Daily Scripture Reading Numbers 2:1-34
The service started normally enough. The worship team opened with “How Great Is Our God,” and for about forty-five seconds everything felt right. Then Jake, the usually quiet sound guy, decided the drums needed to be “more anointed” and cranked the volume up. Mrs. Whitaker yelled, “Turn that racket down before the Lord leaves the building!”
During the announcements, Brother Carl stood up to talk about the upcoming men’s breakfast. He got exactly six words out—“Sausage will be provided by—” before his wife grabbed the microphone and corrected him: “Turkey sausage, Carl. We talked about this.” Someone in the back yelled, “Just do both!” and the whole place erupted in applause.
Pastor Dale finally wrestled the service back on track and began his sermon. Five minutes in, the power went out. The lights, the projector, the sound system—everything died. For ten glorious seconds the sanctuary was completely silent except for the hum of the emergency exit signs. Someone started clapping. Then someone else started singing “This Little Light of Mine” a cappella. Within thirty seconds the entire church was on their feet, singing every children’s song they could remember at the top of their lungs while waving their phones like flashlights.
When the power finally came back on, the worship leader was so moved he shouted, “Forget the sermon—let’s just have church!” The band kicked in again, this time with no setlist. They played for forty-five minutes straight. People danced.
At 12:37 p.m.—forty-seven minutes past the normal end time—Pastor Dale walked back to the pulpit, sweating and grinning. He looked at his perfectly prepared notes, now completely irrelevant, and said:
“I had three points and a poem… but apparently the Holy Spirit had other plans.”
Some modern Christians want church services to be free and spontaneous. However, the New Testament tells us church services need to be done properly and orderly because God is a God of order. The second chapter of Numbers illustrates God’s desire for order.
The first chapter of Numbers tells us about a census that was taken at Mount Sinai. At the direction of Yahweh, Moses gathered leaders from each tribe and counted all the male Israelites aged 20 and older. The purpose of the census was to determine how many soldiers Israel could deploy into battle. Since the Levites were in charge of the tabernacle, they were not expected to go to war; thus, they were not counted in the census.
Num. 2:1 ¶ Now Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
Num. 2:2 “The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ households; they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance.
Look at the words “standard” and “banners”. Just as each country in the 21st century has a flag which represents their country, so too the various families in each tribe had banners which were unique to them and identified them.
Notice the words “around” and “at a distance”. The first chapter of Numbers tells us the Levites camped around the tabernacle (see Numbers 1:53). Chapter two tells us the rest of the tribes camped around the Levites and not next to the tabernacle.
Num. 2:3 Now those who camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah, by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Judah: Nahshon the son of Amminadab,
The words “east” and “toward the sunrise” tell us the tribe of Judah camped east of the tabernacle. Modern society has a north-up orientation. Maps are designed with north at the top. We think of north as being up. Ancient societies oriented themselves toward the sunrise. I have some maps of biblical Israel that were designed with east at the top instead of north at the top to reflect their eastern orientation.
When Jacob blessed his sons before his death, he decreed that the tribe of Judah would be the lead tribe (see Genesis 49:8-10). The placement of the tribe of Judah on the east, which was the top, reflects their position as the lead tribe of Israel.
Num. 2:4 and his army, even their numbered men, 74,600.
Num. 2:5 Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, and the leader of the sons of Issachar: Nethanel the son of Zuar,
Num. 2:6 and his army, even his numbered men, 54,400.
Num. 2:7 Then the tribe of Zebulun, and the leader of the sons of Zebulun: Eliab the son of Helon,
Num. 2:8 and his army, even his numbered men, 57,400.
There are four points on a compass: east, south, west, and north. Since there were 12 tribes, the tribes were organized into four groups of three. The tribes of Issachar and Zebulun were grouped with Judah to camp on the east side of the tabernacle.
Num. 2:9 The total of the numbered men of the camp of Judah: 186,400, by their armies. They shall set out first.
Take note of the sentence “They shall set out first.” These instructions not only dictated which tribe camped where, they also dictated the order of march when Israel was on the move. Since Judah was the lead tribe, they went first.
When God led Israel through the wilderness, they did not camp and move haphazardly. Instead, everything was very orderly. Each tribe had their place.
Some people within Christianity want church services to be free and unencumbered by restraints. They want to be “led by the Holy Spirit”. However, the New Testament instructions to the church reflect God’s desire for order. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul specified that the men had to take turns speaking because God is not a God of confusion, but of peace and order (see 1 Corinthians 14:33). He explicitly stated that all things need to be done properly and in an orderly manner (see 1 Corinthians 14:40), just as the Israelites camped and moved in an orderly manner.
Num. 2:10 ¶ “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Reuben: Elizur the son of Shedeur,
Num. 2:11 and his army, even his numbered men, 46,500.
Num. 2:12 And those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, and the leader of the sons of Simeon: Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai,
Num. 2:13 and his army, even their numbered men, 59,300.
Num. 2:14 Then the tribe of Gad, and the leader of the sons of Gad: Eliasaph the son of Deuel,
Num. 2:15 and his army, even their numbered men, 45,650.
Num. 2:16 The total of the numbered men of the camp of Reuben: 151,450 by their armies. And they shall set out second.
The tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad camped on the south side of the tabernacle. They were second in the order of march.
Num. 2:17 ¶ “Then the tent of meeting shall set out with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; just as they camp, so they shall set out, every man in his place by their standards.
The first chapter of Numbers tells us the tabernacle was in the center of the camp and the Levites camped around it. When Israel broke camp and marched through the wilderness, the Levites, carrying the tabernacle, were in the middle of the order of march.
Num. 2:18 ¶ “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Ephraim: Elishama the son of Ammihud,
Num. 2:19 and his army, even their numbered men, 40,500.
Num. 2:20 Next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, and the leader of the sons of Manasseh: Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur,
Num. 2:21 and his army, even their numbered men, 32,200.
Num. 2:22 Then the tribe of Benjamin, and the leader of the sons of Benjamin: Abidan the son of Gideoni,
Num. 2:23 and his army, even their numbered men, 35,400.
Num. 2:24 The total of the numbered men of the camp of Ephraim: 108,100, by their armies. And they shall set out third.
Num. 2:25 ¶ “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their armies, and the leader of the sons of Dan: Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai,
Num. 2:26 and his army, even their numbered men, 62,700.
Num. 2:27 Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, and the leader of the sons of Asher: Pagiel the son of Ochran,
Num. 2:28 and his army, even their numbered men, 41,500.
Num. 2:29 Then the tribe of Naphtali, and the leader of the sons of Naphtali: Ahira the son of Enan,
Num. 2:30 and his army, even their numbered men, 53,400.
Num. 2:31 The total of the numbered men of the camp of Dan was 157,600. They shall set out last by their standards.”
Num. 2:32 ¶ These are the numbered men of the sons of Israel by their fathers’ households; the total of the numbered men of the camps by their armies, 603,550.
Num. 2:33 The Levites, however, were not numbered among the sons of Israel, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
Num. 2:34 Thus the sons of Israel did; according to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, every one by his family according to his father’s household.
Some Christians want spontaneity when they go to church. They do not care if services descend into chaos. However, God is a God of order. Just as the Israelites camped and moved in an orderly manner through the wilderness, so too God instructs that our church services need to be proper and orderly.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”