In the introduction to the Book of Numbers there is recording of a census. Interestingly enough, Moses didn't randomly decide that he wanted to know how many fighting men were available; God told him to take the census. We're never really told why God wanted the census taken (surely He knew how many fighting men were available), but it leads me to ask the question of whether or not God cares about numbers. Later on in Scripture God makes it clear to Gideon that numbers don't matter when it comes to battle: so why does He care now? Could it be that numbers do hold a place in the dealings with God's people?
Sometimes we're afraid of numbers because of what they might reveal. In fact, sometimes we criticize those who keep track of numbers and say that "they just care about numbers; they don't care about the people." The reality is that each number represents a life. And when churches that are grounded in God's Word grow in number, then a logical conclusion would be that lives are being changed. I would think that God cares deeply about those numbers. It's true that people can become too focused on numbers (and for that we must be cautious), but God clearly demonstrates that He cares about them.
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