Numbers 2:1-34  The Army of the Lord Encamping in Array

[Study Aired April 24, 2023

Num 2:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 
Num 2:2  Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch. 
Num 2:3  And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah. 
Num 2:4  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. 
Num 2:5  And those that do pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar: and Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall be captain of the children of Issachar. 
Num 2:6  And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred. 
Num 2:7  Then the tribe of Zebulun: and Eliab the son of Helon shall be captain of the children of Zebulun. 
Num 2:8  And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred. 
Num 2:9  All that were numbered in the camp of Judah were an hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, throughout their armies. These shall first set forth.
Num 2:10  On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies: and the captain of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.
Num 2:11  And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were forty and six thousand and five hundred. 
Num 2:12  And those which pitch by him shall be the tribe of Simeon: and the captain of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 
Num 2:13  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred. 
Num 2:14  Then the tribe of Gad: and the captain of the sons of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel. 
Num 2:15  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty. 
Num 2:16  All that were numbered in the camp of Reuben were an hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, throughout their armies. And they shall set forth in the second rank. 
Num 2:17  Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp: as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their standards. 
Num 2:18  On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their armies: and the captain of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud. 
Num 2:19  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were forty thousand and five hundred. 
Num 2:20  And by him shall be the tribe of Manasseh: and the captain of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 
Num 2:21  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred. 
Num 2:22  Then the tribe of Benjamin: and the captain of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni. 
Num 2:23  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred. 
Num 2:24  All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were an hundred thousand and eight thousand and an hundred, throughout their armies. And they shall go forward in the third rank.
Num 2:25  The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their armies: and the captain of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
Num 2:26  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred. 
Num 2:27  And those that encamp by him shall be the tribe of Asher: and the captain of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran. 
Num 2:28  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were forty and one thousand and five hundred. 
Num 2:29  Then the tribe of Naphtali: and the captain of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan. 
Num 2:30  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred. 
Num 2:31  All they that were numbered in the camp of Dan were an hundred thousand and fifty and seven thousand and six hundred. They shall go hindmost with their standards. 
Num 2:32  These are those which were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers: all those that were numbered of the camps throughout their hosts were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. 
Num 2:33  But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Num 2:34  And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses: so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, every one after their families, according to the house of their fathers. 

Introduction

Regarding the verses just read, we see that the children of Israel encamped in array. They did not have the right to be positioned anywhere in the camp of Israel. Their dwellings were all arranged in a pattern given to Moses by the Lord. The children of Israel in this case represent the world, and therefore, what the Lord is telling us is that in this world in which we dwell, He has arranged where we should live and at what time we are to live at a particular place. We do not therefore have the option of making our own decisions in this life. Apparently, we make choices every day, however, these choices are caused to reflect what has been written in our books concerning our lives. 

Act 17:26  And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 
Act 17:27  that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 
Act 17:28  for “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said, “For we are indeed his offspring.” (ESV)

This is all part of the Lord’s predestination. We are not born to have our own will and to do what we like, whether good or evil. In Him we live, move and have our being means that everything we think about or do is from the Lord.

Pro 16:1  The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. 

The prophet Isaiah was given to see that the God we are dealing with is a God who likes to hide Himself. In other words, His dealings are hidden to the world, but to the elect, He has given the eyes to see and the ears to hear from the Lord and therefore, He is no longer hidden from us. 

Isa 45:15  Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. 

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat 13:12  For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

This is what the Lord tells us through the prophet Jeremiah:

Jer 10:23  O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. 

Understanding the sovereignty of the Lord is key to a peaceful life and rest in the Lord in this tumultuous world in which we live. In other words, knowing that everything comes from the Lord, including our sins, mistakes, etc., is what gives us rest in Christ. This is the same as knowing that in Him we live, move and have our being. As the scripture says, everything concerning us (our daily lives) was written in our books even when we were not yet born. 

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. 
Psa 139:17  How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 

As we go through chapter 2 of Numbers, the key thing to remember is the Lord’s sovereignty in everything. We have already gone over the significance of the total number of the army of the Lord for each tribe in the previous two sessions, and so we shall not do so in this session.

Num 2:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, 
Num 2:2  Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father’s house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch. 

The father’s house in verse 2 is traced to Jacob, and it is through Jacob (one blood) that all the people of Israel came.  As we can see, the Lord is using the people of Israel to depict His plan for the world. In these verses, the children of Israel represent the whole world, and the Lord is showing us how He has made all humanity from one blood to dwell on all the face of the earth. Pitching by his own standard and with the ensign of their father’s house means that the Lord has determined our parental lineage even before we were born and that it is through our parents that the Lord determines the bounds of our habitation. All the tribes are arranged to face the tabernacle of the congregation. This is another way of saying that the Lord is not far from each one of us and that all humanity will seek the Lord, but it is the elect who shall feel after Him and find Him first. Paul’s words in Acts 17:26-28 are therefore another rendition of Numbers 2:1-2. 

Act 17:26  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 
Act 17:27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 
Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Num 2:3  And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah. 
Num 2:4  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. 
Num 2:5  And those that do pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar: and Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall be captain of the children of Issachar. 
Num 2:6  And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred. 
Num 2:7  Then the tribe of Zebulun: and Eliab the son of Helon shall be captain of the children of Zebulun. 
Num 2:8  And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred. 
Num 2:9  All that were numbered in the camp of Judah were an hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, throughout their armies. These shall first set forth.

There are basically four camps around the tabernacle of congregation. The first group consisted of the tribes of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun, and they were to pitch their tent on the East side of the tabernacle of the congregation. The East side is towards the rising of the sun. In other words, the sun rises from their end. Having been given eyes to see, we know that Jesus Christ is the Sun of righteousness. What we are being told here, therefore, is the fact that this group represents the elect who are first to see Christ rise in their lives. The names of the tribe affirm this assertion that this group represents the elect. Judah means to praise the Lord. Issachar means “he will bring a reward” and that of Zebulun means habitation. So, this group represents the elect who will praise the Lord as they dwell here on earth (habitation) and will definitely receive a reward. 

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall.

The leading tribe of this group is Judah. As we are aware, Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah. As we can see from the prophecy of Jacob regarding Judah, Judah is described as a lion or an old lion. Jesus is therefore the leader of the elect or this group. Incidentally, the leader of the tribe of Judah in verse 3 is called Nahshon which means an enchanter. Jesus, who is our leader, is the one who has enchanted us with His love to follow Him.

Jer 31:3  The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

Rev 5:5  and one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof.

Gen 49:8  Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. 
Gen 49:9  Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? 
Gen 49:10  The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 

The names of the leaders of the other two tribes, Issachar and Zebulun, were Eliab and Nathaneel. Eliab means ‘God is father’ and Nathaneel means ‘given to God’. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our leader, is also God our father, and His life is given totally to God.   

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

In verse 9, we are told that those in the camp of Judah shall set forth first. We, the elect, are the ones to set forth in this life to engage the enemy, which is our flesh. Our leader has already assured us that being of the camp of Judah, we shall be the first to defeat the enemies as we break our enemies’ necks.

Gen 49:8  Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. 

Num 2:10  On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies: and the captain of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur.
Num 2:11  And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were forty and six thousand and five hundred. 
Num 2:12  And those which pitch by him shall be the tribe of Simeon: and the captain of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 
Num 2:13  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred. 
Num 2:14  Then the tribe of Gad: and the captain of the sons of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel. 
Num 2:15  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty. 
Num 2:16  All that were numbered in the camp of Reuben were an hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, throughout their armies. And they shall set forth in the second rank.

This second group shall camp on the south side. This group consists of the tribes of Reuben, Simeon and Gad. This group is dominated by the tribe of Reuben. Pitching their camp on the south side of the tabernacle of congregation means that their dwelling portion in this life is towards the sea. In other words, this group is those who start their journey with the Lord. However, the pull of the sea of flesh denied them from attaining the higher calling of the Lord.

Eze 48:28  And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea.

Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 

We must remember that Reuben, the first son of Jacob, who through him the tribe of Reuben came into existence, was disqualified from His birthright as firstborn as a result of his inability to resist the pull of the flesh as he slept with his father’s concubine.  This affirms this group’s positioning at the south side, towards the sea of flesh.

Gen 49:3  Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
Gen 49:4  Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch. 
Gen 49:5  Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. 
Gen 49:6  O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

The names of the leaders of this group are Elizur, Shelumiel and Eliasaph. Elizur means ‘my God is a rock’; Shelumiel means ‘Peace of God’ and Eliasaph denotes ‘God has added’.  The names of the leaders therefore implies that the God of the rock of our salvation, who is the prince of peace, will in the fullness of time add this group to His people. In verse 16, this group is the second to move whenever the Israelites have to move to another place. We must remember that it is only those who are first to know Christ in this life that matters. Whether you come second or third or fourth is irrelevant.  

Num 2:17  Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp: as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their standards. 

The Levites who take care of the tabernacle of the congregation follow in terms of movement after the group led by the tribe of Reuben. As the story of the hired laborers shows us, what matters is those who were paid first. It is the group of Judah who moved first who received the prize. The Levites and the other groups who moved later will not receive the prize, although they shall be saved. The Levites in verse 17 here represent Babylon or the Christian religion who are protecting the relics of the fading glory – Ichabod!! 

Neh 1:3  And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”  

Mat 20:1  “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
Mat 20:2  After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:3  And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 
Mat 20:4  and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 
Mat 20:5  So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 
Mat 20:6  And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
Mat 20:7  They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard, too.’ 
Mat 20:8  And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 
Mat 20:9  And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 
Mat 20:10  Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 
Mat 20:11  And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,

Num 2:18  On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their armies: and the captain of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud. 
Num 2:19  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were forty thousand and five hundred. 
Num 2:20  And by him shall be the tribe of Manasseh: and the captain of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 
Num 2:21  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred. 
Num 2:22  Then the tribe of Benjamin: and the captain of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni. 
Num 2:23  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred. 
Num 2:24  All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were an hundred thousand and eight thousand and an hundred, throughout their armies. And they shall go forward in the third rank.

This group is composed of the tribe of Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin. The tribe of Ephraim is the dominant tribe of this group. This group is required to pitch their tents on the west side of the tabernacle of the congregation. The west is where the sun sets. This implies that those in this group will definitely be visited by the Lord at the end of the ages through judgment. The names of the leaders also confirm this assertion. The leaders of the tribe of Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin are Elishama, Gamaliel and Abidan. Eliashama means ‘God has heard’. Gamaliel means ‘God is my recompense’ and Abidan signifies ‘the Father judges’. What these names signify is that at the end of the ages when the sun sets, this group shall have God as their reward when He hears them through His judgment.

Rev 7:9  After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 
Rev 7:10  and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 

As we are aware in the scriptures, the Lord was not pleased with the tribe of Ephraim. This is what He says about the tribe of Ephraim:

Hos 4:17  Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.

Hos 5:3  I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.

Hos 7:8  Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.

Hos 7:11  Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

Hos 8:9  For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.

As a result of the sins of Ephraim, this group shall surely undergo the Lord’s judgment at the end of the ages before they come to drink from the rivers of water. 

Jer 31:18  I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God.

Jer 31:9  They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Num 2:25  The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their armies: and the captain of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
Num 2:26  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred. 
Num 2:27  And those that encamp by him shall be the tribe of Asher: and the captain of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran. 
Num 2:28  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were forty and one thousand and five hundred. 
Num 2:29  Then the tribe of Naphtali: and the captain of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan. 
Num 2:30  And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred. 
Num 2:31  All they that were numbered in the camp of Dan were an hundred thousand and fifty and seven thousand and six hundred. They shall go hindmost with their standards. 

The group that dwelt on the northern part of the tabernacle of the congregation consists of the tribes of Dan, Asher and Naphtali. Being in the north, which is the opposite of the south, means they are far from the sea of flesh which represents the world. The dominant tribe in this group is Dan. In Judges we see the children of Dan setting up a graven image which became a stumbling block to many people of Israel. In addition, they used Gershom and his sons, who were from the tribe of Manasseh, to become priests which was against the Lord’s requirement. Dan here, or this group therefore, represents Babylon where we worship another Jesus.

Jdg 18:30  And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

2Co 11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 
2Co 11:4  For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 

The names of the leaders of the tribes in this group tell us about the nature of this group. The leaders of Dan, Asher and Naphtali are Ahiezer, Pagiel and Ahira respectively. Ahiezer means ‘brother of help’, Pagiel stands for ‘meeting with God’ and Ahira signifies ‘brother of evil’. What these names imply is that our brothers and sisters in Babylon cause us a lot of evil, but they are also a help to us, the elect. As we can see in the scriptures, the Levites are given to help the elect. At the climax of the ages, our brothers and sisters in Babylon will also have the chance to meet the Lord. 

Num 3:5  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 
Num 3:6  Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. 
Num 3:7  And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle. 
Num 3:8  And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 
Num 3:9  And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.  

Num 2:32  These are those which were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers: all those that were numbered of the camps throughout their hosts were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. 
Num 2:33  But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses. 
Num 2:34  And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses: so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, every one after their families, according to the house of their fathers. 

As we indicated in the previous study, the Levites were not counted and therefore, were not enrolled in the army of the Lord. The Levites represent our brothers and sisters in Babylon who are also of Abraham’s seed. However, they are not counted as the seed of promise and therefore are not to be given any inheritance. This is not because we, the elect, deserve any inheritance. It is through the hardening of their hearts to believe that we are privileged to receive mercy to believe. In the final analysis, this mercy we have received will be extended to the whole of the human race. 

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

May the Lord continue to show mercy to us as we strive for the mark of His higher calling!! Amen!!