Numbers 1:8 names Nethaneel the son of Zuar as the appointed leader representing the tribe of Issachar in Israel's first census at Sinai at the close of the first year in the wilderness. God directed the numbering and Moses carried it out tribe by tribe, counting 603,550 men able to go to war, apart from Levi and all females and those under twenty, to marshal the host in order for entrance into the promised land. That numbering at the beginning of the forty years was taken again at the end of the forty years before entering Canaan, so that the two censuses in Numbers 1 and Numbers 26 show how the tribes grew or declined in the wilderness. All those counted in the first census died in the wilderness and were barred from the land except Caleb and Joshua, and this census taken at the Lord's command stands apart from David's later census taken without the Lord's consent.
First Census Setting
Of Issachar, Nethaneel the son of Zuar is named as the leader representing his tribe in Israel's first census. This numbering belongs to the first numbering of Israel recorded in Numbers 1, taken at the beginning of the forty years of wandering, to be done again at the end of the forty years before entering Canaan. It can be compared with the second census in Numbers 26 to see how the tribes' numbers changed during the wilderness journey, with some growing greatly while others declined.
That first census was taken at Sinai at the close of the first year in the wilderness, when Israel had been in the desert about one year and soon after leaving Egypt. It came after the law of God had been proclaimed from Sinai from the summit of the flaming mount, after the tabernacle had been erected and the ark containing God's law carried into its most holy place, and after the cloud of God's glory had taken possession of the building. At that time God gave bread from heaven every morning and gave water from the smitten rock, and remained present with the camp with the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that did not depart from it. The numbering stands in the division of the Bible story that follows the building of the tabernacle and establishing its services and the sin of Nadab and Abihu and comes before Israel leaving Mount Sinai.
God directed that the people should be numbered, and Moses performed it, taking down all their names. The work was conducted carefully, with each tribe numbered separately under appointed inspectors. It counted 603,550 men able to go forth to war, not including the tribe of Levi at all, nor any females, nor any under twenty years of age. In this way the host was marshaled in complete order preparatory to marching into the land of promise, when the work on the way seemed almost accomplished and everything indicated speedy entrance into Canaan. Every one numbered expected an inheritance in the land of promise and might have had it after such tokens of God's loving-kindness as no other people ever witnessed.
Second Census and Lessons
The numbering at the beginning of the forty years was done again at the end of the forty years before entering Canaan, making two censuses in Numbers, in Numbers 1 and Numbers 26. This verse belongs to the first of those two censuses, taken at Sinai soon after Israel left Egypt, and names Nethaneel the son of Zuar as the leader representing the tribe of Issachar in that numbering. The first census at the beginning of the wandering can be compared with the one at the end of the wandering to see how the tribes' numbers changed during the wilderness journey. Some grew greatly while others declined, and the recorded numbers for Issachar changed between the two counts.
That generation's expectation of inheriting the promised land was not fulfilled, for the first numbering counted men able to go to war as the people prepared to enter Canaan. After rebellion brought God's threatened judgment, all those counted in the first census died in the wilderness and were barred from entering the land. Except for Caleb and Joshua none of those first numbered survived, showing that God carried out His threatened judgment, as the later census proved. The census Moses took at the Lord's command was authorized, and it contrasts with David's later census, which was sinful because he conducted it without the Lord's consent.
The numbering belongs in the connected story after the building of the tabernacle and the establishing of its services and the sin of Nadab and Abihu and before Israel leaving Mount Sinai. It is one division of the numbering of the people within that order. It is told as part of the simple, pure, and connected story of the whole Bible for children.
Numbers 1:8 names Nethaneel the son of Zuar as the appointed leader representing the tribe of Issachar in Israel's first census at Sinai at the close of the first year in the wilderness. God directed the numbering and Moses carried it out tribe by tribe, counting 603,550 men able to go to war, apart from Levi and all females and those under twenty, to marshal the host in order for entrance into the promised land. That numbering at the beginning of the forty years was taken again at the end of the forty years before entering Canaan, so that the two censuses in Numbers 1 and Numbers 26 show how the tribes grew or declined in the wilderness. All those counted in the first census died in the wilderness and were barred from the land except Caleb and Joshua, and this census taken at the Lord's command stands apart from David's later census taken without the Lord's consent.
First Census Setting
Of Issachar, Nethaneel the son of Zuar is named as the leader representing his tribe in Israel's first census. This numbering belongs to the first numbering of Israel recorded in Numbers 1, taken at the beginning of the forty years of wandering, to be done again at the end of the forty years before entering Canaan. It can be compared with the second census in Numbers 26 to see how the tribes' numbers changed during the wilderness journey, with some growing greatly while others declined.
That first census was taken at Sinai at the close of the first year in the wilderness, when Israel had been in the desert about one year and soon after leaving Egypt. It came after the law of God had been proclaimed from Sinai from the summit of the flaming mount, after the tabernacle had been erected and the ark containing God's law carried into its most holy place, and after the cloud of God's glory had taken possession of the building. At that time God gave bread from heaven every morning and gave water from the smitten rock, and remained present with the camp with the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that did not depart from it. The numbering stands in the division of the Bible story that follows the building of the tabernacle and establishing its services and the sin of Nadab and Abihu and comes before Israel leaving Mount Sinai.
God directed that the people should be numbered, and Moses performed it, taking down all their names. The work was conducted carefully, with each tribe numbered separately under appointed inspectors. It counted 603,550 men able to go forth to war, not including the tribe of Levi at all, nor any females, nor any under twenty years of age. In this way the host was marshaled in complete order preparatory to marching into the land of promise, when the work on the way seemed almost accomplished and everything indicated speedy entrance into Canaan. Every one numbered expected an inheritance in the land of promise and might have had it after such tokens of God's loving-kindness as no other people ever witnessed.
Second Census and Lessons
The numbering at the beginning of the forty years was done again at the end of the forty years before entering Canaan, making two censuses in Numbers, in Numbers 1 and Numbers 26. This verse belongs to the first of those two censuses, taken at Sinai soon after Israel left Egypt, and names Nethaneel the son of Zuar as the leader representing the tribe of Issachar in that numbering. The first census at the beginning of the wandering can be compared with the one at the end of the wandering to see how the tribes' numbers changed during the wilderness journey. Some grew greatly while others declined, and the recorded numbers for Issachar changed between the two counts.
That generation's expectation of inheriting the promised land was not fulfilled, for the first numbering counted men able to go to war as the people prepared to enter Canaan. After rebellion brought God's threatened judgment, all those counted in the first census died in the wilderness and were barred from entering the land. Except for Caleb and Joshua none of those first numbered survived, showing that God carried out His threatened judgment, as the later census proved. The census Moses took at the Lord's command was authorized, and it contrasts with David's later census, which was sinful because he conducted it without the Lord's consent.
The numbering belongs in the connected story after the building of the tabernacle and the establishing of its services and the sin of Nadab and Abihu and before Israel leaving Mount Sinai. It is one division of the numbering of the people within that order. It is told as part of the simple, pure, and connected story of the whole Bible for children.