Daily Readings at Southeast

  Introduction to Numbers The Israelites have been encamped at Mount Sinai since their dramatic escape from Egypt. They received the Ten Commandments here and built the tabernacle. Now, in the book of Numbers, they finally prepare to journey toward the Promised Land. What should have been a triumphant march becomes instead a tragic story of unbelief—yet through it all, a beautiful portrait of God's mercy and grace emerges. Moses wrote Numbers, as he did all five Books of the Law, and he wrote it for the Israelites. The English title comes from the two censuses recorded in the book, but the Hebrew name is Bemidbar, meaning "in the wilderness"—a title that captures both the setting and the spiritual condition of God's people during these years. The book opens with God instructing Moses to number the people. During this census, every tribe was counted except the tribe of Levi, who served as priests. This counting reveals something profound about God's character: each...