◄ Numbers 1:19 ►
just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So Moses numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai:
Study Bible
just as the LORD had commanded Moses
This phrase underscores the obedience of Moses to divine instruction. The Hebrew root for "commanded" is צָוָה (tsavah), which implies a directive given with authority. In the context of the Israelites' journey, this obedience is crucial as it reflects a covenant relationship where God leads and the people follow. Historically, this obedience is foundational for the Israelites, as it sets a precedent for their identity as a people chosen and guided by God. The phrase also highlights the importance of divine authority in the life of believers, encouraging a life of submission to God's will.

so he numbered them
The act of numbering, or taking a census, is significant in the Hebrew context. The Hebrew word for "numbered" is פָּקַד (paqad), which can mean to count, muster, or appoint. This census was not merely a logistical exercise but a divine mandate to organize the tribes for their journey and eventual conquest of the Promised Land. It reflects God's orderliness and His concern for each individual within the community. For believers, this act of numbering signifies God's intimate knowledge of His people, emphasizing that each person is known and valued by God.

in the Wilderness of Sinai
The Wilderness of Sinai is more than a geographical location; it is a place of transformation and revelation. The Hebrew word for "wilderness" is מִדְבָּר (midbar), which can also mean a place of speaking. It is in this wilderness that God speaks to His people, giving them the Law and shaping them into a nation. The historical and scriptural context of Sinai is profound, as it is where the Israelites received the Ten Commandments and entered into a covenant with God. For Christians, the Wilderness of Sinai represents a place of spiritual growth and dependence on God, reminding believers that even in desolate places, God is present and active in their lives.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel, who commands Moses to take a census of the Israelites.

2. Moses
The leader of the Israelites, chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt and through the wilderness. He is obedient to God's command to conduct the census.

3. The Israelites
The descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel, who are being counted in the census.

4. The Wilderness of Sinai
The location where the Israelites are encamped and where the census takes place. It is a significant place of revelation and covenant between God and His people.

5. The Census
An event commanded by God to organize the Israelites for their journey and future battles, ensuring each tribe's strength and readiness.
Teaching Points
Obedience to God's Commands
Moses' obedience in numbering the Israelites as God commanded is a model for us. We are called to follow God's instructions, trusting in His wisdom and purpose.

The Importance of Order and Preparation
The census was not just a headcount; it was a strategic preparation for the journey and battles ahead. In our lives, we should seek God's guidance to prepare and organize for the tasks He sets before us.

God's Sovereignty and Care
The census reflects God's intimate knowledge and care for His people. He knows each person and their role in His plan. We can trust that God is aware of our circumstances and has a purpose for each of us.

Community and Identity
The census reinforced the identity of the Israelites as a community under God's covenant. As believers, we are part of a spiritual community, the body of Christ, and should embrace our identity and role within it.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Moses' obedience in conducting the census challenge us in our own obedience to God's commands today?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our lives are ordered and prepared according to God's purposes, similar to the Israelites in the wilderness?

3. How does understanding God's sovereignty and care for the Israelites during the census encourage us in our personal walk with God?

4. What can we learn from the concept of community and identity in the census that applies to our role in the church today?

5. How do other instances of censuses in the Bible, such as in 1 Chronicles 21, inform our understanding of seeking God's guidance in our decisions and actions?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 19
The Israelites' arrival at Mount Sinai, where God establishes His covenant with them, setting the stage for their identity as His chosen people.

Leviticus 26
God's promises and warnings to Israel, emphasizing the importance of obedience to His commands, as seen in the census.

Deuteronomy 1
Moses recounts the journey from Sinai, highlighting the importance of order and preparation for entering the Promised Land.

1 Chronicles 21
Another instance of a census, illustrating the importance of seeking God's guidance in such matters.
Sermons
The Pedigree DeclaredC. H. Mackintosh.
People
Aaron, Abidan, Ahiezer, Ahira, Ammihud, Amminadab, Ammishaddai, Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Deuel, Eliab, Eliasaph, Elishama, Elizur, Enan, Gad, Gamaliel, Gideoni, Helon, Israelites, Issachar, Joseph, Levi, Levites, Manasseh, Moses, Nahshon, Naphtali, Nethaneel, Ocran, Pagiel, Pedahzur, Reuben, Reuel, Shedeur, Shelumiel, Simeon, Zebulun, Zuar, Zurishaddai
Places
Egypt, Sinai
Topics
Commanded, Counted, Desert, Numbered, Numbereth, Orders, Sinai, Waste, Wilderness
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 1:1-49

     5249   census

Numbers 1:17-19

     5266   conscription

Library
The Consolation
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received at the LORD 's hand double for all her sins. T he particulars of the great "mystery of godliness," as enumerated by the Apostle Paul, constitute the grand and inexhaustible theme of the Gospel ministry, "God manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

The Census of Israel
Thirty-eight years had passed away since the first numbering at Sinai, and the people had come to the borders of the Promised Land; for they were in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. The time had come for another census. The wisdom which commanded the counting of Israel at the beginning of the wilderness journey, also determined to count them at the end of it. This would show that he did not value them less than in former years; it would afford proof that his word of judgment had been fulfilled …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

The Child-Life in Nazareth
THE stay of the Holy Family in Egypt must have been of brief duration. The cup of Herod's misdeeds, but also of his misery, was full. During the whole latter part of his life, the dread of a rival to the throne had haunted him, and he had sacrificed thousands, among them those nearest and dearest to him, to lay that ghost. [1084] And still the tyrant was not at rest. A more terrible scene is not presented in history than that of the closing days of Herod. Tormented by nameless fears; ever and again …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Genealogy According to Luke.
^C Luke III. 23-38. ^c 23 And Jesus himself [Luke has been speaking about John the Baptist, he now turns to speak of Jesus himself], when he began to teach, was about thirty years of age [the age when a Levite entered upon God's service--Num. iv. 46, 47], being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son [this may mean that Jesus was grandson of Heli, or that Joseph was counted as a son of Heli because he was his son-in-law] of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6

And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah
"And thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall come forth unto Me (one) [Pg 480] to be Ruler in Israel; and His goings forth are the times of old, the days of eternity." The close connection of this verse with what immediately precedes (Caspari is wrong in considering iv. 9-14 as an episode) is evident, not only from the [Hebrew: v] copulative, and from the analogy of the near relation of the announcement of salvation to the prophecy of disaster …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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