LESSONS in the BOOK of NUMBERS Gene Hawkins The
LESSONS IN THE BOOK OF NUMBERS Gene Hawkins The Numbering of the Men of War Chapter One "And the Lord spoke 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, 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: 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." 1:1-3. The book of Numbers is a record of the journeys of Israel from the time they left Mt. Sinai after coming out of Egypt, and receives its name from the various numberings of the people. According to 1:1, we learn that Israel was probably camped in front of Mt. Sinai just short of one year. They came out of Egypt on the fifteenth day of the first month (Ex. 12) and into the wilderness of Sinai in the third month (Ex. 19:1). Israel began their journey from Mt. Sinai on the 20th day of the second month in the second year (Num. 10:11). God never needs to hurry and as stated in Num. 9:22, Israel only journeyed when the cloud was taken up - "Or whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel abode in their tents, and journeyed not: but when it was taken up, they journeyed." As we will see from these lessons, it is important for us also to neither go ahead of the Lord, nor behind Him as to His purposes for us.
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