Remember that the book called Numbers gets its name from census-takings at the start and finish.
The book of Numbers began with a census of all the men of fighting age who came out of Egypt. But due to their rebellion and unbelief, the Lord declared, “I was angry with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.’ So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest’” (Heb 3:10-11). Now, forty years later, it has come to pass. Strewn across the desert landscape were thousands of graves. So were fulfilled these words: “The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above” (Num 14:29). We should not forget that, although less obvious perhaps, everyone marked by such unbelief today still loses their life. Here is Jesus speaking. “Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it” (Lk 17:33). In other words, the ones who abandon spiritual concerns and ignore God’s word for the sake of their temporal interests and selfish lusts, will also lose their lives. It will slip through their fingers like the desert sand until nothing is left. In this very context, a literal translation of Hebrews 2:1-3 would read, “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest at any time we should leak out. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…?” But now there is another generation who, although they have their failures, will prove to be faithful. This will be their testimony: “Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua” (Jos 24:31). I can hardly wait to hear their stories; can you?