Bamidbar (‘Wilderness’) is the Hebrew name of the Book of Numbers. Numbers is from the Greek word for Arithmetic.
The use of Numbers, rather than Wilderness as the title, is what unfortunately causes a major misunderstanding of the Book.
First let me please encourage you if you haven’t already dear ones, to go to our website and scroll down on our Home page to the 2nd of our 8 Windows, our Torah Window. Inside the Window please scroll down to the Bamidbar Wilderness Numbers section. Please listen to our short audio ‘Getting More from the Book of Numbers‘.
The audio will help you to read the Book with a ‘Hebrew heart’ (which doesn’t require knowledge of a single Hebrew letter!), rather than with a Western mind. This will make all the difference for you!
The Book of Wilderness is not primarily about the censuses taken. Rather, it is primarily about the centrality of the Source Place that Dwells like a neighbor, i.e., the Sanctuary; called in English the Tabernacle. That, and, the Israelites experiences with the LORD during their time in the Wilderness.
There are also additional Instructions for the Israelites when it comes to things like the Menorah (Lampstand in the Source Place Sanctuary), as well as additional very specific instructions on drawing near to the LORD.
Wilderness is more along the lines of Names (the Hebrew name of Exodus. Exodus is from the Latin from the Greek Ek Odos’(‘Way Out’). That is, the Big Picture about what the People as a People are taught. Leviticus includes teaching for both how the individual and the Community draw near to the LORD – and to do so exactly as He instructs. Leviticus also has a great deal of teaching of course for Aaron and his sons, as well as the godly, ethical and moral character and conduct that the LORD expects of His People!
Wilderness (‘Numbers’) Returns Back More to the Big Picture Focus on the Israelite Community.
The Book of Wilderness also is a transition from Leviticus to Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy we see the Teaching, Direction, Revelation, Law, and Instruction, given to the Israelites as they are about to enter what will become the Land of Israel. The Book of the Wilderness is about the time between the Israelites Redemption from Egypt and entering the Land of Israel.
Wilderness also shows when the Israelites are not at the spiritual level they should be as well as those times that they are. When they are not, there are consequences for them! The same thing regarding consequences dear one is also seen in some of the Letters of the RCS (Renewed Covenant Scriptures). Cf. 1&2 Cor. Cf. esp. 1 Cor. 4:7-8, chapters 5-6, 11:17 on, 2 Cor. 11 and Rom. 11:20-22. See also Yeshua’s warning rebuke to Gentile assemblies in Rev. 2-3!
The Book of the Wilderness Has Great Lessons for Christians – Especially When It Comes to Unity
Wilderness has some of the greatest lessons in the Bible for Christians when it comes to unity.
When the Israelites are in position around the Source Place, according to the placement that the LORD places them in, they – uniquely – had the Dwelling Presence of the LORD in their midst. In Mk. 10:40-45, we see how the Twelve argue over who would sit where.
The Israelites position themselves as the LORD instructed them – without arguing and without questioning. Judah was given the lead position, on the east side. Judah was probably given the lead role because Yeshua was predicted by Jacob to come from Judah cf. Gen. 49:8-11.
The RCS (Renewed Covenant Scriptures as we repeatedly repeat in our teaching; a much more Biblically accurate term than ‘New Testament’) shows that Yeshua is closely associated with and part of the whole of the tribe of Judah. Cf. Mt. 1:2-3 cf. esp. Rev. 5:5!
When the Israelites did exactly as the LORD instructed, they had the completely unprecedented Dwelling Presence with them. The Israelites followed the Cloud that covered the LORD. The Cloud was there because the LORD cannot be seen directly by man and live. (Cf. Ex. 32).
When the Cloud moved the Israelites moved and when the Cloud rested they rested. (Num. 9). The Israelites never had to jump through hoops to try to do something to have the LORD’S Presence in their midst!
You should also know: there was absolutely no ‘ denominationalism’, no theological hair-splitting or arguing over who should be where or do what. Judah was given the lead position; and no one questioned it. No one tried to take over Judah’s lead position.
We also see that when the heads of the 12 Tribes came before the LORD, they did not come in 12 wagons bringing things to the LORD with them, one wagon for each leader. Rather – significantly – they came in pairs; 12 men but six wagons. Cf. Num. 7:3.
It’s a separate discussion, but ‘pairs’ are actually part of the Biblical model.
Later on in Bamidbar we see an instance in which there are leaders who question Moshe and Aharon as the leaders. The LORD very concretely and forcefully proves that those who go against those that He appoints, are removed – and in a very dramatic way! Cf. Num.16 -17.
Wilderness Also Contains Additional Revelation and Instruction From the LORD For the Israelites
This includes things like the Nazarite vow in chapter 6, a period of time when someone wants to particularly dedicate themselves to the LORD. It is thought that Paul had taken this upon himself in Acts 18. Esp. also see Acts 21:20-26.
Another example is for someone who is not able to observe the Passover during its appointed time because they are away.
In Numbers 8 the LORD speaks again of the lighting of the Menorah, the Lampstand, that was in the Source Place. One of the great Torah commentators astutely points out that we see beginning with Number.8, is the Israelites now going forward. The end of Exodus through Leviticus and much of Numbers to this point, deals with the Source Place, the priests, and the Teaching, Instruction, Law, and Revelation, regarding the Source Place and drawing near to the LORD.
The same commentator astutely points out that all this is to prepare and make the Israelites ready, for what their true service is to the LORD. That is accomplished through their spiritual and moral development as God’s People, which ever must be worked on. Cf. Phpns. 1:27, 2:5, 2:12.
Despite the Israelites at times murmuring and complaining about their physical circumstances and food and drink, nonetheless while the LORD disciplined them, He does not abandon them in the Wilderness.
However, there were times the Israelites complained and were punished accordingly. Cf. Num. 21:5-9, where the LORD also provided relief.
We also see when the Israelites – despite having been repeatedly warned not to – whatsoever – get involved with those of the Nations, how the LORD deals with this. The Corinthians (2 Cor. 11:3-4 etc.) and the Colossians (Col. 2:8-9 esp. cf. Eph. 4:20-24) as well as esp. 2 Peter, Judah (not ‘Jude’), and 2 & 3 Yochanon, and Rev. 2-3, deal with the problems – and consequences – for getting involved in the ways of the Nations and the peoples around them.
Yeshua Is Involved – Uniquely Again – In His Divinity In Coming to the Aid of Israel as the Angel of the LORD
This is seen in Num. 22.
There Are About 70 Direct Citations of Wilderness Numbers in the RCS.
Very significantly just before the best-known verse among my dear Christian brethren, Yochanon 3:16, Yeshua in Yochanon 3:14 cites to Nikdoman (‘ Nicodemus’) from Num. 21:5-9. It has to do with a copper serpent being put on a pole for the Israelites to look very closely at, after being bitten by fiery serpents that the LORD sent among them for their complaining.
Yeshua says in Yochanon 3:14 that as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up. Son of Man, drawn from Daniel 7, is actually – far and away – how Yeshua refers to himself.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 10 warns the Corinthians about idolatry. Paul points out that the LORD was not happy with the Israelites when they got involved with idolatry. In 1 Cor. 10:4 Paul’s Greek specifically the identifies the subject he’s speaking about, the rock that followed the Israelites ‘… and the specific subject identified the Rock was the Mashiach’. Paul put this at the end of 1 Cor. 10:4 for emphasis.
This is remarkable for a few reasons. It shows that in some form – identified as the rock – Yeshua followed the Israelites in the Wilderness!
There is also the prediction of Yeshua coming from Jacob Num. 24:17. These types of references dear ones, should not be seen in the very limiting way the System does. That is, as theophanies, appearances of divinity that serve as a prooftext of Yeshua’s divinity. What is missed with that approach – and very badly so – is the realization that the LORD sends Yeshua as His Angel when the Israelites need help.
Dear one: Yeshua is uniquely part of the whole of the Jewish People, in both his divinity – and in his Jewish humanity. Yeshua also uniquely comes to aid the Jewish People in both his divinity and, in his Jewish humanity.
This is also seen in a very very unusual event in the whole of Scripture. Cf. Num. 22:1-35. Here we see – the only time in the entire Bible – when the LORD speaks directly to a Gentile. The rabbis are correct; that not only is this the only time it happens, unlike the Israelite Prophets the LORD speaks to in the daytime, Bilaam (‘Without People’, ‘Balaam’) is only spoken to at night. Bilaam was a pagan prophet who is engaged by a pagan king to curse Israel
There’s a tremendous tremendous lesson here from my very dear Christian brethren. The pagan king repeatedly tries to get Bilaam to curse Israel. One of the two Hebrew words used for curse here is different than thought of in English. It means to curse in the sense of ‘hollow out’. The pagan king wanted Bilaam to ‘ hollow out’ Israel’s strength, beginning in Num. 22.
The LORD tells Bilaam that he cannot curse Israel . We see Bilaam praising Israel during his prophesying to the pagan king Balak (‘Empty’) about how special, wonderful, and blessed Israel is. Bilaam also says ‘… a star has gone forth from Jacob’ I.e. Yeshua Num. 24:17, used in Rev. 22:16.
The Religious System has largely cursed ‘the Jews’ for almost 2000 years. Has that helped the Western Religious System? A look at history, tragically shows us otherwise….
The Book of the Wilderness provides many great lessons for followers of Yeshua!
Dear ones, reading the Book with the Hebrew heart of Yeshua, in part reading it with your heart and feeling it in your soul, you’ll come away both greatly enlightened and encouraged. You will have a deeper understanding of the LORD, what He expects from His People and why. You will also realize more deeply that it is the richness of the fatness of the Olive Root of Israel that you are engrafted into, that is your source through which the LORD brings you spiritual richness! Cf. Rom. 11:17.