The message of the Book of Numbers is universal and timeless. It is the book of the service and walk of God’s people; reminding believers of the spiritual warfare in which they are engaged. Numbers bridges the gap between the Israelites receiving the Law (Exodus and Leviticus) and preparing them to enter the Promised Land (Deuteronomy and Joshua).
In Romans 11:22, Paul mentions the "goodness and severity of God." That, in a nutshell, is the message of Numbers. The severity of God is seen in the death of the rebellious generation in the wilderness, those who never entered the Promised Land. The goodness of God is realized in the new generation. God protected, preserved, and provided for these people until they possessed the land. This reminds us of the justice and love of God, which are always in sovereign harmony.
Michael Neal leads this class, which sees the Israelites wander in the wilderness 40 years because of their rebellion. God also sometimes allow us to wander away from him and suffer loneliness and lack of blessings when we rebel. But God is faithful and just, and just as he restored the Israelites to their rightful place in his heart, he will always restore Christians to the place of blessing and intimate fellowship with him if we repent and return to him (1 John 1:9).
