I always waited in anticipation as to whether I would get a significant role to play.
Reference: v.32 These are the Israelites, counted according to their families. All the men in the camps, by their divisions, number 603,550. (TNIV Bible)
Explore: One of my favourite things to do during Sunday School was to act in dramas. I always waited in anticipation as to whether I would get a significant role to play. And when I had the script in my hand I would try to put on my best reading voice for the character – whether I was a mighty king or a sheep in the field! A great story to act out is when the Israelites escaped from Egypt and crossed the Red Sea. By the time you had the Israelites crossing over the opened waters and the army following quickly behind, you would be able to include every single child in the Sunday School. As I read through the book of Numbers I can see that our whole Sunday school class certainly fell short of the numbers needed to have a true representation of this Red Sea crossing.
Application: While I remember that the Israelites were increasing in number it is hard to imagine a group this large moving all at once. Verse 32 talks of 603,550 people, but that’s just the men over 20 years of age. You could easily double this figure to include all the women and children. When we hear stories over and over we forget about all the detail and intricacies that would culminate to make these stories seem impossible. No wonder the Israelites doubted and questioned God. And yet God proved to the Israelites, and to us, over and over again that there was nothing impossible for Him.
Prayer: Lord, I praise You because you are the God of the impossible. Whatever mountain seems insurmountable I pray that I will have the faith that could make it move. Amen.
What seems overwhelming for you at the moment?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.