Today's passage: Numbers 26
Helpful thoughts:
- After the loss of 24,000 people, near the end of Israel's wandering in the wilderness, and prior to entering the Promised Land, God commands another census to be taken.
- For comparison, the population of Mt. Pleasant is about 21,000.
- This census establishes and recounts a few important facts:
- The territories in Israel (In the settled Promised Land) were to be distributed based on the numbers in this census. The larger tribes receiving larger lands.
- The generation who had received the promise of perishing in the wilderness had perished. The number of this census is almost identical to the census taken at Sanai forty years prior (603,550 to 601,730 – Numbers 1:46).
- Keep in mind, these numbers only cover the men who are fighting age. The true total of people in the camp of Israel would likely have been around 2 million.
Questions to consider:
- Which details (Commentaries) in each of these census results stuck out to you? Why would God have included background information on the sons of Korah, the lineage of Judah through Perez, the daughters of Zelophehad, etc.?
- Who appears to be ready to lead the next generation into the next chapter of the history of Israel? Who is the priest? Who will be leaders? (Verses 63-65)
- In what way was the omniscience and sovereignty of God on display in this chapter? To whom did He make the promises at Sanai? Who was left of all those people who would inherit the promises? Through all the battles, plagues, traveling, etc. who was God bringing into the Promised Land?