When PB and I were raising four small children, we lived in a three bedroom house. You’d think that the two boys would’ve bunked up together and the two girls would’ve been roomies. But somehow, the oldest sibling talked the other three into sharing a room so she could dwell in peace and quiet all by herself. She had some strong negotiating skills.

Later, when we moved into a four bedroom house, there was more maneuvering among the sibs. Not surprisingly, once again the oldest managed to nab a private room. Every so often, the other three would switch around, depending on who was annoying whom.

I thought of this when reading Numbers 2 this week. (See my Bible Reading Plan.)

The twelve tribes of Israel needed to get organized. They had just been delivered from 400 years of slavery and it would take some time for them to learn how to make their own decisions. So God divided them into groups and told them where to set up camp.

That’s where it gets interesting.

Which families should camp together?
Which ones should be kept farther apart?
God had a brilliant plan.

The tabernacle was smack-dab in the middle of the camp, with the Levites surrounding it. Then God picked three tribes to set up on the east side of the camp, three tribes on the west, three on the south, and three on the north.

The families of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun were assigned the east side of the encampment. These boys were full brothers, all sons of Leah. These tribes would be the first to march out when the camp moved.

Across the way, on the west side, the full-blooded sons (and grandsons) of Rachel were together. They were the youngest of Jacob’s boys and dearly beloved by their father. Remember Joseph and the amazing technicolor dream coat? Baby brother Benjamin camped out with Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh.

Situated on the south were the tribes of Reuben and Simeon, sons #1 and #2, whose mother was Leah. Gad was placed with them even though he was a half-brother, the son of Leah’s maid.

And last but not least were the tribes of Dan, Asher and Naphtali encamped on the north end. They were the middle children, all sons of the maids belonging to Leah and Rachel. These families brought up the rear when marching out.

The arrangement was so well thought out. God knew exactly where each tribe should be and who they should be with. He knew who should take the lead and who should bring up the rear. The Israelites didn’t question the plan or try to trade places. They let God organize them.

These kinfolk were going to spend a lot of time in the desert together.
Picking the right campmates was crucial to keeping family harmony.
And nobody got a tent to themselves, except maybe Moses.