THE book of Numbers takes up the history of Israel where Exodus leaves off. Exodus showed us the tabernacle set up, with the cloud of glory overshadowing the mercy seat, and man unable to enter; Leviticus unfolded the means whereby man might be found, without fear, in the presence of God, and Numbers rates for us God’s order and provision for the tabernacle in the wilderness, and for the journeyings of His people.
Let us look first at what is surely the central point of the book — the brazen serpent and the springing well. The Lord Jesus Himself takes up both these in the Gospel of John.
No child, one would think, but has thrilled at the story of the. Israelite, perishing through his sin, looking to the brazen serpent, and being, not “healed,” not “recovered,” but, “when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived” (21:9).
The Lord, in His interview with Nicodemus, uses this incident to teach him that of which, though a Master in Israel, he knew nothing. He tells him “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life,” and from chapter 12 of this same gospel we know that He spake this, signifying what death He should die.
What a contrast is here! The bitten Israelite lived indeed, but only for a time; we read later in Numbers that he ultimately died in the wilderness, for not one of the men who came out of Egypt went into Canaan, except Caleb and Joshua. But he who believes in the Son of man lifted up lives eternally and not only so, but he lives according to a new order of life, for “we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:2020And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)).
Oh! for hearts to better apprehend the greatness of the Son of man lifted up.
Immediately following the account of the brazen serpent we read of the springing well. “Then Israel sang” —the first time for many a long day — “Spring up, O well, sing ye unto it.” And the Lord Jesus at Sychar’s well said to an outcast and sinful woman, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst [again forever]; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:1414But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)). How does the antitype exceed the type! Israel’s well was outside, the princes and nobles digged it with their staves; but the Lord would give her a well within, which should rise up to Him and flow forth to others.
It is only possible to consider one or two of the many themes of the book of Numbers. We will look at God’s provision for the wilderness, and the discipline of the wilderness.
It would seem that Israel sojourned about a year in the wilderness of Sinai, and that there they built the tabernacle. Now the time has come to go forward. First they are numbered, and the heads or princes of tribes are appointed. It is a wonderful thing to be counted among the people of God, and we may see how from the first it was necessary that there should be leaders and rulers; more than necessary, it was, and is the Divine order.
Next the Levites are separated for the service of the tabernacle, and the priestly family is marked out; as has been said, the people may be described as warriors, workers, and worshippers, all in connection with and in relation to the tabernacle. Each tribe had its appointed place and standard. It will be noted that the priests alone might touch the holy vessels (4:5-15). When they had covered them with cloths of the appropriate colors, the Kohathites would bear them on their shoulders, a work of special trust and privilege.
The Gershonites and Merarites were provided with wagons and oxen―the offerings of the princes — to bear the tent and boards on their journeys; two covered wagons and four oxen for the Gershonites, and four covered wagons and eight oxen for the Merarites. To those who had the lighter burden the two wagons were allotted, and to those who had the weighty burden of gold-covered boards and silver sockets four wagons were given, showing us how exactly the Lord had measured the need of His, service, and how exactly He had provided for it — a word of encouragement for His servants today. His arm is still, unshortened, it is our faith that fails, and hence the temptation to resort to worldly methods to obtain the means for so-called Christian work. May we remember that the Lord is ever sufficient for everything that He would have done.
In the wilderness He led them in the daytime with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire. He brought streams out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers. He rained down manna upon them to eat. Man did eat angels’ food. He sent them meat to the full. He led them on safely so that they feared not. Thus does the sweet singer of Israel describe God’s care for His people in Psalms 78. And Isaiah takes up the tale of grace, “In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bare them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and vexed His holy Spirit” (Isa. 63:9, 109In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. 10But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them. (Isaiah 63:9‑10)). They never learned the lesson of simple trust in God. When difficulties arose, they spake against God, they asked, “Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” they said, “Let us go back to Egypt.”
“And so they murmured, murmured very often,
Their stubborn hearts rebelled against the light,
And had not God been strong and very patient
They never would have found the way aright.”
This leads us to our last point, the discipline of the wilderness. We must remember that God had chosen Abraham and promised that He would make of him a great nation, and that in his seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed.
But from the first they showed themselves wholly unfit for their high destiny, and God would train them so that what was true of them might be true in them. Alas! they had brought idols out of Egypt, they had brought out the appetites of Egypt; they had developed a slave mentality in Egypt; and unable to rule themselves they were utterly unable to govern others. In chapters 13 the warriors break down; in chapter 16 the workers (Levites) do likewise, and in chapter 20 the worshippers (the priesthood) fail. It is one long story of God’s faithfulness and of their faithlessness. As another has well said, “Faith would have filled the desert with song; unbelief filled it with murmurings.”
Numbers does not tell us how God brought them into the land as He had promised, but in Balaam’s prophecies (chapters 23 and 24) we learn His thoughts of His people in spite of all. It is very touching to read in chapter 33. His account of their journeys, and see how every halting place is remembered and recorded.
All that happened to them is of great moment to us. The apostle Paul tells us “These things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Cor. 10:1111Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1 Corinthians 10:11)).
We sometimes are surprised at the discipline of the wilderness, and ask why is it? Some Christians seem to think that they may be forgiven, justified, translated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love, given the adoption of sons, be made accepted in the Beloved, and that there it ends. It is true nothing can make all this more true of us than it is, because all is established in Christ, but such are we by nature that God our Father deals with us in discipline, often painful, in order that what is true of us in Christ, may in measure — how poorly and feebly we know but too well―be true in us. God will have reality and it avails nothing to boast of our high calling, but everything to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:22And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)).
True we only learn very slowly and these are great things, but our God has appended us for nothing less, and would have us count on Him and trust in Him for all, always remembering that we have such an High Priest who ever liveth to make intercession for us.
L. R.