NUMBERS LESSON 32
We will begin this lesson in Numbers 26:1 "And it came to pass
after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the
son of Aaron the priest, saying,"
This plague, in the last lesson, had reduced the number of people
by 24,000 people. This seems to be the last large reduction of the
people, before they went into the promised land. This has to do with
all the people, since God speaks to Moses and Eleazar. You remember,
Aaron has died and Eleazar took his place as high priest.
Numbers 26:2 "Take the sum of all the congregation of the
children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their
fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel."
They had taken a census at the beginning of the journey over 38
years ago. Now the end of the journey is near, and they will take the
census again.
Numbers 26:3 "And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in
the plains of Moab by Jordan [near] Jericho, saying,"
Then Eleazar and Moses call all the leaders of the twelve tribes
together, to take a count of all the men of each tribe 20 years old
and older. This is just before they go into Jericho.
Numbers 26:4 "[Take the sum of the people], from twenty years old
and upward; as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel,
which went forth out of the land of Egypt."
This count is to be taken in the very same manner as the earlier
census.
Numbers 26:5 "Reuben, the eldest son of Israel: the children of
Reuben; Hanoch, [of whom cometh] the family of the Hanochites: of
Pallu, the family of the Palluites:" Numbers 26:6 "Of Hezron, the
family of the Hezronites: of Carmi, the family of the Carmites."
Numbers 26:7 "These [are] the families of the Reubenites: and they
that were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven
hundred and thirty."
We find the list corresponds with the sons of Reuben in the
following verse. Genesis 46:9 "And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and
Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi." The tribe of Reuben at the end of the
wilderness wanderings were 43,730 people. The earlier count had been
46,500. This is a loss of 2,770 people during the wilderness
wanderings.
Numbers 26:8 "And the sons of Pallu; Eliab."
Eliab was father of Dathan and Abiram, the leaders of the revolt
against Moses. Eliab had another son named Nemuel.
Numbers 26:9 "And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and Dathan, and
Abiram. This [is that] Dathan and Abiram, [which were] famous in the
congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the
company of Korah, when they strove against the LORD:"
Numbers 16:1 "Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the
son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son
of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took [men]:" Numbers 16:2 "And they rose up
before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and
fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of
renown:"
Numbers 26:10 "And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them
up together with Korah, when that company died, what time the fire
devoured two hundred and fifty men: and they became a sign."
Dathan, and Abiram were undoubtedly swallowed up with their
people. Korah was swallowed up with Dathan and Abiram. The other
leaders of the 250 revolters were burned with fire. They became a
sign to all the people not to commit this type sin again.
Numbers 26:11 "Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not."
The Korahites were specifically not killed.
Numbers 26:12 "The sons of Simeon after their families: of
Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites: of Jamin, the family of the
Jaminites: of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites:" Numbers 26:13 "
Of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites: of Shaul, the family of the
Shaulites." Numbers 26:14 "These [are] the families of the Simeonites,
twenty and two thousand and two hundred."
In the first count of the tribe of Simeon, there were counted
59,300. The count here is 22,200. There is a loss of 37,100 since the
first count. This, possibly, is because so many of them were swallowed
up when the earth opened.
Numbers 26:15 "The children of Gad after their families: of
Zephon, the family of the Zephonites: of Haggi, the family of the
Haggites: of Shuni, the family of the Shunites:" Numbers 26:16 "Of
Ozni, the family of the Oznites: of Eri, the family of the Erites:"
Numbers 26:17 "Of Arod, the family of the Arodites: of Areli, the
family of the Arelites." Numbers 26:18 "These [are] the families of
the children of Gad according to those that were numbered of them,
forty thousand and five hundred."
The children of Gad at this second counting were numbered 40,500.
The earlier count of the tribe of Gad was 45,650. Again, we see a
reduction of them by 5,150.
Numbers 26:19 "The sons of Judah [were] Er and Onan: and Er and
Onan died in the land of Canaan."
Genesis 38:7 "And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight
of the LORD; and the LORD slew him." The following is speaking of
Onan. Genesis 38:10 "And the thing which he did displeased the LORD:
wherefore he slew him also." We see that both of these sons died
without leaving an heir.
Numbers 26:20 "And the sons of Judah after their families were;
of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites: of Pharez, the family of the
Pharzites: of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites." Numbers 26:21 "And
the sons of Pharez were; of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites: of
Hamul, the family of the Hamulites."
Zerah and Pharez were the sons of Judah by his daughter-in-law
Tamar. The others mentioned are grandsons.
Numbers 26:22 "These [are] the families of Judah according to
those that were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and
five hundred."
The descendents of Judah at this count were 76,500. At the
earlier count, there were 74,600. This means there was an increase in
the number of 1,900 people.
Numbers 26:23 "[Of] the sons of Issachar after their families:
[of] Tola, the family of the Tolaites: of Pua, the family of the
Punites:" Numbers 26:24 "Of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites: of
Shimron, the family of the Shimronites." Numbers 26:25 "These [are]
the families of Issachar according to those that were numbered of
them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred."
At this count there were 64,300. In the earlier count, there had
been 54,400 people. We see there was an increase of the descendents of
Issachar of 9,900 people.
Numbers 26:26 "[Of] the sons of Zebulun after their families:
of Sered, the family of the Sardites: of Elon, the family of the
Elonites: of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites." Numbers 26:27
"These [are] the families of the Zebulunites according to those that
were numbered of them, threescore thousand and five hundred."
The tribe of Zebulun, at this count, was 60,500. At the beginning
of the march, they were numbered 57,400. We see there was an increase
of 3,100 people.
Numbers 26:28 "The sons of Joseph after their families [were]
Manasseh and Ephraim."
Manasseh's and Ephraim's tribes had been counted separate
earlier.
Numbers 26:29 "Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of
the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead [come] the family
of the Gileadites." Numbers 26:30 "These [are] the sons of Gilead:
[of] Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites: of Helek, the family of the
Helekites:" Numbers 26:31 "And [of] Asriel, the family of the
Asrielites: and [of] Shechem, the family of the Shechemites:" Numbers
26:32 "And [of] Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites: and [of]
Hepher, the family of the Hepherites." Numbers 26:33 "And Zelophehad
the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the
daughters of Zelophehad [were] Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and
Tirzah."
Zelophehad had no sons, so his daughters are listed here. These
are not just Manasseh's sons, but grandsons, as well.
Numbers 26:34 "These [are] the families of Manasseh, and those
that were numbered of them, fifty and two thousand and seven hundred."
The count of Manasseh's descendents at this count were 52,700.
In the first count, they were numbered 32,200. They had increased
greatly by 20,500 people.
Numbers 26:35 "These [are] the sons of Ephraim after their
families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites: of Becher, the
family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites."
Numbers 26:36 "And these [are] the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the
family of the Eranites." Numbers 26:37 "These [are] the families of
the sons of Ephraim according to those that were numbered of them,
thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These [are] the sons of
Joseph after their families."
Ephraim's descendents were numbered 32,500 at this count. At the
earlier count, there had been 40,500. We see that Ephraim's
descendents had reduced in number from the first count by 8,000.
Numbers 32 Questions
1. Who did God speak to after the plague?
2. The plague reduced the people by ____________.
3. Why is Eleazar mentioned in place of Aaron?
4. What does God tell them to do?
5. How many years ago had they taken a census?
6. They camped near _________ at this time.
7. Who was the oldest son of Jacob {Israel}?
8. How many sons of Reuben are mentioned here?
9. How many fewer people did they have, than at the first count?
10. Who was Eliab the father of?
11. What terrible thing had they done?
12. How many prices were opposed to Moses?
13. What happened to them?
14. What happened to Korah's children?
15. The tribe of Simeon reduced by how many on the wilderness
wanderings?
16. Why do you suppose the number to be so great?
17. How many were the tribe of Gad reduced by?
18. What happened to Er and Onan?
19. Who was their father?
20. Zerah and Pharez were sons of whom?
21. How many did the tribe of Judah increase by on the wilderness
wanderings?
22. Issachar's tribe increased by how many?
23. The tribe of Zebulun increased by ___________.
24. Manasseh and Ephraim were from what tribe?
25. What is unusual about them?
26. Zelophehad had no ________, so they listed his __________.
27. Manasseh's tribe increased by ___________.
28. How many had Ephraim's tribe reduced by?
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