Thy Strong Word – Numbers 2: Arrangement of the Camp

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Rev. Heath Curtis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Worden & Zion Lutheran Church in Carpenter, Illinois, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Numbers 2.

Numbers chapter 2 begins with two big signs that point ahead to our Lord Jesus: the tribe of Judah and the sunrise in the east. Like the Garden of Eden with its tree of life, the Tabernacle faced towards the east. As God’s people looked to the sunrise to find salvation on the shore of the Red Sea or in the Lord’s empty tomb, so the eastern bannermen led the people of Israel on to victory. Judah occupied this lead position, the tribe that would one day host King David’s throne, led by Nahshon son of Amminadab, the ancestor of Jesus the Messiah.

God arranged the twelve tribes around the Tabernacle with care, taking into account family ties as well as military strategy. It’s unclear exactly how large the military units of Israel were, but whether great or small, they needed God. If they were large, it would’ve been impossible to feed a massive coordinated force for 40 years without God providing food. If they were small, it would’ve been impossible to defeat their enemies while outpositioned and outmanned without God fighting for them. Either way, in this large movable city of our ancestors in the faith, we should see ourselves: totally dependent on God’s grace in the midst of our spiritual sojourn and warfare.

Underwriter of Thy Strong Word

Thy Strong Word is a daily in-depth study of the books of the Bible with host Rev. AJ Espinosa and guest pastors from across the country. Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation and produced by the LCMS Office of National Mission.

Numbers 2

Arrangement of the Camp

2 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.3 Those to camp on the east side toward the sunrise shall be of the standard of the camp of Judah by their companies, the chief of the people of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab, 4 his company as listed being 74,600. 5 Those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Issachar, the chief of the people of Issachar being Nethanel the son of Zuar, 6 his company as listed being 54,400. 7 Then the tribe of Zebulun, the chief of the people of Zebulun being Eliab the son of Helon, 8 his company as listed being 57,400. 9 All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march.

10 “On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben by their companies, the chief of the people of Reuben being Elizur the son of Shedeur, 11 his company as listed being 46,500. 12 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Simeon, the chief of the people of Simeon being Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, 13 his company as listed being 59,300. 14 Then the tribe of Gad, the chief of the people of Gad being Eliasaph the son of Reuel, 15 his company as listed being 45,650.16 All those listed of the camp of Reuben, by their companies, were 151,450. They shall set out second.

17 “Then the tent of meeting shall set out, with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; as they camp, so shall they set out, each in position, standard by standard.

18 “On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim by their companies, the chief of the people of Ephraim being Elishama the son of Ammihud, 19 his company as listed being 40,500. 20 And next to him shall be the tribe of Manasseh, the chief of the people of Manasseh being Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, 21 his company as listed being 32,200. 22 Then the tribe of Benjamin, the chief of the people of Benjamin being Abidan the son of Gideoni, 23 his company as listed being 35,400. 24 All those listed of the camp of Ephraim, by their companies, were 108,100. They shall set out third on the march.

25 “On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan by their companies, the chief of the people of Dan being Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, 26 his company as listed being 62,700. 27 And those to camp next to him shall be the tribe of Asher, the chief of the people of Asher being Pagiel the son of Ochran, 28 his company as listed being 41,500. 29 Then the tribe of Naphtali, the chief of the people of Naphtali being Ahira the son of Enan, 30 his company as listed being 53,400. 31 All those listed of the camp of Dan were 157,600. They shall set out last, standard by standard.”

32 These are the people of Israel as listed by their fathers’ houses. All those listed in the camps by their companies were 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not listed among the people of Israel, as the Lordcommanded Moses.

34 Thus did the people of Israel. According to all that the Lordcommanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, each one in his clan, according to his fathers’ house.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.org