Numbers Summary - Wandering Through The Wilderness Over 40 Years

Here is a clear top-down map of the Israelite camp as described in Numbers 2 and 10, with the Tabernacle at the center and the tribes arranged by direction.

NORTH

+--------------------------------------------------

¦ DAN ¦ ASHER ¦ NAPHTALI ¦

+--------------------------------------------------

WEST EAST

+------------------------- +---------------------- -----------------------------------------------------

¦ EPHRAIM ¦ MANASSEH ¦ BENJAMIN ¦ ¦ JUDAH ¦ ISSACHAR ¦ ZEBULUN

+------------------------- +---------------------- ------------------------------------------------------

+----------------------------------------------

¦ LEVITES ¦

¦

¦ GERSHONITES MERARITES ¦

¦

¦ TABERNACLE ¦

¦

¦ KOHATHITES ¦

¦

¦ MOSES • AARON • PRIESTS¦

+--------------------------------------------

+------------------------------------------------

¦ REUBEN ¦ SIMEON ¦ GAD ¦

+-------------------------------------------------

SOUTH

Marching Order When the Camp Moved

Judah's camp – Judah, Issachar, Zebulun

Reuben's camp – Reuben, Simeon, Gad

Levites transporting the Tabernacle parts

Ephraim's camp – Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin

Dan's camp – Dan, Asher, Naphtali (rear guard)

Levite Responsibilities

Gershonites – curtains and coverings

Merarites – frames, pillars, heavy structure

Kohathites – sacred objects (Ark, altar, lampstand) after the priests covered them

Key Points

The Tabernacle sits at the center of the entire camp.

The Levite families surround it and are responsible for transporting and caring for different parts of the sanctuary.

The tribes are grouped in fours on each side, each group marching in order when the camp moved.

Judah’s group leads the march, followed by Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan.

Here is a digest of the order of the march:

The cloud lifts from the Tabernacle (Numbers 10:11). Aaron steps out and says, “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

This came at the time of the morning sacrifice. The name of Jehovah was put on the people. The divine signal was given—the cloud moved; the human signal was given—the trumpets blew.

The order of the march: Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali.

Aaron went into the Holy of Holies and covered the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron and his sons covered up every one of the holy things in a prescribed way.

The Gershonites, part of the tribe of the Levites, took charge of the curtains. They had wagons with two oxen, each to help carry luggage.

Then Eleazar and Ithamar took charge of the sacred oil and special things of that kind.

Then the Merarites took down the heavy parts of the tent and carried them on wagons pulled by oxen.

Next, the Kohathites came and took what Aaron had covered. Four men took the Ark. It was kept directly under the cloud:

“And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days’ journey, to search out a resting place for them” (Numbers 10:33).

Next, Moses said, “. . . Rise up, LORD, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee” (Numbers 10:35).

Moses and Aaron followed the Ark with trumpets blowing. Judah was on the east, with Issachar and Zebulun following with 186,000 armored men. The Gershonites and Merarites followed.

Then the trumpets blew a second alarm, and the tribes on the south side, Reuben, Gad, and Simeon, with an army of 151,450 men, rode after them. The Kohathites followed with the holy things. Eleazar, Ithamar, and the sons of Aaron led.

The third trumpet alarm blew, and a crowd on the west moved. These were Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin with a total of 108,600 men.

The trumpet blew for the north, and Dan, Naphtali, and Asher moved.

The Israelites stopped when the cloud stopped. God was the captain of this expedition. When the Ark stopped, Moses and Aaron stopped.

Judah took its position on the east. The Gershonites and Merarites came with the curtains and set up the poles. The people never saw the sacred things.

Then out marched Reuben’s corps and camped on the south. The Kohathites placed the furniture in the Tabernacle.

On the west, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin camped.

On the north, Dan, Naphtali, and Asher camped.

Aaron alone went in to uncover the Holy of Holies.The cloud came down and settled. Moses said these words: “... Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel” (Numbers 10:36).

Following this came the evening sacrifices—that was the way the march progressed and ended.

The distance from Sinai to Kadesh-barnea was about 150–200 miles, which would be an eleven days’ journey. Three great sins culminated in a greater sin at Kadesh-barnea:

? The first sin was that during the first three days, from Marah to Sinai, the people murmured. God sent a sign (Numbers 11:1); the place was called Taberah.

? The second sin was the lustful appetite of the multitude (Numbers 11:32–34). God gave them meat and named that place Kibroth-hattaavah, which means “graves of gluttony” because many of the Israelites gorged themselves and died there.