Take the sum of the whole assembly of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, according to their fathers' houses, all that go forth to military service in Israel.
On the edge of Canaan, God orders a census of Israel. He had counted the same nation at the start of the journey, nearly forty years before — so why count it again, and what had changed?
The first census opened the wilderness march; this one closes it.
The journey being now ended, God numbers His people afresh, and counts them by name, as heirs ready to take possession of the inheritance. He has kept them through everything, and brought them as far as Canaan; their clothing did not even wear out.
The command comes after a plague, and this list is fuller than the first one.
Numbers 26 records the numbering of the people that the Lord ordered after the plague had subsided. The book of Numbers began with the numbering that took place in the second year after they came out of Egypt. Now we have the one taken just before they entered the land. It has more detail than Numbers 1. In this chapter we also learn that Korah's children were spared when the judgment fell on their father.
Writers count Israel's censuses differently, but each count had its own object. This time the count of fighting men looks ahead to the land.
The second numbering (Num. 1:2-3) came when Israel was about to fight the enemy. Its object was to find the number of men able to go to war. Every Israelite from twenty years and upward needed to understand his personal responsibility in the battles of the Lord. The Word mentions a third numbering (Num. 26:2, 52-65) of those who were capable of military service, this in view of dividing up the land. Here again the numbering was all important. Each family would see its inheritance in Canaan increase or decrease according to the number of its sons.
Forty years of failure lie between the two lists. This later count shows that those years changed nothing in God's care for each person.
God took account of every one of His people when they entered the wilderness. The same grace now shows that His love had not lessened. His personal interest was the same to the end. There was all that could have turned Him aside, had it been possible. Without this there would have been only the taking in of the people as a whole. But here He gives this witness of what they were, every one of them, to Himself. He loves to convince His people of His unwavering love, despite failure on their part.
The size of each tribe fixed the size of its territory. So the figures carry moral weight, not just arithmetic.
This fifth section now provides that they shall receive their inheritance in the land according to the number of the tribes. These numbers plainly represent gains or losses for which they were responsible. As they had flourished, so should they inherit... The "lot," which decided the division, makes this still more directly from the Lord.
The most striking feature of the chapter is who is missing from it.
How sad that, out of the six hundred thousand men of war counted at the first, only two remain — Joshua and Caleb! All the rest lay in the dust, buried beneath the sand of the desert, all passed away. The two men of simple faith remained to have their faith rewarded.
That absence was no accident. God had said in Numbers 14 what would happen.
We turn back to Numbers 14. Reading verses 20-32 again, we see with what absolute exactness God fulfils the word He has spoken. A solemn fact for the unbeliever, but one in which we who believe can heartily rejoice.
The age limit marked out those fit to fight. For believers today the line falls elsewhere.
God's census in Numbers shows His own vital interest in each one of His people Israel, an interest that is no less true of His saints today... Today all of His saints are fitted for spiritual warfare, women and young and old too... to engage in practical conflict we need maturity or full age, such as comes through knowledge and growth in the word of God.
- Kept. God counts them because the journey is over and God has brought His people the whole way, clothing and all.
- Known. He numbers them by name, showing the same personal interest at the end that He showed at the start, despite their failure.
- Fit. God counts the men of twenty and over, able to go to war. Today the line is spiritual maturity, not age.
- Apportioned. Each tribe's total fixes the size of its inheritance, and the lot puts the decision in the Lord's hands.
- Fulfilled. Of the 600,000 first counted, only Joshua and Caleb appear. God's word, warning or promise, comes true exactly.
And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan of Jericho, saying,
Israel's first count came in the second year after they left Egypt. Now they camp beside the Jordan, and God orders a fresh count. This verse names the place, and the two men who delivered the order.
This is not the count that opened the journey. It comes at the end, right after a plague.
Numbers 26 records the numbering of the people that the Lord ordered after the plague had stopped. The book of Numbers began with the numbering in the second year after they came out of Egypt. Now we have the one taken just before they entered the land. It gives somewhat more detail than Numbers 1 did.
The first census opened the journey; this one closes it.
The journey is now ended. God numbers His people afresh, and counts them by name, as heirs ready to take possession of the inheritance. He has kept them through everything, and brought them as far as Canaan; even their clothing did not wear out. He settles the details of the inheritance. He appoints a leader in place of Moses to bring them into the land of promise.
There was also a practical reason for getting the figures right.
The Word mentions a third numbering (Num. 26:2, 52-65) of those who were capable of military service, this one with a view to dividing up the land. Here again the numbering was all important. Each family would see its inheritance in Canaan increase or decrease according to the number of its sons.
At Sinai it was Moses and Aaron who counted the people. Here Aaron's name is missing and his son's has taken its place. Eleazar's two older brothers, Nadab and Abihu, had already died.
He was the third son of Aaron. He became chief of the Levites at the death of Nadab and Abihu, and at the death of his father he became high priest. He took part with Moses in numbering the people, and with Joshua in the allotment of the land.
One writer sees more here than a change of staff. The priesthood continues past the death of the man who began it.
And now Aaron passes away, and gives place to Eleazar: from here on we see priesthood wholly in its resurrection form… Eleazar derives everything from Aaron. He only continues Aaron's work in a new form, and Aaron may give way to him without any loss of dignity.
The count had a limit, and one writer draws a lesson from that limit for readers today.
God's census in Numbers shows His own vital interest in each one of His people Israel, an interest that is no less true of His saints today. The difference is that in Israel only the males over twenty years of age were numbered. There would be a cut-off age also, for this involved only those who were fit for military service. Today all of His saints are fitted for spiritual warfare — women, and young and old too — though by reason of age some are less active than others. Yet the lesson is also clear for us. To engage in practical conflict we need maturity or full age, such as comes through knowledge and growth in the word of God.
Israel's failures could have turned God away. He counts them again anyway.
There is after this (Num. 26) a fresh numbering of the men of Israel in view of going to war. They were now on the borders of the holy land. The same grace of God had taken account of every one of His people when they entered the wilderness. That grace now shows that His love had not weakened, and His personal interest was the same to the end. There was everything that could have turned Him aside, had that been possible… He loves to convince His people of His unwavering love, despite failure on their part.
- Place — The order comes on the plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho. The journey is over, the land is in sight, and the count follows a plague.
- Purpose — God counts them by name as heirs, ready to take possession of what He promised.
- Portion — The figures were not paperwork. Each family's share of Canaan would rise or fall with the number recorded here.
- People — Only men of twenty and over made the list, fit to fight. Real conflict still calls for maturity grown through the word of God.
- Priest — Aaron is gone and Eleazar stands with Moses. The priesthood that led Israel out survives death and carries them in.
From twenty years old and upward ...; as Jehovah had commanded Moses and the children of Israel, who went forth out of the land of Egypt.
Numbers 26 opens with a fresh census taken on the plains of Moab, after the plague, with the promised land now in sight. The same command came at the start of the journey, almost forty years earlier. But these are not the same men, and the reason for the count has changed.
The first count in Numbers 1 launched Israel into the wilderness. This one looks ahead to the land, and to life after Moses.
The journey is now over. God numbers His people afresh, and counts them by name, as heirs ready to take possession of the inheritance. He has kept them through everything, and brought them as far as Canaan; their clothing did not even wear out. He settles the details of the inheritance. He appoints a leader in place of Moses to bring them into the land of promise.
Why does the count start at twenty? The first census used the same measure.
God had the nation counted at the start of the wilderness journey (ch. 1:46). Now, as they near the end of that journey, He requires another census. Again it covers those twenty years old and upward, all who were able for military service (v. 2). Of those living at the time, only Moses, Joshua and Caleb would be over sixty years of age. Joshua and Caleb were still able for war (Josh. 14:6-11).
One writer reads the age limit as a matter of the soul, not of years.
This chapter does not tell us why the age was set at "twenty years old and upward," but Numbers 1 does. It adds, "all in Israel who are able to go to war." So these were the only ones counted, the only ones taken into account. If a man is not able to stand before the enemy, he is at present of no account. He is not yet on the ground of God's full age in the experience of his soul.
Israel had been counted before, and each count had its own purpose.
The first numbering mentioned (Ex. 38:25-27) had one object: to gather the silver intended to form the bases of the pillars of the tabernacle. So this numbering took place for the Lord and with a view to worshipping Him. The second numbering (Num. 1:2-3) came when Israel was about to fight the enemy. Its object was to count the men able to go to war. This was according to God. Every Israelite from twenty years and upward needed to understand his personal responsibility in the battles of the Lord. The Word mentions a third numbering (Num. 26:2, 52-65) of those fit for military service, this one with a view to dividing up the land. Here again the numbering was all important. Each family would see its inheritance in Canaan increase or decrease according to the number of its sons.
Israel had failed again and again over the forty years. God counts them anyway, one by one.
They were now on the borders of the holy land. The same grace of God took account of every one of His people when they entered the wilderness. That same grace counts them again here, and it gives evidence that His love had not weakened, and His personal interest was the same to the end. Everything was there that could have turned Him aside, if that were possible. Without this there would have been merely the taking in of the people as a whole. But here He gives this witness of what they were, every one of them, to Himself. He loves to convince His people of His unwavering love, despite their failure.
The verse looks back to those "who came out of the land of Egypt." Set the first list beside this one, and the gap is stark.
In it we have the record of the second numbering of the people, as they were about to enter the promised land. How sad to think of it! The first count found six hundred thousand men of war; only two remain — Joshua and Caleb! All the rest lay in the dust, buried beneath the sand of the desert, all passed away. The two men of simple faith remained to have their faith rewarded.
- Counted again — the command of Numbers 1 returns at the journey's end, with Canaan in view.
- Counted as soldiers — twenty years and upward marks those able to go to war. One writer applies this to the soul: a man who cannot stand before the enemy is "not yet on the ground of God's full age."
- Counted as heirs — the census fixes each family's share of the land. The numbers decide the size of each inheritance.
- Counted by love — God takes account of every individual after forty years of failure. His personal interest stayed "the same to the end."
- Counted, yet missing — of the men who left Egypt, only Joshua and Caleb are in this second list.