SECTION 1. THE PREPARATIONS TO GO FORWARD FROM SINAI WITH YAHWEH'S PROVISIONS RELATED THERETO (1:1-10:10).
The Mobilisation of the Army of Israel, and the Preparation of the Levites For Their Work of Bearing the Ark and Dwellingplace of Yahweh (1:1-4:49).
The first stage towards entry into the land had to be the mobilisation of the army of Israel, both of its fighting men, and of its ‘servants of the dwellingplace of Yahweh'. That is what is in mind in the first four Chapter s.
The description of this follows a general chiastic pattern indicated by the letters a to d and can be divided up as follows:
a The taking of the sum of the tribes and their responsibility (to war) (Numbers 1:1-46).
b The Levites' responsibility for the Dwellingplace (Numbers 1:47-54).
c Positioning and arrangements for travel of the people (Numbers 2:1-32).
d The consecration of the priests to Yahweh (Numbers 3:1-4).
d The dedication of the Levites to the priests and to Yahweh (Numbers 3:5-13)
c Positioning and arrangements for travel of the Levites (Numbers 3:14-51).
b The priests' responsibility for the Dwellingplace (Numbers 4:5-15).
a The taking of the sum of the Levites and their responsibilities (Numbers 4:1-4; Numbers 4:21-49).