The Bible for Obsessive Compulsives

Numbers 1

Buckle in folks, Numbers may be a bumpy ride. If you are fascinated by counting, if you're a bit OCD, or if you don't have an affinity for dramatic build- this might be the book for you.

So- On February 1st on the second year of Egyptian freedom (or the equivalent based on our calendar), God tells Moses that it's census time. There's a master list to be created of every man categorized by clans and families. Surprise, surprise- they apparently didn't count the women.

It seems the main motivation may be to count the number of men fightin' age. Anyone twenty or older who could serve in the army is to be counted.

Someone from each tribe is assigned to help with the counting of that tribe- each appointed man is the head of his family. Apparently, even then, the gender stereotype was that boys were better at math.

I bet you can't wait for the results. Here they are:

From Reuben: 46,500

From Simeon: 59,300

From Gad: 45,650

From Judah: 74,600

From Issachar: 54,400

From Zebulon: 57,400

From Ephraim: 40,500

From Mannasseh: 32,200

That's 72,700 from Joseph for all of you math nerds.

From Benjamin: 35,400

From Dan: 62,700

From Asher, 41,500

From Naphtali: 53,400

So- the total of men to serve... 603,550. And I checked the math. Gold star, Moses. It works out. Care to look at my checkbook?

Levi wasn't counted. They were exempt from army service. Instead they were to be in charge of the tabernacle of the Testimony. They dealt with set up, carrying, etc. Any contact with the tabernacle was through them. If anyone else went near, it would mean a death sentence.

The Israelites were to set up camp by divisions- each man in his own camp. I assume this means tribes, though I suppose it could be military divisions. Levites weren't part of this- they set up camp around the tabernacle.

A few random observations:

Benjamin's tribe wasn't too prolific. Perhaps mostly female offspring? Was he so much younger than the rest that his offspring would have had less time to procreate? However, using this logic it would seem like Reuben would have many more. Maybe Benjamin himself had fewer children which made the tree branch more slowly.

Interesting that the priests were cleared of military service. Is this a statement about a contrast between holiness and combat? Is it a bestowing of honor to a special tribe? Is it all about Jesus coming from that tribe (and what implications exist as a result of that?)?

The census seems to be a military decision. Is there a reason that God wasn't interested in knowing how big his non-fighting squadron (women, children, aged men, Levites) was?

Why did God need a count to be made- if he knows how many hairs are on my head (a less challenging calculation daily) why didn't he know how many Israelite men there were?

Was this simply an exercise to show the Israelites how powerful they were- and by counting themselves they'd be more impressed by it?

Was it simply a test of obedience?

Something doesn't add up.

Oh, let the math puns begin.