Get the title right! (Numbers 2:1~34)
Contents
The Book of Numbers is a book that records the story of the people of Israel living in the wilderness for about 40 years from Mount Sinai to entering the land of Canaan after they left Egypt. The name of the Bible ‘Numbers’ is also ‘bemid bar’ in Hebrew, which means ‘in the wilderness’.
The life of the Israelites in the wilderness is very similar to ours. That is why all Christians need to meditate on the Bible in Numbers.
Because it provides answers to what we should look at and where we should focus and live in the midst of life's journey, which is like a rough and dry wilderness.
Today's text is about how the Israelites were to equip their camp.
Setting up a camp is not just about deciding where to march or camp, it's also closely related to war. When counting the people belonging to the camp for each tribe, the number of “those who were counted in the army” is recorded, and you can see this fact by putting the flag and symbol ahead of each tribe.
The camp was spread out in four directions with the tent of meeting as the center, and three tribes were located in each of the east, west, south, and north (east, west, south, north).
In the east, the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun camped around the tribe of Judah, and they took the lead when they marched. (Numbers 10:147)
To the west, the tribes of Manasseh and Benjamin encamped with the tribe of Ephraim as their center; to the south, the tribes of Gad and Reuben, centering on Simeon, to the south; and Dan and Naphtali, centering on the tribe of Asher, to the north.
Because the tribe of Levi was in charge of serving the tent of meeting, God did not allow them to be numbered with the children of Israel. (verse 33)
The total number of "those who were numbered in the army" among the children of Israel, excluding the tribe of Levi, was sixty-three thousand, five hundred and fifty, so it can be seen that a tremendous number of people moved together.
As we examine today's text, we find important spiritual lessons.
The Israelites had camped out in a square shape around God's tent of meeting.
In other words, God's tent of meeting was located at the center of the camp.
These are words that teach us well what we should put at the center of our lives that are rough and rough like the wilderness.
As Christians, we must always put the Word of God at the center of our lives. Faith in God should be the center of our lives. Otherwise, we are bound to wander and fail.
The same is true of life today. We must meditate on the Word of God and live our daily life centered on that Word. Otherwise, you will definitely have a failed day. I hope that the word of God can become the center of my life.