Numbers Day 1
Read Numbers 1:1-4
The book of Numbers is about a lot more than its name would initially imply. I would dare say, this could be one of the most transformational books of the Bible in your story and in my story if we begin to read it for all it is worth. More than just mere digits or numbers, this is a book about God’s people discovering their God-given identity. Then, as we so often do, it is about the Israelites battling themselves and trying to live in the identity that God has given them.
Numbers 1:1-2
The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said: “Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.
The first thing that God tells Moses in the tent of meeting as the book opens up, is that the people need to take a census or a count of every Israelite person…hence the name “Numbers”. You can skim over the rest of chapter 1 where this count is recorded, every man over 20 was counted and the total number of Israelite men over 20 years of age amounts to 603,550. Because this didn’t include women or children, historians assume there are about 2 million total Israelites at this time.
But why is this so important? This is much more than just a random counting off of people or a survey of numbers. This is about the Israelites identity and who God has made them to be. If you remember all the way back in Genesis 15, God made a promise to Abraham.
Genesis 15:4-5
Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Now as we read Numbers 1, we can read it with the perspective that God is showing the Israelites that He has been true to His word. He has made them into a people, a nation with millions of descendants at this point. God has given them an identity through what He has done in their lives. This is a great moment for you to reflect on what Christ has done in your story and how He has shaped your identity. Just like God cared about the Israelites taking time to observe and record what He had made them into, He cares about us taking time and giving Him all the glory for what He has done in our stories.
Questions to consider
How has Jesus changed your identity as one of His followers? How did you identify yourself before? What did you let define you before Jesus? What about now?
This story is all about how God made the Israelites into what they are. Our nature is to typically take credit for things that happen in our life. How can you make a habit of deflecting all the credit to God? God honors those who humble themselves and glorify Him!
Spend a few moments in prayer, thanking Jesus for how He has changed your life and brought you to the place you are at now. Ask Him to help you find your identity in who He says you are and what He has done in your life
The book of Numbers is about a lot more than its name would initially imply. I would dare say, this could be one of the most transformational books of the Bible in your story and in my story if we begin to read it for all it is worth. More than just mere digits or numbers, this is a book about God’s people discovering their God-given identity. Then, as we so often do, it is about the Israelites battling themselves and trying to live in the identity that God has given them.
Numbers 1:1-2
The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said: “Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.
The first thing that God tells Moses in the tent of meeting as the book opens up, is that the people need to take a census or a count of every Israelite person…hence the name “Numbers”. You can skim over the rest of chapter 1 where this count is recorded, every man over 20 was counted and the total number of Israelite men over 20 years of age amounts to 603,550. Because this didn’t include women or children, historians assume there are about 2 million total Israelites at this time.
But why is this so important? This is much more than just a random counting off of people or a survey of numbers. This is about the Israelites identity and who God has made them to be. If you remember all the way back in Genesis 15, God made a promise to Abraham.
Genesis 15:4-5
Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Now as we read Numbers 1, we can read it with the perspective that God is showing the Israelites that He has been true to His word. He has made them into a people, a nation with millions of descendants at this point. God has given them an identity through what He has done in their lives. This is a great moment for you to reflect on what Christ has done in your story and how He has shaped your identity. Just like God cared about the Israelites taking time to observe and record what He had made them into, He cares about us taking time and giving Him all the glory for what He has done in our stories.
Questions to consider
How has Jesus changed your identity as one of His followers? How did you identify yourself before? What did you let define you before Jesus? What about now?
This story is all about how God made the Israelites into what they are. Our nature is to typically take credit for things that happen in our life. How can you make a habit of deflecting all the credit to God? God honors those who humble themselves and glorify Him!
Spend a few moments in prayer, thanking Jesus for how He has changed your life and brought you to the place you are at now. Ask Him to help you find your identity in who He says you are and what He has done in your life