Chapter 10: Wrapping It Up: The Second Census
Numbers 26
Q1 – Why were only the men who were counted in the first census the ones condemned to die in the wilderness during the forty years of wandering?
A1 - Those who were counted in the census were the men age 20 and above who were able to serve in the army of Israel. Women, children, and those from the tribe of Levi were not counted, as they were not the ones who would be expected to go to battle. Also, it’s likely there were men who were not counted due to being unable to serve in the army, for example, those with disabilities or the elderly.
The army of Israel would have been the ones responsible for initially entering Canaan and fighting the inhabitants in order to conquer the land. Therefore, they were the ones condemned to die in the wilderness because they were the ones who failed to go into battle. There were probably women and Levites who were part of the exodus from Egypt who lived long enough to enter Canaan.
Q2 – In the second census, several tribes saw a decline in their count as compared to the first census. What could have caused these tribes to have fewer men age 20 and over who were able to fight in the army in the second census? How many times during their wilderness journeys were people killed for their rebellion or disobedience? How did this affect their numbers in the second census?
A2 - The tribes who had fewer men counted in the second census could have had more female births than males. Also, they could have had more men killed during the times that God punished them while wandering in the wilderness (see the list below). The more men a tribe lost in these incidents, the fewer their offspring would be, which would mean a decrease in the younger generation.
God instructed in Numbers 1:1–3 that the first census was to be taken after the Israelites had been in the desert of Sinai for a little over a year (on the first day of the second month in the second year). That means the incident with the creation and worshipping of the golden calf must have happened prior to the first census being taken. In that incident, 3,000 were killed (Exodus 32:27–28).
Other times after the first census was taken when the Israelite people were killed due to God’s discipline include the following:
Numbers 11:1–3 – The people complained about their hardships. God sent fire which burned among the people and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. It’s not clear whether people were killed or only their possessions or possibly animals were destroyed.
Numbers 11:4–34 – The people craved other food, so God sent quail. The Lord’s anger burned against the people, and He struck them with a severe plague. The place was named Kibroth Hattaavah, which means graves of craving, because there they buried the people who craved other food. The number of people who died was not given.
Numbers 14 – The people rebelled and refused to enter Canaan. The 10 spies who gave the negative report were struck down and died of a plague (Numbers 14:37). It was due to this rebellion that God sentenced the Israelites to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, one year for each day the spies had explored Canaan.
Numbers 16 – Korah’s rebellion – The ground split open and swallowed the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and their households (however, the sons of Korah were spared - see Numbers 26:11). Fire came from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who had been Korah’s followers (Numbers 16:31–35).
Numbers 16:41–50 – The next day after Korah’s rebellion, the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron, claiming they had killed the Lord’s people. A plague ensued, killing 14,700 people in addition to those who had died because of Korah.
Numbers 21:4–9 – The people grew impatient and spoke against God and Moses. They complained because there was no water and said they detested the miserable food, meaning the manna. God sent venomous snakes among them and many died, but the number of people killed was not given. Those who were bitten had to look upon the bronze snake which Moses made in order to live.
Numbers 25 – The Israelite men engaged in immoral behavior with the Moabite women and also joined in worshipping Baal. Because of this incident, 24,000 were killed.
Q3 – When Jacob or Israel gave his blessings to his sons in Genesis 49:5–7, what did he say concerning Simeon and Levi? Why did he say this? (See Genesis 34.) How was his blessing fulfilled? (See Deuteronomy 18:1–2 and Joshua 19:1–9) This article discusses “How was God Himself the inheritance of the Levites? (tinyurl.com/59p52tz9).
A3 - Jacob said Simeon and Levi would be scattered and dispersed among his other descendants. He proclaimed this for them because of the violence and anger they had exhibited during their lives. One specific incident occurred in Genesis 34 when their sister, Dinah, was violated by Shechem, the son of Hamor, the Hivite and ruler of that area. Shechem loved Dinah and wanted her as his wife, so his father went to talk with Jacob and asked him to name the bride price. Jacob’s sons, however, declared that their sister could not marry someone who had not been circumcised. They stated that the only way Hamor and his people could intermarry with the Israelites would be if all the males agreed to be circumcised. Hamer and his son talked to their fellow townsmen, and they all agreed. Every male in the city was circumcised.
Three days later, when the men were still in pain, Simeon and Levi took their swords and attacked the city, killing every male. They took their sister from Shechem’s house and left. Then the sons of Jacob came and looted the city. They seized their animals and carried off all their wealth, along with all the women and children.
Jacob told Simeon and Levi they had brought trouble upon him and caused him to be a stench to the Canaanites and Perizzites who lived in the land. If these people joined forces and attacked, Jacob told them that he and his household, who were much fewer in number, would be destroyed.
As for the dispersement of the two tribes, Simeon’s numbers had dwindled and was the smallest tribe at the time of the second census which was taken right before the Israelites crossed into Canaan. Their tribe was allotted space within the tribe of Judah. Judah’s portion was more than they needed, so the Simonites received their inheritance within the territory of Judah (see Joshua 19:1–9). If you look on a map of the tribes, you can see that Simeon was completely surrounded by Judah.
See https://www.britannica.com/topic/Simeon-Hebrew-tribe
The tribe of Levi became dispersed among the other tribes, as they were the tribe of the priests. They received no defined land inheritance of their own, as God was their inheritance. They did receive part of the food that was brought in offering to the Lord (see Deuteronomy 18:1–8). They also received 48 cities that were spread among the other tribes, six of which were designated as cities of refuge (see Numbers 35:1–8).
Even though the Levites were dispersed among the other tribes, they were honored. Twice they had demonstrated their zeal for the Lord. When Moses came back down Mount Sinai and found the golden calf, the Levites rallied to his side. They went through the camp and executed the offenders. Because of that, the Lord blessed the Levites (see Exodus 32:25–29). Then, when Phinehas saw the Israelite man with the Midianite woman in the camp, he was zealous for the honor of his God and killed them both with his spear. Because of his action, God’s anger was assuaged, and the plague against the Israelites was stopped. God made a covenant of a lasting priesthood with him (see Numbers 25:6–13). Before Moses died, he included the tribe of Levi in his blessings but failed to even mention the tribe of Simeon (see Deuteronomy 33).