In this introductory word to the Life-study of Numbers, we will consider the advancement of the divine revelation, a comparison of Numbers and Leviticus, the general sketch of Numbers, the central thought of Numbers, and the sections of Numbers.
In the five books of Moses (the Pentateuch) many seeds of the truth are sown. Every main point of the divine truth is in these books. However, the divine revelation was not given to us once for all but progressively.
In the progress of the divine revelation there is the advancement of the divine revelation. In the first book, Genesis, we have God and His creation. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). At the end of the sixty-six books of the Bible there is a glorious, bright, new city. In the beginning there was only God Himself. Then God accomplished the work of creation, so in addition to God there was the creation, including man. Man fell, but after the fall of man, there was God's redemption. Eventually, at the end of the Bible, there is a city built with the divine Trinity mingled with His redeemed people. Between God's creation at the beginning and the new city at the end, the divine revelation advances progressively book after book.
In Genesis we see God's creation and man's fall. Whereas Genesis begins with God's creation, it ends with the result of man's fall—a dead man in a coffin (50:26).
After the fall of man, God came in to save us with His wonderful redemption. This is what we see in Exodus. In the book of Exodus we have God's salvation and the building of His habitation.
God's habitation is more valuable than His creation. When God created the heavens and the earth, He was homeless. Even though man fell, God would not give up. He still went on to redeem and save fallen man that He might build up His habitation with His redeemed people.
In Leviticus we have the redeemed's worship and living. By the time we reach Leviticus, many of the fallen people have been saved and have become God's redeemed people. Leviticus reveals that these redeemed ones need to worship God and live the life He desires.
In Numbers we see God's redeemed people being formed into His army and their journey in fighting for God. The army is for God's people to fight so that God can gain the ground on earth to build up His kingdom with His habitation.