Tag: clans

45.p. “Wilderness” – 9.v. “The names of the men who shall assist you”

 

Numbers 1:5-18.   And these are the names of the men who shall assist you. From Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur; from Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai; from Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab; from Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar; from Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon; from the sons of Joseph, from Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud, and from Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur; from Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni; from Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai; from Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran; from Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel; from Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.” These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the chiefs of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel. Moses and Aaron took these men who had been named, and on the first day of the second month, they assembled the whole congregation together, who registered themselves by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, head by head, as the LORD commanded Moses. So he listed them in the wilderness of Sinai.

In general, the names have a significant and positive spiritual meaning, saying something good about the spiritual life of the Israeli community that left Egypt. These are Hebrew names. believing names; not Egyptian names. Most all the names make reference to God (Elohim).

 From the tribe of Reuben, Elizur– whose name can mean, (My) God Is a Rock.

· From the tribe of Simeon, Shelumiel– whose name can mean, (My) Peace Is God.

· From the tribe of Judah, Nahshon– whose name can mean, (My) People Are Noble.

· From the tribe of Issachar, Nethanel– whose name can mean, Gift of God.

· From the tribe of Zebulun, Eliab– whose name can mean, (My) God Is Father.

· From the tribe of Ephraim, Elishama– whose name can mean, (My) God Hears. This man was the grandfather of Joshua · From the tribe of Manasseh, Gamaliel– whose name can mean, Reward of God.

· From the tribe of Benjamin, Abidan– whose name can mean, (My) Father Is Judge.

· From the tribe of Dan, Ahiezer– whose name can mean, (My) Brother Is a Helper.

· From the tribe of Asher, Pagiel– whose name can mean, Met by God.

· From the tribe of Gad, Eliasaph– whose name can mean, (My) God Has Added, Multiplied.

· From the tribe of Naphtali, Ahira– whose name can mean, (My) Brother Is Evil.

God’s guidance to Israel gave attention to both the individual and to the community. Both aspects were important and continue to be important today. “Under the New Covenant there is a distribution of grace to every one, an endowment of each according to his faith with priestly and even kingly powers…. [Yet] The commission each receives is not to be a free- lance in the Divine warfare, but to take his right place in the ranks; and that place he must find.” (Guzik)

It will be another 38-39 years before they go into battle in the promised land. Establishing numbers, ranks, order, and will not only affect these men but those born over the next 38 years. In establishing order there is not only purpose but a joining together, but a uniting of spirit for the cause. Plans are developed and actions taken based on rank and order. Unity in purpose is a strong bond that will overcome doubts. Having God lead, guide, and teach them in the wilderness about godliness, sin, obedience, and faith will take time for them to mature as a unified nation before moving into take the promised land.

45.o. “Wilderness” – 9.u. “Take a census”

 

Numbers 1:1-4  The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent 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 people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company. And there shall be with you a man from each tribe, each man being the head of the house of his fathers.

As recorded in the book of Exodus, God miraculously rescued Israel from their long slavery in Egypt. They came through the Red Sea and saw God provide through the desert wilderness. Israel then came to Mount Sinai where God appeared to them in a spectacular way. At Mount Sinai Moses went up to meet with God and receive the law. At Mount Sinai, the people of Israel also honored an idolatrous image of a golden calf and were afterward corrected by the LORD. The main part of the book of Exodus covers about one year, and Leviticus only a month – but the story of the book of Numbers covers more than 38 years.

The book of Numbers approaches it all God’s way. In the wilderness, one may be tempted to launch a hundred different schemes and plans to move forward. But only God’s way really works; and the book of Numbers tells us about God’s way. The idea that the LORD spoke to Moses is repeated more than 150 times

The book of Numbers is all about God’s people in the Wilderness – how they got there, how God dealt with them in the wilderness, and how He brought them out of the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land.

“The theme of the book of Numbers is the journey to the Promised Land of Canaan. Its opening ten chapters, covering a mere fifty days, describe how Moses organized Israel for the march from Sinai to the Promised Land.”

“So the Israelites had been slaves in the land of Goshen; their tasks were appointed, and their taskmasters compelled their obedience. Their difficulties had been great, their bondage cruel, but they were free from the necessity of thought and arrangement. Having escaped from their taskmaster, they imagined that freedom meant escape from rule. They had been taught in their year of encampment under the shadow of the mountain that they had to submit to law, and it was irksome to them, and they became discontented. This discontent resulted from lack of perfect confidence in God.”

Now they were numbered again for the purpose of organizing and counting an army. God wanted the count made by their families because the strength of Israel was determined by looking at the strength of individual families. This was a military census to see who could fight for Israel in taking the Promised Land. This was the first step in taking the Promised Land – an inventory to understand the resources they had to conquer the Promised Land. The taking of this census would have a great effect on the nation. As the count was made, every family knew preparations were being made for war. (Guzik)

41.p. “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.”

 

 

Exodus 6:14  These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben. The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon. These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years. The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans. The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations. Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years. The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites. Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites by their clans.

These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts.” It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.

On the day when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, the LORD said to Moses, “I am the LORD; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” But Moses said to the LORD, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”

 Moses and Aaron were Israelites; raised up unto them of their brethren, as Christ also should be, who was to be the Prophet and Priest, the Redeemer and Lawgiver of the people of Israel. Moses returns to his narrative, and repeats the charge God had given him to deliver his message to Pharaoh, and his objection against it. Those who have spoken unadvisedly with their lips ought to reflect upon it with regret, as Moses seems to do here.Uncircumcised, is used in Scripture to note the unsuitableness there may be in any thing to answer its proper purpose; as the carnal heart and depraved nature of fallen man are wholly unsuited to the services of God, and to the purposes of his glory. It is profitable to place no confidence in ourselves, all our sufficiency must be in the Lord. We never can trust ourselves too little, or our God too much. I can do nothing by myself, said the apostle, but I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Henry)

These be the heads of their father’s houses,…. Not of the families of Moses and Aaron, but of the children of Israel, though only the heads of three tribes are mentioned; and some think that these three are taken notice of, to show that they were not rejected of God, though they seem to be rather cursed than blessed by Jacob; and that though they were guilty of very great crimes, as Reuben of incest, and Simeon and Levi of murder, yet they truly repented, and obtained mercy of God, and were honoured in their offspring, of whom an account is here given; but the two first seem to be taken notice of for the sake of the third, and that order might be observed, and that it might plainly appear that the deliverers of Israel were Israelites. (Gill)

Genealogies confuse me most of the time. I read over them and partially understand the flow of fathers to sons and then as quickly I forget them. They do trace and give records of families from Abraham – Moses, and other genealogies show the lineage from Abraham – David – Jesus Christ.  They all prove and give records of the covenant promises of God to the Israelites. These promises were not given to gentiles until they rejected Jesus Christ as Lord, King, Redeemer, and Savior. These promises were given to all who would believe, trust, and rely on Jesus Christ. God demonstrated His love for everyone by sending His Son to redeem them. Let your heart rejoice and be filled with humbleness at this grace and mercy.  Praise God for He alone is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory.