The God of Numbers isn't exactly a warm and friendly deity. He regularly smites his people for their insolence and kills off hundreds of thousands of them in the wilderness. But God isn't totally without compassion. Even though they're a bunch of disobedient, wild children, God sticks by Israel through thick and thin. In the end, he brings them through to the Promised Land, but only after showing tons of patience with their law-breaking ways.
Questions About Compassion & Forgiveness
- If the people are so bad, why doesn't God just wipe them out like he wanted to?
- Would you describe God as compassionate in this book of the Bible?
- Do you think the Israelites' complaints are justified or should they just be glad that they're not slaves anymore?