Organizing the Tribes

Topic: Organization
Passage: Numbers 2:1–34

June 22, 2021

Commentary

The books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers present a striking contrast between how much we can accomplish when we obey God and how little we can accomplish when we don’t. The organization of the Israelite camp was ordered by God. By obeying the commands of God for organization the people became more effective. When a group disintegrates into a collection of individuals, each going his or her own way, its ability to be used by God is diminished. But if the group unites and looks to God for direction and organization, its effectiveness will be enhanced.

The ancestral tribes set up around the sacred tent (vv. 1-34). All in the camps who were numbered by their companies were 603,550. (vv. 32-33). But the Levites were not numbered with the Israelites.  The nation of Israel was organized according to tribes (v. 2) for several reasons:

  1. It was an effective way to manage and govern a large group.
  2. It made dividing the promised land easier.
  3. It helped them to keep their identity and heritage, as the people were not known by their last name but by their family clan and tribe.
  4. It made it easier to keep detailed genealogies which were the only way to prove membership in God’s chosen nation.
  5. The people followed the tribe’s standard (a flag) and thus they stayed together.

Application

If I am organized I will be able to accomplish much more for His glory than if I am not organized. We are told to be “redeeming the time because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16).

Numbers 2:1– 34 (NET)

1 The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron: 2 “Every one of the Israelites must camp under his standard with the emblems of his family; they must camp at some distance around the tent of meeting.

3 “Now those who will be camping on the east, toward the sunrise, are the divisions of the camp of Judah under their standard. The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab. 4 Those numbered in his division are 74,600. 5 Those who will be camping next to them are the tribe of Issachar. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar. 6 Those numbered in his division are 54,400. 7 Next will be the tribe of Zebulun. The leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon. 8 Those numbered in his division are 57,400. 9 All those numbered of the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, are 186,400. They will travel at the front.

10 “On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur. 11 Those numbered in his division are 46,500. 12 Those who will be camping next to them are the tribe of Simeon. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 13 Those numbered in his division are 59,300. 14 Next will be the tribe of Gad. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel. 15 Those numbered in his division are 45,650. 16 All those numbered of the camp of Reuben, according to their divisions, are 151,450. They will travel second.

17 “Then the tent of meeting with the camp of the Levites will travel in the middle of the camps. They will travel in the same order as they camped, each in his own place under his standard.

18 “On the west will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard. The leader of the people of Ephraim is Elishama son of Ammihud. 19 Those numbered in his division are 40,500. 20 Next to them will be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader of the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. 21 Those numbered in his division are 32,200. 22 Next will be the tribe of Benjamin. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan son of Gideoni. 23 Those numbered in his division are 35,400. 24 All those numbered of the camp of Ephraim, according to their divisions, are 108,100. They will travel third.

25 “On the north will be the divisions of the camp of Dan, under their standards. The leader of the people of Dan is Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 26 Those numbered in his division are 62,700. 27 Those who will be camping next to them are the tribe of Asher. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Ocran. 28 Those numbered in his division are 41,500. 29 Next will be the tribe of Naphtali. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan. 30 Those numbered in his division are 53,400. 31 All those numbered of the camp of Dan are 157,600. They will travel last, under their standards.”

32 These are the Israelites, numbered according to their families. All those numbered in the camps, by their divisions, are 603,550. 33 But the Levites were not numbered among the other Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.

34 So the Israelites did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses; that is the way they camped under their standards, and that is the way they traveled, each with his clan and family.