Storyline Challenge: Numbers

Today (Thursday, April 17) we begin to read Numbers, the fourth book of the Bible, which picks up where Exodus leaves off at Mt. Sinai, and follows Israel’s forty years of wandering in the desert. It is the story of God’s faithfulness and compassion despite His people’s disobedience. It shows how God prepares His people to conquer the land He promised them through Abraham (in Genesis). In fact, the book—Numbers—gets its name from two main sections in chapters 1-2 and 26-27, each where a census is taken to determine the number of able-bodied warriors there were in Israel. There is also a genealogy of Aaron’s family and the Levites (those who performed priestly duties) in chapters 3-4, which is important because the book is also concerned with the purity of the people who offer proper worship to the Lord. The flow of the story may seem a bit random. But the big picture is that this Storyline book is the bridge between the Israelites being freed from Egyptian slavery (in Exodus) and conquering the Promised Land (in Joshua).

Take the Storyline Challenge and establish a personal habit of Bible reading by reading just one chapter a day. Here is our schedule:

April 13 – 19: Exodus 37-Numbers 3
April 20 – April 26: Numbers 4-10
April 27 – May 3: Numbers 11-17
May 4 – 10: Numbers 18-24
May 11 – 17: Numbers 25-31
May 18 – 24: Numbers 32 – Joshua 2

To learn more about the Storyline Challenge go to Bible.TowardTruth.com.