UBF Daily Bread

AS THE LORD COMMANDED MOSES

Passage: Numbers 4:34~49

Key verse: 49

The Numbering of the Levite Clans

³⁴Moses, Aaron and the leaders of the community counted the Kohathites^(A) by their clans and families. ³⁵All the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(B) who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, ³⁶counted by clans, were 2,750. ³⁷This was the total of all those in the Kohathite clans^(C) who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

³⁸The Gershonites^(D) were counted by their clans and families. ³⁹All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, ⁴⁰counted by their clans and families, were 2,630. ⁴¹This was the total of those in the Gershonite clans who served at the tent of meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command.

⁴²The Merarites were counted by their clans and families. ⁴³All the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(E) who came to serve in the work at the tent of meeting, ⁴⁴counted by their clans, were 3,200. ⁴⁵This was the total of those in the Merarite clans.^(F) Moses and Aaron counted them according to the Lord’s command through Moses.

⁴⁶So Moses, Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted^(G) all the Levites by their clans and families. ⁴⁷All the men from thirty to fifty years of age^(H) who came to do the work of serving and carrying the tent of meeting ⁴⁸numbered 8,580.^(I) ⁴⁹At the Lord’s command through Moses, each was assigned his work and told what to carry.

Thus they were counted,^(J) as the Lord commanded Moses.

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The LORD commanded Moses and Aaron to count the Levites who were assigned to the tent of meeting. They would record the history of God’s work among the Israelites from the outset of their journey. King David once ordered a census to be taken out of his own pride. The LORD opposed him at that time. In this case, it is the LORD who commanded the census. It is a record of history, of God’s deliverance of his people.

Moses, Aaron, and the leaders counted all the Levites. Indeed, they would likewise count all of the Israelites who would embark on this journey. The journey could have been short but for the rebelliousness of the people. Still, there would be a record of this history. Of those counted initially, only Caleb and Joshua crossed into the promised land. But the LORD would make a new creation by training them in the desert. His commands never fail.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be counted as your holy servant. May your commands be fulfilled in my life.

One Word: Counted as God’s servant