This week we will focus on the beginning of the Book of Numbers.
The earliest and most accepted date for the writing of the Book of Number is about 1407 BC. As with all old Biblical dates, there are arguments as to exactly when the evens in writing happened; however, the biblical account is considered the most accurate record of ancient middle eastern events.
The Book speaks of events that happened “wilderness of Sinai” (Number 1:1, ESV). The events took place in what we know today as Saudi Arabia on the border with Yemen.
Maps
Map with Ancient References
Map with Modern Country Boarders
The Tabernacle
In Leviticus, we read about all the detailed instructions for the setup of the Tabernacle. God very explicitly defined how he was to be worshiped even to when his priest would wear.
In Numbers, through Moses, God tells the people how they will camp around the Tabernacle because “if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death” (Numbers 1:51, ESV). God is just, and no unholy thing can approach him. The people were to be a barrier between God and the world so that the outsiders would not be at risk of dies unwarned.