Psalms 119:133 Order my steps in Your Word; and do not let any iniquity rule over me.
Bible Reading for February 24 (ONPP)
Numbers 1 – 3, Psalms 47
Numbers – Numbers has a reputation of being repetitive, but there is a lot more to it and, we learn by repetition.
Numbers – God cares for each individual by putting up lines they should not cross and giving them guidance to success, so we should care how we honor God with our daily lives by not going where we are not called and by making ourselves available for His work.
Numbers 1:46 – In Exodus 30:12 God requires that those counted must pay half a shekel each. This counting provides 301,775 shekels for provision of the tabernacle and for the Levites taking care of it.
To summarize:
Reuben, 46,500
Simeon, 59,300
Gad, 45,650
Judah, 74,600
Issachar, 54,400
Zebulun, 57,400
Ephraim, 40,500
Manasseh, 32,200
Benjamin, 35,400
Dan, 62,700
Asher, 41,500
Naphtali, 53,400
Total of 603,550
This count does not show the women, probably just as many, those over 60, and children (probably twice as many), plus the mixed multitude, and all the Levites, giving us almost 2.5 million people moving in one group. And by the way there would be at least 170 deaths per day over the forty years of wandering.
Numbers 2:1 – Now God shows the design for the protection and encampment for the new nation that He created. Restated also is the count of troops available for battle.
Numbers 3:12 – The first born represent the final plague in Egypt to remind the people of all that God did to bring Israel out to their own land. Each of the first born of the people must be redeemed and are represented by the tribe of Levi. The first born of clean animals are to be sacrificed while the unclean can be redeemed or killed.
Numbers 3:15 – now we get to see how many Levite males there are. Since this was not for battle but to represent the first born of the other tribes He began at one month old and included those over 60 years old. God even divides them in their family groups for certain tasks and places to camp around the tabernacle.
Numbers 3:40 – Now begins the reconciliation of the first born. The amount above the number of Levite males must have redemption paid of five shekels each, ten times the amount for future first born births.
Psalms 47:1 – What a celebratory Psalm! It would have been very appropriate when the Ark was brought into Jerusalem or when Jesus entered Jerusalem or when Jesus and the disciples went from the Passover meal to Gethsemane.
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