Compare Numbers 26:8 with Genesis 12:2. How do they relate to God's promises? Verses for Comparison Genesis 12:2: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” Numbers 26:8: “The son of Pallu was Eliab.” Immediate Contexts • Genesis 12:2 is part of the covenant God initiates with Abram, promising multiplication and blessing. • Numbers 26 records the second census taken in the wilderness. Verse 8 sits inside the genealogy of Reuben’s descendants, listing a single link in a growing family chain. Seeing the Promise in Action • God promised Abram a “great nation” (Genesis 12:2). • Centuries later, during Israel’s wilderness journey, the nation’s size is verified tribe by tribe (Numbers 26). • The brief statement “The son of Pallu was Eliab” confirms another branch on the family tree, demonstrating literal growth from one man (Abram) to tens of thousands (cf. Numbers 26:7, 14, 18, etc.). Key Observations • Scripture moves from promise (Genesis 12) to fulfillment in stages (Exodus 1:7; Deuteronomy 1:10). • Each name listed in Numbers 26 is tangible evidence that God’s word stands (Joshua 21:45). • Even rebellious figures such as Dathan and Abiram (noted in Numbers 26:9) came from this line, showing God’s faithfulness is not nullified by human failure. Takeaways About God’s Promises • Promises made by God are anchored in His character, not in changing human circumstances (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 6:17–18). • The simple genealogical note in Numbers 26:8 is part of a larger narrative confirming that God’s covenant with Abram is unfolding exactly as spoken. • Believers today can look at these two verses, separated by hundreds of years, and see continuity: the God who began the work (Genesis 12) is steadily, literally bringing it to completion (Numbers 26 and beyond). |
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