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Numbers 26: A Census of Faith and Warning
March 25, 2026 · 15 min
Explore the dual message in Numbers 26—a divine warning and promise before entering the Promised Land.
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Don't Skip Numbers 26: Warning and Promise 0:09 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining me this morning. Today, Numbers chapter 26, and don't skip this chapter. I know it looks like just a list of names, but it it presents both a0:21 warning and a promise. Verse 64 of chapter 26, but among these, there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when they numbered the children of Israel in the0:33 wilderness of Sinai. Alright. Let's jump right into it. Verse 1, and it came to pass after the plague that the Lord spoke to Moses and Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saying, take a census of all the0:45 congregation of the children of Israel, from 20 years old and above, by their father's houses, all who are able to go to war in Israel. So Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of0:57 Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying, take a census of the people from 20 years old and above, just as the Lord commanded Moses and the children of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt. So what1:09 we have here is a second census or headcount. Alright? They they've made their 40 year journey and they want to see who they've, who they have. I don't know if you've ever had to do that at a stopping at a1:20 rest stop, but I always take account of the kids back when they were little to make sure we had them all. Now this was the, the first census was when they came out of bondage1:32 of out of Egypt. They counted all the men 20 years and above that were were those who were able to go to war. Now, this 1 is taken before they enter into the promised land. The1:44 census would be used for a couple of things. 1 of them would be to divide the land the land, the inheritance that was coming to them. Larger tribes would receive a larger inheritance, and the smaller tribes a1:56 smaller inheritance of the land. This chapter also marks a transition. It's kind of a bridge. Alright, from the generation that died in the wilderness that, quite frankly, should serve2:08 as a warning to the new generation, the consequences of disobedience and unbelief. Now it's it's kinda like approaching let's say you're approaching2:19 a bridge and I don't know if you use GPS, but, I use the the Waze program, and, you know, it'll tell you. It'll come on and it'll give you an audible warning. There's an obstacle in the road2:31 ahead. Well, before God lets the new generation of, the children of Israel cross into the promised land, he issues a warning. It comes across their GPS. The last2:43 generation stood here and could not cross over because of their sin, because of their disobedience, and it cost them their lives. So do not ignore my word.2:55 Now this was a land of promise. This is kind of the promise aspect of this chapter. It was a land of promise because it was promised by God. And this shows once again that God is faithful.3:07 Okay? God is faithful to his promises despite our disobedience and the judgment that it brings. We're also coming to a place, that we're gonna see here very soon, the transition in3:19 leadership from Moses to Joshua. So let's answer a few questions. A few questions come up here. When we're taking this census, what was the overall population after their3:31 40 year road trip? Were there shifts in the size of the 12 tribes, and if so, what caused the changes? Well, the numbers kind of tell the story. If we look closely enough, both the warning3:42 and the promise, they're revealed in the numbers. Overall, there is a population decrease. Alright? Sin has consequences. There's a decrease of 1820. The3:54 second census shows that there were 601730 males 20 years and older. Now as we discussed when we looked at the first census, this4:06 suggests a total population that would be 3.5 to 4 times larger when you count wives and children. So let's start with this, why the decrease? Well, first, everyone counted 404:18 years earlier except Caleb and Joshua died as a result of their unbelief or disobedience to God's sin, as I mentioned just a moment ago. Let's look at this verse verse 64. But4:30 among these, there was not a man of those who were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest when the number of children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the Lord had said to them, this is verse 65, they4:42 shall surely die in the wilderness. So there was not left a man of them except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. You see, disobedience4:54 and unbelief come at a high price, and it's generational. The total census provides kind of the macro view, but looking at the individual tribes gives us the micro perspective.Simeon's Decline and Manasseh's Growth 5:06 And what we discover is that the size of the tribe reflects their obedience to God in many ways. The tribes are listed here in chapter 26 by by the way they were arranged in the5:18 camp or the administration administrative arrangement, but we are, we're going to take them in a different order. We're going to look at these tribes that experienced the most significant population shift and we're going5:28 to look at why. So Simeon tops the list of the tribes that experienced the most dramatic decline. Simeon saw a, ready for this, 60 percent decline in5:39 population. That's that's stunning. Verse 14, these are the families of the Simeonites 22200. Now, in the first census, they they, they5:51 accounted for 59300 males, 20 and above. So why this steep decline? The tribe of Simeon, according to scholars, was at the center of the most recent6:03 episode of disobedience that we just covered in the previous chapter, Baal of Peor. Verse 14 of chapter 25. Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, this was remember6:15 Phineas, my my my hero. He was the guy that took action, a a priest who got involved, got his hands dirty stepping in to stop the plague. He killed the man, who6:27 was, going to his tent or in his tent with the Midianite woman. Well, the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri, the son of6:39 Selu, a leader of the fathers of a father's house among the Semionites. So, again, from the scholars, it appears that the Semionites were at the center of the immorality in the6:51 idolatry that brought about the plague, the the judgment of God, the plague that took the lives of 24000 people, and they factored heavily7:03 in that 24000. Now Manasseh experienced on the other side of this a significant growth. Verse 34, these are the families of Manasseh and those who were7:15 numbered of them were 52700. Their numbers increased by 20500, which was over a was which is over 60 percent, 60 percent7:27 growth. So what was the reason for that? Well, Manasseh was named after 1 of Joseph's sons, Joseph, having the double blessing. So scholars see this as a7:39 sign of the divine blessing spoken over Joseph. This underscores what we have previously discussed about the the power of our words. The blessings were not just random words7:50 designed to, to make their offspring feel good. They were intentionally spoken words that shaped behavior and their future. In chapter 27, we also see8:02 through a a case regarding the inheritance of land that it was tied to their faithfulness to God. So it was not just the blessing, but they were walking in that blessing.8:14 Number Numbers chapter 27 verse 1, 1. Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hephyr, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of8:25 Manasseh from the families of Manasseh, and the son of Joseph. And these were the names of his daughters, Mahlah, Noah, Hogla, Milcah, and Tirzah8:37 Tirzah. And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders of all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying, our father died in the wilderness, but he was not8:49 listen to this. He was not in the company of those who gathered together against the Lord in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin, and he had no sons. Why should the name of our father be removed from among9:00 his family because he had no sons? Given us give us a possession among our father's brothers. Now so he was not a part of the organized rebellion.9:13 Alright? But this go this speaks to the fact, as we've talked about before, Everyone suffers the consequences of sin. That's why we have to speak up. That's why Caleb and Joshua were9:24 treated different. They spoke up. They resisted the bad report. They they pleaded with the people. And so, you know, when you're just standing in the crowd, you're gonna suffer the consequences of the9:36 crowd. That's why, you know, we need to we need to be concerned. We need to love our neighbor enough to speak up against the the majority when the majority is wrong.Reuben's Loss and Judah's Leadership 9:48 Another tribe with a moderate decline was the tribe of Reuben, which saw a decrease of 2770. The reason is listed in the narrative of the census, actually.10:00 Verse 5, Reuben was the firstborn of Israel. The children of Reuben were of, Hanqah, the family of the Hanukites Hanukites of Palu,10:12 the family of the Paluites. Of Herz Herzron, the family of the Herzonites. Of, Carmi, the family of the10:24 Carmites. Why don't you just love these names? These are the families of the Reubenites. Those who were numbered of them were 43730, and the son of10:35 Pallu was Eliab. The sons of Eliab were Naimuel, Dathan, Aburam.10:47 And these are these are the Dathan and Aburam representatives of the congregation who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah when they10:59 contended against the Lord. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when the company died, when the fire devoured 250 men, and they became a sign. Now keep in11:11 mind, okay, that this event that is discussed here with Korah happened 3, 38 to 39 years, before when their journey was just starting. But notice that11:23 this impact was still being seen upon the tribe. Now 1 other tribe to point out here is Judah, verse 22 of chapter 26. These are the families of Judah according to those who were11:34 numbered of them, 76500. So this increase is, just under 2000, but Judah was the largest tribe aligning with, again, Jacob's blessing11:46 and its coming leadership role. Let me just read this in Genesis 49 10. This was the blessing spoken over them by Jacob. The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his11:58 feet until Shiloh comes and to him shall be the obedience of the people. Here's here's the takeaway from from this chapter. God keeps hisGenerational Impact: Obey for Blessings 12:09 word. His warnings are not empty. He's not you know, sometimes as parents, we say, if you don't stop that, if you don't stop that, God's warnings are not empty. They will come to pass. Now he will12:21 be as as we read in the New Testament, don't consider his patience and long suffering as indifference. Right? He is he is not wanting any to perish, but all come to repentance. But God will12:33 bring about the judgment. His promises are are not uncertain. They will be accomplished. When God says he's going to do something, he is going to do it. He said he was going to give them the promised land, and he has12:45 done it. He is doing it, and he will do it. And the consequences of sin, when God's word is willful willfully ignored are not isolated. Right? But12:57 they echo across the generation. So think about this. You know, I just wish all of us as human beings, especially as followers of Christ, we would13:09 contemplate the choices we make, the words we say, the things that we do, that they have generational impact, that our children and grandchildren will either be the recipients of the blessing,13:21 or they will be cursed by the things that we do, or they'll they'll suffer the consequences. So let us seek to honor God and obey him in all that13:33 we do, not just so that we ourselves can be beneficiaries of God's goodness, but those who come behind us as well, like the pilgrims. As William Bradford wrote in of Plymouth13:45 Plantation, he said, they did this as if and I'm paraphrasing. They did this even if they were just stepping stones to the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They13:57 were looking 400 years or more into the future even to this day, and we are the beneficiaries of their faithfulness to god. May14:09 we do the same. Father, thank you for your word. And, Lord, as we look through this, oftentimes we see these passages that are just a list of names and we wonder what's the point. Well, the point is your faithfulness.14:20 The warning. The warnings are not they're not idle empty warnings. They will unfortunately, they will come to pass unless we yield and repent. And your promises, they're true. We can count14:32 on them. They will come to pass. Father, may we be faithful. May we obey you. And may, lord, our actions, our decisions, our choices,14:45 lord, may they pave the way for blessings for future generations. For we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks for joining me this morning, and until next time, keep standing on his word.14:58 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day,15:10 you can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Don't Skip Numbers 26: Warning and Promise5:06 Simeon's Decline and Manasseh's Growth9:48 Reuben's Loss and Judah's Leadership12:04 Generational Impact: Obey for Blessings
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