NUMBERS | Church of the Sovereign God

TITLE
The Hebrew title is Benidbar, “In the wilderness.” The LXX title is “Arithmoi,” or Numbers, because of the weight given to the census figures provided in the book.

AUTHOR
Moses. The New Testament quotes the book and alludes to events in the book (John 3:14, the bronze serpent; Jude 11; 2 Peter 2:15-16, Revelation 2:14, Balaam; Jude 11, Korah’s rebellion).

DATE
@ 1446 BC. The book spans nearly 40 years, from the Israelites leaving Sinai (second month of the second year after the exodus) until their arrival at the plains of Moab, near the border of the promised land, Canaan (tenth month of the fortieth year of their journeying). This chronicle, probably a daily record in diary form, was completed by Moses in the fortieth year of the wandering.

THEME

Testing or training by God.

Faith. The Apostle Paul sums up the lesson of the book (Hebrews 3:8-13; 4:2).

History. It is the history of how Israel walked with God. Israel kept the Passover (picturing Christ’s shed blood), left Egypt (sin), crossed the Red Sea (baptism), but then lacked the faith necessary to enter into the promised land (God’s Kingdom) until they had wandered (being tested/trained) 40 years.

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