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The central thought of Numbers is that Christ is the meaning of life, the testimony, the center of God's people, and the Leader, the way, and the goal of their journey and fighting:
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The entire Bible shows us one thing—God's intention is to have a people formed into an army to take Christ as their meaning of life, testimony, center, Leader, way, and goal and to proceed on and fight for God so that He may have a people built up as His kingdom and His house, which will consummate in the New Jerusalem—Gen. 1:26-28; Exo. 12:41, 51; 13:18; Matt. 16:16-19; Eph. 6:10-12; Rev. 17:14; 19:11-16; 21:2, 10-11.
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The book of Numbers as a whole reveals the need for God's chosen and redeemed people to be formed into an army to carry out the holy war—1 Tim. 1:18; 2 Tim. 2:3-4:
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In order to be formed into a holy army, God's people first had to be numbered according to their maturity in life—Num. 1:3, 18.
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God's chosen and redeemed people were also built up into one body—vv. 44-46.
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Then God's people journeyed with God:
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In their journey with God, the children of Israel had the presence of God, signified by the cloud in the day and by the fire in the cloud at night—Exo. 33:14; 40:36-38; Num. 9:15-23.
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As the children of Israel journeyed with God, the Angel of Jehovah took the lead (Exo. 32:34); the title the Angel of Jehovah is a particular title of Christ in the Old Testament, as revealed in Exodus 3:2-6.
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In their journey the children of Israel were moving, walking, and living with Jehovah, the Triune God.
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God's chosen and redeemed people passed through the great and terrible wilderness with all kinds of trials, sufferings, and divine care, supplies, and discipline—Deut. 1:19; 8:2-5.
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On their journey through the wilderness, the children of Israel passed through forty-two stations to enter into rest in the good land promised by God—Num. 33:1-49; Josh. 1:2.
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As a priestly army, God's chosen and redeemed people fought together with God and for God—Num. 4:23, 30, 35; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9:
Morning Nourishment
1 Tim. 1:18 This charge I commit to you,…according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you might war the good warfare.2 Tim. 2:3-4 Suffer evil with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please the one who enlisted him.
The book of Numbers as a whole reveals the need of God's chosen and redeemed people to be formed into an army to carry out the holy war. In order to be formed into a holy army, God's people must first be numbered according to maturity in life (Num. 1:3, 18). God's chosen and redeemed people were also built up into one body (1:44-46). If we consider how the children of Israel were in array at the foot of Mount Sinai, we will realize that they had truly been formed into one body.
After God's people were numbered and built up into one body, they journeyed with God. In their journey with God, the children of Israel had the presence of God, signified by the cloud in the day and by the fire in the cloud at night (Exo. 33:14; 40:36-38; Num. 9:15-23). The cloud and the fire were both the expression of the Triune God…. In this journey they were led by God Himself. (Life-study of Numbers, pp. 353-354)
Today's Reading
As the children of Israel were journeying with God, the Angel of Jehovah took the lead (Exo. 32:34). The title the Angel of Jehovah is a particular title of Christ in the Old Testament, as revealed in Exodus 3. The Angel of Jehovah took the lead, always walking in front of the army of Israel.In their journey the children of Israel were moving, walking, and living with Jehovah, the Triune God. This is a type, a picture, of our living as Christians today. Day by day we are moving, walking, and living together with the processed and dispensing Triune God.
God's chosen and redeemed people passed through the great and terrible wilderness with all kinds of trials, sufferings, and divine care, supplies, and discipline (Deut. 1:19; 8:2-5). This also is a picture of our Christian life today. Some say that the Christian life is wonderful. However, according to typology, the Christian life is a life of passing through a great and terrible wilderness. In this wilderness we have all kinds of trials and sufferings, but we also have the divine care and supplies. Moreover, because we, like the children of Israel, are often”naughty children,” in addition to God's care and supplies we also have His discipline. On their journey through the wilderness, the children of Israel passed through forty-two stations to enter into rest in the good land promised by God (Num. 33:1-49; Josh. 1:2).
As a priestly army, God's chosen and redeemed people fought together with God and for God. If we would fight together with God and for God today, we must first move, walk, and live with Him and also pass through many things in the wilderness. Only in this way can we be qualified to fight together with God. The children of Israel fought not only with God but also for God. In the church life today, we should also fight for God. This indicates that our church life is actually for God and not mainly for us. However, our feeling concerning the church life may be too subjective and selfish. In the meeting someone may testify, saying,”Before I came into the church life, I was homeless. Now in the church I am at home. Oh, how good is the church life!” Yes, we are at home in the church life. Nevertheless, we need to realize that the church life is not mainly for us but for God. We should be able to say,”Lord, the church life is actually Your life. You want to live this way, and we are living together with You. If we did not live and move with You, You would not have Your satisfaction. You do not want to be alone. You have chosen, redeemed, and saved us to accompany You in Your move. Our church life, Lord, is really for You.” (Life-study of Numbers, pp. 354-355)
Further Reading: Life-study of Numbers, msg. 50