Chapter Summary

Moses commanded to take census.

Discussion Questions for Numbers, Chapter 1

1. What timeframe does this book pick up in? How would knowing this impact the way we read the chapter? How would the timeline impact the context of what God is telling His people?
2. How have the Israelites approached the concept of control and authority so far on their journey? What is the biggest thing you learn about God's way in this chapter? How does the aftereffect of the Israelites ways differ from that of God's way? How about in regards to your own way verses God's way?
3. "In Hebrew, this book is titled In the Wilderness instead of Numbers."(Blue Letter Bible) What role was the wilderness intended to play in the Israelites story? How did their disobedience impact the narrative? How does God bring the Israelites forward in this chapter?
4. “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head." (Numbers 1:2, ESV) What did it mean to take a census? Why did God ask Moses to do this?
5. What was God preparing the people of Israel for in this chapter?
6. "From Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab." (Numbers 1:7, ESV) What significant role does Nashon's heritage play? How does this shift the way you read the census?
7. Why do you think the tribe of Levi was not mentioned in the census? Why is this detail important?
8. What is significant about the names of each tribe leader? What do many of them make reference to? What power did one's name hold in that day? How would these Hebrew names differ from the names of Egypt?
9. Similar to the starting age of the tax census in Exodus 30, this chapters census starts at age 20.(Vs. 3) Why do you think this is so? Why was there not a cut off age? What does this teach you about the culture at that time? What was God teaching through this?
10. What does this chapter teach you about God's order? What theme of counting from God do you see in other passages of Scripture? What does this reveal about God's character?

Key Words/Phrase

Numbered, v. 2.

Characters

God, Moses, Aaron.

Strong Verse(s)

54