May the mumbling commence!
It’s the names and numbers game! Lord, help us through devotional days like these!
But, before we dive into the names and numbers game, let’s visit the story recorded in Numbers chapter 25. Yesterday, I spoke about the Scripture that tried to place the blame of the sexual immorality and idol worship on Balaam (Rev 2:14). Today we read the story. Israelite men indulged in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who led them to feast where they ate food sacrificed to Baal and worshiped Baal. Adultery and idolatry are intimately connected. (I assume that many of the men already had Israelite wives.) God told us this in the paring of those two commandments, and we see these sins in conjunction with one another.
Moses gathered the judges of Israel and asked them to kill the people embroiled in these acts of sin. Then, in broad daylight and before the gathered judges, a leader (who we later find out is Zimri of the tribe of Simeon) brazenly takes into his tent a Midianite woman (who we later find out is Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite ruler). I wonder if this was a match made for political and social reasons – to unite Israel with the Midianites.
Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, saw this brazen act and grabbed his spear. He followed Zimri and Cozbi into the tent and impaled them both together. Then, the wrath of the Lord was averted – but only after 24,000 people had died from the plague. The Lord rewarded Phinehas for his fervor for the name of the Lord with a covenant of peace and a lasting priesthood.
Let’s take a deep breath. There’s been a lot of death in our readings this month. In Numbers 26, the Lord asked Moses and Eleazar to do a second census. At the end of the chapter, we find that none of the men counted before were living – except Joshua and Caleb (as the Lord had promised – and as Israel had asked for). Now, we are deep within the numbers and names game again. But, read carefully, least we miss the hidden nuggets on note within the names. First, let’s compare the numbers of the two censuses:
Reuben – 1st census = 46,500; 2nd census = 43,730 (-2,770)
Simeon – 1st census = 59,300; 2nd census = 22,200 (-37,100) [The largest deficit. Hmm… That was the tribe of Zimri.]
Gad – 1st census = 45,650; 2nd census = 40,500 (-5,150)
Judah – 1st census = 74,600; 2nd census = 76,500 (+1,900)
Issachar – 1st census = 54,400; 2nd census = 64,300 (+9,900)
Zebulun – 1st census = 57,400; 2nd census = 60,500 (+3,100)
Manasseh – 1st census = 40,500; 2nd census = 52,700 (+12,200)
Ephraim – 1st census = 32,200; 2nd census = 32,500 (+300)
Benjamin – 1st census = 35,400; 2nd census = 45,600 (+10,200)
Dan – 1st census = 62,700; 2nd census = 64,400 (+1,700)
Asher – 1st census = 41,500; 2nd census = 53,400 (+11,900)
Naphtali – 1st census = 53,400; 2nd census = 45,400 (-8,000)
Totals – 1st census = 603,550; 2nd census = 601,730 (-1,820).
Considering that none of the men counted the first time were alive, a total deficit of 1,820 is not bad. In fact, two-thirds of the tribes had a net increase, with Manasseh being the most prolific. Talk about a miracle of God. (Or was it a lot of bored Israelites with nothing better to do in the desert? I like to think it was miracle of God.)
Now, about those buried gems of stories… In Numbers 26:33, we are introduced to the five daughters of Zelophehad. We will read about these sisters tomorrow. It is surprising to note wherever women are included in the mostly patriarchal genealogies.
In fact, another woman is mentioned in Chronicles 7:24 (Gotta love these chronological leaps!). Sheerah is the daughter of Beriah (the Hebrew word for misfortune, by the way). Sheerah is noted as the person who built Lower and Upper Beth Horon as well as Uzzen Sheerah. An industrious woman! So much for misfortune! That would be a wonderful story to know more about! I give thanks this day for the gems hidden in the genealogies of the Bible.
Enough mumbling for today…
Peace Out
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