“But among these, there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai.”
In order to understand the significance of this verse, it’s helpful to provide some context from the surrounding passages. The book of Numbers is primarily concerned with documenting the events that took place during the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. At this point in the narrative, the Israelites were in the wilderness of Sinai, and Moses and Aaron were commanded by God to conduct a census of the people.
Numbers 26:64 points out that among the people who were numbered in the census, none of the individuals were among those who had been numbered in an earlier census, which took place in the wilderness of Sinai. This highlights a crucial aspect of the Israelites’ journey-due to their disobedience and lack of faith, the previous generation, save for a few exceptions, was prevented from entering the Promised Land. This is commonly referred to as the incident of the forty years of wandering in the wilderness.
The verse emphasizes the consequences of the Israelites’ lack of trust in God, as only the new generation, born during the wilderness wanderings, would inherit the land that God had promised to their ancestors. The counting of the people served to determine the size of the new generation and prepare them for the distribution of the land.
This verse serves as a reminder of the importance of faith and obedience to God’s instructions. It illustrates the principle that disobedience can result in missing out on God’s blessings. However, it also points to God’s faithfulness in giving the new generation an opportunity to enter the Promised Land, despite their forefathers’ unfaithfulness.
Overall, Numbers 26:64 highlights the significance of the census and the distinction between the new generation and the previous generation, while emphasizing the consequences of disobedience and the importance of faith in God’s promises.
