But it's really not just a list of numbers. The Hebrew text calls this book "In the Wilderness" because it is a story of the journey of the chosen people led by Moses through 40 years of wandering the desert. The chosen people hadn't yet come to the Promised Land. They were often in disarray, wandering in the desert.
The Book of Numbers makes the point that you can be God's people even though you're not home and you're still trying to get there.
- Little Blue Book, Diocese of Saginaw