Outline of Numbers: Unbelief in the wilderness

At Sinai God has Moses count Israel's fighting men, 603,550, while the Levites guard the tabernacle.

The command 1:1–4 · Twelve leaders 1:5–16 · The muster 1:17–19 · The tribes counted 1:20–46 · The Levites set apart 1:47–54

The tribes camp in four groups of three around God's tabernacle, with Judah leading on the east.

Around the tent 2:1–2 · East: Judah's camp 2:3–9 · South: Reuben's camp 2:10–16 · The tent in the midst 2:17 · West: Ephraim's camp 2:18–24 · North: Dan's camp 2:25–31 · As the LORD commanded 2:32–34

God gives the Levites to Aaron to guard the sanctuary and takes them in place of Israel's firstborn.

Aaron's sons 3:1–4 · Given to Aaron 3:5–10 · They are Mine 3:11–13 · The Levite clans 3:14–39 · The firstborn redeemed 3:40–51

The Levite clans are assigned to carry the tabernacle, the Kohathites touching nothing holy lest they die.

The sons of Kohath 4:1–20 · The sons of Gershon 4:21–28 · The sons of Merari 4:29–33 · Those numbered 4:34–49

Because God dwells in the camp, the unclean go out, wrongs are repaid, and God judges hidden unfaithfulness.

Outside the camp 5:1–4 · Confession and repayment 5:5–10 · The law of jealousy 5:11–31

Any man or woman may vow separation to the LORD, and the priests bless Israel in His name.

Separated to the LORD 6:1–8 · Defiled and begun again 6:9–12 · The vow completed 6:13–21 · The priestly blessing 6:22–27

Twelve tribal leaders bring equal gifts for the altar, and God speaks from the mercy seat.

Wagons and oxen 7:1–9 · Twelve days of gifts 7:10–83 · The dedication of the altar 7:84–88 · The voice from the mercy seat 7:89

The lamps are lit, and the Levites are cleansed and given to God in the firstborn's place.

The seven lamps 8:1–4 · The Levites cleansed and offered 8:5–22 · Years of service 8:23–26

Israel keeps the Passover, with a second date for the unclean, and moves only as the cloud leads.

The Passover at Sinai 9:1–5 · A second Passover 9:6–14 · The cloud and the fire 9:15–23

Silver trumpets are made, and when the cloud lifts Israel leaves Sinai in order, the ark going before.

Two silver trumpets 10:1–10 · The cloud lifts 10:11–13 · The order of march 10:14–28 · Come with us 10:29–32 · Rise up, O LORD 10:33–36

The people crave meat; God puts Moses' Spirit on seventy elders and sends quail, with a plague.

Taberah 11:1–3 · Craving for Egypt 11:4–9 · Too burdensome for me 11:10–15 · Seventy elders and a month of meat 11:16–23 · That all the LORD's people were prophets 11:24–30 · Graves of craving 11:31–35

Miriam and Aaron challenge Moses; God defends His faithful servant, strikes Miriam with leprosy, and heals her.

Does the LORD speak only through Moses? 12:1–3 · Face to face 12:4–9 · O God, please heal her 12:10–16

The spies find the land good; ten spread a bad report of Nephilim, but Caleb urges Israel up.

Twelve men sent 13:1–16 · Go up and see 13:17–20 · Hebron and Eshcol 13:21–24 · Milk and honey, nevertheless 13:25–29 · We must go up 13:30 · A bad report 13:31–33

Israel refuses the land; at Moses' plea God pardons, yet swears the generation will die in the wilderness.

Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt 14:1–4 · The LORD is with us 14:5–10 · Pardon, I pray 14:11–19 · As surely as I live 14:20–25 · Forty years 14:26–35 · The ten die 14:36–38 · To Hormah 14:39–45

After the refusal God gives laws for life in the land, judges defiant sin, and commands blue tassels.

Offerings in the land 15:1–16 · The first of the dough 15:17–21 · Unintentional and defiant sin 15:22–31 · The Sabbath-breaker 15:32–36 · Tassels of blue 15:37–41

Korah's company rebels against Moses and Aaron; God judges them, and Aaron's incense stays the plague.

You have taken too much upon yourselves 16:1–3 · The LORD will reveal who belongs to Him 16:4–11 · We will not come 16:12–15 · When one man sins 16:16–24 · The earth opens 16:25–35 · A sign on the altar 16:36–40 · The plague stayed 16:41–50

Of twelve staffs laid before the LORD, only Aaron's buds, blossoms and bears almonds: God's chosen priest confirmed.

Twelve staffs 17:1–7 · Sprouted, budded and blossomed 17:8–11 · We are all lost 17:12–13

Priests and Levites guard the sanctuary and bear its guilt; holy gifts and the tithe support them.

Bearing the iniquity of the sanctuary 18:1–7 · The priests' portion 18:8–20 · The Levites' tithe 18:21–24 · A tithe of the tithe 18:25–32

The ashes of a spotless red heifer, burned outside the camp, cleanse those defiled by death.

The red heifer 19:1–10 · Unclean by death 19:11–16 · The water sprinkled 19:17–22

Miriam dies, Moses strikes the rock in unbelief and is barred from the land, and Aaron dies.

Miriam dies at Kadesh 20:1 · Speak to the rock 20:2–13 · Your brother Israel 20:14–21 · Aaron gathered to his people 20:22–29

Israel defeats Arad; the bitten live by looking at the bronze snake; Sihon and Og fall before Israel.

Hormah 21:1–3 · The bronze snake 21:4–9 · Spring up, O well 21:10–20 · Sihon king of the Amorites 21:21–32 · Og king of Bashan 21:33–35

Balak hires Balaam to curse Israel; God restrains the greedy diviner with an angel and a speaking donkey.

The plains of Moab 22:1 · Come, curse me this people 22:2–6 · They are blessed 22:7–14 · Only the word 22:15–21 · The angel and the donkey 22:22–35 · Up to Bamoth-baal 22:36–41

From two heights Balaam can only bless: God does not lie, and His blessing cannot be reversed.

How can I curse? 23:1–12 · He has blessed 23:13–26 · To the top of Peor 23:27–30

Balaam blesses Israel a third time and foretells a Star and Scepter who will rule over Israel's enemies.

How lovely are your tents 24:1–9 · Three times blessed 24:10–14 · A star and a scepter 24:15–19 · The end of the nations 24:20–25

Israel joins in worshiping Baal of Peor; Phinehas's zeal stops the plague, and God gives him a covenant of peace.

Worshiping Baal of Peor 25:1–3 · The leaders judged 25:4–5 · Phinehas 25:6–9 · My covenant of peace 25:10–13 · Attack the Midianites 25:14–18

A new census counts the next generation for the land; of the first, only Caleb and Joshua remain.

Take a census again 26:1–4 · The tribes by their clans 26:5–51 · Divided by lot 26:52–56 · The Levites 26:57–62 · Not one was left 26:63–65

God grants Zelophehad's daughters their inheritance and appoints Joshua to shepherd Israel after Moses.

The daughters speak correctly 27:1–11 · See the land 27:12–14 · Sheep without a shepherd 27:15–17 · Joshua commissioned 27:18–23

God sets Israel's calendar of public offerings: daily, Sabbath, new moon, Passover and firstfruits.

At its appointed time 28:1–2 · The regular burnt offering 28:3–8 · The Sabbath 28:9–10 · The new moon 28:11–15 · Passover and Unleavened Bread 28:16–25 · The day of firstfruits 28:26–31

The seventh month brings Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the eight days of Tabernacles with their offerings.

A day to sound the trumpets 29:1–6 · You shall humble yourselves 29:7–11 · Seven days of Tabernacles 29:12–34 · The eighth day 29:35–38 · At your appointed times 29:39–40

Vows bind; a father or husband may annul a dependent woman's vow on the day he hears it.

He must not break his word 30:1–2 · Daughter and wife 30:3–8 · Widow and divorced 30:9 · In her husband's house 30:10–16

Israel executes the LORD's judgment on Midian for Peor, kills Balaam, purifies itself and loses not one man.

Vengeance for Israel 31:1–12 · Through the counsel of Balaam 31:13–20 · Through the fire 31:21–24 · The plunder divided 31:25–47 · Not one of us is missing 31:48–54

Reuben and Gad ask for land east of the Jordan; warned by Moses, they pledge to fight first.

Do not make us cross the Jordan 32:1–5 · This is what your fathers did 32:6–15 · We will arm ourselves 32:16–27 · The terms given 32:28–32 · Land east of the Jordan 32:33–42

Moses records each stage from Egypt to Moab, and God commands Israel to clear the land.

Moses recorded the stages 33:1–2 · From Rameses to Sinai 33:3–15 · From Sinai to Kadesh 33:16–36 · From Kadesh to the plains of Moab 33:37–49 · Drive out the inhabitants 33:50–56

God draws the four borders of Canaan and names the leaders who will divide it among the tribes.

The south border 34:1–5 · West, north and east 34:6–12 · For the nine and a half tribes 34:13–15 · Those who divide the land 34:16–29

Levites receive forty-eight cities; six are refuges where a manslayer lives safe until the high priest's death.

Cities for the Levites 35:1–8 · Six cities of refuge 35:9–15 · The murderer must surely be put to death 35:16–21 · Until the death of the high priest 35:22–29 · Bloodshed pollutes the land 35:30–34

Heiresses must marry within their father's tribe, so each tribe's inheritance stays whole; the book closes in Moab.

The tribe's inheritance at risk 36:1–4 · Only within the tribe 36:5–9 · The daughters did as commanded 36:10–12 · On the plains of Moab 36:13