A second census is now taken, some 38 years after the first one. As we can see, the telling of what happened between then and now has been quite condensed. We have read of several incidents, some of them very dramatic, but they were spread over a 38 year period. Most of the time they would have just been trudging through the desert.
This time it will be a list of those who go in. The total numbers are about the same (a small decrease from 603,550 to 601,730), but some tribes (Reuben, Simeon, Gad and Ephraim) had experienced a decrease.
By this time all the men from the first census, except Caleb and Joshua, had died.
In chapter 27 we read of Zelophead's daughters. There were no male relatives left, so under the inheritance system of the time they would not get an inheritance in the land. So they asked Moses that they be allowed to take the inheritance. The Lord told Moses that they should indeed get an inheritance, and as a general principle, if only daughters were left, then they should get the inheritance.
Next we read of God taking Moses to see the Promised Land, but He reminds Moses that he will not be allowed to enter because of his earlier sin. Note that Moses does not react with bitterness, but continues to be concerned for the nation and asks God to appoint a successor. The Lord appoints Joshua, and Moses is to pass his anointing on to Joshua.
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