Proclaimer Blog
Three titles – all helpful
In modern Bibles the book of Numbers is called Numbers because it's about….numbers. There are two massive census counts that bookmark the book and, as I argued yesterday, structure the book. So Numbers is a good title, and helpful when it comes to seeing what the book is about. But Numbers is much more than a counting exercise and the two Jewish titles shed further light on the themes running through the book:
- The most common Jewish title is taken from the words that appear in the first verse, "In the wilderness." This is a good title. Not only does it physically describe the setting of the book, but it can be taken as a metaphor for the spiritual wanderings of the people of God. In fact, it is a title that is picked up by John Bunyan in the very first words of Pilgrim's Progress, "As I walked through the wilderness of this world….." This title picks up on the exemplorary role that Numbers plays according to 1 Corinthians 10. The bodies of the first generation were "scattered over the wilderness" (v5) and "these things occured as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did" (v6).
- However, there is another useful Jewish title. It comes from the first few words of the book, as Jewish book titles often do. It is called "And the Lord spoke." This important phrase appears in Numbers 98 times despite the persisent rebellion of the people. And so, with our biblical theological hats on we can see the God of grace continuing to speak to and provide for his people at the height of their rebellion. Not that his patience is inexhaustible (as Numbers soberly shows), but that God continues to reach out with grace right to the end.
Three good titles.