In this daily Bible reading God instructs Moses regarding the order in which Israel was to camp and move. Israel’s camp was very structured and organized. So too was their order of movement. The Tabernacle was positioned in the middle of the camp. To the east were the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, whose armies numbered 186,400. On the south side of the Tabernacle were the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, whose armies numbered 151,450. To the west side of the Tabernacle were the armies of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, whose armies numbered 108,100. On the north side of the Tabernacle were the armies of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali whose armies numbered 157,600.
The tribe of Levi, which had 22,000 males from one-month old and upward, managed the Tabernacle. This Tribe consisted of three main groups descended from Levi’s sons: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari. The Gershonites were responsible for the cloth items of the tabernacle, the tent and its coverings and the other cloth items. The Merari-ites were responsible for the framework of the tabernacle. The Kohathites were responsible for the implements of worship.
Moses and Aaron camped before the tabernacle on the east side towards the sunrise. This order was required to move over a million people through the wilderness and set up the Tabernacle at each camping spot. God is certainly a God of order and structure who created order and structure among his people.
