Week 55, Day 1: The Census

Today’s Reading:  Numbers 26:1-65

Some thoughts from today’s reading…

In this chapter we have Moses and Eleazar counting the people again.  This time however we are told that all of the previous generation have now perished in the wilderness (64-65).  I don’t know if this indicates that the last of those who were to perish remained until the sin with the women of Midian (ch 25) and subsequent plague.  But we know for sure that at this point in time all that remains from the generation that came up out of Egypt are Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb.  All the rest had perished as punishment for not obeying God.  And soon Moses and Aaron would die as well. 

The Census does remind us of the children born to each of the heads of the tribes.  And it is important to have them numbered because we are told that the inheritance would depend upon the size of the tribe.  This makes sense because each person is to be given their portion of the land as an inheritance. 

Question:  Why were Caleb and Joshua spared from the doom of perishing in the wilderness?  Which tribe was the largest?