Journal Through the Bible: Week 21 Monday

source

Numbers chapter 2

Does God make any promises in this chapter?

• None specifically mentioned.

Does this chapter teach anything about Jesus?

• The tribe of Judah was the leading tribe and was the tribe from which Jesus descended so it was no surprise that it should be noted as the tribe designated to lead the new Hebrew nation on the journey whether it be in camping, marching, or into battle. The captain of this tribe was Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, an ancestor of Jesus.

Does this chapter teach anything about yet-future events?

• The chapter itself does not mention that the insignia of Judah was a lion, but Jacob described his son, Judah, that way in his prophetic blessing upon his sons. Jacob called him "a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk." (Genesis 49: 9-12) The Lion from the tribe of Judah will open the sealed book that John saw in his Revelation because He (also called Shiloh by Jacob) prevailed against sin, death, hell, and the grave. (Revelation 5:5) He will one day gather all His people.

Does God make any commands?

• The tribes were arranged around the tabernacle. God's arrangement was for camping and for marching. Each side was to have a banner, or standard, with identifying insignia  The tribes on the east: Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun with Judah being the primary tribe of this group. The tribes on the south were Reuben, Simeon, and Gad with Reuben being the primary tribe of this group.  The tribe of Levi was to be within the center of the camp. The tribes on the west were descended from Rachel: Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin with Ephraim being the primary tribe of this group. The tribes on the north: Dan, Asher, and Naphtali with Dan being the primary tribe of this group.
• The children of Israel were numbered by tribes except for the tribe of Levi which traveled and encamped in the middle.