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Feb
19
2012
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Posted 89 days ago ago by Julie Brenneman
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How to Read Numbers
Introduction
Numbers begins and ends with a census of the people, hence the name Numbers. The book’s contents involve the events which take place from the leaving of Mt. Sinai to Israel’s arrival on the plains of Moab east of Jericho. From here the second generation prepares to enter the promised land.[1]
Quick Glance
Numbers is a mixture of narrative (the story continues), census lists, genealogies and other laws. The narrative or story portion covers the preparation for the journey, Israel’s travels, issues of leadership, the story of Balaam and events on the east bank of the Jordan before crossing into Canaan.[2]
Where in History?[3]
Numbers connects the events at Mt. Sinai, where Israel camped for one year, until they are on the verge of entering the land of Canaan nearly 40 years later. Numbers picks up the story where Exodus left off.
Deuteronomy takes place while the people are located on the plains of Moab immediately before they enter and conquer the land as told in the book of Joshua.
Important Themes and Threads[4]
· God promised the land to Abraham’s descendants and now intends to fulfill that word with the generation that came out of Egypt. Unfortunately, they are unwilling and God must wait for another generation that is willing.
· The census material means that war is ahead.[5] The first conflict will be seen on the east side of the Jordan at the end of Numbers.
· What can we take away? Pay close attention to the interaction of God with His people. What is it that God expected? How were they to be cooperators with God in what He was doing in their world? Where did they fail and why?
· God’s faithfulness and the people’s unfaithfulness are a primary thread throughout. Reflect on God’s heart. What should have been their response? How did their failure impact God?
Copyright February 2012 by Mike Huckins
[1] The entry was delayed for nearly 40 years as the Exodus generation died out in the wilderness. They failed to enter because of unbelief, as we shall see.
[2] See Fee and Stuart, How to Read the Bible Book by Book, 49-50.
[3] The date of the events of any Biblical book and the date when that book was authored or edited into its present form are not the same; and there can be a considerable difference in time. This concept is obvious to us when we think about any book written today addressing events in our past, e.g., a history of the American Civil War written in 2012. Why does this matter? Because, as with any “look back” at past events, the author has some purpose in mind in re-telling those past events – some point of view he wants his readers to understand. Of all the many things the author could tell us, he selects those things that best fit his purpose. As we believe that God is the ultimate Author of the Bible, we can see how this is important. “Where in History?” then, is the time period of the events themselves covered in this particular Biblical book.
[4] This section will identify some of the threads or themes that run through the book and how these connect us to the rest of the Bible. In other words, how does this Biblical book fit into the overarching storyline. Highly recommended is Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart’s book How to Read the Bible Book by Book (Zondervan, 2002). The authors give background information for each book and then an outline/summary of the main points and themes. It is easy to read and understand and you can use it to follow along with your OYB readings.
[5] The war materials and God’s involvement in “holy war” have long disturbed readers of the Old Testament. We will take time to look at this as we move into the book of Joshua later.