The book of Numbers begins (wouldn't you know?) with a numbering of the warriors in Israel. Moses and Aaron move through the nation with the assistance of twelve men (one from each tribe) and take a census of the people fit for war. 603,550 were able to go into battle. The Levites were excluded from this number, as they were the priests and thus exempt from war duties.
The people begin to move toward the land God promised them. Even in this, there was a prescribed order. Would YOU want to be the one leading close to 2 million people through an area without a plan? Didn't think so! So the people moved in order of their tribes.
- Judah
- Issachar
- Zebulun
- Reuben
- Simeon
- Gad
- Levi (and all the tabernacle gear)
- Ephraim
- Manasseh
- Benjamin
- Dan
- Asher
- Naphtali
And away they went!
No comments:
Post a Comment