HOST: Michael Whitworth

The Book of Numbers is aptly named, whether we’re talking about its English title or its Hebrew title, which is “in the wilderness.” Its bookends are two important censuses taken after Israel left Egypt and before she crossed Jordan into the Promised Land. In between, the book details Israel’s struggle to trust her God “in the wilderness.” It tells of spies sent into Canaan, only to return with a bad report and the nation revolting. It tells of complaint after complaint leveled against Moses and the Lord. It tells of God being faithful to his people in spite of their faithlessness. Though modern readers may marvel at how quickly Israel lost her trust in God, the book serves as a cautionary tale for Christians who are just as quick to abandon their own faith at times. In the end, the story of Numbers underscores the importance of God guiding his people; all that is required of us is total trust and obedience. As Numbers bears out, such is often a matter of life and death.

Like the rest of the Pentateuch, Moses is the author of Numbers. That Moses was a witness to all of the book’s events makes disproving his authorship quite difficult. That said, there are also some post-Mosaic notes that an editor perhaps added later.

Though Israel rebels time and again, God remarkably remained involved in the lives of his people. Just as his generosity and providence went unappreciated then, so it went unappreciated in the NT when his people crucified his Son (parable of the tenants cf. Mark 12:1-12). The scene of Moses lifting up a serpent so that the people might be saved from destruction (Num. 21:4-9) was later recalled by Jesus to Nicodemus (John 3:14-15). The prophet Balaam is considered a “godfather of sorts for first-century false teachers (cf. 2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 11; Rev. 2:14). Also, the theme of Israel’s unfaithfulness in the wilderness is prominent in 1 Cor. 10:1-12; Heb. 3:7-11.