Hello, this is Father Paul and I'm glad we're taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year.
Yesterday we concluded the book of Leviticus and we heard about all the workings and operations
of the tabernacle, of the consecration of Aaron and his sons, of all the sacrifices
and of all the laws that would render someone clean or unclean.
And we also heard of the promises of the Lord that if they keep the covenant that he will
continue to be their God and if they break the covenant then there are consequences for
this.
Today we're going to begin the book of Numbers and the beginning of the book of Numbers is
the first census of Israel.
Alright, let's begin.
Today's reading is from Numbers chapters 1 and 2.
Chapter 1
Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the tabernacle of meeting on the
first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of
Egypt saying, Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel by their families,
by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male individually,
from twenty years old and above, all who are able to go to war in Israel.
You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
And with you there shall be a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father's
house.
These are the names of the men who shall stand with you.
From Reuben, Eliezer the son of Shidur.
From Simeon, Shilumiel the son of Zuri Shaddai.
From Judah, Nashon the son of Aminadab.
From Issachar, Nithanel the son of Zuwar.
From Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon.
From the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Amihud.
From Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedazur.
From Benjamin, Abedan the son of Gideoni.
From Dan, Ahiazar the son of Amishadai.
From Asher, Pagiel the son of Okron.
From Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deoel.
From Naphtali, Ahira the son of Inan.
These were chosen from the congregation, leaders of their father's tribes, heads of the divisions
in Israel.
Then Moses and Aaron took these men who had been mentioned by name, and they assembled
all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they recited
their ancestry by families, by their father's houses, according to the number of names,
from twenty years old and above, each one individually.
As the Lord commanded Moses, so He numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.
Now the children of Reuben, Israel's oldest son, their genealogies by their families,
by their father's house, according to the number of names, every male individually,
from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war, those who were numbered
of the tribe of Reuben were 46,500.
From the children of Simeon, their genealogies by their families, by their father's house,
of those who were numbered, according to the number of names, every male individually,
from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war, those who were numbered
of the tribe of Simeon were 59,300.
From the children of Gad, their genealogies by their families, by their father's house,
according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to
go to war, those who were numbered of the tribe of Gad were 45,650.
From the children of Judah, their genealogies by their families, by their father's house,
according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to
go to war, those who were numbered of the tribe of Judah were 74,600.
From the tribe of Issachar, their genealogies by their families, by their father's house,
according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to
go to war, those who were numbered of the tribe of Issachar were 54,400.
From the children of Zebulun, their genealogies by their families, by their father's house,
according to the number of names, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to
go to war, those who were numbered of the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400.
From the tribe of Joseph, the children of Ephraim, their genealogies by their families,
by their father's house, according to the number of names, from 20 years old and above,
all who were able to go to war, those who were numbered of the tribe of Ephraim, were
40,500.
From the tribe of Manasseh, their genealogies by their families, by their father's house,
according to the number of names, from 20 years old and above, all who were able to
go to war, those who were numbered of the tribe of Manasseh, were 32,200.
From the tribe of Benjamin, their genealogies by their families, by their father's house,
according to the number of names, from 20 years old and above, all who were able to
go to war, those who were numbered of the tribe of Benjamin, were 35,400.
From the tribe of Dan, their genealogies by their families, by their father's house,
According to the number of names, from 20 years old and above, all who were able to go to war, those who were numbered of the tribe of Dan were 62,700.
From the children of Asher, their genealogies by their families, by their father's house, according to the number of names, from 20 years old and above, all who were able to go to war, those who were numbered of the tribe of Asher were 41,500.
From the children of Naphtali, their genealogies by their families, by their father's house, according to the number of names, from 20 years old and above, all who were able to go to war, those who were numbered of the tribe of Naphtali were 53,400.
These are the ones who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, with the leaders of Israel, 12 men, each one representing his father's house. So all who were numbered of the children of Israel, by their father's houses, from 20 years old and above, all who were able to go to war, all who were numbered were 603,550.
But the Levites were not numbered among them by their father's tribe. For the Lord had spoken to Moses, saying, Only the tribe of Levi you shall not number, nor take a census of them among the children of Israel, but you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, over all its furnishings, and over all things that belong to it.
They shall carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings. They shall attend to it and camp around the tabernacle. And when the tabernacle is to go forward, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be set up, the Levites shall set it up.
The outsider who comes near shall be put to death. The children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every one by his own camp, every one by his own standard, according to their armies.
But the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the testimony, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the children of Israel, and the Levites shall keep charge of the tabernacle of the testimony. Thus the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so they did.
Chapter 2 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, Everyone of the children of Israel shall camp by his own standard, beside the emblems of his father's house. They shall camp some distance from the tabernacle of meeting.
On the east side, toward the rising of the sun, those of the standard of the forces with Judah shall camp according to their armies. And Nachshon, the son of Arminah Dab, shall be the leader of the children of Judah. And his army was numbered at 74,600.
Those who camped next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar. And Nathaniel, the son of Zuhar, shall be the leader of the children of Issachar. And his army was numbered at 54,400.
Then comes the tribe of Zebulun, and Eliab, the son of Helon, shall be the leader of the children of Zebulun. And his army was numbered at 57,400.
All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Judah, 186,400, these shall break camp first.
On the south side shall be the standard of the forces with Reuben, according to their armies. And the leader of the children of Reuben shall be Elisur, the son of Shadur.
And his army was numbered at 46,500. Those who camped next to him shall be of the tribe of Simeon. And the leader of the children of Simeon shall be Shilumiel, the son of Zuri Shaddai.
And his army was numbered at 59,300. Then comes the tribe of Gad. And the leader of the children of Gad shall be Eliasaph, the son of Reuel.
And his army was numbered at 45,650. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Reuben, 151,450, they shall be the second to break camp.
And the tabernacle of meeting shall move out with the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. As they camp, so they shall move out, everyone in his place, by their standards.
On the west side shall be the standard of the forces with Ephraim, according to their armies. And the leader of the children of Ephraim shall be Alishamah, the son of Amihud.
And his army was numbered at 40,500. Next to him comes the tribe of Manasseh. And the leader of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel, the son of Pedazur.
And his army was numbered at 32,200. Then comes the tribe of Benjamin. And the leader of the children of Benjamin shall be Abedan, the son of Gideon.
And his army was numbered at 35,400. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces with Ephraim, 108,100, they shall be the third to break camp.
The standard of the forces with Dan shall be on the north side according to their armies. And the leader of the children of Dan shall be Ahizar, the son of Amishadai.
And his army was numbered at 62,700. Those who camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher. And the leader of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel, the son of Okron.
And his army was numbered at 41,500. Then comes the tribe of Naphtali. And the leader of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira, the son of Inan.
And his army was numbered at 53,400. All who were numbered of the forces of Dan, 157,600, they shall break camp last with their standards.
And the leaders of the ones who were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers houses. All who were numbered according to their armies of the forces were 603,550.
But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel just as the Lord commanded Moses.
The children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses. So they camped by their standards and so they broke camp, each one by his family according to their fathers houses.
I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our journey. God bless you and have a great day.