Numbers

Reading Scripture Together

Numbers continues the narrative of Moses with the Israelites as the events of the Book of Leviticus have allowed Moses to meet with God “in the tent of meeting.” It is bookended with two censuses that prepare the Israelites for battle as they begin to prepare for battle to take the Promised Land, hence where the English title comes from. The Hebrew title “in the wilderness” highlights the setting through which the majority of book events take place. It is through this setting that we see the Israelites navigate reliance on the Lord’s provision and their tendency towards rebellion. This article will cover the major themes discussed in our Bible Study and how a redeemed people fall short of receiving God’s promises and the graciousness through it.

Patriarchal Promises

Following the Exodus the Israelites are brought to Mount Sinai where God provided them a way for Him to dwell amongst His people. The Israelites then are numbered for a census in which “the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans” (Numbers 1:18). The counting of each of the different tribes and clans may seem rudimentary but highlights how God is fulfilling his promise to the Israelite people established through their patriarch Abraham.

Back in Genesis 12:1–3, God establishes his promise and covenant with Abraham stating,

“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show. And I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and he who dishonors you I will curse and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

We see that there are many key components of the promise: the promise of land, the promise of being a great nation, the promise of being blessed, and the promise of God’s presence. The intentionality of the census is utilized to prepare the Israelites for battle to take their Promised Land, but also serves to highlight just how much of a “great nation” the Israelites are becoming. What started with Abraham has now grown to a size of 603,550 (Numbers 1:46). God is revealing how he is fulfilling his promise to the Israelites through his census, and growing them to be a “great nation.”

Another instance of this is seen later on in the narrative with the story of Balak and Balaam. Balaam is hired to curse the nation of Israel out of Balaak’s fear that they are becoming too great of a nation. God intervenes in this instance and says to Balaam, “you shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people for they are blessed. So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, 'go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you'" (Numbers 22: 12–13). This instance is supplemented by many others in this particular narrative that God will not allow his people to be cursed. It is impossible for Balaam to curse the nation of Israel because God decrees it. Balaam says in one of his oracles, “Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel?” (Numbers 23:10). The nation of Israel will continue to be blessed because the Lord decrees it so.

Covenantal Unfaithfulness

Even as God continues to show his faithfulness to the Israelites by maintaining the promises made to Abraham for the nation, the people of Israel rebel. They grumble and complain in the wilderness and go as far as to say that it was better for them in Egypt, in the bondage of slavery.¹ God has brought them out of slavery, destroyed their enemies, provided food for them from the sky, and allowed his presence to dwell with them. Yet the Israelites still complain that they don’t have what they need.

This highlights that God’s people must rely utterly upon God’s provision and protection. A lot of drama and tension arises because the people do not trust in God completely for provision and God’s anger towards the Israelites continues to be kindled. Even Aaron, Moses’ brother, rebels against God. When God sent spies into the Promised Land, to show the fruitfulness that awaited Israel, it caused even more fear and rebellion to take place. And as a result of all of this continued rebellion God pardons yet punishes them.

“Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned, according to your word. But truly as I live and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.’” (Numbers 14:20–23).

Here lies a dramatic tension. God has promised that through Abraham all the families shall be blessed and now it seems he is going back on that promise due to the Israelite rebellion. Is God short-tempered? Is he being just in this punishment? How can the promise be fulfilled?

God had originally promised them victory over their enemies in taking the land. The land the spies saw was already theirs, they simply had to obey God, but they refused to do so. God had never led His people where His grace cannot provide or His power cannot protect. Their failure to believe in God’s word kept this first generation from entering the Promised Land.

Yet, God is still faithful! He allows two spies, Caleb and Joshua, to be the leaders of a new generation. The promise is not revoked! God will be gracious to let the descendants of Abraham enter into the Promised Land.

Imperfect Intercessor

Moses is the one who was the leader of the Israelites and serves as the intercessor between God and His people. In many instances throughout the Pentateuch, he is shown to intercede on behalf of the people to God and communicate the laws of God to the people. The Book of Numbers contains several of these instances but also explores the idea that Moses is a flawed man. This sets up the need for a more perfect intercessor.

Moses intercedes for the people when they rebel against God, and instead of God striking them with pestilences, they are pardoned. It is not that Moses changes God’s mind, but rather Moses is fulfilling his role as a mediator. When the expectations of the Israelites become far too great and overwhelming, God grants Moses elders to help him in resolving the matters. This relationship shows the need of having a mediator between God and the people and the responsibility that being a mediator carries.

However, Moses also demonstrates unfaithfulness to God in Numbers 20, where instead of speaking to the rock to provide water, as God had commanded, he strikes the rock twice. As a result of this seemingly small action, Moses is given the punishment of not being able to enter the Promised Land. Why Moses is excluded from entering into the Promised Land is a matter of much debate. What can be seen from the text is that God specifically tells Moses “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel” (Numbers 20:12). God demands holiness, and the role of the mediator is a high calling where even the smallest slip up threatens to diminish the holiness and perfection of God and His word. Moses was called to exemplary obedience and yet failed to follow a seemingly small command.

This instance demonstrates many things. First, it shows that God is still just. He demands and requires obedience and trust in His word. Second, God is still gracious to Moses since he is still shown the Promised Land later in Numbers. Third, Moses does not object to God’s punishment, indicating that Moses acknowledges what he did was wrong. Finally, it also demonstrates the obedience, perfection, and maintenance of God’s commandments that are required of an intercessor.

The Bronze Serpent

God paints this wonderful picture and expectation of what his true intercessor will do through the story of the Bronze Serpent. In this account, the Israelites are bitten by lethal snakes due to their grumbling and are sentenced to die. Moses prays to the Lord on behalf of the people for a way to be healed and sets up a "fiery serpent" that the people would “look at the bronze serpent and live."

This event has many theological implications as it foreshadows the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. When bronze is lit on fire, it portrays a reddish hue similar to that of copper. The reddish hue connects with the imagery of blood, blood which has been established already in the narrative of the Old Testament as necessary for atonement of sin. Yet here the Israelites are not shedding blood, but gazing upon an image of blood for their lives. They simply look upon the snake and are healed. No sacrifice, no shedding of blood, just simply looking upon that snake and knowing it will heal them.

This undoubtedly parallels the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. We need only look upon the Cross of Jesus Christ and remember for our salvation. We are granted eternal life by simply believing in Christ Jesus and are promised that we will not perish. Sound familiar?

"If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." (John 3:12–15)

Christ himself cites this example in the wilderness as a picture of what God’s glorious plan for redemption is. It is a glorious image of Christ’s work.

Conclusion

The Book of Numbers contains many instances of dramatic tension as a Holy God is shown in contrast with an unholy people. This demonstrates how God is just in punishing sin, yet maintains his covenant promises in extraordinary ways that subvert the expectations of the reader. These instances of rebellion come up throughout the narrative of Scripture, highlighting the need for an unholy people to be reconciled with their perfectly Holy God. Even as the Israelites reach the Promised Land, new dangers and challenges are on the horizon. But God is gracious and loving to his people, and his faithfulness will remain constant even if they don’t expect it.