The book of Numbers begins with God commanding a census be taken of all the males of Israel. Any male twenty years of age and older are to be drafted into military service, except for Aaron’s descendants and the Levites. They were to be organized in a military manner. The males of the tribe of Levi were assigned to Aaron to assist in the tabernacle. They would serve as substitutes for the firstborns of the rest of the tribes of Israel. Aaron and the priests would be the ones to work with the holy objects, but the Levites would assist with transportation of the tent, its structure, and the holy objects within. Once again, we see the focus on the cleanliness of Israel as a community as important. To sin against another person in the community would be counted as a sin against God.
The Nazarite vow is introduced. If a man is to be consecrated to God, he is to abstain from alcohol, stay away from the dead, and is prohibited from cutting his hair. When the tabernacle is ready, the elders of Israel offer twelve days of offerings at its dedication and the Levites are also dedicated to God. Moses receives guidance regarding the observance of Passover, with a provision for those that are unclean or traveling to observe Passover a month late.
Two silver trumpets are created to sound specific calls as Israel prepares to move toward the Promised Land. The people are guided by God through the cloud at the tabernacle. Yet even while the people are following God, they complain about not having meat. God will give them so much meat that they become sick of it. He also establishes seventy elders to assist Moses in leadership of the nation.
When Miriam and Aaron criticize Moses, Miriam is struck with a skin disease and is forced to leave the camp for seven days. As the Israelites come to the border of the Promised Land, Moses sends twelve spies into the land for forty days of scouting. They find large, fortified cities with strong inhabitants associated with the Nephilim. Caleb encourages that the nation of Israel can take the land, saying the God is with the nation of Israel. However, the other spies, except for Joshua, discourage the people from entering the land.
The people cry out that it would have been better to have died in the wilderness than to die by the sword. They prepare to stone Caleb and Joshua, but God intervenes. God wants to kill the nation and begin again with Moses, but Moses is concerned about the perception of the other nations and asks for forgiveness of Israel. God forgives but will not allow those twenty or older to enter the Promised Land, except for the faithful Caleb and Joshua. Those that had claimed it would have been better to die in the wilderness will die in the wilderness as they are forced to wander for forty years. The unfaithful ten spies died immediately. Some of the people of Israel tried to take the land on their own and were defeated.
As the people were making their way toward the Promised Land, God divided them into military divisions. He set aside the Levites to help the priests in the temple. God had claimed the firstborn of all Israel as His, but the Levites would serve as substitutes for the firstborn of the other tribes. When the people complained of eating manna all the time and wanted meat, God gave them quail. Yet they were punished because of their complaining. When Moses was criticized by his siblings, God made Moses’s sister sick. As they came near the Promised Land, Moses sent twelve spies into the land. Although all twelve reported the land as plentiful with fortified cities and strong people, only Joshua and Caleb believed that God would give them the land. The other ten led the people to rebel against God, claiming they would have been better to have died in the wilderness. This angers God and He wants to kill them all, but Moses reminds God that if He kills them His name would be mocked by the nations. God forgives the Israelites but condemns the nation to wander in the wilderness for forty years and kills the ten unfaithful spies. All the men over twenty would die while in the wilderness except for Joshua and Caleb. The people did not like this and tried to take the land without God. They were defeated.
Faithfulness to God demonstrates trust and belief in Him. Too often, I want to rely on myself and what I can accomplish. On my own, I will be defeated, but God is faithful. I need to learn to trust in Him and follow Him according to the Word He has given. This time at seminary should not be primarily focused on growing in knowledge of what to do in ministry, but in developing a character of faithfulness to God. I need to humble myself and become more like Moses, who was described as the most humble man
Joel McReynolds 
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