Read Numbers 26:1-65
All the people camped near Moab ready to enter the Promised Land were related. Their patriarch was Jacob, and each of his twelve sons are represented by descendants recorded here. A census is the best way to keep track of this huge family. You may recall at the beginning of the book of Numbers a census was taken to register the people of Israel coming out of Egypt. Since that time, as God declared, all but two of those people on the original roster have died. Joshua and Caleb are the exceptions, and how they will be used by God is yet to be seen. We can follow his story as the successor to Moses in the book of Joshua. The circle of life can be a beautiful thing.
God was getting the people ready for the final leg of their pilgrimage through the wilderness. The number of people in this moment would be memorialized for all time. How many people survived the journey? That was the question being answered by this registration process. How many men would there be to fight the battles ahead? As it turns out, there were fewer than previously counted.
What is the message we should take away from this accounting of people by family clans? God is being thorough and intentional in having an accurate count of those poised to enter the Promised Land, fighting for their lives to honor God who brought them to their new home. It was also amazing to see how fruitful the people had been during the wilderness years.
Ideally, all the people accounted for in this registration would be on board with the transition. The sinful, wayward ones in the group had been punished and purged. This cleansing had left quite a strong group ready to trek across the Jordan to their new permanent homes.
When we have times of cleansing in our own faith lives, we come away stronger, too. Can you think of a time when you experienced something that rocked your faith but left you feeling more and more dependent on God? Those are the kind of grounding moments we cherish even though they can be painful.
The psalmist said it beautifully and prayerfully in Psalm 51:7, “Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” That can be our prayer. We need the LORD to help us set aside our sinful nature so we can be strong in the LORD. As Ephesians 6:10 says, “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Hallelujah!
Let’s pray. Lord, I want to be counted among the faithful who rely on your strength and guidance. Help me stand strong against the evil one’s schemes and my own tendencies to feel inadequate. You have equipped me for service, cleansed me from my sin, and it’s my turn to respond and help reveal your truth to the world. What an honor it is to be part of your family and able to tap into your cleansing stream. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
