“624,730”

 

DISCUSSION                                                   

            In Numbers 26-27, we see why it was called “numbers”.  Chapter 27 is a detailed census that was taken by Moses, Aaron and Eleazar of all the sons of Israel that were 20 years old and older.  When you begin to add up these people, you get 624,730.  That may not seem like a whole lot of people to you, so look at it this way.  According to 2015 census, when you add up Lauderdale County, Colbert County, Limestone County, Lawrence County and Madison County; you get 629,817.   When we look at the nation of Israel at this time in the course of the story, the male population is similar to the entire population of all five of the neighboring counties combined.  However, the most interesting thing of that 624,730 is found in Numbers 26.64-65:

“But among these there was not one of those listed by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had  listed the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the LORD had said of them, "They shall die in the wilderness." Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.”

Out of all of those men, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones that were allowed to enter the Promise Land.  624,728 men died while wondering in the wilderness because they did not place their trust in God.  Folks, God means what He says!  When He tells us that He is going to return to this earth and execute judgment on those that don’t know or obey Him, He will.  He has already set a precedent, not just in this story, but in several other places throughout His Word.  Give some thought today on how much trust you have placed in Him.

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