THE SECOND NUMBERING

NUMBERS

CHAPTER  26 & 27

            Hello again, and welcome back.  If you started reading Daily Bread from the beginning, you should be very proud of yourself because today is your 100th Daily Bread Bible Study!  Congratulations on being so devoted!

            Our last story was about the plague that the Lord sent because of Israel's transgressions with the women of Moab and worshipping their gods.  As you recall, while those who weren't involved wept at the door of the tabernacle, Phinehas saw a man bring a woman from Midian in the sight of the congregation of Israel. He took a javelin, followed them into a tent and pierced them through with it, both at once.  The Lord's wrath was turned and the plague was stopped because of what Phinehas had done.

            After the plague, the Lord told Moses and Eleazar (Aaron's son, the priest) to make a count of all the children of Israel from 20 years old and up, all that are able to go to war in Israel.  So Moses gave directions to the people and a census was taken once again, just as before.

            This is an account of how many there were from 20 years old and up:

Reuben                       43,730

Simeon                        22,200

Gad                             40,500

Judah                          76,500

Issachar                      64,300

Zebulon                       60,500

                                                                          Ephraim                       32,500

                                                                          Manasseh                   52,700

Benjamin                    45,600

Dan                             64,400

Asher                          53,400

Naphtali                      45,400

            All together there were 601,730 that were able to go to war in Israel.  But again, the Levites weren't counted with them because they were appointed over the tabernacle.  If you would like to know the names of the families within each tribe, you'll find them in Numbers 26:5-50. 

            The Lord told Moses that the Promised Land would be divided for an inheritance according to these numbers.  The tribes that were larger would get a larger inheritance and the smaller tribes would get a smaller inheritance.  The land would be divided into sections (divided by lot) and each section would be given in proportion to the many and few.

            Although the number of Levites was not among the inheritance, they were counted and their number was 23,000.  The record of their family is in Numbers 26:57-62.

            This was the second numbering (remember the name of this book is NUMBERS) of the children of Israel. The Lord said that all those who were counted in the first numbering would die in the wilderness, so among these in the second numbering, there weren't any that Moses and Aaron counted when they were in the wilderness of Sinai, except for Caleb and Joshua.

            Now Manasseh had a great great grandson named Zelophehad, who had no sons, but five daughters.  They came to Moses and Eleazar and the princes and all the congregation by the door of the tabernacle and said, Our father died in the wilderness, and he wasn't one of them who spoke against the Lord in the company of Korah, but died in his own sin, and had no sons.  Why should his name be forgotten because he had no sons?  Give us a share of land with our father's people.

            Moses brought their request to the Lord and the Lord said, The daughters of Zelophehad speak truth, you will give them a share and their father's inheritance will pass to them.  Tell the children of Israel, If a man dies and has no son, his inheritance will pass to his daughter.  If he has no daughter, his inheritance will pass to his brother.  If he has no brother, his inheritance will pass to his father's brother.  And if his father has no brothers, his inheritance will be passed to his closest relative, and this will be a statute to the children of Israel.

            The Lord told Moses, Go up into mount Abarim and see the land I've given to the children of Israel.  And when you have seen it you will be gathered to your people as Aaron your brother was gathered.  You disobeyed my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to honor me at the water of Meribah, before their eyes.  So, even though Moses wouldn't step foot into the Promised Land, the Lord was still gonna let him see it.

            Moses asked the Lord to put a man in charge over the congregation that could instruct them so the congregation of the Lord wouldn't be like sheep with no shepherd.  Despite everything that Moses had been through for 40 years, he loved God's people and he didn't want to see them left without someone to lead them.  If you ever pray for integrity, the integrity of Moses would surely be the kind to ask for.

            And the Lord said, Take Joshua, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him to give him authority.  Set him before Eleazar and all the congregation and give him instruction in their sight.  And you will put some of your honor upon him so the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.  He will stand before Eleazar who will ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord.  At his word they'll go out and come in, both he and all the congregation of the children of Israel.  So Moses took Joshua and did as the Lord told him.

            After 100 days, you can feel how partaking of God's Word every day has become an important thing in your life.  God intended His Word to be like food for us, and on those days when you miss it, you'll be hungry.  Come back and join us again, there's many more great stories ahead!

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