Numbers Overview
This first lesson in Numbers will not be on Chapter 1 as we normally do, but will first be an overview of all things we will be covering and highlighting some of the upcoming events in the book. While studying this series on Numbers, we need to keep in mind that while we are studying about the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, the whole bible is really about the Lord Jesus Christ. The law and the prophets were all used to bring the people to a point to be ready for the coming Messiah. People in the Old Testament were saved by trusting God by faith and looking forward to the promised Messiah to come. We look back, and trust that Jesus did come by faith.
David Parham
3/14/20252 min read
Overview of the Book of Numbers
This first lesson in Numbers will not be on Chapter 1 as we normally do, but will first be an overview of all things we will be covering and highlighting some of the upcoming events in the book. While studying this series on Numbers, we need to keep in mind that while we are studying about the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, the whole bible is really about the Lord Jesus Christ.
The law and the prophets were all used to bring the people to a point to be ready for the coming Messiah.People in the Old Testament were saved by trusting God by faith and looking forward to the promised Messiah to come.We look back, and trust that Jesus did come by faith.
I. The Book of Numbers
Num 1:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
Num 1:2 Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by their polls;
Num 1:3 From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
The Hebrews have two names for this book: (1) meaning, “And He said,” based upon the custom of using the first word of the text as the title; and (2) meaning “In the wilderness.” This is the fifth word in the text and is more descriptive of the contents of the book. The name “Numbers” is from the Latin Vulgate title, Liber Numeri, “Book of Numbers,” which is based upon the two numberings or censuses which we read about there in verse 3 of Chapter 1 and a later count in Chapter 26. [1]
The second Hebrew meaning of “bemidbar” really fits this book since most of it concerns the wandering in the wilderness of Sinai. We know the reason that the children is Israel were not allowed to enter directly to the promised land of Canaan was due to the ten spies who spied out the land and returned with a bad report. Twelve men went over, but only Joshua and Caleb thought that they should go in and possess the land. In a few minutes, we will read that account over in Chapter 13 and 14 and make a few comments about those spies.