Numbers

Oh boy! I knew this was going to be tough at times.

We start this book off with a census. The men who are battle ready are counted according to their tribe, and there are 603,550 of them. The tribe of Levi are not counted as they are assigned to the care and management and guarding of the tabernacle and all its accoutrements. After that it is much like reading the Tel Aviv phone book with breaks to catch up on the latest Government accountants ledger sheets and the Superstore's inventory lists. There is a reason you do not hear sermons from the first few chapters of the book of Numbers.

But, it gets better. The people see the promised land for the first time, but do not get to enter it due to fear and unbelief on the part of the spies. As a result, God prevents them from entering it for another forty years. Then there are rebellions and some dramatic showdowns. The Israelites forget so quickly that God is in charge that it makes the head spin.  There are skirmishes with outlying tribes and Israel wins them hands down. But it is not until Aaron and Moses die that the promised land is finally occupied.

Impressions: God does not put up with disobedience. People see miracles and still rebel and have unbelief in their hearts. Trusting in the Lord and obeying Him is a sure-fire recipe for success in all things. He most certainly shows up when he is called upon.

Readability: 2 1/2 stars