This week’s Parashat starts out with a census of Israel. It has been just over 1 year since they left Egypt. The Israelites have finished the tabernacle, ordained the Priest and now God is getting ready to move them from Mount Sinai. Before they move camp the Lord tells them count the
Men who are fighting age. They count by tribe and we learn the placement of each tribe around the Tabernacle. They also counted the 1st Borns from each tribe. Then God told Moses to count all the males of the Levites. The Levites were to take the place of each 1st born male of Israel. There were 22,000 Levite males. When all the counting was done there were 273 males without a Levite substitute so the congregation has to pay 5 pieces of sliver according to the sanctuary shekel. (The sanctuary shekel weighed 11 grams and in todays value would be $5 per piece of silver.)

In the season we are in the number 222 is significant. It means BREAKTHROUGH, FIRE OF GOD, WISDOM, BLESSING, and 1st BORN. I don’t think it is by chance we are in 2022 and the number of Levites is 22,000. I believe God is calling us to be the PRIESTS He has called us to be in this season. Now is the time we begin to do things that count in the Kingdom.

God made sure every single person counted before they moved camp. While in Egypt the Israelites had no value to their masters. They we just a number. Now before they embark on the promised land God now has to show them they are valuable. They rob Egypt of it’s wealth, but they do not yet have the self image they require to move forward. God is in essence reprogramming them. He is giving them order and structure they will need in the days which turn into years to come.

We learn who camps where around the tabernacle and how God put the Levites between the tribes and the tabernacle. God made sure people were distant from Him in order to protect them when they messed up. We then learn about the 3 different clans inside the Levites and what each clan was responsible for. Now today each of us is called a King and a Priest. Here we can learn what the responsibilities are for a Priest and how we should conduct ourselves. There is a lot in the Old Testament that we can benefit today. Just look at it through New Testament eyes.