Justin Houtz

Numbers 1, Romans 1

DateVersionReading Plan
April 28, 2025ESV (2016)OT/NT Plan 2025 – 2027

Numbers 1

Observation

The LORD spoke to Moses on the first day of the second month, in the second year after the people had come out of the land of Egypt and instructed him to take a census of all the congregation. There was to be a man from each tribe selected to the be head of the house of his fathers (Num. 1:4). Moses and Aaron took the men who had been named and, on the first day of the second month, assembled the whole congregation together and listed them as was commanded them in the wilderness of Sinai. Of each tribe, those listed were by their generations, by their clans, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, head by head, every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go to war. The numbers of the tribes were (BBC):

TRIBEREFERENCENUMBER
Reubenvv. 20, 2146,500
Simeonvv. 22, 2359,300
Gadvv. 24, 2545,650
Judahvv. 26, 2774,600
Issacharvv. 28, 2954,400
Zebulunvv. 30, 3157,400
Ephraimvv. 32, 3340,500
Manassehvv. 34, 3532,200
Benjaminvv. 36, 3735,400
Danvv. 38, 3962,700
Ashervv. 40, 4141,500
Naphtalivv. 42, 4353,400
TOTAL603,550

The Levites were excluded from being listed because they were appointed over the tabernacle and all its furnishings. The Levites were positioned around the tabernacle to protect it from desecration as well as the people from punishment (Num. 1:47-54). The people complied with all that the LORD commanded Moses (Num. 1:54).

Application

The exemption of the Levites to protect the tabernacle and the people illuminates the primacy of the LORD’s presence among the people. Everything centered on the LORD and His dwelling among them. During the years of the wilderness wanderings, the tribes were to be positioned around the tabernacle as the focal point of worship, offering and sacrifice to the LORD. While we as New Testament believers no longer have such a structure to surround as the Lord now tabernacles within us by His Spirit, the need remains to foster a posture of the His centrality in our lives. He is the One whom our entire being should entirely fixed, acknowledging that in Him we live and move and have our being.

Romans 1

Observation

Paul addressed the saints in Rome as an apostle of Christ Jesus who was called and set apart for the gospel of God (Rom. 1:1). Paul expressed his gratitude to God because their faith was proclaimed in all the world and that he was unceasing in mentioning them in his prayers (Rom. 1:9-10). Paul longed to see them but been prevented, desiring to reap a harvest among them as among the rest of the Gentiles (Rom. 1:13). Paul understood himself to be under obligation to both the Greeks and barbarians, to the wise and foolish, and thus was eager to preach the gospel to those on Rome (Rom. 1:14-15).

Paul declared his boldness in the gospel without shame, knowing that it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Rom. 1:16). He spoke that the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith and, quoting Hab. 2:4, that the righteous shall live by faith (Rom. 1:17).

Paul makes clear that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men but that this truth is suppressed in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18). The people knew God but did not honor or give thanks to Him and thus became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened (Rom. 1:21). They claimed to be wise but were actually fools, exchanging the immortal God for images resembling mortal man (Rom. 1:22-23).

Therefore, God gave them up in their lusts and impurity, allowing them to proceed in dishonoring of their bodies because they had exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped the creature rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:24-25). Women and men lived out dishonorable passions for one another and received the due penalty for their error (Rom. 1:27). God gave them up to a debased mind and they were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness and maliciousness (Rom. 1:29-30). Although they knew God’s righteous decree that such things were deserving of death, they continued in their dishonorable conduct, not only carrying these things out themselves but giving approval to others who practiced them (Rom. 1:32).

Application

What depths of wickedness do these final verses convey. Understanding that we know how to live but instead continue in destructive words and behavior—moreover, even celebrating and encourage others in them—should strike us with a profound grief at the level of transgression against our Beloved to which we are capable. However, it should also elicit the greatest heights of gratitude that our gracious God has chosen to temper our debasement and that some would be made alive in Christ, sanctified by His Spirit and thereby reconciled with the Father.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, by Your Spirit help me keep You as the Cornerstone of my life. Help me to live out my belonging to You in order that Your name would be exalted. Father, thank You for Your abounding grace to pluck Your children from unrighteousness that we may live to glorify You.

Resources