Exciting Numbers

I've been working my way through the book of Numbers in my morning Bible read as well as in my weekly Bible study with the men of my church.  In both cases, I wasn't looking forward to it as much as accepting that it would be good to study this important book.  After all, I thought, there's a lot of boring stuff in there about censuses and laws and such. 

 

Boy, was I wrong.  The book of Numbers does have long and dry sections about censuses and laws and such, but it is also rich in allegory and instruction.  After all, the wandering of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan is meant to represent the journey of God's people today, out of their former godless ways and into a new walk with God. 

 

What a journey it is today, and what insights we can gain about that journey and about our God from the book of Numbers.  I no longer chastise the Israelites from their grumbling or their hard-headedness, because I see it in me in my journey; nor do I chastise their leader Moses for losing patience with the people, but rather commend him for being as longsuffering as he was.  It is helpful to observe in the Israelites the grave consequences of disobeying God rather than having to experiment with them in my own life, even more helpful to contemplate the faithfulness of God in rescuing His people from their enemies so I can hold out for such a deliverance in my own life.

 

Most of all, I understand better the journey between Egypt and Canaan.  There is certainly a lot of drama in the book of Numbers, and in the same way, there is a lot of life to live and a lot of lessons to learn in our wilderness wanderings between former bondage and future glory.  I will still grumble, wander, and lose patience on this journey.  But from reading Numbers, I have a much better perspective of the journey and of the God who leads us on it.