THE BEAUTY OF DIVINE ORDER
Don't you see the beauty of this order? and you will agree with me that you could not displace this order. Could we take the first book and put it at the end? Could we put the 3rd book fourth? No, they are connected in exactly that order, and we find that there is a clear, distinct development in the history of our own souls and also in the history of Israel as a nation. It is a progress that begins with the new life, the life of God in the soul; which continues to the exodus, the knowledge of redemption and fellowship; then gets to know the entrance to the Holy of Holies; then walks through the desert until everything is finally summarized for us in retrospect.
THE NUMBER 1
Let's consider another thought before we go any further. You notice that these books are in an order and that their order cannot be changed, and this order therefore gives each book a specific number. For example, Genesis is number 1, Exodus is number 2, Leviticus is number 3, Numbers is 4, and Deuteronomy is 5. They couldn't be any different because they are in this absolute order. Do these numbers have any meaning for us? Should we learn something from this? Genesis as “One” tells us about creation, about the origin of things, about God as the author, the source. You will find that this truth about the number one runs throughout Scripture, and if we look a little more closely at the book of Genesis, you will see that this is the character of the book throughout. Take Abraham for example, God calls him out in sovereign grace, that's number 1; it is sovereignty. You will find this idea of sovereignty and God's control over the lives of His people prominently featured in this book. Take another thought from one; it means a single person, an individual, as opposed to a nation. Genesis is a story of individuals. We will see in a moment that it is a story of seven individuals.
THE NUMBER 2
Now you come to Exodus and what a contrast, it is a second book, and two portends evil; it suggests bondage and captivity; it suggests more than that, blessed be God, - help from Him, rescue, redemption. Then it suggests community, union, and so you find this number 2 imprinted - do I say imprinted? no, woven into the very fiber and texture of the whole book. It is a book that tells us about bondage and about salvation from bondage; of sin and of sacrifice for sin; of the deliverance from Egypt; of walking with God or community; and so you find the number 2 everywhere.
THE NUMBER 3
Go back to Leviticus, the third book, and here we find the number three sticking out. We know that there are 3 persons of the Godhead. Just as the Father is connected with Genesis, for it is the book of birth, and the Son is connected with Exodus, for it is the book of redemption, so the Spirit is connected with Leviticus, for it is the book of holiness. Here are the great principles of God's holiness, and it brings us into that into which we can only enter in the power of the resurrection, and that is into the sanctuary of God. Three is the number of the sanctuary; it is the number of God's presence. Lately I have been particularly struck by the fact that when Scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit, it is not directly presenting the characteristics of him, an unfolding of his nature, so to speak, but rather the unfolding of Christ, the work of Christ, what exactly is the promise of the Lord, that He would send the Holy Spirit and glorify Christ, that He would receive the things of Christ and show them to us.
The blessed Spirit of God has his season (if I may use that term) of humiliation. Christ had his time of humiliation. The Lord came here, took a humble place, and became obedient to the point of death - death on the cross, and now in our dispensation the Holy Spirit veils His glory and instead of speaking of the things that primarily concern Himself, speaks he of Christ and His work. Therefore, in the book of Leviticus you typically find the work and person of Christ unfolded with a fullness found nowhere else in the entire Word of God.
THE NUMBER 4
Let's come to the number four. It is the number of the earth, the number of this world. We speak of the four corners of the earth, the four winds. It is what has to do with the earth. We have already seen that the book of Numbers has to do with this present world. Forty days, forty years - as they tell us about trials. For example, one could write at the top of this book: Forty years, because it is the story of the forty year trial in the desert. So this number four is woven into the structure of the book.
THE NUMBER 5
That brings us to the fifth book. Deuteronomy is also a story, but a story that comes from the mouth of God. It is the “One” that is added to the four, and this “One” is God; oh, what a difference that is; my story in God's hands, he will make a blessing out of it, even out of my failure. This number five, which tells us about God with man, gives us exactly the character of this book.
