Numbers 26:51 (ESV)
This was the list of the people of Israel, 601,730.
It is probably appropriate that a book entitled, “Numbers” contains, numbers. In chapter 26 we are drawing to an end of the book of Numbers. The nation of Israel has now sojourned outside the Promise Land for 40 years. This was due to their rebellion about entering the promise land. Because of that rebellion to God’s Word and doubting His faithfulness, God stated the following to the men of those days:
Numbers 14:20-23 (ESV)
Then the LORD said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD, none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.
When Moses numbered the people at the beginning of this book, the men 21 years of age and older numbered, 603,550. We can see that when numbering them at the end of the wilderness journeys, there are about 2,000 less men. Imagine wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and losing some and giving birth to others. What is demonstrated in this short passage about a number is the faithfulness of God. God was faithful to His promise of judgment, but God is also faithful to His promise to bring them into the land. God has kept His promises and will now bring a new generation into the promise land. It does not matter the circumstance or the depth of our unbelief, God is faithful to His character and keeps His promises. The numbers prove it.
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