NOTES for Num 1:1-54

As we begin the book of Numbers, we return once again to the account of Israel's journey under Moses from Egypt to the promised land. Before entering Palestine, the Lord arranges His host in a kind of battle order: every tribe must be counted and made ready for the march. That the census is intended to prepare them for action is clear from the fact that the Levites, whose duty is to serve at the tabernacle, are not counted, for they will not have to fight. The New Testament Church is also an active body. Of course, the term “Church Militant” does not imply belligerence or ferocity on the part of Christians. Yet God expects more from us than simply sitting idle: the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force, which means that effort is also required of us in the war against evil, not with rifles and bombs, but with the Spirit of God: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21). This war is voluntary, and each of us has the opportunity to desert, so whether we enter the ranks of those who fight this battle depends on us.