Bible Challenge Day 48: Numbers and the Wilderness

Last year we heard a fabulous presentation at Saint Andrew's about the book of Numbers by a Rabbi. He noted that the title “Numbers” does not make the book sound very interesting. And indeed the first chapters about the census of the tribes are a little rough going. But apparently the name of the book in Hebrew is “Wilderness.” That sounds a lot better!

The Israelites reached Mount Sinai way back in Exodus 19. In theory, the rest of Exodus and all of Leviticus is material revealed to Moses at Mount Sinai. At the end of Leviticus, we have a pair of summary statements (26:46 and 27:34) that sound as if they are wrapping up the Sinai tradition.

As Numbers begins, I think the process of leaving is actually beginning, even though the people do not finally depart from Sinai until 10:11. Somehow thinking about these early chapters in Numbers as preparation for departure—preparation for some action at last!—makes them more engaging to me. But mostly I look forward to the stories after chapter 10 about the people as they travel through the wilderness.

 

Reading all this legal material has reminded me that I prefer stories! And thinking about Numbers as the story of the people in the wilderness makes me enjoy the book more even though we haven’t gotten to the stories yet.

Fr. Harvey