And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,
Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke to Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho to introduce the second numbering of the people. It came at the end of the forty years of wilderness wandering, nearly forty years after the first census taken soon after leaving Egypt, just before entering Canaan. Not one man counted in the first numbering except Caleb and Joshua lived to witness this second numbering, because God fulfilled His threatened judgment by solemn oath and doomed the rebels to die in the wilderness for open rebellion. It stands as instruction to those upon whom the ends of the world are come, that tokens of favor no greater than theirs will not avail if sin is carried in the heart, for God prizes character over number and cherished sin brings inevitable ruin.
Setting and Census Comparison
The verse introduces the second numbering of Israel, spoken by Moses and Eleazar the priest with the people in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. That second census came at the end of the forty years of wilderness wandering, nearly forty years and specifically thirty-eight years after the first census taken soon after leaving Egypt at Sinai and just before entering Canaan, with the intervening thirty-six chapters nearly covering the thirty-eight years between the enumerations. The first census at Sinai and this second census thirty-eight years later in the plains of Moab give the book its name Numbers, from the Greek Arithmoi.
The census in this chapter is to be compared with the first census in Numbers 1 to note how the tribes changed during the wilderness journey. That comparison shows some tribes increasing and prospering while others decreased and declined, with each tribe gaining or losing to be noted. Like the first numbering, it counted only adult males from twenty years old and upward, with 601,730 in all little changed from 603,550 at first, though the tribes changed considerably. Most remarkably Manasseh grew almost two-thirds from 32,200 to 52,700.
Most remarkably Simeon shrank almost two-thirds from 59,300 to 22,200, in fulfillment of Jacob's dying blessing that Simeon and Levi would be divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel. That scattering was fulfilled also in Levi receiving no tribal territory and being scattered for priestly duties. The census Moses took here was taken twice at the Lord's command and caused no trouble, unlike David's census, which was taken without the Lord's consent.
Judgment Warning and Application
Of those counted in the first numbering, not one man lived to witness this second numbering except Caleb and Joshua, because every other person fell and died in the wilderness. The second census thus shows that God fulfilled His threatened judgment, pronounced by solemn oath excluding the rebels from the promised land and dooming them to die for open, wanton rebellion and wickedness in their midst.
It stands as instruction to those upon whom the ends of the world are come, with valuable instruction making a diversified reading of interest and profit. Hopes of entering the kingdom of God no stronger than Israel's at the first numbering, and tokens of favor, presence, and willingness to save no greater than theirs, will not avail if sin is carried in the heart, for cherished sin brings inevitable ruin. When applied to whether children are counted in the 144,000 who will be translated, the answer is left unknown and speculation is treated as unprofitable. God prizes character over number, although the elect number will be gathered, and the required character has been made possible to all through Jesus Christ.
Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke to Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho to introduce the second numbering of the people. It came at the end of the forty years of wilderness wandering, nearly forty years after the first census taken soon after leaving Egypt, just before entering Canaan. Not one man counted in the first numbering except Caleb and Joshua lived to witness this second numbering, because God fulfilled His threatened judgment by solemn oath and doomed the rebels to die in the wilderness for open rebellion. It stands as instruction to those upon whom the ends of the world are come, that tokens of favor no greater than theirs will not avail if sin is carried in the heart, for God prizes character over number and cherished sin brings inevitable ruin.
Setting and Census Comparison
The verse introduces the second numbering of Israel, spoken by Moses and Eleazar the priest with the people in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. That second census came at the end of the forty years of wilderness wandering, nearly forty years and specifically thirty-eight years after the first census taken soon after leaving Egypt at Sinai and just before entering Canaan, with the intervening thirty-six chapters nearly covering the thirty-eight years between the enumerations. The first census at Sinai and this second census thirty-eight years later in the plains of Moab give the book its name Numbers, from the Greek Arithmoi.
The census in this chapter is to be compared with the first census in Numbers 1 to note how the tribes changed during the wilderness journey. That comparison shows some tribes increasing and prospering while others decreased and declined, with each tribe gaining or losing to be noted. Like the first numbering, it counted only adult males from twenty years old and upward, with 601,730 in all little changed from 603,550 at first, though the tribes changed considerably. Most remarkably Manasseh grew almost two-thirds from 32,200 to 52,700.
Most remarkably Simeon shrank almost two-thirds from 59,300 to 22,200, in fulfillment of Jacob's dying blessing that Simeon and Levi would be divided in Jacob and scattered in Israel. That scattering was fulfilled also in Levi receiving no tribal territory and being scattered for priestly duties. The census Moses took here was taken twice at the Lord's command and caused no trouble, unlike David's census, which was taken without the Lord's consent.
Judgment Warning and Application
Of those counted in the first numbering, not one man lived to witness this second numbering except Caleb and Joshua, because every other person fell and died in the wilderness. The second census thus shows that God fulfilled His threatened judgment, pronounced by solemn oath excluding the rebels from the promised land and dooming them to die for open, wanton rebellion and wickedness in their midst.
It stands as instruction to those upon whom the ends of the world are come, with valuable instruction making a diversified reading of interest and profit. Hopes of entering the kingdom of God no stronger than Israel's at the first numbering, and tokens of favor, presence, and willingness to save no greater than theirs, will not avail if sin is carried in the heart, for cherished sin brings inevitable ruin. When applied to whether children are counted in the 144,000 who will be translated, the answer is left unknown and speculation is treated as unprofitable. God prizes character over number, although the elect number will be gathered, and the required character has been made possible to all through Jesus Christ.