Daily Devotion | Book Numbers Chapter: 26 | 2026 June 08

Date: 2026 June 08

Speaker: Rev. John Chen

Transcribed, translated & edited by: Jose M

Okay, dear brothers and sisters, peace be to you. Thank God for His grace that we have come to a new day to study the daily spiritual food. The scripture we are studying today is Numbers, chapter 26, the second census of the Israelites. Let us pray. God, we thank You, thank You for being willing to treat us with such favor and mercy. Lord, let us know how much You are willing to love us. Lord, You have never abandoned or forsaken us. Lord, may this message become the strength in our hearts, so that throughout this day we can still earnestly follow Your statutes and ordinances. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Alright, let us look at this passage today. So after the plague, the LORD spoke to Moses—not Aaron anymore, but to Eleazar, because Aaron had already passed away—saying, "Count those who are twenty years old and older, those who can go to war," to calculate the total number. But regarding the purpose of this census, here it says those twenty years and older, those who can go out to fight. However, in verses 52 to 56 of this chapter, the purpose of this census is made clear. The LORD said to Moses, "You shall divide the land among these people as an inheritance according to the number of names. To a larger tribe you shall give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance; each shall be given its inheritance according to the number of those counted." So this census is somewhat different in meaning from the first census. The first one was for preparing for battle, even though the battle never took place. Even though it never took place, it included organizing them into ranks, arranging the camps, and setting up the deploy troops and maneuver them, but in the end, it wasn't used. It wasn't used. And those who were counted ended up perishing in the wilderness. There is a particularly heartbreaking passage at the end, verses 63 to 65, which is especially piercing. It says, "These are those counted by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who counted the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho. But among these there was not a man of those counted by Moses and Aaron the priest in the wilderness of Sinai." This is a very heartbreaking statement. It has been completed. We have now reached the second generation of Israelites. God's curse was fulfilled upon them, because the LORD had said concerning them, "They shall surely die in the wilderness." So not one was left except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. What kind of scene is this? This is a scene of being cursed. Their ancestors, their fathers, violated God's law. Among those counted in the second census, not one of the previous generation remained, except Joshua and Caleb. This is an extremely painful lesson for the Israelites. I think that when they read this second census, they thought about it. The first time, they were prepared, the troops were arrayed, everything was set, the people were counted, ready to go to battle. But in the end, the battle did not happen, and all those people died in the wilderness. What a tragic scene that was. Now, in the second census, not one of them remained.

However, the second census also symbolizes something new; it also signifies a new beginning. Why? Because the new personnel, the new community, start afresh. The first census was for battle, which didn't happen. The second census is for dividing the land—how much land each person will receive. This is a wonderful scene, a beautiful future unfolding before them. A life in the land of Canaan, blessed by God, unfolds before them. So here, I want to remind you again, although when we were recording the Pentateuch we repeatedly mentioned a concept, that regarding warfare, God hardly mentions it. God does not say, "You need to go fight, how should you fight? Will you win?" It seems God is not concerned with these things at all. What God says is, "Count how many people there are. According to the number of people, I will give them the land." As verse 53 says, "You shall divide the land among them according to the number of names." So in God's eyes, not one of these people will die. This concept, I think, is very challenging for us; we need to adjust our thinking. Imagine a great battle is coming—an army of over 600,000 men is about to fight a decisive battle against the Canaanites. How many will die? We might think half, or a bit less, maybe 30%, if they are strong fighters. But God does not see warfare that way at all. In God's view, not a single one will be missing. The number counted is how many will divide the land after the battle. Divide it according to the people. Divide it now. Count them now. When the time comes, divide it according to the names. So what does this mean? If you fight according to God's will, not a single person will die. This is a huge challenge. I don't know if you were shocked when you read this message. What kind of battle is this? This is a battle where the kingdom of God is coming to the nations of Canaan. This is a process where God's promises are being fulfilled. In this process, you would think that in battle, people always die. Later, the Israelites did have some battles, such as when they attacked Ai, and a few did die. But the reason those people died was not because they couldn't win, but because they violated God's law. So here, although it may not be the main point of chapter 26, I think we must draw out this meaning: this is God's intention. Earlier, He called you to go to battle and counted the people for battle, which is understandable—how to arrange the troops and fight. But here, God's arrangement of troops seems less important. Instead, it's about how to divide the land. "I have already given you this land, and not a single person will die. No problem. As long as you fight according to My method, not a single person will die." Is there such a war in this world? It's impossible. No war is fought like that. But this is God's way of fighting. As long as you follow God's statutes and ordinances, not a single person will die. So here we see again God's great power. God has absolute power to ensure that not one Israelite perishes. This is something we must especially remember. At the same time, we see God's love—His love for the Israelites, and His love for us, His children. He counts the people one by one, tribe by tribe, down to every single person. "I have recorded each one in My hand. Just do as I say, and I have a land for you in heaven. In Canaan, I will give it to you and let you possess it as an inheritance." So this is an extremely beautiful hope. This is not like a general mobilization order before a battle: "Everyone, actively strive to obtain the promised land! Everyone, fight to the death, be brave pioneers!" Nothing of the sort. The matter of fighting is almost not mentioned here. The purpose of counting the people is to divide the land. Not one person will perish. Later, when they fought Jericho, indeed that was the case, right? Think about it: such a great battle, yet in the end, not one person died. So according to common sense, people die in war, but with God, that is not the case. God can protect the nation of Israel so that not one perishes. We read of God's love—how great is God's love for the Israelites. He counts them by name and divides the land by name. May the Lord lead us, and in such love, may our hearts find comfort. God has never abandoned or forsaken us. God knows the weakest among us. The reason the Israelites could win battles was not because they were skilled in warfare or because their training made them mighty, but because God was with them. I think these are the messages we should take away.

Alright, let us look at the specific content. There are some details to note in the census. First, unlike the first census, where did the first census begin? It began with the camp of Judah, do you remember? Sorry, when they set up camp, in chapter 2, the camp of Judah was in front. But during the census, sorry, I misspoke. The census still began with Reuben. It began with Reuben, counting the people. Here, there is a difference from the first census. Where is the difference? We need to note several distinctions.

The first distinction is that in chapter 26, it has a bit of a genealogical aspect. For example, regarding Reuben the firstborn, it lists which clans came from Reuben, whereas in chapter 1, that was not present. In chapter 1, when they counted, it was just "so-and-so, how many people," in that order. So chapter 1 was, how shall I put it, a census for warfare. Chapter 26 is a census for dividing the land, so it requires clans, clans for each tribe. Moreover, within the recording of these clans, there are additional narrations. So this is somewhat like a genealogy. It doesn't simply count the number of people. For instance, it mentions Elizur the son of Shedeur, and the sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. Then it mentions Dathan and Abiram as being among the followers of Korah, when the earth swallowed them up, and it recounts that event again. So chapter 26, I think, has a clearer genealogical meaning. It's not just a simple counting; it is different from chapter 1.

Chapter 1's counting is very clear: which clan has how many people. But here it's different; it includes some narration, as if telling us some information. The tribe of Reuben, because they sinned against God, how many of Korah's company were judged? And so on, serving as a reminder. But verse 11 needs special attention. It says, "However, the sons of Korah did not die." When we discussed the destruction of Korah's company earlier, we mentioned this point. Here in Numbers 26:11, it specifically raises this issue: that the sons of Korah did not die. Later, there are psalms from the descendants of Korah. So here we see God's mercy within judgment. God gave Korah descendants, allowing these unworthy sinners to become people who sing praises to God. We mentioned this when studying the Psalms, so we remind you again: why did the sons of Korah not die? It shows that God has mercy on us. That we, unworthy sinners, can praise God is all due to God's mercy toward us.

Next is Simeon. The tribe of Simeon experienced the greatest reduction in numbers. Earlier, there were 59,000, actually 59,300 descendants of Simeon. But now, the descendants of Simeon number only 22,200. This is a tribe that decreased significantly. Later, the tribe of Simeon always remained with Judah and never separated independently. Why? Because their clans were few in number. Their clans were small. Why did Simeon meet such an end? It is very likely related to chapter 25, the Baal of Peor incident. Probably the Simeonites were especially active in committing adultery with the Moabite women, so they died in great numbers, leaving only about 20,000. The plague killed 24,000 people. If you add those 24,000, the tribe of Simeon would have been almost completely wiped out. So, although the Bible does not record it, it is estimated that most of those who died were Simeonites. This also fits the historical context. Imagine over 600,000 people camped. If the Moabite women came to seduce them, they likely did so in only one location. Possibly that location was the camp of the Simeonites. That might be the case. The killing happened, but other tribes also had offenders. However, the main leaders killed were probably from Simeon. These are some of our speculations.

Gad is also mentioned. Simeon had some clan records; Gad also had them. Judah. For Judah, it is also a kind of genealogical record. It is no longer just recording numbers, right? For example, it mentions Er and Onan dying in the land of Canaan, and Judah's three sons Shelah, Perez, and Zerah. It also mentions Hezron and Hamul. These things are recorded here. Clearly, for us readers today, it is very evident that this is leading to the genealogy of David. Because without these records that Moses wrote down, how could you trace the genealogy? Where would David come from? Where would the Davidic family from the tribe of Judah come from? So this genealogical record, this kind of genealogical record here, serves as a foundation for the later birth of David. Issachar, Zebulun—these all have clans. Besides the numbers, they have various clans. The overall order, as we know, still follows the order of the camps: the camp of Reuben, the camp of Judah.

Next, there is another issue. Regarding the sons of Joseph, in the earlier passage, in Numbers chapter 1, it first recorded the numbers of Ephraim and then Manasseh. Here, it is reversed: it records Manasseh first, then Ephraim. Why this change? It is not entirely clear. It is clear that Jacob made Ephraim the firstborn and Manasseh the second. Although Manasseh was originally the firstborn, Jacob suddenly reversed the order. This is something we need to remember. The northern kingdom was also dominated by Ephraim; Ephraim later became very powerful. Jacob's blessing fell upon Ephraim's head. Manasseh, originally the firstborn, became the second. Even so, it might seem a bit unfair to Manasseh, but don't view it that way. In fact, Ephraim and Manasseh originally meant that Joseph had only one tribe. Now Manasseh has also become one of the twelve tribes—that is grace. So don't feel that Manasseh suffered a great loss, thinking, "He was originally the firstborn, so why did he become the second?" But the truth is, you didn't even have the qualification to be listed among the twelve tribes in the first place. There was only the tribe of Joseph, and now you have been elevated. So you should be thankful. So here I remind everyone not to have wrong thoughts, not to simply feel indignant for Manasseh. No. God is all grace. God gave Ephraim grace upon grace, but He also gave Manasseh grace. You originally had no qualification to be among the twelve tribes. This is something we need to remember. Also, why is Manasseh placed first? Possibly, this is my speculation, it may be related to the later fact that the half-tribe of Manasseh would take possession of land east of the Jordan. The first to receive land was the half-tribe of Manasseh, so it makes sense to put Manasseh first. Of course, this is my speculation. Another unique aspect concerns the daughters of Zelophehad. The names of females appearing in the genealogy is a very unique thing. We will discuss the significance tomorrow. But here, at least we should know that the Bible never discriminates against women. When there are no sons, daughters can still inherit property, and their names are still recorded in the genealogy: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. Particularly Tirzah—Tirzah is a very beautiful place. Later, this woman became a place name; she received a place called Tirzah. So we need to remember these things: the Bible does not discriminate against women. On the contrary, if there are no sons, the names of daughters are still recorded in the Bible. As I mentioned before, in the ancient Near Eastern context of that time, this would have been impossible. Women being recorded, this kind of respect for women, cannot be found in any other ancient religion. But in Christianity, it is like this: respect for women.

Then Ephraim, then Benjamin, Dan, Asher—all of them. Finally, the total number counted was 601,730, roughly the same as the first census, just a little less. The first census was 603,550. So the difference is about 1,800 people. Not much difference. Finally, I remind you again: all the people were counted by name. So here, I think for every Christian, this is an extremely beautiful message. Accurate to the individual—601,730, accurate to the last person. This is a comfort to us. Every child of God is counted, and we will also receive rewards in heaven according to these names. God loves us and cares for us by name. So I think for us brothers and sisters, we need to know that God does not call us as a group, saying approximately how many. No. He engraves each and every one on His heart.

Alright, next it speaks of the tribe of Levi. Here too, it is like a genealogical record—the history of the clan. It mentions that Kohath begot Amram, and Amram begot Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. Aaron then had these sons: Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD. Speaking of the number of the tribe of Levi, the Levites were always a tribe that did not flourish, right? Other tribes had tens of thousands of men twenty years and older who could bear the sword. In contrast, the Levites never flourished. The total number of males one month and older counted was only 23,000. So compared to other tribes, the Levites were the weakest tribe. So I think this reminds us as well: the reason God chose the Levites and had them serve Him was absolutely not because they were strong or mighty. On the contrary, it was because they were weak. This is something we need to remember. This tribe, so few in number, never prospered. If you have lived in a large family, you know that having few descendants is a shameful thing. God specifically chose this tribe that did not prosper to serve Him. The purpose is to display His own glory and to reveal His mercy and grace. This, I believe, is the meaning of this second census. So, in the wilderness, the second census—none of the previous generation remained. Indeed, this fulfilled God's word, proving that God's word is reality. What God says, He will surely do. These people later perished in the wilderness. A new era had begun. So a new census represents a new hope. Amidst this new hope, they are about to enter the land of Canaan to take possession of their inheritance. This is God's blessing to them.

Thank God for His grace. They have finally passed through the testing of the wilderness and are about to enter the land of Canaan to take possession of it. This is a beautiful beginning. So I think the second census also brings us hope—that with new hope, we are about to enter our heavenly homeland. This is a home that is good beyond compare. May the Lord lead us to have more joy in this heavenly hope and to earnestly follow God's statutes and ordinances in our lives. Alright, our sharing today ends simply here. Thank you all.