Numbers 2

Numbers 2:1-34

Numbers 2:1-34 The order of the camp (Numbers 2:1-34) The members of each family were to array themselves by their own standard. If Numbers 1:1-54 gives the number of God’ s army, Numbers 2:1-34 records the discipline of that army, a discipline which would serve the twofold purpose of rendering the army effective, and preventing rivalry between the tribes. There are many spiritual lessons for us to learn from the numbering and organization of the people. Life is a warfare for the believer in which he needs to be marshaled under the banner of Christ and clad with the armor of the gospel. The Christian’ s weapons, of course, are spiritual, as are also his armor and his enemies, but the conflict is, nevertheless, as real (Ephesians 6:10-18). One sometimes wonders if a denominational lesson is not taught in the fact of each tribe being enrolled under its own banner. The Church of Christ is in the world not only to build, but also to fight (cf. Matthew 16:16-19; Luke 14:28-33). It would seem as though each man could best serve his Lord by serving that branch of the Christian Church under which he found himself enrolled. This thought does not violate the unity of the Church any more than the different standards violated the unity of the nation of Israel. There may be many regiments, each regiment with its own standard and uniform, but one army; many stars, one differing from another in glory, and yet one blue sky; many accents, but one great language; many ways of doing things, but one great motive; many creeds, but one great faith. Each Christian ought to be able to declare his pedigree and trace his lineage back to God. In other words, every believer ought to know and be assured of the fact that he is a child of God (cf. Romans 8:14-16; 1 John 5:13). Yet there are many Christians who do not enjoy this assurance. They are like the Israelites spoken of in another place who “ sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found” (Ezra 2:59-62; cf. Nehemiah 7:64). Are we sure that our names are enrolled in the Lamb’ s Book of Life? (cf. Luke 10:20; Revelation 20:12-15; Revelation 21:27).