If Genesis is the book of beginnings, Exodus the book of deliverance, Leviticus the book of holiness, then Numbers is the book of wanderings and warfare. The book of Numbers describes the journey of the Israelites in the wilderness, as they move from Mount Sinai towards the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. However, as they were also in enemy territory, they had to be organised for confrontation and conflict. 

Before the Israelites can continue their journey, in the second year after they came out of Egypt, the Lord commands that they take a census of men twenty years old or more who are to serve as soldiers. We know that this command came from God because the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai (verse1), Moses took the census as the Lord commanded (verse 19), and instructions for the Levites were done according to all that the Lord commanded Moses (verse 54). The form of census that the Israelites were to take were a military census, structured according to hierarchical social groups determined by the patriarchal family tree. In this way, each tribe constitutes a major army division, within which members of the same patriarchal household will fight alongside each other as they go to war. 

However, the military census did not include the tribe of Levi because, rather than being part of the regular army, their job was to guard and take care of the tabernacle. The tabernacle was the most important structure in the entire camp, and only the priests and Levites could attend to it. 

The book of Numbers is often seen as an analogy of the spiritual life of a Christian. As Christians, we, too, are in enemy territory, fighting a spiritual warfare daily. What, then, can we learn from this first chapter of the book of Numbers?

First, worship and warfare may seem unrelated, but in God’s economy, they go hand in hand. Unless the people of God are right with the Lord in their worship, they cannot face their enemies and defeat them in warfare. Similarly, we are fighting a spiritual warfare today, everyday. We, too, need to be right before our Lord daily, in prayer and worship, as we prepare ourselves for the spiritual warfare of each day. 

Second, there is a significance in fighting as a family unit. In the way the census was taken, each soldier must train and fight alongside his relatives. The advantages to this were that the Israelites were fighting alongside people whom they were familiar with, and as family members, they have additional incentive to protect their fellow soldiers as well as to cooperate with them. While we no longer engage in the same warfare as the Israelites did, we continue to fight a spiritual battle as Christians. This spiritual battle involves all Christians, and we need to fight alongside our family-in-Christ, as well as our physical family members if they, too, are believers. Therefore, just as there is great importance in discipleship within the family unit, there, too, is great importance in discipleship within the local churches. Within our church communities, we are not simply companions and friends, we are fellow soldiers in a battle. We fight to win, and to help each other win. 

May we be reminded of the importance of our relationship upwards with God, as we come before Him daily in worship and prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit to fill us, so that we may fight the spiritual battle with His lead. May we, too, be reminded of the importance of our relationship sideways with our family and family-in-Christ, where as we build strong relationship through fellowship and Word, that we are able to fight the spiritual battle as one united army. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for being my commander and my friend. Please take lead in this battle, and help me as I face my enemies in spiritual warfare. Please help me to love my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, and to have the courage to reconcile with those whom I have differences with, because we are fellow soldiers in this spiritual battle. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.