Numbers 1:1-2 New International Version (NIV)
The Census
1 The Lord spoke to Moses in the tent of meeting in the Desert of Sinai on the first day of the second month of the second year after the Israelites came out of Egypt. He said: 2 “Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one.
When the Book of Numbers opens, the Israelites had been camped near Mount Sinai for over a year, they received the laws from Leviticus, and they were transformed into God’s new nation. Now they were ready. But, before they were to move, they needed to know how many men could serve in the army. God needed them to know their numbers, so they took a census. God was preparing his people to protect themselves and to move forward knowing their strengths. How is God preparing you? Can you look back on your life and see where you had been prepared for life situations? Take time to assess your strengths that God has given you and use them for his purposes.
