BibleProject | One Story That Leads to Jesusნიმუში

It’s moving time for the entire nation! Israel has spent almost a year at Mount Sinai, learning to stay true to their agreements with God, honor the holiness and purity of God’s presence, and love their neighbors. In today’s reading, they break camp to move toward Canaan, the land God has promised.

If the people are going to inhabit their new land, they’ll need an army. And if they’re going to travel with God’s holy presence, they’ll need to pack and move the tabernacle. So God tells Moses to start counting the people and assigning various responsibilities.

For the army, Moses numbers all Israelite men of fighting age from the first 11 tribes, excluding the Levites. God tells Moses that the Levites are to be responsible for packing and moving the tabernacle. Each Levite clan carries its own part: some pull up the tent pegs, some take down the embroidered curtains, and some gather the golden utensils. Notice how Numbers 1-4 shows every subgroup within Israel’s community contributing to the work; this is a whole-community effort. With the people numbered and their portable Eden packed up, it will soon be time to hit the road (as described in Numbers 8).

Watch today’s video to preview the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness in the book of Numbers.

Reflection Questions

• Rather than giving one tribe or one person responsibility for the whole nation’s work, God instructs every tribe to contribute in specific ways. This creates a community where everyone is responsible for the flourishing of the group. What does this reveal about God and his design for human relationships and societies?
• Think back over the actions of Levi and his descendants so far in the biblical story. Why was Levi originally excluded from serving as God’s special representative (see Gen. 34)? What qualified his descendants for their unique responsibilities in the tabernacle (see Exod. 32:25-29)?