Passing through the rich variety of truths which crowd the pages of the book of Genesis, we are at once brought face to face with the central truth of all Scripture, REDEMPTION; which is the starting point of the soul's history with God, and of this the book of Exodus mainly treats. The next and necessary stage in the life of one who can, on divine authority, say "I am saved," is WORSHIP-"Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. 1:1212Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (Colossians 1:12)); now that is the point to which we are conducted in the book of Leviticus. Then follows the SERVICE and trials of the wilderness, so fully detailed in the deeply instructive book of Numbers.
In the previous book Jehovah, dwelling in midst of His redeemed and happy people, gave forth His rich communications of grace, chiefly in respect to His peoples' worship and communion. In this book His Tabernacle is pitched in the midst of His people numbered and gathered; Himself the center, rest, and guide of the many thousands of Israel.
This is essentially a book of wilderness trial; one, too, of Divine and unwearied patience with the murmuring host. Here are written down the records of a love which embraced the whole nation, and every individual member thereof, in all the movements, difficulties, trials, and hourly vicissitudes of the long and wearisome journey of nigh 39 years. Had they confided in God, eleven days would have sufficed to have completed their journey from Sinai (Deut. 1:22(There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.) (Deuteronomy 1:2)). Brief, but telling, however, is the recital of that tenderness and care that watched over every member of the mighty host-"thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell these forty years" (Deut. 8:44Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years. (Deuteronomy 8:4)). A few of the grave events which befell Israel are grouped together in moral order by the Gentile apostle in warning the lax Corinthians against trusting in ordinances instead of Christ, and he sums up thus—may we lay it to heart! "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (or types), and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world (or ages) are come. Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Cor. 10:1-121Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 12Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:1‑12)).
Numbers comprises a period of forty years, save fourteen months, that is from the departure from Sinai, where they lingered about a year, till their arrival on the extensive plains of Moab, preparatory to the passage of the Jordan—compare Num. 10:1111And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony. (Numbers 10:11) with Josh. 4:1919And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho. (Joshua 4:19). Before they commenced their wilderness journey the people were carefully numbered, the Levites being separated from the mass of the people and numbered by themselves. The total number of men fit for war, from 20, years old, was 603,550 (Num. 1:4646Even all they that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. (Numbers 1:46)); this gives an addition of 3,550 to the number who left Egypt (Ex. 12:3737And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. (Exodus 12:37)). There was a second numbering of the people in the plains of Moab at the close of their journey 38 years afterward (Num. 26:51, 64, 6551These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty. (Numbers 26:51)
64But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65For the Lord had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. (Numbers 26:64‑65)); none in the original census were embraced in this one, save Caleb and Joshua, all the rest having perished in the wilderness. The total number in this case was 601,730. The beautiful order and Divine arrangement of the tribes with their standards surrounding the Tabernacle, must have been an imposing sight when it elicited that inspired utterance from the apostate prophet, "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel" (Num. 24:55How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! (Numbers 24:5)). Alas! how the precious unity and ecclesiastical order of God's Assembly on earth has signally failed as to outward testimony. How has the fine gold become dim! But while we would bow our heads in acknowledgment of signal and widespread failure, we dare not compromise the weighty truth which God has in grace to His poor church revived in late years. "There is one body and one spirit." We can ever count upon the grace of our God, "who abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself."
The Levites, typical of Christians in service, are here prominent, as the priests, typical of us in worship, were in Leviticus.
Most of the facts and incidents recorded in this deeply suggestive and highly instructive book happened in the beginning and close of their journey, that is, in the second and thirty-ninth years of their eventful history.
It will greatly assist in the simplifying of the historical portion of the book if the three points in the wilderness history be duly attended to. (1)Shortly after the departure from Sinai, Israel arrived in the wilderness of Paran, and from Kadesh, south of Palestine, sent out spies to view the promised land; then (2) follows an unrecorded history of many years, a silence almost unbroken, and the veil scarce lifted from the period of death, for it was during this time that the rebellious nation was under the sentence of death, and under the ban of God's displeasure; the (3) next great epoch in the history is their arrival a second time at Kadesh, and their journey from thence to the eastern side of Canaan, because of the scornful refusal of Edom to allow a passage through his territory. The first part is noted in Num. 1.-12., the second part in Num. 13.-19., the third part is in Num. 20.-36
The book is full of solemn events, and if the grace of Jehovah is here reflected on every page, no less is the holiness of that grace maintained. Ten times at least we have here recorded murmuring and rebellion against the Lord, and as often did judgment follow; but alas! man in nature is irrecoverable, hence in the brazen serpent (Num. 21., John 3:14-1614And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:14‑16)), type of the crucified Savior, and in Aaron's budding rod laid up in Jehovah's presence (Num. 171And the Lord said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. 2And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. 3And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. (Numbers 18:1‑3).), type of living priesthood, we have set forth the righteous ground and holy means by which God can SAVE the sinner and SUSTAIN the saint.
GENERAL DIVISIONS.
1.-The numberings of the people for war and the Levites for Tabernacle service. Num. 1.-4.
2.-People, Priests, and Levites getting ready for the wilderness journey. Num. 5.-10:1-10.
4.-The people turned back; an almost unrecorded history of about 37 years. Num. 15-20:1-21.