The First Numbering of Israel

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: Numbers 1:1-3
Psalters: 400, 73, 201, 350
  1. The census.
    1. Those counted were all the men who were 20 years old and upward, able to go to war.
      1. Assistance was given by a man of good reputation from each tribe (1:4-17).
      2. The count of 12 tribes came to 603,550 soldiers (44-46) (estimated 2 million total).
    2. Some significance.
      1. A great increase considering that 430 years before only 66 had gone down into Egypt.
      2. In the small size of Reuben and large size of Judah
      3. Of these 603,550 fighting men, only two would survive the next 39 years.
    3. The Levites were not counted (1:47-49); were give to Aaron to serve him (2:6-9).
  2. God also gave the arrangement for how they were to camp and travel.
    1. The tabernacle was to be in the center of the camp.
      1. Moses, Aaron, and Aaron’s sons were to camp at the entrance (east side) of the court of the tabernacle.
      2. Levi’s three sons were arranged in a large rectangle around the tabernacle.
      3. The twelve tribes were arranged by God into four groups of three tribes each.
    2. God, as a God of order, calls for all things to be done decently and in order (I Cor. 14:40).
  3. The Levites were taken in the place of all the firstborn males of the other twelve tribes.
    1. God especially took possession of all the firstborn males when He provided lamb’s blood to spare their lives (Ex. 12:22,23; 13:2).
    2. All Levi’s males older than a month (22,000) were counted for Israel’s firstborn males older than a month (22,273).
    3. God numbered the Levites who were to serve in the tabernacle.
      1. Gershonites cared for the tent; Kohathites for the contents and vessels; Merarites the solid frame and court.
      2. They had to be between 30 and 50 years old (4:3,23,30,47).