Bible 101: Lesson 5

Numbers

The fourth book of the Bible gets its name from the census taken in Chapters 1 and 26, to “number the sons of Israel”. It tells a somewhat sad tale of the failure of God’s people to believe His promises, and of the forty years of wandering in the desert and enduring tragedy that resulted.

There is only one messianic prophecy recorded in the book - the story of the bronze serpent in Chapter 21. It is very metaphorical and Jesus himself makes use of it to describe his work on the cross.

The main lesson in the book of Numbers is that doubting God and complaining against Him can cause us to miss His will for our lives. We can spend a very long time wandering in a spiritual wilderness and suffering as a result, when God never intended for us to go that way. However, He faithfully watches over us during that time, and brings us back around to the right path eventually.

Messianic Prophecies in Numbers

Serpent in the wilderness
OT References: Num 21:8-9
NT Fulfillment: John 3:14-15

A star out of Jacob
OT References: Num 24:17-19
NT Fulfillment: Matt 2:2