Overall Question: How did God organize the Israelites for their journey to the Promised Land?

Memory Text: 1 Corinthians 10:11 CEV “These things happened to them as a warning to us. All this was written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days.”

Sunday – Organizing the Army
Numbers 1:2-3 Holman “2 “Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of every male one by one. 3 You and Aaron are to register those who are 20 years old or more by their military divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army.”
Numbers 2:1 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY God…now orders his subjects to be mustered, 1. That they might see he had not forgotten his promise to Abraham, but was multiplying his posterity. 2. That they might observe due order in their march toward the promised land. 3. That the tribes and families might be properly distinguished; that all litigations concerning property, inheritance, &c., might, in all future times, be prevented. 4. That the promise concerning the Messiah might be known to have its due accomplishment.
Genesis 15:14-16 Holman “14 However, I will judge the nation they serve, and afterwards they will go out with many possessions. 15 But you will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a ripe old age. 16 In the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.””
Deuteronomy 9:5 Holman “You are not going to take possession of their land because of your righteousness or your integrity. Instead, the LORD your God will drive out these nations before you because of their wickedness, in order to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Monday – The Presence of the Lord
Numbers 1:50-54 God’s Word to the Nations “50 Put the Levites in charge of the tent of God’s words, including the equipment for the tent and everything else having to do with the tent. The Levites will carry the tent and all its equipment. They will take care of the tent and camp around it. 51 When the tent has to be moved, the Levites will take it down. When we camp, they will set it up. Anyone else who comes near the tent will be put to death. 52 "The other Israelites will camp with each family in its own area under its own flag. 53 The Levites will camp all around the tent of God’s words. In this way the LORD won’t be angry with the community of Israel. So the Levites will be in charge of the tent of God’s words." 54 The Israelites did everything as the LORD commanded Moses.”
Psalm 139:1-10 ESV “1 ¶ To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 7 ¶ Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.”
Isaiah 57:15 ESV “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Jeremiah 23:23-24 ESV “23 "Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God afar off? 24 Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD.”
John 14:15-18 ESV “15 ¶ "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 ¶ "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:23 ESV “Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

Tuesday – Under the Standards
Numbers 2 God’s Word to the Nations “1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, 2 "The Israelites will put up their tents with each family under the flag that symbolizes its household. They will put their tents around the tent of meeting, facing it. 3 ¶ "On the east side, facing the rising sun, the armies led by Judah will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Judah is Nahshon, son of Amminadab. 4 The total number of men in his army is 74,600. 5 "Next to them will be the tribe of Issachar. The leader for the people of Issachar is Nethanel, son of Zuar. 6 The total number of men in his army is 54,400. 7 "Then will be the tribe of Zebulun. The leader for the people of Zebulun is Eliab, son of Helon. 8 The total number of men in his army is 57,400. 9 "The grand total of all the troops in Judah’s camp is 186,400. They will be the first group to move out. 10 "On the south side the armies led by Reuben will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Reuben is Elizur, son of Shedeur. 11 The total number of men in his army is 46,500. 12 "Next to them will be the tribe of Simeon. The leader for the people of Simeon is Shelumiel, son of Zurishaddai. 13 The total number of men in his army is 59,300. 14 "Then will be the tribe of Gad. The leader for the people of Gad is Eliasaph, son of Deuel. 15 The total number of men in his army is 45,650. 16 "The grand total of all the troops in Reuben’s camp is 151,450. They will be the second group to move out. 17 "When the tent of meeting is moved, the Levites will stay in the middle of the groups. The tribes will move out in the same order as they are in the camp, everyone in place under his own flag. 18 "On the west side the armies led by Ephraim will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Ephraim is Elishama, son of Ammihud. 19 The total number of men in his army is 40,500. 20 "Next to them will be the tribe of Manasseh. The leader for the people of Manasseh is Gamaliel, son of Pedahzur. 21 The total number of men in his army is 32,200. 22 "Then will be the tribe of Benjamin. The leader for the people of Benjamin is Abidan, son of Gideoni. 23 The total number of men in his army is 35,400. 24 "The grand total of all the troops in Ephraim’s camp is 108,100. They will be the third group to move out. 25 "On the north side the armies led by Dan will camp under their flag. The leader for the people of Dan is Ahiezer, son of Ammishaddai. 26 The total number of men in his army is 62,700. 27 "Next to them will be the tribe of Asher. The leader for the people of Asher is Pagiel, son of Ochran. 28 The total number of men in his army is 41,500. 29 "Then will be the tribe of Naphtali. The leader for the people of Naphtali is Ahira, son of Enan. 30 The total number of men in his army is 53,400. 31 "The grand total of all the men in Dan’s camp is 157,600. They will be the last group to move out. They will travel under their own flag." 32 This is the total number of Israelites, counted by households. The grand total of all the troops in the camps was 603,550. 33 As the LORD had commanded Moses, the Levites were not registered along with the other Israelites. 34 So the Israelites did everything as the LORD had commanded Moses. They set up camp under their flags, and each person traveled with his own family and household.”
Numbers 2:17 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY If the order of mention in this chapter indicates the order of march, the Levites with the sanctuary followed the camps of Judah and Reuben. The account of their actual march, however, places the tabernacle, that is, the tent and the court hangings, between the first two divisions, Judah and Reuben. It was sent on ahead so that it could be set up and ready to receive the “sanctuary,” that is, the holy things—the ark, altars, etc.—that followed Reuben in the center of the marching host.

Wednesday – Call to Ministry
Exodus 13:2 NLT “"Dedicate to me all the firstborn sons of Israel and every firstborn male animal. They are mine."”
Exodus 13:2 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE the first-born, if a male; for females were not offered, nor the first male, if a female had been born previously. Again, if a man had several wives, the first-born of each, if a male, was to be offered to God. And all this was done to commemorate the preservation of the first-born of the Israelites, when those of the Egyptians were destroyed.
Exodus 13:12-15 NLT “12 All firstborn sons and firstborn male animals must be presented to the LORD. 13 A firstborn male donkey may be redeemed from the LORD by presenting a lamb in its place. But if you decide not to make the exchange, the donkey must be killed by breaking its neck. However, you must redeem every firstborn son. 14 "And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With mighty power the LORD brought us out of Egypt from our slavery. 15 Pharaoh refused to let us go, so the LORD killed all the firstborn males throughout the land of Egypt, both people and animals. That is why we now offer all the firstborn males to the LORD—except that the firstborn sons are always redeemed.’”
Numbers 3:46-51 NLT “46 To redeem the 273 firstborn sons of Israel who are in excess of the number of Levites, 47 collect five pieces of silver for each person, each piece weighing the same as the standard sanctuary shekel. 48 Give the silver to Aaron and his sons as the redemption price for the extra firstborn sons." 49 So Moses collected redemption money for the firstborn sons of Israel who exceeded the number of Levites. 50 The silver collected on behalf of these firstborn sons of Israel came to about thirty-four pounds in weight. 51 And Moses gave the redemption money to Aaron and his sons as the LORD had commanded.”

Thursday – Protecting the Sacred
Leviticus 10:1-11 NRSV “1 ¶ Now Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his censer, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered unholy fire before the LORD, such as he had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3 ¶ Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD meant when he said, ‘Through those who are near me I will show myself holy, and before all the people I will be glorified.’" And Aaron was silent. 4 Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Come forward, and carry your kinsmen away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside the camp." 5 They came forward and carried them by their tunics out of the camp, as Moses had ordered. 6 And Moses said to Aaron and to his sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "Do not dishevel your hair, and do not tear your vestments, or you will die and wrath will strike all the congregation; but your kindred, the whole house of Israel, may mourn the burning that the LORD has sent. 7 You shall not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, or you will die; for the anointing oil of the LORD is on you." And they did as Moses had ordered. 8 ¶ And the LORD spoke to Aaron: 9 Drink no wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons, when you enter the tent of meeting, that you may not die; it is a statute forever throughout your generations. 10 You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; 11 and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the LORD has spoken to them through Moses.”
Leviticus 10:10 COMMENTARY BY ADAM CLARKE This is a strong reason why they should drink no inebriating liquor.

Sorry, didn't answer the poll because nothing seems to fit my reasoning.

We are to be perfect as God is perfect (and perfect in Christ.) God is a prime example of organization.

Didn't realize that too much until I really got into the study of Creation week.

The environment was set up before creatures were added, and everything was perfect.

Organization tends to be a weakness for me so to get all my ducks in a row is a real challenge for me. Somedays I do good while other times...leaves much to be desired.

Why did the 273 "extra's" have to pay for their redemption? And what did Aaron do with the money?

I don't know if those exact people had to pay or if all Israel paid for them. Probably Aaron and his sons used the money as payment for their spending their lives in the sanctuary service.