The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, 2“Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. 3From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company. 4And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers.
Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named, 18and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, 19as the LORD commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.
The people of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war:
those listed of the tribe of Reuben were 46, 500.
those listed of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.
those listed of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.
those listed of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.
those listed of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.
those listed of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500.
those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200.
those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400.
those listed of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.
those listed of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.
those listed of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.
These are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers’ house. So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel— all those listed were 603,550.
But the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe. 48 For the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 49 “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel. 50 But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle. 51 When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up… 54 Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.
Sermon Reflection Questions:
1. What is your wilderness right now?
2. Do you believe God is bringing you home? Or are your hopes in God more tied to this life?
3. What is the fight you need to step into by faith right now?
4. Is it comforting to you that Jesus goes with you through the wilderness? How does he bring you reminders of home?
5. How might God be using your wilderness to draw you toward him in love and trust?
BONUS: Some of you wanted to know the end of the story of the crashing in the middle of the night. Turns out it was a bunch of dishes piled up in and on the side of our sink. Lots of crashing, no shattering thankfully!
