Everyone Counts in God’s Book
I found it interesting that the census, both and the beginning of the book of Numbers and her are to the person. There isn’t any rounding or estimating. Person by person, tribe by tribe, the people are identified and counted.
In the same way, every soul matters to God. We live in country, in districts or provinces or states, in neighborhoods and families. God cares about all of that and guides it, but every single person individually matters as well.
The number of people preparing to enter the promised land is almost exactly the same as those who left Egypt, but it isn’t the same group. In the same way that you can stay the same weight while getting more fit by gaining muscle, the prior nation was a grumbling lot where this one is a fit, fighting machine.
I loved the way the daughters of Zelophehad exemplified the confidence this generation held. “Give us property”. There was no doubt and no hesitance. They were confident, assured, that there would be property. No “if’s” and no “maybe”. God will give them the land. They also didn’t ask or beg or try to negotiate, they spoke out a claim to what they believed should be theirs.
What a change this is from the generation of grasshoppers.
Are you operating with the same level of confidence in God’s promise? Are you begging for scraps and hoping for salvation or, like these women, are you claiming what should be your inheritance as a child of God?
My Answers:
3.
a.
~40 years (a bit less because they didn’t have the first until the 2nd year and there is still time for the trans-jordanian tribes to build cities before entering, but we know Moses is still alive in the 11th month of the 40th year and he dies before they enter
b.
almost the same – 603,550 to 601,730
c.
603,547 Caleb and Joshua alone from those 20 years and older (at this point Moses is still alive whether he was counted in the census or not but that is why I chose -3 instead of -2)
d.
The number of fighting men for the army
To divide the territory
To show that even in the wilderness the people thrived
4.
They were bold in honoring their family name by approaching Moses and Eleazor, the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and stating “give us property among our father’s relatives.” And the Lord said, they are right.
Women can own property and (from Num 27, if marry in own clan) at year of Jubilee it is returned to them .
The Notes are Good 