Old Testament OverviewSample

Numbers is a book of judgment because of the disobedience of the Israelites (Numbers 14).

Today you will read about the two censuses (countings) that were taken in the book of Numbers, each 40 years apart.

What do you notice about the total number of Israelites in the second census, as compared with the first?

After reading the passage use these questions as the basis for your discussion.

1. What stood out for you / what was interesting and why? (The Holy Spirit’s prompting)

2. What was the passage about / the main message / big idea? (The Word of God)

3. What should we do / how can we apply this message? (Faith in Action)

(While we would expect the population to have grown over a 40-year period, the total number of Israelites is actually slightly lower at the end of the book, demonstrating the effect of their disobedience and God's judgment.)