Military Census (Numbers 1)

Did God require a census only counting men of military age? Were the Levites given an exemption for priestly duties? Do we view such things with modern prejudices or seek to understand God’s thinking? Let’s look at Numbers 1.

Have you ever heard someone misjudge the law as just human ideas and not divine? Was this census just Moses’ idea? Why did they just count men from twenty years old and above?

Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: “Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male individually, from twenty years old and above—all who are able to go to war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies. And with you there shall be a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father’s house.” (Numbers 1:1-4 NKJV)

Who were the men in charge of taking this census? Did you notice that Levi is missing?

These are the names of the men who are to assist you: from Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur; from Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai; from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab; from Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar; from Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon; from the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur; from Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni; from Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai; from Asher, Pagiel son of Okran; from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel; from Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.” (Numbers 1:5-15 NIV)

Who were these census takers and what did they do to count the people?

These are the chosen leaders of the community, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the clans of Israel. So Moses and Aaron called together these chosen leaders, and they assembled the whole community of Israel on that very day. All the people were registered according to their ancestry by their clans and families. The men of Israel who were twenty years old or older were listed one by one, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. So Moses recorded their names in the wilderness of Sinai. (Numbers 1:16-19 NLT)

How many men aged 20 and up were from Reuben, Simeon and Gad?

The children of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty-six thousand five hundred. Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, those who were counted of it, according to the number of the names, one by one, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty-nine thousand three hundred. Of the children of Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go out to war: those who were counted of them, of the tribe of Gad, were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty. (Numbers 1:20-25 WEB)

How many men aged 20 and up were from Judah, Issachar and Zebulun?

There were the descendants of Judah, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. Those enlisted from the tribe of Judah were 74,600. There were the descendants of Issachar, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. Those enlisted from the tribe of Issachar were 54,400. There were the descendants of Zebulun, registered by their clans and their households. The men 20 years old and above eligible for military service were recorded by name. Those enlisted from the tribe of Zebulun were 57,400. (Numbers 1:26-31 CEB)

How many men aged 20 and up were from Joseph (Ephraim), Manasseh and Benjamin?

Of the people of Joseph, namely, of the people of Ephraim, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: those listed of the tribe of Ephraim were 40,500. Of the people of Manasseh, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: those listed of the tribe of Manasseh were 32,200. Of the people of Benjamin, their generations, by their clans, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war: those listed of the tribe of Benjamin were 35,400. (Numbers 1:32-37 ESV)