For over 50 verses in Numbers chapter 26, we read about the second census. The book began with a census and it begins its conclusion with another census. In between is the record of the first generation’s rebellion against God. They chose not to trust God to give them the victory over the giants of the land. For 40 years they wandered in, and wallowed in, the wilderness of failure. But now in preparation for giving them the land, God instructs them to renumber the tribes. Although there are significant changes in several tribes, the more important thing is that the overall count remained relatively the same. God had made a promise to Abraham. God will always keep his promises even at times when we don’t deserve his faithfulness. We read this before in Numbers 23:19. It says, “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”

God has also made us a promise in our calling to faith in His Son, Jesus. He guarantees our destiny with His word. God will always remain faithful to His word. I like the way Paul says it in Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”