Numbers 26 Devotional

Not One Word Failed

“For the LORD had told them that they would surely die in the wilderness. Not one was left except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.”Numbers 26:65 (BSB)

Numbers 26 counts Israel again, this time on the plains of Moab across from Jericho (26:3). The total is close to the first count: 601,730 men, against 603,550 a generation earlier (26:51; 1:46). The nation has not been wiped out. The promise to bring Abraham's descendants into the land is intact.

But the names have changed. Not one man counted at Sinai is counted here, except Caleb and Joshua, just as the LORD had said (26:64-65). God's warning at Kadesh came true to the letter, and so did his word that the children would enter. Small details carry both judgment and mercy. Dathan and Abiram are remembered as a warning sign, yet Korah's descendants survived (26:9-11). Zelophehad's daughters are named, ready for the next chapter (26:33). The land will be divided by lot according to each tribe's size (26:54-55). God keeps every word he speaks, his warnings and his promises alike. That makes his promises to you something you can stand on.

To think about: Which of God's promises do you most need to trust will come true, the way his word to Israel did?