5 Relevant Lessons from the Book of Numbers
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Many people avoid reading the book of Numbers because it seems like a repeat of Exodus. However, 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,” meaning both Numbers and Exodus are in the Old Testament for a reason, and both of them require our attention.
Numbers might reinforce some of the teaching of Exodus or they might shine a light on each other, helping readers to absorb something new about certain texts. But scholars also argue that the central theme of each book is different, and there are powerful lessons to be learned from reading Numbers.
Let’s take a look at five important lessons Numbers has for readers today.
1. We Need to Prepare for Promise
Jay Smith says that “the purpose of the book of Numbers is to tell about how Israel prepared to enter the promised land, but sinned and was punished.” All Christians are headed towards a land of promise which is the Kingdom of God. We hope to live eternally with him, enjoying and worshiping him forever. Although that Kingdom is waiting for us, and we can do nothing to make it better or to defile it, there is still some preparation required on our part.
God ordered a census in Numbers (which we also see in Leviticus) as part of their preparations. He wanted his people to be ready for battle. This applies to our modern-day spiritual battles too, although our “head count” is more of a spiritual shoring up. We are to remind ourselves of what God has told us about his power, and the power that resides in us by his Holy Spirit. We prepare by putting on the “whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:11).
Why should we prepare? We are still at war with Satan and with our sin, and we cannot arrive at the front lines without putting on our armor. We also prepare because we trust God. When the Israelites failed to behave as though they trusted the promise, they sinned. When we believe Christ has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:3), we behave like people who have received the promise with joy, gratitude, repentance, and obedience; we put on the spiritual armor that we know is more than sufficient to protect us. He has already saved us, but we demonstrate to our Lord and to a watching world that we trust in the hope of Christ’s eternal, glorious presence. We demonstrate that we believe he is holy and trustworthy to receive our obedience.
2. God Counts on His Glory
Moses took a census assigned to him by God. "You and Aaron are to number those who are twenty years of age or older by their divisions — everyone who can serve in Israel’s army" (Numbers 1:3). One scholar explains that this census “was not just for record-keeping; it was to prepare the Israelites for battle.”
Perhaps you remember another head count, in 2 Samuel, where David wanted to know how powerful his nation was among the other nations. Compare his prideful census with that of Moses which was “the first major census recorded in the Bible [...], crucial for organizing the tribes for military purposes and for the distribution of land.” By way of this census, God showed “concern for order and preparation as the Israelites journeyed toward the Promised Land.”
David, however, did not wait on the command of God. Worse, he intended to reveal his own power apart from God. His inquiry “was seen as an act of pride and self-reliance.” David knew he had done the wrong thing and went straight to God afterwards, asking him to “take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly” (2 Samuel 24:10). God gave him a choice of discipline and David chose pestilence.
The same action can be right or wrong, according to our motives, especially when that action is designed to either reveal God’s glory or our own. Are our good works motivated by our love for Christ and for others, or do we hope to gain fame? If we achieve something that seems impossible, do we give credit to God or take it for ourselves? We are at war with Satan right now, and pride is a chink in our armor.
3. God Gives Second Chances
If your preparations are going poorly and you fear you will be shut out of the Kingdom due to your continual war with certain sins, remember that although Moses’ generation did not enter the Promised Land, God’s anger subsided.
Moses and the people of Israel were deeply disappointed at having to roam the wilderness instead of entering the Promised Land, but the Lord’s plans were for the nation of Israel, not for a generation in particular. He was thinking ahead, and he wanted that nation to understand that he deserved their worship and honor.
God disciplined Israel in a variety of ways, and the Promised Land, though frustratingly close, remained out of reach for Moses and his generation. Yet, Joseph led the people forward, destroying the enemy by God’s power according to his direction. “He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever” (Psalm 103:9). The Lord provides opportunities to correct our mistakes, and as we see with Israel, although he disciplines, he is patient and loving as long as we confess, repent, and ask for his help.
4. God Gathers Us In
Miriam was disciplined for her grumbling against Moses; the Lord struck her with leprosy and separated from the others (Numbers 12:10-15). Leprosy was highly contagious. Although treatable today, the disease would maim and even kill a person in Moses’ day. Leprosy was also symbolic of “spiritual impurity” throughout the biblical writings, according to one writer. The condition “serves as a powerful symbol of sin, spiritual decay, and separation from God. [...] Leprosy, which disfigures and spreads, represents the insidious nature of sin — it creeps into every aspect of life, causing moral and spiritual disfigurement.” Like the encroachment of pagan ideas into Israel, Miriam’s grumbling spread through the camp, inspiring dissatisfaction and sin. Leprosy was not always a divine punishment, but in Miriam’s case it was.
But Miriam was brought back into the camp after just seven days. Scripture states that “the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again.” Miriam was restored to her people. She was part of the march toward the Promised Land.
When Jesus healed the woman with the 12-year bleed, he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease” (Mark 5:34). By calling her daughter, Jesus welcomed her into his family. She was to be included and embraced, no longer unclean. He restored her to society before he healed her, because isolation devastates the spirit. Miriam was disciplined, but she still belonged to God’s family. He showed her (and us) that, as a loving but also righteous Father, he cannot ignore sin: discipline is a sign of his love. (Proverbs 3:12). But he also wants us to be restored to him; to know that we need him to hold onto and transform us, and that we belong with our Father and our brothers and sisters in Christ.
5. We Must See with New Eyes
Transformation is ongoing. We are being changed, but this is slow and continuous work. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
To this end, we have to remember that a believing community is essential to our growth. We must, of course, spend some time with unbelievers who need to hear the gospel; however, our spiritual well is filled by time spent with Jesus and strong believers. Otherwise, we see without seeing.
Michael LeFebvre comments: “It is one of the great ironies of Scripture that the generation that saw God’s works most vividly became the epitome of those who refuse to believe him.” They witnessed the great miracle of God’s parting the Red Sea for his people, yet they were quickly influenced by paganism. Their hearts were hardened, and one reason for this was the influence of surrounding cultures.
This is not to say that God’s people should be cut-outs of each other. The nation and family of Israel was not homogenous: one writer describes Israel’s tribes as “diverse, each with its own leader and characteristics, yet they were united under God's command.” Their ability to unite under God’s command is “a powerful lesson for us today. We are all different, yet we are called to work together in harmony, using our unique gifts to glorify God.”
And the good news is that, with the help of God’s Spirit, we glorify God with our lives. One encouraging fact LeFebvre shares about the Book of Numbers is how it describes a “remarkable twist in the story. The subsequent generation which grew up in the wilderness became the epitome of faith and obedience!” They did not see, but they believed. The same can be true of us and of the future generations in our own families. We can pray for them to know God even if their mothers and fathers reject him. There is always hope, originating not in the strength of our faith but in the power of our God.
Related article: Do We See Any Gospel Connections in the Book of Numbers?
Sources
https://biblehub.com/summary/numbers/1.htm
https://biblehub.com/top10/lessons_from_numbers_1.htm
https://www.hisfeet.com/leprosy-in-the-bible-meaning-symbolism/?source=ads&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAw5W-BhAhEiwApv4goI2G8kRTbtjgWK7THL7buf5nVqYU3EOQiWEn1cHW1R4JyCbjNzQfTRoCL3sQAvD_BwE
https://www.crossway.org/articles/why-study-the-book-of-numbers/
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