We complete Chapter One of Numbers and our look at the first census taken of the men of Israel who were of fighting age and fighting condition. Yesterday we studied how many men were counted from the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Gad, and Judah. Now we finish looking at the remainder of the tribes and their numbers.
"From the descendants of Issachar: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Issachar was 54,400." (Numbers 1:28-29) In the second census, taken later in the book of Numbers, the fighting men of Issachar will total 64,300.
"From the descendants of Zebulun: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Zebulun was 57,400." (Numbers 1:30-31) In the second census, which is made up of the second generation to come out of Egypt, the army-aged men of Zebulun will number 60,500.
Joseph's tribe is reckoned from his two sons, as we discussed earlier in the week, since Joseph's father Jacob adopted Ephraim and Manasseh as his own. "From the sons of Joseph: From the descendants of Ephraim: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Ephraim is 40,500. From the descendants of Manasseh: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Manasseh was 32,200." (Numbers 1:32-35) In the second census Ephraim will number 32,500 and Manasseh will number 52,700. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Jacob prophetically announced announced in Genesis 48:19 that Joseph's younger son Manasseh would be greater than Joseph's elder son Ephraim. By the time the second census is taken, the prophecy is already coming true, for Manasseh's male descendants of fighting age will outnumber those of the tribe of Ephraim by 20,200.
"From the descendants of Benjamin: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Benjamin was 35,400." (Numbers 1:36-37) They will number 45,600 in the second census.
"From the descendants of Dan: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Dan was 62,700." (Numbers 1:38-39) In the second census the fighting men of Dan will total 64,400.
"From the descendants of Asher: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Asher was 41,500." (Numbers 1:40-41) The tribe of Asher will have 53,400 men of fighting age and condition in the second census.
"From the descendants of Naphtali: All the men twenty years old or more who were able to serve in the army were listed by name, according to the records of their clans and families. The number from the tribe of Naphtali was 53,400." (Numbers 1:42-43) Naphtali's fighting men will number 45,400 in the second census.
"These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel's army were counted according to their families. The total number was 603,550." (Numbers 1:44-46) This is the total of men counted in our passage today plus the men counted from the first four tribes in yesterday's passage. We can see why it is believed that the number of people the Lord is leading in the wilderness is 2,000,000 or more. I tend to think there were quite a bit more than 2,000,000 persons altogether. The number 603,550 represents only the men aged twenty and up who are physically and mentally able to serve in the army. Males under twenty are not counted. Males are not counted who are unable to fight due to old age or due to physical or mental disabilities. Females are not counted. The large company of foreigners who left Egypt with the Israelites in the exodus are not counted. And the tribe of Levi is not counted, as we'll see below.
"The ancestral tribe of the Levites, however, was not counted along with the others. The Lord had said to Moses: 'You must not count the tribe of Levi or include them in the census of the other Israelites. Instead, appoint the Levites to be in charge of the tabernacle of the covenant law---over all its furnishings and everything belonging to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings; they are to take care of it and encamp around it. Whenever the tabernacle is to move, the Levites are to take it down, and whenever the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall do it. Anyone else who approaches it is to be put to death. The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each of them in their own camp under their standard. The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle of the covenant law so that My wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the covenant law.' The Israelites did just as the Lord commanded Moses." (Numbers 1:47-54) The Levites are not to serve as soldiers but are to serve the Lord at His tabernacle.
In the second census we'll find that the total number of fighting men is very close to the total number of fighting men we find in Chapter One. The main difference in numbers is within the tribes themselves, not in the total. In today's passage we find the total number of soldiers to be 603,550 and in Numbers 26 we'll find the total number of soldiers in the second census adding up to 601,730---a difference of less than 2,000 men. The Lord is going to protect and provide for the Israelites during their years in the wilderness and He will not allow their number to decrease significantly between now and when they go into the promised land. In spite of all the rebellion and complaining that will take place between now and then, and in spite of the Lord having to deny entrance to the first generation that came out of Egypt due to their lack of faith, He will maintain the number of their soldiers at a level that ensures they can not only take over the promised land but also defend it once they have it.
The Lord is so faithful even when human beings are not! He doesn't take back His promise regarding the promised land even after many of Israel's citizens display a lack of faith in Him and a lack of appreciation for Him. He's been faithful to us as well, for there are times when our faith is weak and there are times when we fail to thank Him for His protection and provision and there are times when we whine and complain. But God has not forsaken us. As the saying goes, "God is good all the time. All the time, God is good."
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