Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai... saying: "Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male individually… You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
Numbers 1:1-3

The first four chapters of the book of Numbers (all 188 verses) are not the most exciting reading. These chapters are primarily lists of names compiled in a census. This census was ordered by God. For what purpose? These are the people who wandered for forty years, and died in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. Why? Because they didn’t trust God to give them the land He promised. So God said that generation would not enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:29-32). So why the census? The census (and the one 40 years later when the next generation eventually entered the Land), documented that God was true to His Word. One generation all died (except Joshua and Caleb), and were succeeded by another generation that did enter the Land.

God’s Word is sure. He can neither err nor lie. What He says will indeed come to pass. It was true then, it is true now, and it is true forever.

Let those who reject Christ be reminded that they will suffer God’s judgment. (John 3:18)

Let those who trust in Christ be reminded that they will never suffer God’s judgment (John 3:16), since Jesus suffered the penalty for our sins so that we will not! (Colossians 2:13-14, Romans 8:1)

Rejoice! God’s Word is sure, yesterday, today, and forever!