The Proof is in the Numbers.

 I know that Scripture is laden with comfort for sufferers -- take the entire book of Job, over half the Psalms, Philippians, James, and Lamentations, to name a few. Such chapters of the Bible have been my go-to guides for mourning, hope, joy in trials, and peace in storms, and they don't even begin to crack the surface of all God's Word has to offer. During a tough season in college, I hunkered down in James. My brutal job search brought me heart-to-heart with Philippians. A troubling student situation had us holing up in 2 Corinthians 1. 

Then Mom was diagnosed with cancer and my world was rocked. I thought, where in the world do I go for this? This feels like the hardest thing I could ever imagine. I know all Scripture is God-breathed and fully sufficient, but what passage will bring peace in a storm this size? Where do I turn?

I know what you're thinking. Numbers. Surely, that's the place, right? Everyone's coffee-mug-calligraphied go-to for comfort in crisis?

Unlikely. That's not where I thought I'd end up. But I had been working through the Pentateuch all summer, and Numbers was up next. Desperate to just be in the Word, I prayed that God would turn my groaning to growth and reluctantly began to read. 

The first thing I noticed, obviously, was, well, numbers. Tons of them. Census after census. In the books before, God has delivered His people from Egypt with miracles on repeat, now faithfully leading them toward the long-awaited Promised Land. But for the first four chapters, all we get is a numerical record of every tribe on the trip. 

It seems easy to gloss over. I do that with most numbers, hence my low grade in Pre-Cal and my non-honors diploma. But then you realize the numbers are massive. Thousands upon thousands of people, not even including women and children. One of my commentaries totaled up over two million people embarking on this Promise-bound journey. 

And at first, this might not seem like a huge deal. It might not even seem remotely relevant or helpful. Unless, of course, you think back to Genesis 17. God looks in the face of a 99-year-old father-of-none with a barren wife and promises this: "I will greatly increase your numbers...you will be the father of many nations...I will make you very fruitful...kings will come from you" (paraphrased; Gen. 17:1-6).

And there we have it. Numbers: 2 million children of that promise trekking through the wilderness to Canaan. Reporting to a census-taker. Eating bread, setting up camp, heading from one promise to the next in a redemption-themed journey across the pages of Scripture. It's poetic. It's miraculous. It's true. And it's something only God can do.

When Abraham thought all hope seemed lost, God did not waver in His promise. How often those Egypt-escapees must have thought this was the end for them. God did not waver in His promise. When faced with plagues and poverty and Pharaoh's army cornering them against a roaring sea, God did not waver in His promise. These numbers (yes, Numbers!) are living proof that the God of eternity is faithful to keep His promises, no matter how daunting the situation at hand. The number of people counted is, again, massive! What he covenanted with Abraham came completely true, and they have census upon census to prove it.

So what does this mean for us? We can trust the Promise-filled Providence of our God who does not waver. He does not promise us health, or wealth, or an easy life on this earth. But He does promise to provide, and He is for us, and He knows what we need far more than we can imagine. 

I absolutely love the book of Numbers, now -- for its hope. For its reminder of who God is: a faithful need-meeter, promise-keeper, miracle-worker. Against all odds, amidst all trials. He has promised to be with us, and we can count on that. He has promised to sustain us, and we can rest in that. He has promised to save forever those who surrender to Him, and we can cling to that. He will not waver in His promise.

The proof is in the Numbers. 

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