Count Them

Count Them

Q: The number of fighting men among the Israelites after they left Egypt was about

• a. 100,000.
• b. 600,000.
• c. 1,000,000.

A year after the Israelites left Egypt to go to the Promised Land, God told Moses to count the men 20 years old and older who were able to fight. The Levites weren’t counted because their tribe was in charge of carrying the Tabernacle and all its furnishings when they traveled. The Levites would set up the Tabernacle when the Israelites stopped traveling and rested.

The number of men who were able to fight added up to 603,550. God also had Moses list all the males from the tribe of Levi who were one month old or older. There were 22,000 of them.

God had different jobs for different people. There were men who were to fight and others who were to carry the Tabernacle and serve as priests. Even the different clans in the tribe of Levi had different Tabernacle duties. Some would pack and carry the loads. Others cared for the sacred objects in the Tabernacle (see Numbers 3–4).

God didn’t need Moses to count the people. He already knew the number. The census was for Moses’ sake. God wanted Moses to know how many men there were in each tribe and organize them by jobs.

God still knows how many people are available to do his work. Unfortunately not all of those who are able are willing. Can God count you among the ones who are ready to work for him?

For You

There are all kinds of jobs you can do for God. You can help a parent or teacher with a task. You can help a friend with homework. You can sit by someone who is alone. You can help a younger brother or sister with a tough task. Just look around you. Find one thing to do for God today.

Answer: b

They were registered by families—all the men of Israel who were twenty years old or older and able to go to war. The total number was 603,550.   Numbers 1:45-46

(The Whole Story: Numbers 1)