Numbers 1-2

It took me about 5 minutes to read this passage. This part of the liberation of Israel begins in their second year of freedom. God has given them the Law, guided then in the construction of the Tabernachel, and introduced them to the levitical priesthood and the sacrifices. The means of acceptable worship have been laid out and the penalties for sin have been defined. Now God prepares his holy people for the conquest of the promised land. He builds an army out of the redeemed slaves he has on hand. The first two things God does is set up an order for marching and defence of the the holy articles. He has Moses count the number of soldiers. But why does God do this? I don't know if this was the normal defensive camping for Egypt and other great cultures of their time, but I think God wanted to show that his name was to be at the center of everything in Israel. When they camped his name was in the center. When they marched his name was in the center of the column. God is always in the midsts of his people.
Stuart