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I can remember a woman who kept me a good bit when I was a little boy. I would be at her house, along with her son, who was not too much younger than me. We would ask her for something and she would say, “I’ll get you that right after my story.” She meant her soap opera. 

Based solely on the name, many of you probably think that the Old Testament book of Numbers is really a continuation of Leviticus. The title would make you think that there will be a lot of measurements and guidelines tucked in there. But that’s simply not so. 

Instead, we get a bit of a soap opera right here in our Old Testament book, perhaps misleadingly titled Numbers from the Latin. BaMidbar in the Hebrew for “in the wilderness.” But there is another name for this book of Numbers. Homesh Happiqqudim, which meant “the numbering of the Israelites.” 

In the first ten chapters of Numbers, we get a lot of information about a census of Israel that takes place because this growing nation is also a growing logistical challenge as it makes its way across the wilderness. 

We get camp arrangements. We get a specific counting of the Levites, that priestly tribe featured in last week’s book. A count of the various clans. Now, oddly, we also get some more cleanliness laws, guidance on how many wives they can have. 

There is also a first mention of the ultra-orthodox and clean living way of raising a child called Nazarite Law. We are going to see later, as a young Samson is raised quite strictly this way.

Actually, there are a wide variety of types of writings collected in Numbers. If I have jokingly said that this book is a soap opera (because some of what happens here is a little wild), then Numbers might also be a big ole travel journal that doubles as a Scrapbook. You know, the notebook where pages of this, brochures of that and photos you took along the way are all stuffed in until it overflows. 

In this biblical book you’ll find narratives, to be sure. But you’ll also find poetry, songs, prayers, prophecy, blessings, laws and lists. That’s some variety, alright. 

Overlapping a bit with Leviticus, we’ll see in the second section that the Tabernacle has now been consecrated. The Levites have been blessed. 

We’ll revisit the reality of the Passover that freed Israel from Egyptians once and for all. We get the Cloud of God’s presence here that guides Israel along the way. Israel moves on now. 

Much like in a school cafeteria or in every senior adult retirement community I’ve ever been around, we also get grumbling about the repetitiveness of the food. Suddenly, everyone here is an amateur dietician as the Israelites make their way along the Exodus. 

Sadly, I really do struggle with this ongoing story. We see the additional mention of Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ own flesh-and-blood siblings, complaining against him. That one hurts me to read.

In fact, one scholar puts it this way. “The people’s dissatisfaction begins to surface early on. Aaron and Miriam, the brother and sister of Moses, openly express disapproval of him, and the spies who later return with reports from Canaan also foment unrest and murmuring.”  

Rather than a gratefulness and reverence for Moses, we see this. The one God chose and called. The one who did the impossible and freed them. The one who had been invited by God up onto Mt. Sinai for a meeting. The one who bravely stepped in-between them and God.

That Moses. The people get a little tired and bored. The one they owe their very lives to looks passe’ to them now. It would seem that our fickle, “what have you done for us lately” world is documented as dating back at least this far to Numbers, isn’t it. 

What can we learn from all of this? What are we supposed to take away from all of this action in Numbers? 

Why, just like our lives today, that answer might be hiding in plain sight. The central value of this book’s twenty-six chapters might have been lost in all the hubbub. Just like we sometimes do in the living of our own days. 

Because in among all the movement and excitement, the faithfulness of God that you and I crave so deeply in our souls has been featured and told. All throughout and all so vital to a life of faith.

DR. CHARLES QUALLS is senior pastor at Franklin Baptist Church. Contact him at 757-562-5135.