5 Reasons You Should Think Twice Before Skipping the Book of Numbers

The fourth book of the Bible gets a bad rap. First, there’s the title. The word “numbers” scares away math phobic people to begin with. And even if you’re not afraid of arithmetic, who would want to read an entire book called Numbers?

Jazmin Quaynor

For those brave enough to crack open its pages, many still will turn away after realizing what it’s all about: a census. Imagine downloading the US Census data and reading the names of every person with the last name Smith. Yeah, it’s kind of like that. At least that’s how Numbers begins. Even for someone like me who happens to love the book, all those names often leave me dizzy or comatose. But if you can muscle through the censuses and genealogies, you’ll be rewarded by one of the richest and most bizarre narratives in the entire Bible. From talking donkeys to spontaneous serpent outbreaks, here are five reasons you should think twice before skipping the book of Numbers.

Why You'll Never Hear the Fourth Verse of the Star-Spangled Banner

Freedom is the cornerstone of Christianity.
Brennan Manning[1]

Alex Martinez

To hear my pastor tell it, America, as she stands today, is a post-Christian nation.

When I first heard him say so a couple of years ago, I pushed back against his assertion, citing the swath of strong Christian values entrenched in the Bible belt.

Nevertheless as time marches on, I begin to see what he saw.

Before I continue though, I must say that from my perspective, the United States of America is the greatest nation on earth. This does not mean we haven’t done reprehensible things. This does not mean we don’t have some serious cultural defects or systemic political corruption. We have and we do. But the US constitution strikes a precious balance between freedom and protection like no other. (If only politicians and judges would bother to read it.) But more on that in a moment.

As an ancillary piece of evidence in favor of the post-Christian argument, consider the fourth verse of the Star-Spangled Banner: