WEEK 1: OVERVIEW
Numbers is a book about faithfulnessâGodâs faithfulness even when we are faithless. It is a book about learning from the failures of past generations in order to be more faithful today. Numbers teaches these lessons through the story of two generations of Israel: one generation that consistently breaks faith with God, and an emerging generation that trusts him.
The first generation is introduced with a census (Num. 1:1â4:49), the first of two censuses in the book. This census counts the generation of the exodus who saw Godâs wonders in Egypt and at Mount Sinai. But in spite of all Godâs marvels, this first generation is consistently stubborn and rebellious. When God brings them to the border of the Promised Land, their lack of faith hinders them from entering it (13:1â14:45). They are forced to return to the wilderness to wander for another 40 years.
The second generation includes the children raised in those years of wilderness wandering. Their emergence into adulthood is introduced with a second census (26:1â65). This generation learns from their parentsâ failures and proves faithful to God. They are obedient and quick to repent when correctedânot stiff-necked like their parents were. When this new, faithful generation arrives at the border of the Promised Land, they experience victory and Godâs blessings (31:1â32:42). Through the experiences of these two generations, we are taught the amazing patience of God despite our faithlessness, and his rich blessings upon those who learn from the past in order to be faithful in the present.
The English title of Numbers is based on the bookâs organization around two censuses. The Hebrew title of the book is based on a Hebrew word occurring in its first verse, translated âIn the wilderness.â The entire narrative takes place in Israelâs wilderness wanderings from Sinai (1:1) to the âplains of Moabâ on the border of Canaan (36:13).
Placing Numbers in the Larger Story Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch1 and occupies an important place in the Pentateuchâs overarching narrative. Genesis, the first book of the Pentateuch, describes the beginnings of all the nations of the world with a special focus on Godâs covenant with one house among those nations: the house of Abraham. Exodus continues that narrative with the transformation of Abrahamâs household through much suffering into a nation redeemed2 by God and ordered around his law.3 The book of Leviticus comes next, teaching the gift of atonement4 at the center of Godâs kingdom-forming law.
Next, the book of Numbers takes the stage, tracing this newly organized kingdom on its march from Sinai to the border of its promised new land. Numbers assures us of Godâs faithfulness to his kingdom-building project, even when his people rebel. Deuteronomy concludes the Pentateuch with Mosesâ final instructions for Israelâs settlement in the land, including a vision for taking Godâs blessings to the rest of the world. The rest of the Bible follows the promises and lessons outlined in the Pentateuch.
âIf the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for . . . the LORD is with usâ (Num. 14:8â9).
Date and Historical Background Moses is probably the author of Numbers, writing this and other books of the Pentateuch perhaps during Israelâs wilderness wanderings in either the fifteenth or the thirteenth century BC (on the date of the exodus, see page 33 of the ESV Study Bible, also available online at www.esv.org). The summary travelogue near the end of Numbers is identified explicitly as written by Moses (33:2). (For further discussion of the date, authorship, and other background material for the book of Numbers, see pages 257â264 in the ESV Study Bible, also available online at www.esv.org.)
I. Lessons from a Faithless Generation (1:1â25:18)
A. The first census and preparing the camp (1:1â6:27)
B. Preparing the tabernacle (7:1â10:10)
C. The need for the right ruler (10:11â12:16)
D. The need to be a faithful people (13:1â15:41)
E. The need for the right priesthood (16:1â19:22)
F. A taste of victory (20:1â21:35)
G. A faithful God despite a faithless people (22:1â25:18)
II. Lessons from a Faithful Generation (26:1â36:13)
A. The second census and preparing the camp (26:1â30:16)
B. A taste of settlement (31:1â32:42)
C. Review and prospect (33:1â36:13)
Have you ever read through, studied, or listened to a sermon series on the book of Numbers? What are some of your current highlights or favorite portions of the book, and why?
Read Psalm 78, a sobering review of the âstubborn and rebellious generationâ of the exodus, whose story is featured in Numbers. Copy down one or two verses from Psalm 78 that summarize the psalmistâs key lessons to watch for in the story of that stubborn generation.
Using a Bible atlas (such as the ESV Bible Atlas) or an Internet search engine, review maps and/or photographs of key places in the book of Numbers, such as the Sinai wilderness, Kadesh-barnea, the plains of Moab, and the Jordan River valley. Describe your impressions of the wilderness regions. How would the younger generation feel, after growing up in the wilderness, when they reached the lush fields of Moab and the Jordan River valley?
Did you grow up in a faithful Christian home, or with parents who resisted Godâs Word? How has your own upbringing prepared you to identify with the blessings and sorrows of the two generations we will meet in the book of Numbers?
As You Finish This Unit . . . The book of Nu...