A NEW ORDER

THE BOOK OF NUMBERS

A New Order

Read for This Week’s Study: Gen. 15:14–16; Lev.
10:1–11; Numbers 1–4; Jer. 23:23, 24; John 14:15–18, 23.

MemoryText:“Nowall these things happened unto them for
ensamples:and they are written for our admonition, upon whom
the ends of the world arecome” (1 Corinthians 10:11).

A Christian struck up a conversation with another man, a profes-
sional biologist. Looking for a way to witness, the Christian
asked, “Don’t you see the hand of a Creator when you study
the things that you do?”

Without missing a beat, the biologist answered, “Wherever you
look, either outwardlyorinwardly, you see order.”

However much our world has been damaged by sin, we still can see
the working of our Creator in the design and order of the natural
world. Even one fanatical Darwinist was forced to admit that nature is
something that gives “the illusion of design.”

Illusion? Please. Design and order are real, and theyrepresent the
hand of our Maker.

But God’s order doesn’t end merely with nature. It is seen also in
His dealing with His covenant people, the Israelites, even as they wan-
dered in the wilderness. This week we’ll look, firsthand, at how God
organized His people for their sacred calling, and we’ll draw some les-
sons for ourselves today.

Organizing the Army

Having miraculously escaped from Egypt, the multitudes of Israel
flowed into the wilderness of Sinai. Encamped around the mountain,
they heard the voice of God proclaiming His will (Exodus 20).
Despite such an incredible manifestation of God’s power, some fell
away and worshiped the golden calf (Exodus 32). After that debacle,
the repentant nation spent time building a portable sanctuary (Exod.
25:8).The work was completed on the first day of the first month in
the second year(Exod. 40:17).

It was in the following month that the Lord proceeded to organize
the nation more thoroughly(Num. 1:1) than it previously had been.
And it’s at this point, with the new organization, with this new order,
that the book of Numbers picks up the sacred story of God’s working
with His covenant people.

What kind of census did the Lordask Moses and Aaron to draw up,
and why? Num. 1:2, 3.

The Israelites were not a warlike nation. Their occupation had been
that of shepherds, cattle herding (Gen. 47:3).Furthermore, at this point
theywere recentlyfreed slaves, without weapons or training for war. It
may seem strange for the Lord now to organize them into troops. But
it must be remembered that their task involved the displacement of sev-
eral nations of the most wicked and corrupt people in the Near East,
including the Amorites and Canaanites. Israel would serve as God’s
executioners of these nations who had filled the cup of their transgres-
sions (Gen. 15:14–16). Israel was now a theocracy, directed by God
Himself, and they were a people, a might army, on the move.

ReadGenesis 15:14–16 (see also Deut. 9:5).What’simplied here? How
can these texts help us understand Israel’s wars with the Amorites?
At the time of Abraham, God would not allow the Amorites to be
destroyed. Here God revealed His long-suffering. “The Amorites were
at enmity against His law; they believed not in Him as the true and liv-
ing God; but among them were a few good persons, and for the sake
of these few, He forbore long.”—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA
Bible Commentary, vol. 1, p. 1093.

Manyfolk aretroubled by the Israelite destruction of these peo-
ple,and understandably so.Why,in cases such as this,in which
there is much we don’t understand, do we simply need to go by
faith,trusting in the goodness of God,who has revealed Himself
to us in Jesus? John 14:9.

The Presence of the Lord

To what task was the tribe of the Levites appointed? Num. 1:50–54.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

Moses pitched the portable tabernacle in the middle of Israel’s
encampment. The Levites pitched their tents around it, on all four
sides. Their presence acted as a kind of barrier, protecting the place
where God manifested His presence.

Why was it set up this way? The Bible doesn’t come right out and
say, yet some important lessons can be learned from this arrangement.
Yahweh, the living God, was in their midst. He, the Creator, was
among His people—so what could overcome them if they remained
faithful? And yet, at the same time, they pitched their tents at a dis-
tance from the tabernacle (Num. 2:2), and that was because He was
holy, and so they, as sinners, as fallen beings, could come only so
close. Thus, on one hand, theyhad the reality of God’scloseness and
compassionate care; at the same time, they constantly were reminded
of His greatness and holiness and that onlythrough mediation could
they, as sinners, approach a holy God.

Whatdo other Bible writers say about God’s distance (transcen-
dence) and nearness (immanence) to humanity? Ps. 139:1–10; Isa.
57:15; Jer. 23:23, 24; John 14:15–18, 23.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

“At all times and in all places, in all sorrows and in all afflictions,
when the outlook seems dark and the future perplexing, and we feel
helpless and alone, the Comforter will be sent in answer to the prayer
of faith. Circumstances may separate us from every earthly friend; but
no circumstance, no distance, can separate us from the heavenly
Comforter. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, He is always at our
right hand to support, sustain, uphold, and cheer.”—Ellen G. White,
The Desire of Ages, pp. 669, 670.

In what ways have you experienced the reality of God’s pres-
ence, His compassionate care, and closeness? On the other
hand, what things are you doing that keep you from an even
deeper intimacy with God?

Under the Standards

“So the Israelites did everything the Lord commanded Moses;
that is the way they encamped under their standards,and that is the
way they set out,each with his clan and family”(Num. 2:34, NIV).
ReadNumbers 2. Talk about organized religion! What is one thing
that becomes apparent about how the Israelites were supposed to
live?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

The government of Israel was characterized by a very precise orga-
nizational structure, seen, for example, in how the Lord had arranged
for the camp itself to be ordered and where the people were to pitch
their tents. The Hebrew camp was separated into three great divisions,
each having its appointed position in the encampment, all based on
family and tribal ties.

The position of each tribe in the camp also was specified. Each was
to march and to encamp beside its own standard. Nothing was left to
chance. The Lord carefullyand preciselyhad organized the nation.
And though theywere one people, their distinctivefamily connections
were not broken.

ReadNumbers 2:34. What does this tell us about how, despite the
clear organizational pattern, the Lord left room for the distinct-
ness and uniqueness of the various tribes? What lessons can we
draw from that for ourselves?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

Why is it so important for the church todayto be organized, as
well? What happens when folks are left to do their own thing?
Why is that so often a recipe for chaos and deception? How has
belonging to an organized body helped you in your spiritual
walk?
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Call to Ministry

In memory of their deliverance from Egyptian slavery, the death of
the Egyptian firstborn, and the deliverance of their own under the sign
of the blood, God requested Israel’s firstborn to be dedicated to Him
(Exod. 13:2, 12–15).

GivingGod our firstborn? That’s very intense.What powerful les-
son should we take from this about how much we owe the Lord for
our redemption and deliverance? Why, in this context, are pride
and self-sufficiency so sinful?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

At Mount Sinai, the Lord did an exchange for the firstbornof all
Israelites. Instead of them, He would take the Levites in their place
(Num. 3:12, 13).This act, then, required the numbering of the Levites,
who until that point had not been numbered with the rest of Israel.
Moses is told to number the Levite males from a month upward (vss.
14, 15).Tomake the exchange, Moses then counted the male firstborn
Israelite children of a month old and older. Their total came to
22,273—that is, 273 more firstborn Israelites than there were Levites
(vss. 39, 43).

What were the extra Israelites to do for their redemption? To whom
was it given? Num. 3:46–51.

The Lord also dedicated the Levites to Aaron and his priestlysons
and descendants; they were to assist in the worship of God and the
care of the tabernacle. In a sense, they were called to the ministry of
the church in the wilderness.

Once the Hebrews reached the Promised Land, the Levites contin-
ued to be attached to the sanctuary in a variety of tasks (1 Chron.
23:27–32). Scattered through the tribal areas, some became teaching
Levites (2 Chron. 17:7–9);others became judges (2 Chron. 19:8–11),
instructing the people in the ways of God.

In what ways can you see the Cross,the substitutionary death of
Jesus (John 3:16), prefigured in these substitutionary rituals?
What does it mean that Jesus substituted Himself for you? How
should knowledgeof this reality change your life?

Protecting the Sacred

In establishing the system of worship at Sinai, God selected one
family of the Levites to function as priests. This work is laid out in
Numbers 4. Moses consecrated Aaron as high priest and his four
sons—Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar—as assistant priests. The
rest of the tribe of Levi would help the others but would not function
as priests. It is obvious that every working Levite had his place and
service, harmoniously working together to preserve and protect the
sacredness of Israel’s worship system.

No question, the Levites had been given a solemn responsibility. The
same with the sons of Aaron, who would function as priests before the
Lord in the tabernacle. Think about what they were called to do. The
Lord Himself, the Creator, revealed His presence among them in the
sanctuary (Num. 14:10, 11), apowerful reminder to them that their
safety and security existed only in Him, the One who had redeemed
them from Egypt. These priests were the mediators between a Holy God
and a fallen people. In their roles, too, of course, they were symbols of
Jesus, our true High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary(Hebrews 8).
ReadLeviticus 10:1–11.What happened, and what lessons are there
for us today?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

It is hard to imagine that these young men, given such a sacred
responsibility and who already had been given so much (see Exod.
24:9–11), would violate so openly an express command of God.
However hard and harsh their punishment might seem to us, it only
underscores the reality of just how sacred the responsibility given them
was. No doubt others got the message about how seriously the Lord
expected His commandments regarding the sanctuaryto be carried out.
“To handle sacred things as we would common matters is an offense
to God; for that which God has set apart to do His service in giving
light to this world is holy. Those who have any connection with the
work of God are not to walk in the vanity of their own wisdom, but in
the wisdom of God, or they will be in danger of placing sacred and
common things on the same level, and thus separate themselves from
God.”—Ellen G. White, Evangelism, p. 639.

Read carefully Leviticus 10:10. How can we today distinguish
between the holy and the common, between the clean and
unclean? Bring your answer to class on Sabbath.

Further Study:The theme of God’s holiness runs like a silver
thread throughout Scripture. Define it. What relation does it have to
the believer?Exod. 28:36; Lev. 11:44, 45; Isa. 6:1–7; Heb. 12:14;
1Pet. 1:15, 16.

“Angels work harmoniously. Perfect order characterizes all their
movements. The more closely we imitate the harmony and order of the
angelic host, the more successful will be the efforts of these heavenly
agents in our behalf. If we see no necessity for harmonious action, and
are disorderly, undisciplined, and disorganized in our course of action,
angels, who are thoroughly organized and move in perfect order, can-
not work for us successfully. They turn away in grief, for they are not
authorized to bless confusion, distraction, and disorganization. All
who desire the cooperation of the heavenly messengers must work in
unison with them. Those who have the unction from on high will in all
their efforts encourage order, discipline, and union of action, and then
the angels of God can cooperate with them.”—Ellen G. White,
Testimonies to Ministers, p. 28.

Discussion Questions:

1-Talk about the idea of organized religion.Why are some peo-
ple so hostile to it? Why, though, is it necessary? At the same
time,what are the potential problems that it brings? How can we
learn to work better with the church system, despite the prob-
lems that arise?

2-Talk about your answer to Thursday’s question.In class,make
alist of what is holyand what is common. Howcan weknow the
difference? In what ways does our culture impact our under-
standing of these things? Or our education? How, for instance,
might the idea of melding Darwinian natural selection with our
faith be a mixture of the sacred with the profane? What other
examples can you think of?

3-Dwell more on the idea of substitution, as revealed in
Wednesday’slesson study.Why is this concept so central to the
whole plan of salvation? Howdid, and still does, Jesus function
as our Substitute,and why is that so important?

Summary:God is a God of order. Once the tribes were assembled in
the wilderness before Mount Sinai, He began to organize them around
the tabernacle. First, Israel’s armies were organized, and the encamp-
ment of each tribe was selected, as was their order of march. The Levites
encamped as a barrier around the tabernacle and were given specific
directions regarding their service in transporting it and erecting it. The
HolyGod was in their midst as Israel was on the move.

The Eager Student
by CHARLOTTEISHKANIAN

Lijalem grew up as a farmer’s son in Ethiopia. He was very bright, but his
parents saw no need to send him to high school. After all, why would a farmer
need so much education? But Lijalem had a burning desire to study, and
because his parents recognized his special gifts, they allowed him to enter
secondary school. He was older than most students in high school, but he was
determined to do well.

The secondary school was some distance from home, so Lijalem rented a
small house in which to live. Every weekend he returned home to see his par-
ents, to serve in his local church, and to help on the farm. When he returned
to school, his mother made sure that he had enough food to last a week.
Lijalem noticed that many students at the secondary school were Seventh-
day Adventists. He had seen Adventist churches in his neighborhood and
wondered what these people believed. He listened as students shared their
beliefs with him. He was curious about the Sabbath, for traditionally his
church also worshiped on the Sabbath. But over the years the tradition was
set aside in most congregations. Only a few old priests remembered wor-
shiping on Sabbath.

Lijalem’sAdventist friends invited him to visit the Adventist church in
town, and he accepted the invitation. Soon he was attending regularly. His
friends taught him howto keep the Sabbath, and in time he joined the bap-
tismal class.

He began telling his family and friends what he had discovered. Some,
including his father,thought he was crazy; but others listened to what he said.
However, when he was baptized, his parents sent him away from his home.
His friends saw how he was treated and noticed that he did not retaliate
when treated badly. One by one those with whom he had shared his faith fol-
lowed him to the Adventist Church. Today 18 former members of his former
church have joined the Adventist Church. All of these have experienced dif-
ficulties similar to Lijalem. But they are not discouraged.

Lijalem says that it was the youth of the secondary school that he attended
who prepared the way for him to become an Adventist. After finishing high
school, Lijalem became a layevangelist. Because of his lovefor sharing the
gospel, he has been assigned to serve as a Global Mission pioneer in western
Ethiopia. In the first nine months in the field, Lijalem led 15 people to the
Lord.

Some 85 percent of the Adventists in westernEthiopia are young people.
Adventist youth are reaching out to their friends and bringing them to Christ.
Our mission offering helps provide materials and support for these young
people as they share their faith. Thank you!

CHARLOTTEISHKANIANis editor of Adventist Mission.