God of Order

I've just started reading the book of Numbers. It's called Numbers in English because of the numbering of the people (census) that God asked Moses to do 2 or 3 times. In Hebrew it's call "In the Wilderness" which is the REAL story behind Numbers. But before I get to the fatal decision to disobey God and not enter the Promised Land, God spends some time creating order out of this huge band of people, 603,550 men age 20 and above, plus the wives, kids, slaves, etc which probably puts the number nearer 2 million.

It's been about 2 years since the Israelites left Egypt. Moses has been to "the mountain" and received the Ten Commandments, all the instructions for building the tabernacle and all the items to go in it, and the instructions for consecrating the priests and for the sacrifices. The skilled craftsmen have built all that God commanded as He commanded and now they are about to go take the Promised Land.

Before this huge group of people leaves, God assigns them places in the camp. The Levites camp around the tabernacle to protect the people from drawing too close. Then each clan of the other tribes of Israel is told on which side of the tabernacle to pitch its tents and in which order they will pack up and leave when the camp moves...Judah goes first and Naphtali goes last.

God also assigns a particular part of the tabernacle and its furnishing for the clans of the Levites to carry as they move. They know exactly who will carry the ark and who will carry the tent poles. They are even told the color of the cloth to put over the furnishings and which things can go on carts and which are to be carried on their shoulders.

God has always been a God of order, not confusion. There are times in the Bible when the enemies of God's people are in a state of confusion but I don't find any reference to God's people being in confusion. We can look at the order of creation, the seasons, the sunrise and sunset, the symmetry of the human body, to see God's order. We can look to the Ten Commandments also to see His order...our relationship with God takes first priority, then our relationships with people.

It gives me great comfort in a world that is often confusing to remember that God doesn't change. If He was a God of order then, He is now. I may need to shut out the noise of TV and music and people to realign myself with His order, but when I am confused about what to do, that confusion is not from God.