Numbers - Introduction

Introduction

Author

THE BOOK OF NUMBERS IS FORMALLY anonymous—that is, it does not indicate the name of its writer. But ancient Jewish and Christian tradition affirms that Moses was the author—not only of Numbers but also of the entire Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament). We read repeatedly that “The Lord spoke to Moses” (1:1), and we are informed that “Moses wrote down” what God told him (33:2). So, even though it’s likely that a later editor added some things (such as 12:3) to the text, we have every reason to trust the claim that Moses authored the book.

Historical Background

Numbers picks up where Exodus left off—recounting events that happened one month later than what is recorded there (see Exod 40:2; Num 1:1). As the narrative opens, the Israelites have been free from Egyptian bondage for one year, have entered into a covenant with the Lord, and have received God’s law through the hand of his servant Moses. As a result of Israel’s national sin, the people descended from Israel (Jacob) would wander in the wilderness for forty years. Numbers covers the period from their departure from Sinai (1:1) to their arrival “by the Jordan across from Jericho” (36:13)—that is, it ends with God’s people being on the verge of entering the promised land.

Message and Purpose

Numbers begins with a focus on the first generation out of Egypt, acknowledging their wanderings in the wilderness. It closes with the second generation preparing to enter the promised land.

As God’s people left slavery, they had to move through the ins and outs of learning to trust their Deliverer daily. Through all their experiences, God was teaching them what it means to walk by faith, to move from the point of initial deliverance to their destiny as heirs of the promise. But a major factor on that journey was the wilderness itself. Living as nomads called to trust in a God they could not see for even the daily basics of food and water was difficult for the people. Though they obediently followed God through the wilderness, they consistently displayed a lack of faith in him at the same time.

Nothing brings out the people’s failure to trust God more than Numbers 14 does. There the people chose to believe the majority report that said the promised land couldn’t be taken. In doing so, they rejected the report of Joshua and Caleb, who wisely said they could take it indeed if only they would believe God. As a result, that faithless generation was sentenced to die in the wilderness.

The rest of the book centers on the second generation of Israelites, who learned to walk in faith so that they could realize the destiny their parents had failed to gain: God’s blessings in the promised land that was prepared for them. Numbers is a great reminder that kingdom benefits can only be secured by faith.

VIDEO INTRO

Outline

1. Preparing to Travel to the Promised Land (1:1–10:10)
   1. The Numbering and Organization of the Twelve Tribes (1:1–4:49)
   2. Instructions for the Journey (5:1–10:10)
2. Israel on the Journey to the Promised Land (10:11–21:35)
   1. Traveling from Sinai to Kadesh (10:11–15:41)
   2. God’s Discipline of the People (16:1–20:13)
   3. Traveling from Kadesh to Moab (20:14–21:35)
3. Israel on the Edge of the Promised Land (22:1–36:13)
   1. God’s Faithfulness and Israel’s Unfaithfulness (22:1–25:18)
   2. Preparations for Entering the Promised Land (26:1–30:16)
   3. Midianites Defeated and Transjordan Settled (31:1–32:42)
   4. Exhorting a New Generation and Dividing the Land (33:1–36:13)