THE FIRST PART: A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
From Moses to Samuel
Message Five—Numbers (1)
Scripture Reading: Num. 1:1-3, 44-46
I. The book of Numbers as a whole reveals the need of God’s chosen and redeemed people to be formed into an army to carry out the holy war—Num. 1:44-46; 9:15-23. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
II. In order to be formed into a holy army, God’s people must first be numbered according to maturity in life—Num. 1:3, 18: (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
A. God’s chosen and redeemed people were also built up into one body; if we consider how the children of Israel were in array at the foot of Mount Sinai, we will realize that they had truly been formed into one body—Num. 1:44-46. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
B. After God’s people were numbered and built up into one body, they journey with God; this means they traveled with Him—Num. 9:15-23: (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
1. In their journey with God, the children of Israel had the presence of God, signified by the cloud in the day and by the fire in the cloud at night; the presence of the cloud and the fire indicated that the people were journeying in the wilderness, they were journeying with God—Exo. 33:14; 40:36-38; Num. 9:15-23. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
2. As the children of Israel were journeying with God, the Angel of Jehovah took the lead; the title “the Angel of Jehovah” is a particular title of Christ in the Old Testament, as revealed in Exodus 3—Exo. 32:34. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
3. In their journey the children of Israel were moving, walking, and living with Jehovah, the Triune God; this is a type, a picture, of our living as Christians today—Col. 2:6; 5:25; Rom. 6:4. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
4. God’s chosen and redeemed people passed through the great and terrible wilderness with all kinds of trials, sufferings, and divine care, supplies, and discipline; this also is a picture of our Christian life today; according to typology, the Christian life is a life of passing through a great and terrible wilderness; in this wilderness we have all kinds of trials and sufferings, but we also have the divine care and supplies; we also have discipline—Deut. 1:19; 8:2-5. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
5. On their journey through the wilderness, the children of Israel passed through forty-two stations to enter into rest in the good land promised by God—Num. 33:1-49; Josh. 1:2. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
III. As priestly army, God’s chosen and redeemed people fought together with God and for God; if we would fight together with God and for God today, we must first move, walk, and live with Him and also pass through many things in the wilderness—Num. 21:1-3; 21:21—32:42; 33:50—36:13: (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
A. The children of Israel fought not only with God but also for God; in the church life today, we should also fight for God; this indicates that our church life is actually for God and not mainly for us—Eph. 6:10-20. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
B. We should be able to say, “Lord, the church life is actually Your life. You want to live this way, and we are living together with You. If we did not live and move with You, you would not have Your satisfaction. You have chosen, redeemed, and saved us to accompany You in Your move. Our church life, Lord, is really for You.” (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
C. The fighting of God’s people against the kings was for the entrance into the God-promised good land that the kingdom of God might be spread and established there; the principle is the same with us today; when we defeat the rulers, powers, and authorities in the air, the kingdom of God surely is spread and established—Acts 28:30-31. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
IV. As the priestly army carrying out the holy war, God’s chosen and redeemed people bore with them God’s dwelling, the tabernacle of the testimony with the ark of the testimony; this indicates that in the church life today we are bearing God’s testimony with God Himself—Exo. 25:8-22; 1 Tim. 3:15, Rev. 1:2, 9: (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
A. The tabernacle of the testimony signifies God’s chosen and redeemed people built up with Him as His dwelling on the earth (the church in the New Testament) —Eph. 2:22; 1 Tim. 3:15. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
B. The ark of the testimony signifies Christ as the center of God’s economy among His chosen and redeemed people; today we have the ark among us; that is, we have Christ with us in a personal way—Col. 2:9. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
C. The tabernacle with the ark was the testimony borne by God’s chosen and redeemed people; during the years in the wilderness, the children of Israel, who were more than two million in number, did not do anything except take care of God’s testimony—Rev. 1:2, 9. (Life-Study of Numbers, msg. 50)
V. In the picture portrayed in Numbers, God’s move was in the Ark with the tabernacle, i.e., in Christ, the God-man, the mingling of God and man, as the embodiment of God, with the church, the enlargement, the increase, of Christ as God’s dwelling place on the earth; the picture in Numbers shows the Triune God and His chosen people mingled together as one entity that God may move on the earth and conquer His enemy in order to regain the earth for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose—Col. 2:9; 1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:21-22; 1 Tim. 3:15. (Holy Bible Recovery Version, Num. 1:1, footnote 1)