yet God took them compassionately under His wing and continued to provide protection while they wandered in the wilderness. God never left His people, but continued to encourage them to seek His presence as the God who dwells among them.

Key verse in Numbers

Numbers 14:18 summarized the theme of Numbers: God remains faithful even when His people are unfaithful. But He is a just God who fairly allows consequences for sin and rebellion.

“The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punished the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Numbers 23:19 is important for us to remember when we have questions or doubts about God’s goodness and mercy. It helps us understand the character of God when faced with Biblical passages that we may not immediately understand.

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”

Numbers 11:29 should be an encouragement to all of us that God desires to work in and through our lives.

“But Moses replied, ‘are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His spirit on them!'”

In Numbers you will find:

Additional resources

I love using Blue Letter Bible for Bible Book Introductions and Outlines! I also love the Israel Bible for cultural background information.

This post was all about the Book of Numbers to help you understand the overarching theme as you read through the Numbers Bible study.