Unlike the other books in the Torah, the name of the book of Numbers is not representative of its content. Genesis is about beginnings: the Creation, the Abrahamic Covenant, and Israel. Exodus is about the departure of Israel from slavery in Egypt, both physically and spiritually. Leviticus specifies “performances and ordinances” of the law of Moses. And Deuteronomy (which means “repetition of the law”) contains a series of three sermons delivered by Moses near the end of his ministry.
Numbers is named after the census performed in the first chapter, and again in chapter 26. The book relates the experiences of the Israelites during their forty-year sojourn before entering the promised land. A more descriptive name would be “Journey to the Promised Land” or “Sojourn in the Wilderness.” The Hebrew Bible, in fact, names this book Bamidbar (בְּמִדְבַּר), “In the Wilderness,” which comes from Numbers 1:1 and describes the book well.
Many of the stories in this book involve the children of Israel learning to follow God’s instructions by faith and avoid overcomplicating things. Here are some of those stories:
- Aaron and Miriam criticize Moses (Numbers 12)
- The fearful spies (Numbers 13)
- The water of Meribah (Numbers 20:7-13)
- The brass serpent (Numbers 21:6-9)
- Balaam prophesies of Israel’s rise (Numbers 23, 24)
One of those stories gets particular attention in the Book of Mormon. The story of the brass serpent is referenced and discussed four times (see 1 Nephi 17:41; 2 Nephi 25:20; Alma 33:19-22; Helaman 8:14-15). But the other stories in Numbers teach similar lessons: faith is manifest through simple actions. We need to avoid overcomplicating things and instead follow the plain instructions we receive from God.
This week, as we study the book of Numbers, let’s examine how its stories illustrate the simplicity of faith.
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