The Book of Numbers
Chapter 1
1. The LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2. Take a census of the whole congregation of Israelites, in their clans, by ancestral houses, according to the number of names, every male individually; 3. from twenty years old and upward, everyone in Israel able to go to war.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 1 to 3)
Oh God as You promised, us many times, You never abandoned us and always wish to have fellowship with us both as individuals, and also as a Church, as one big family. Every day of our life You call on us to wage a war against our own self and also against the forces of evil that compel us to behave in ways that are not according to Your will.
4. A man from each tribe shall be with you, each man the head of his ancestral house.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verse 4)
Now that the people were in open, land, they needed to be organised. Moses needed to know how much the people had grown, and how many of them were fit for war just in case the peoples who also inhabited the same regions chose to attack them.
Oh God my Father in Your Church I feel that there is also the need for a census because there are many who claim that they are Roman Catholics, Christians from many denominations and when questioned about the faith, some choose to agree with some of the teachings of the Church but not with others. Such people are divided among themselves and also bring divisions in the Church. If such people do not agree with the rules, they are free to leave the Roman Catholic Church and seek elsewhere, however they would always be welcome to come back when they have accepted You as their God and Father again and are then fit to fight against the spiritual forces of evil, that harass us every day in order to make us go against You and Your Holy Will Amen.
I, therefore, invite you to join me in the following prayer to the Archangel Saint Michael who is the chief of all angels so that in Your Name oh God my father Your angels will serve as a protective shield against the forces of evil.
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
The Prayer to the Archangel Michael
5. These are the names of the men who shall assist you: From Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur. 6. From Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 7. From Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab. 8. From Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar. 9. From Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon. 10. From the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud, from Manasseh, Gamalel son of Pedahzur. 11. From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni. 12. From Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 13. From Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran. 14. From Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel. 15. From Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 5 to 15)
Oh God, my Father, among all the head of households You could be calling me, the reader of this blog and even the world in general in order to testify in favour of the truth and manifest our faith by both words and actions Amen. Oh God, my Father, I pray that we are found worthy to be chosen for such a noble aim Amen.
16. These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the divisions of Israel.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verse 16)
Oh God my Father as parents or head of households we have a great responsibility in Your eyes. From all the people of Israel, You chose the leaders of all the tribes. Oh God my Father, even though it is not easy to be a Husband to my wife and a Father to my daughter I thank You for giving me such an important role for I believe that along with the role You also give us the needed skills and graces to carry out such a role. Thank You, Jesus. Amen
I would like you all to join me in this prayer for parents by clicking on the following link:-
Prayer for Parents
17. Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, 18. and on the first day of the second month they assembled the whole congregation together. They registered themselves in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, individually, 19. as the LORD commanded Moses, So he enrolled them in the wilderness of Sinai.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 17 to 19)
Oh God as Christians and Roman Catholics You also enrolled us in Your army of believers. We are called to be Your recruits not bearing weapons but the Gospel and the Entire Bible, which is to be a guide to how we live. Instead of achieving successes by our battles we do so by the lifestyles we adopt and by the example we give to others Amen.
20. The descendants of Reuben, Israel's firstborn, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, individually, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 21. those enrolled of the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 20 to 21)
Oh God, my Father even today we are still waging a war against the forces of evil. In order to be enrolled as recruits, we are to undergo training that will prepare us for war. Therefore an important part of our training is to be familiar with the message of Salvation, the 'Good News' that is the weapon that we are going to use. Amen.
22. The descendants of Simeon, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, those of them that were numbered, according to the number of names, individually, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war: 23. those enrolled of the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 22 to 23)
Oh God, my Father, I thank You for not considering me as a number, but as a close friend and even Your sons and daughters. On reflecting on this verse I remember a song that I used to sing at school that many of you may be familiar with. It is called 'Onward Christian Soldiers'.
Song Onward Christian Soldiers
24. The descendants of Gad, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 25. those enrolled of the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 24 to 25)
Oh God my Father by means of the book of Numbers we are given an overview of the twelve tribes of Israel along with the number of those members of each clan. Each clan had particular characteristics that on reflecting we can identify with. Reuben the leader of the Reubenites and Simeon the leader of the Simeonites as found in the Bible lacked self-control and were prone to outbursts of anger as at times we may all do. On the other hand, Gad, the leader of the Gadites was rational and was able to use his head in several situations. I pray oh God my Father that we perceive these twelve tribes and dwell on their positive traits instead of seeing them simply as historical characters because when we look back upon our ancestors we learn a lot about ourselves Amen. For more information about the tribe of Gad please click on the following link:-
Information on the tribe of Gad
26. The descendants of Judah, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 27. those enrolled of the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 26 to 27)
Oh God my Father from among the twelve tribes this was a special one, for from this tribe You chose to be born even though this was considered as being the smallest. Oh God, You choose the humble and lowly and not the proud. I pray oh God that I am accounted among this group of people Amen.
28. The descendants of Issachar, their lineage, in their clans by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 29. those enrolled of the tribe of Issachar there were fifty-four thousand four hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 28 to 29 )
Oh God, my Father the characteristics of this tribe were that of intelligence and material gain, qualities that are still present in humanity. I pray oh God that we use our God-given intelligence to magnify and glorify Your name Amen.
For more information on the tribe of Issachar please click on the following link:-
Characteristics of the Tribe of Issachar
30. The descendants of Zebulun, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 31. those enrolled of the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 30 to 31 )
Oh God, my Father, I thank You for giving us characters such as Zebulun for we can learn a lot from such people even though they lived in ancient times, however, the traits human nature is still the same. On comparing Zebulun to us there are many things in common. There was a time when this tribe truly obeyed Your will, however, there were other times when disobedience took control, however, in the end, they turned back to You as we normally do after the crisis is over. I pray oh God my Father that we repent and turn back from our ways Amen.
32. The descendants of Joseph, namely, the descendants of Ephraim, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 33. those enrolled of the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 32 to 33 )
As is known my God and Father that Joseph was always faithful to You and that you blessed him and his family. I pray that You never stop blessing our families and making of us, armies of God, who are ready to combat the spiritual forces of evil wherever they may appear Amen.
34. The descendants of Manasseh, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 35. those enrolled of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 32 to 33)
Oh God, my Father, I am amazed at how history repeats itself again and again. Although the sons of David among whom Manasseh was one of such children along with Ephraim had through their father received important blessings when it came to the test, some decided to act according to their own wishes and rendered this tribe to being a half-tribe as a consequence of this division.
Likewise, when we decide to behave according to our own will instead of according to Your will we also become divided within ourselves and start living a form of life that is semi-human or second class humans, even though You have given us the dignity of being Your sons and daughters Amen.
34. The descendants of Manasseh, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 35. those enrolled of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 34 to 35)
Oh God my Father from this clan of Manasseh we can learn several things. Manasseh was a person who although like many believers, had faith in You at times he acted according to his own mind and did not always behave according to Your will. I pray oh God my Father, that we always follow the ways of the Holy Spirit and not make ourselves Gods of our lives Amen
36. The descendants of Benjamin, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war: 37. those enrolled of the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 36 to 37)
Oh God my Father in the tribe of Benjamin we find the two sides of humanity, the powerful and the destructive which was dominant in this tribe although it was small in nature and on the other hand, the spiritual nature composing our relationship with You. All of our life we are in combat with our own sinful nature and with that of those around us. At times as in my case at times the level of stress becomes, to, much and headaches start hammering. However, on the other hand, there is the other side that is anxious and longing to be with You and this is our soul. I pray oh God my Father that You give us the gift of Your Holy Spirit every day of our lives so that it will be dominant in us and take first place over our sinful nature Amen.
38. The descendants of Dan, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 39. those enrolled of the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 38 to 39)
Oh God my Father as in the case of the tribe of Dan we fall into the trap of worshipping an image or holding an idea of whom we think You are instead of whom You really are, or whom we want You to be in a way that suits our needs, wishes and personal agendas. Amen.
40. The descendants of Asher, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 41. those enrolled of the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verse 40 to 41)
Oh God, my Father, although this clan was one of the biggest clans so far, when put to the test they did not remain in Your ways, even though they swore fidelity towards You and towards Your name. I pray oh God my Father that I remain strong in faith and in my behaviour so that both will remain in a firm relationship with You Amen.
42. The descendants of Naphtali, their lineage in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 43. those enrolled of the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verse 42 to 43)
As in the case of the clan of Asher, the clan of Naphtali was also a clan that had received Your blessing however as a clan it also passed through its ups and downs in its relationship with You, my God and Father in the sense that there, were times when they obeyed You and other times when they chose not to. Oh God, this is our nature, I pray that You take care of us for we are weak and prone to sin. At times we prefer to do it our way which at the time may appear to be the easiest and most practical than to chose Your ways which may take longer to get there but in truth will be more positive Amen.
44. These are those who were enrolled, whom Moses and Aaron enrolled with the help of the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each representing his ancestral house. 45. So the whole number of the Israelites, by their ancestral houses, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war in Israel- 46. their whole number was six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verse 44 to 46)
Oh God my Father the number of those enrolled was six 'hundred three thousand five hundred fifty' I wonder in truth how many of us who believe in You can be added to that number, in the sense of being people who are really and truly ready to testify and give witness to Your name as Your warriors Amen.
47. The Levites, however, were not numbered by their ancestral tribe along with them.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verse 47)
Oh God, my Father, I understand why the Levites were not included as physical warriors among the accounted people referred to, for their role was a very special one. As You know the Levites had a special relationship with You in a spirit of prayer and adoration. Along with You, they were the fuel that kept the flame alive in the heart of Israel meaning the whole population. During our times there are those believers who give witness by means of their daily lives, and there are others such as people who live in convents who lead a life of prayer on behalf of the world at large. By means of their special time of prayer and adoration and intercessions, they interceded for us all before You Amen. Such people are the powerhouse or generator of the entire Church. Amen. I thank You oh God for such people.
48. The LORD had said to Moses; 49. Only the tribe of Levi you shall not enroll, and you shall not take a census of them with the other Israelites. 50. Rather you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the covenant, and over all its equipment, and over all that belongs to it; they are to carry the tabernacle and all its equipment, and they shall tend it, and shall camp around the tabernacle.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 48 to 50)
Oh God, my Father priests are your especially, chosen people and therefore You have given particular privileges to them. On the other hand, we are Your sons and daughters and as offspring, we have heaven as our inheritance Amen.
51. When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it uo. and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death. 52. The other Israelites shall camp in their respective regimental camps, by companies; 53. but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the covenant, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the Israelites; and the Levites shall perform guard duty of the tabernacle of the covenant. 54. The Israelites did so; they did just as the LORD commanded Moses.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 51 to 54)
Oh God my Father as believers in You, we also have the role of defending the tabernacle, meaning You and all that has to do with You, However in order to do this we are to be armed with the message of the Good News and all the other messages that are found in the books of the Bible. As all the clans had their places around the tabernacle we also have our roles and places in the Church or Roman Catholic Church and we are to give good service in the role that has been assigned to us, irrelevant if we are clergy or laity Amen
Oh God my Father I would like to end this first chapter of the book of Numbers with the following prayer:
As found in the first chapter of the book of Numbers we all have a role to carry out as members of the Church, Some are priests, some are secular people. However, all our roles are of value. Every single role ranging from a housewife to Prime Minister is of value for we are all members of the same body. Therefore let us all carry out our roles in faith, justice and responsibility to God and to the rest of Society Amen. May all that we do be an offering to You my God and Father Amen.
4. A man from each tribe shall be with you, each man the head of his ancestral house.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verse 4)
Now that the people were in open, land, they needed to be organised. Moses needed to know how much the people had grown, and how many of them were fit for war just in case the peoples who also inhabited the same regions chose to attack them.
Oh God my Father in Your Church I feel that there is also the need for a census because there are many who claim that they are Roman Catholics, Christians from many denominations and when questioned about the faith, some choose to agree with some of the teachings of the Church but not with others. Such people are divided among themselves and also bring divisions in the Church. If such people do not agree with the rules, they are free to leave the Roman Catholic Church and seek elsewhere, however they would always be welcome to come back when they have accepted You as their God and Father again and are then fit to fight against the spiritual forces of evil, that harass us every day in order to make us go against You and Your Holy Will Amen.
I, therefore, invite you to join me in the following prayer to the Archangel Saint Michael who is the chief of all angels so that in Your Name oh God my father Your angels will serve as a protective shield against the forces of evil.
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
The Prayer to the Archangel Michael
5. These are the names of the men who shall assist you: From Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur. 6. From Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. 7. From Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab. 8. From Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar. 9. From Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon. 10. From the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud, from Manasseh, Gamalel son of Pedahzur. 11. From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni. 12. From Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. 13. From Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran. 14. From Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel. 15. From Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 5 to 15)
Oh God, my Father, among all the head of households You could be calling me, the reader of this blog and even the world in general in order to testify in favour of the truth and manifest our faith by both words and actions Amen. Oh God, my Father, I pray that we are found worthy to be chosen for such a noble aim Amen.
16. These were the ones chosen from the congregation, the leaders of their ancestral tribes, the heads of the divisions of Israel.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verse 16)
Oh God my Father as parents or head of households we have a great responsibility in Your eyes. From all the people of Israel, You chose the leaders of all the tribes. Oh God my Father, even though it is not easy to be a Husband to my wife and a Father to my daughter I thank You for giving me such an important role for I believe that along with the role You also give us the needed skills and graces to carry out such a role. Thank You, Jesus. Amen
I would like you all to join me in this prayer for parents by clicking on the following link:-
Prayer for Parents
17. Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name, 18. and on the first day of the second month they assembled the whole congregation together. They registered themselves in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names from twenty years old and upward, individually, 19. as the LORD commanded Moses, So he enrolled them in the wilderness of Sinai.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 17 to 19)
Oh God as Christians and Roman Catholics You also enrolled us in Your army of believers. We are called to be Your recruits not bearing weapons but the Gospel and the Entire Bible, which is to be a guide to how we live. Instead of achieving successes by our battles we do so by the lifestyles we adopt and by the example we give to others Amen.
20. The descendants of Reuben, Israel's firstborn, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, individually, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 21. those enrolled of the tribe of Reuben were forty-six thousand five hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 20 to 21)
Oh God, my Father even today we are still waging a war against the forces of evil. In order to be enrolled as recruits, we are to undergo training that will prepare us for war. Therefore an important part of our training is to be familiar with the message of Salvation, the 'Good News' that is the weapon that we are going to use. Amen.
22. The descendants of Simeon, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, those of them that were numbered, according to the number of names, individually, every male from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war: 23. those enrolled of the tribe of Simeon were fifty-nine thousand three hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 22 to 23)
Oh God, my Father, I thank You for not considering me as a number, but as a close friend and even Your sons and daughters. On reflecting on this verse I remember a song that I used to sing at school that many of you may be familiar with. It is called 'Onward Christian Soldiers'.
Song Onward Christian Soldiers
24. The descendants of Gad, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 25. those enrolled of the tribe of Gad were forty-five thousand six hundred fifty.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 24 to 25)
Oh God my Father by means of the book of Numbers we are given an overview of the twelve tribes of Israel along with the number of those members of each clan. Each clan had particular characteristics that on reflecting we can identify with. Reuben the leader of the Reubenites and Simeon the leader of the Simeonites as found in the Bible lacked self-control and were prone to outbursts of anger as at times we may all do. On the other hand, Gad, the leader of the Gadites was rational and was able to use his head in several situations. I pray oh God my Father that we perceive these twelve tribes and dwell on their positive traits instead of seeing them simply as historical characters because when we look back upon our ancestors we learn a lot about ourselves Amen. For more information about the tribe of Gad please click on the following link:-
Information on the tribe of Gad
26. The descendants of Judah, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 27. those enrolled of the tribe of Judah were seventy-four thousand six hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 26 to 27)
Oh God my Father from among the twelve tribes this was a special one, for from this tribe You chose to be born even though this was considered as being the smallest. Oh God, You choose the humble and lowly and not the proud. I pray oh God that I am accounted among this group of people Amen.
28. The descendants of Issachar, their lineage, in their clans by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 29. those enrolled of the tribe of Issachar there were fifty-four thousand four hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 28 to 29 )
Oh God, my Father the characteristics of this tribe were that of intelligence and material gain, qualities that are still present in humanity. I pray oh God that we use our God-given intelligence to magnify and glorify Your name Amen.
For more information on the tribe of Issachar please click on the following link:-
Characteristics of the Tribe of Issachar
30. The descendants of Zebulun, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 31. those enrolled of the tribe of Zebulun were fifty-seven thousand four hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 30 to 31 )
Oh God, my Father, I thank You for giving us characters such as Zebulun for we can learn a lot from such people even though they lived in ancient times, however, the traits human nature is still the same. On comparing Zebulun to us there are many things in common. There was a time when this tribe truly obeyed Your will, however, there were other times when disobedience took control, however, in the end, they turned back to You as we normally do after the crisis is over. I pray oh God my Father that we repent and turn back from our ways Amen.
32. The descendants of Joseph, namely, the descendants of Ephraim, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 33. those enrolled of the tribe of Ephraim were forty thousand five hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 32 to 33 )
As is known my God and Father that Joseph was always faithful to You and that you blessed him and his family. I pray that You never stop blessing our families and making of us, armies of God, who are ready to combat the spiritual forces of evil wherever they may appear Amen.
34. The descendants of Manasseh, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 35. those enrolled of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 32 to 33)
Oh God, my Father, I am amazed at how history repeats itself again and again. Although the sons of David among whom Manasseh was one of such children along with Ephraim had through their father received important blessings when it came to the test, some decided to act according to their own wishes and rendered this tribe to being a half-tribe as a consequence of this division.
Likewise, when we decide to behave according to our own will instead of according to Your will we also become divided within ourselves and start living a form of life that is semi-human or second class humans, even though You have given us the dignity of being Your sons and daughters Amen.
34. The descendants of Manasseh, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 35. those enrolled of the tribe of Manasseh were thirty-two thousand two hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 34 to 35)
Oh God my Father from this clan of Manasseh we can learn several things. Manasseh was a person who although like many believers, had faith in You at times he acted according to his own mind and did not always behave according to Your will. I pray oh God my Father, that we always follow the ways of the Holy Spirit and not make ourselves Gods of our lives Amen
36. The descendants of Benjamin, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war: 37. those enrolled of the tribe of Benjamin were thirty-five thousand four hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 36 to 37)
Oh God my Father in the tribe of Benjamin we find the two sides of humanity, the powerful and the destructive which was dominant in this tribe although it was small in nature and on the other hand, the spiritual nature composing our relationship with You. All of our life we are in combat with our own sinful nature and with that of those around us. At times as in my case at times the level of stress becomes, to, much and headaches start hammering. However, on the other hand, there is the other side that is anxious and longing to be with You and this is our soul. I pray oh God my Father that You give us the gift of Your Holy Spirit every day of our lives so that it will be dominant in us and take first place over our sinful nature Amen.
38. The descendants of Dan, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 39. those enrolled of the tribe of Dan were sixty-two thousand seven hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 38 to 39)
Oh God my Father as in the case of the tribe of Dan we fall into the trap of worshipping an image or holding an idea of whom we think You are instead of whom You really are, or whom we want You to be in a way that suits our needs, wishes and personal agendas. Amen.
40. The descendants of Asher, their lineage, in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 41. those enrolled of the tribe of Asher were forty-one thousand five hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verse 40 to 41)
Oh God, my Father, although this clan was one of the biggest clans so far, when put to the test they did not remain in Your ways, even though they swore fidelity towards You and towards Your name. I pray oh God my Father that I remain strong in faith and in my behaviour so that both will remain in a firm relationship with You Amen.
42. The descendants of Naphtali, their lineage in their clans, by their ancestral houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war; 43. those enrolled of the tribe of Naphtali were fifty-three thousand four hundred.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verse 42 to 43)
As in the case of the clan of Asher, the clan of Naphtali was also a clan that had received Your blessing however as a clan it also passed through its ups and downs in its relationship with You, my God and Father in the sense that there, were times when they obeyed You and other times when they chose not to. Oh God, this is our nature, I pray that You take care of us for we are weak and prone to sin. At times we prefer to do it our way which at the time may appear to be the easiest and most practical than to chose Your ways which may take longer to get there but in truth will be more positive Amen.
44. These are those who were enrolled, whom Moses and Aaron enrolled with the help of the leaders of Israel, twelve men, each representing his ancestral house. 45. So the whole number of the Israelites, by their ancestral houses, from twenty years old and upward, everyone able to go to war in Israel- 46. their whole number was six hundred three thousand five hundred fifty.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verse 44 to 46)
Oh God my Father the number of those enrolled was six 'hundred three thousand five hundred fifty' I wonder in truth how many of us who believe in You can be added to that number, in the sense of being people who are really and truly ready to testify and give witness to Your name as Your warriors Amen.
47. The Levites, however, were not numbered by their ancestral tribe along with them.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verse 47)
Oh God, my Father, I understand why the Levites were not included as physical warriors among the accounted people referred to, for their role was a very special one. As You know the Levites had a special relationship with You in a spirit of prayer and adoration. Along with You, they were the fuel that kept the flame alive in the heart of Israel meaning the whole population. During our times there are those believers who give witness by means of their daily lives, and there are others such as people who live in convents who lead a life of prayer on behalf of the world at large. By means of their special time of prayer and adoration and intercessions, they interceded for us all before You Amen. Such people are the powerhouse or generator of the entire Church. Amen. I thank You oh God for such people.
48. The LORD had said to Moses; 49. Only the tribe of Levi you shall not enroll, and you shall not take a census of them with the other Israelites. 50. Rather you shall appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the covenant, and over all its equipment, and over all that belongs to it; they are to carry the tabernacle and all its equipment, and they shall tend it, and shall camp around the tabernacle.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 48 to 50)
Oh God, my Father priests are your especially, chosen people and therefore You have given particular privileges to them. On the other hand, we are Your sons and daughters and as offspring, we have heaven as our inheritance Amen.
51. When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it uo. and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death. 52. The other Israelites shall camp in their respective regimental camps, by companies; 53. but the Levites shall camp around the tabernacle of the covenant, that there may be no wrath on the congregation of the Israelites; and the Levites shall perform guard duty of the tabernacle of the covenant. 54. The Israelites did so; they did just as the LORD commanded Moses.
(Book of Numbers Chapter 1 verses 51 to 54)
Oh God my Father as believers in You, we also have the role of defending the tabernacle, meaning You and all that has to do with You, However in order to do this we are to be armed with the message of the Good News and all the other messages that are found in the books of the Bible. As all the clans had their places around the tabernacle we also have our roles and places in the Church or Roman Catholic Church and we are to give good service in the role that has been assigned to us, irrelevant if we are clergy or laity Amen
Oh God my Father I would like to end this first chapter of the book of Numbers with the following prayer:
As found in the first chapter of the book of Numbers we all have a role to carry out as members of the Church, Some are priests, some are secular people. However, all our roles are of value. Every single role ranging from a housewife to Prime Minister is of value for we are all members of the same body. Therefore let us all carry out our roles in faith, justice and responsibility to God and to the rest of Society Amen. May all that we do be an offering to You my God and Father Amen.
Kindly click on the following link to go to the following chapter that is chapter 2 of the book of Numbers
The Second Chapter of the Book of Numbers
The Second Chapter of the Book of Numbers
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