With Us in the Wilderness: A Study of the Book of NumbersSample

People and Place

Pause. Breathe. Pray.

Now that we have our bearings regarding where Numbers fits into God’s redemptive story, it’s time to home in on the book itself. There’s no better place to start than at the beginning.

Read Numbers 1:1.

The LORD spoke to Moses ... (Numbers 1:1).

Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday: the incredibly mind-blowing notion that Moses spoke with the Lord as a man speaks with his friend. It wasn’t always like this.

Read Exodus 3:1-6.

What’s so startling about this scene is that when God called out to Moses from the bush, He summoned him with a “repetition of endearment.” In Moses’ culture, saying someone’s name twice indicated affection and friendship.1 The Lord beckoned Moses to come close, but not too close. We will see this theme repeated in God’s interaction with His people and how He instructed them to arrange their camp.

In the wilderness of Sinai ... (Numbers 1:1).

We find Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness of Sinai. The Lord delivered them from slavery in Egypt and was leading them to the land He promised to Abraham and his descendants. The Hebrew word for wilderness is also interpreted as desert.2 Instead of sand dunes and cacti, this kind is rocky with grazable grasses and small bushes. It’s not a wholly hospitable land, but it’s also not completely barren.

We see the wilderness theme repeated throughout Scripture. Often, the Lord leads His people into desolate places to invite them into a more intimate relationship with Him.

In the tent of meeting ... (Numbers 1:1).

The tent of meeting is also called the tabernacle. Moses received instruction from the Lord to take contributions from all the tribes of Israel to construct a sanctuary to be used to worship the Living God.

Read Exodus 25:8.

God’s desire from the very beginning has been to dwell among His people. He walked in the garden with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8).

The tent of meeting is a shadow of God’s ultimate goal for His people: that He would be with them as their God.

What does His plan to dwell with you reveal about His thoughts toward you?