Week 11, March 8–14: Numbers 8–27; Psalms 32–38

• Sun      Mar 8   Num. 8–10      Ps. 32
• Mon     Mar 9   Num. 11–12    Ps. 33
• Tue      Mar 10 Num. 13–15    Ps. 34
• Wed     Mar 11 Num. 16–18    Ps. 35
• Thu      Mar 12 Num. 19–21    Ps. 36
• Fri        Mar 13 Num. 22–24    Ps. 37
• Sat       Mar 14 Num. 25–27    Ps. 38

Part way through Numbers 10, the Israelites pack up the tabernacle and the rest of the camp and depart from Sinai. Chronologically, they have been there about three years (Exod. 19:1; Num. 10:11). Biblically, from a narrative perspective, they have been there since Exodus 19.

As you read through the chapters after Numbers 10, think back to the reading in the first half of Exodus, prior to the Israelites’ arrival at Mt. Sinai. Remember the repeated stories of the people grumbling and complaining against Moses and against God in the wilderness. Here, starting in Numbers 11, right after they leave Sinai, the stories bear a strong resemblance to the stories of Israel’s travels towards Sinai in Exodus. The grumbling continues. In fact, it increases in intensity and absurdity. Before Sinai, they grumbled because they did not have anything to eat, now they grumble because they are tired of the manna God graciously gives them every day.

It seems the time at Sinai receiving the law did not cure them of their grumbling attitudes. Notice the consequences too. Israel’s faithless response to God’s faithful provision results in punishment (Num. 11:1, 33) after Sinai, whereas their grumbling was not punished before they received the laws. And the grumbling and its consequences continue to escalate in severity, eventually reaching the point where that Israelite generation is banned from entrance into the Promise Land.

In numbers 13–14, the story of the Israelites in the wilderness takes a tragic turn. After receiving the laws at Sinai, then departing the mountain and quickly resuming their faithless grumbling, they then arrive at the edge of Canaan. This is the land of God’s promises going all the way back to their forefather Abraham. However, the grumbling faithlessness they have exhibited along the way comes to a critical juncture when they fear the people in the Promised Land. Instead of trusting God’s promises to give them the Land, they do not trust the Lord and they long to go back to Egypt instead.

Along with the golden calf disaster of Exodus 32 and the eventual exile into Babylon, this is one of the lowest moments in all the OT. It is a tragic turning point in the Israelites’ story that would serve as a prime example of life under the old covenant. Later biblical writers look back on this as a monumental failure of faith and as a reminder not to follow in the footsteps of that unbelieving generation of Israelites (Ps. 95:7–11; 106:24–27; Heb. 3:7–19).

In chapter 20 of Numbers, Moses has his own heartbreaking episode of faithlessness. The story of the miraculous waters at Meribah is a bit mysterious. What exactly does Moses do wrong there at the rock? The text leaves some questions unanswered. Nevertheless, just as it always does, God’s word tells us exactly what we need to know. Moses does not believe in God, to uphold him as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel (Num. 20:12). So he too, like the generation of Israelites he led out of Egypt, is prohibited from entering the Promised Land.

The latter half of Numbers includes the account of a new census for a new generation of Israelites. This second census is recounted in chapter 26, and this time it is a count of the children of those who came out of Egypt. At this point, almost the full 40 years have passed since the first generation left Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, made their way to Mt. Sinai, and eventually failed to trust God when they arrived at the border to the Promise Land (Numbers 13–14). Just as God had said, those from that first generation have all died in the wilderness, all except the two faithful spies, Caleb and Joshua.

The Lord is preparing this next generation of Israelites to go into the land their parents failed to enter. Here we also read of Phineas, the new priest who will carry on the priesthood after Aaron is gone (25:10–14). And because Moses will not go into Canaan, Joshua is appointed to succeed him and lead this new generation into the Land (27:13–23). Numbers is a book of transitions, from one generation to another. It sets us up for Deuteronomy and the final speeches of Moses to the people before they enter the land their parents’ generation failed to enter.  

Earlier in these write-ups we were considering two purposes for doing a read thru. First, we read through the Bible to meet with God regularly and hear what he has to say. And second, we commit to a reading plan like this in order to cultivate a lifelong habit of growing in familiarity with God’s word. There’s more we could say about both points, but here we will just touch on one more aspect of the second point for now.

When we read through the Bible in a year, we will usually not have time to dig deeply into every question that might come up. The format for this kind of reading—around three chapters a day—does not lend itself to lingering for a long time over every verse, meditating on what is being said, and studying it in depth. As we read along, we will probably end up with more questions than answers. This is not a bad thing.

There is certainly a place for studying the Bible in more depth (like our men’s and women’s Bible studies), and it is important to slow down and meditate on and memorize Scripture too. But the value of a read thru is in the long, patient work of simply reading. Reading is the starting point, the first step in a life of study, meditation, memorization, and all the other aspects of what it means to be someone who is formed into Christlikeness by the word of God. None of those other steps can happen without beginning with and continuing in the step of reading itself. In reading we are building a foundation of familiarity with the overall story of the Bible. We are developing a fluency in the language and perspective of Scripture. We are gaining what we might call biblical literacy.

Growing in biblical literacy is about becoming more acquainted with the Bible over time, not about having answers to all the theological questions that arise as we read. It can be unsettling to have unanswered questions, but we can trust that God gave us his word so we can know him. We can be confident in his kindness to show himself to us. Over the years, as we read and re-read the Bible, we grow in our familiarity with what God has said. As we do, this begins to shape us, and we grow to be more like him. The story of the Bible—and its God-centered perspective focused on Christ—will slowly but surely become the dominating story for our own lives.

The Holy Spirit works through the Scriptures he inspired to conform our minds and our hearts to his ways. It is through a lifelong journey of simply reading his word that we grow to know God more, gaining the kind of knowledge that is intimate and personal, the kind of knowledge that can only come about over time, slowly, through long years of being with him and listening to his voice. The more we grow in knowing him like this, the more we will come to worship him and love him and live for him. And that is the ultimate goal of growing in biblical literacy. That is the reason we read.