The Book Of NUMBERS
Numbers 21:8 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole:
and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live."
 CHAPTER 35:
This passage introduces the cities of refuge that would be strategically placed throughout the promised land, as well as the accompanying case law that governed the accidental death of a human being. The term used in this chapter is “manslayer” (v.12), and we use the term “manslaughter” in our legal system today to refer to the accidental death of a person at the hands of another. Verses 1-8: As noted in the previous chapter, the Levites do not inherit any land. God instructs Moses in verse 2 for each tribe to give a portion of their land to the Levites upon which will be built cities wherein the Levites will dwell. (Joshua 14:3-4, 21:2-3, Ezekiel 45:1, 48:10) The border of each city is to not only include the city itself where the people will dwell, but also land around the city for their livestock. (v.2-5) The exact dimensions of the city and the grazing land around it are given in verses 4-5, and Biblical scholars and commentators have posited a variety of explanations and diagrams of the possible layout of these cities. (As an example, refer to the image above, courtesy of the Moody Bible Commentary.) A total of forty-eight cities will be allotted to the tribe of Levi, six of which are to be reserved as cities of refuge. (v.6-7) (Joshua 21:41) The number of cities within each of the tribal regions will be determined by the size of the tribe, same method that was used to divide up the land itself. (v.8) (Numbers 26:54, 33:54) Verses 9-15: The LORD now defines the function of the six cities of refuge. There are to be three cities in the land of Canaan and three on the east side of the Jordan River where the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh will settle. (v.14) Just as their name implies, these specific cities of the tribe of Levi are to serve as a refuge for the manslayer, someone who accidentally kills another. (v.11-12) When any Israelite is killed, the law requires that his/her nearest male relative is to avenge the wrongful death by killing the murderer. This is the “avenger” referred to in verse 12. The Hebrew word for “avenger” is “gâ’al”, which means “to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, or ransom”, according to the Brown-Driver-Briggs Bible dictionary. This is, essentially, the law that God instituted with Noah at the beginning of the dispensation of human government following the Flood. (Genesis 9:5-6) The kinsman redeemer is also responsible for “buying” his relative out of trouble. (Numbers 5:8, Leviticus 25:25-26, Ruth 3:12, 4:1, 6, 8, Job 19:25, Isaiah 59:20) Verses 16-21: This section reviews and expounds on earlier case law regarding premeditated murder and its proper judgment. (Exodus 21:12, 14, Leviticus 24:17, Deuteronomy 19:11-12) The most common instruments of death in the ANE were weapons or tools made of iron, stone, or wood. (v.16-18) Physically assaulting someone with only one’s own hands to the point of death is also murder. (v.20-21) (Genesis 4:8, 2 Samuel 3:27, 20:10, 1 Kings 2:31-32) The avenger is responsible for carrying out the death sentence on the killer. (v.19, 21) Verses 22-29: This section defines what is accidental death, or manslaughter. (Exodus 21:13) The key difference is whether or not there was preexisting enmity between the killer and the victim (v.22-23). This was determined by a trial before the congregation of Israel. (v.24) (Joshua 20:6) If the people judged the death to be accidental, the manslayer is sent to the nearest city of refuge where he will live until the death of the high priest. (v.25) The avenger is not allowed to seek vengeance for the accidental death as long as the manslayer remains within the border of the city of refuge. But if the manslayer leaves that city at any time before the death of the high priest, and if he is caught by the avenger, the avenger is allowed to carry out the death sentence. He will not be guilty of murder. (v.26-27) Verses 30-34: There must be more than one witness to testify in a murder case (v.30), and neither the murderer or the manslayer may be redeemed by a ransom payment. (v.31-32) The former is to be put to death, and the latter is to flee to the city of refuge. Those are the only two options for premeditated murder and accidental death. Only the death of the high priest will allow the manslayer to return to his home and family. The reason for all of this law and the cities of refuge is given in verses 33-34. The promised land is holy land, a land where God intends to dwell with His chosen people. The shedding of one man’s blood by another – whether intentional or accidental – is a stain upon that land. (Leviticus 18:24-25, Deuteronomy 21:23) Only the blood of the murderer or the manslayer could cleanse the land of that particular sin, and that’s the reason the manslayer must wait for the death of the high priest until he is free to return home. Since his crime is accidental death, God allows for him to keep his life, but a life must still be given to pay for the death of the one whose life was wrongfully taken by another. The role of the high priest in this matter once again anticipated the role of Jesus Christ as our atoning savior who gave His life to redeem us from the sentence of death for our sins. CHAPTER 36: This last chapter of Numbers closes with another issue pertaining to the allotment and division of the promised land. In chapter 27 the daughters of Zelophehad, of the tribe of Manasseh, presented their case to Moses and the elders regarding the death of their father. Since he had no sons, there was a problem of his name dying with him and none of his inheritance passing onto his daughters. The LORD changed the inheritance law, allowing a father’s inheritance to pass to his daughter(s) first before any other relatives if he had no son(s). This, however, presents another issue when it comes to settling the promised land. Here in the final chapter of the book of Numbers, the elders of the tribe of Manasseh come before Moses and the elders with another problem of inheritance. If the daughters of Zelophehad marry men of another tribe, then their father’s inheritance of land within their own tribe will pass to their husbands. (v.3) Furthermore, according the law of the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:10, 13) that tribe would then have permanent ownership of that land. (v.4) Moses once again consults with God and returns to the elders with a new decree. The daughters of Zelophehad may marry only within their own tribe. (v.6) Going forward, any daughter of future generations will be bound to the same law if she finds herself in the same situation as these women. She may only seek a husband of the men of her own tribe, and each tribe’s land inheritance must stay within that tribe. (v.7-9) Verses 10-12 record the obedience, once again, of the daughters of Zelophehad, thus highlighting the overall obedience of this second generation of Israel that is about to enter the promised land. Verse 13 wraps up the whole book, summarizing all of the law of Moses that was given to him by God. (“These are the commandments and the judgments, which the LORD commanded…”) The book of Numbers opened with the initial obedience of the first generation of the Exodus, and now it closes with a display of the obedience of their sons and daughters. The next book, Deuteronomy, which is the final book in the Pentateuch, is Moses’ last will and testament, a final letter to the children of Israel before they receive the inheritance promised to their father Abraham.
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 CHAPTER 32: The events recorded in this chapter are directly connected to the successful conquest of the Transjordan region that was recorded in Numbers 21:21-35, as seen in the map above, courtesy of Logos Bible Software. Verses 1-5: The tribes of Reuben and Gad come before Moses, Eleazar, and the other leaders of Israel to make a special request. The lands of the Transjordan are rich and fertile for the grazing of livestock. (v.3-4) They request that their people not cross over the Jordan River with the rest of the nation when the time comes to enter the promised land. (v.5) They would prefer to settle in the regions that are listed in verse 1 and 3, which is the land that was formerly occupied by the Amorites and the kingdom of Og. (Numbers 21:21-35, Deuteronomy 3:13, Joshua 13:17, 25-26, 2 Samuel 24:5) Verses 6-15: Moses is understandably upset by this request, and he responds rather harshly. While still within the borders of the promised land, God intends for the nation as a whole to conquer all the promised land first before settling any of it. That’s the central issue with this request, and Moses rightly points out to these men that it’s not fair to their fellow tribes for them to remain behind in a life of ease and comfort while the rest of the nation goes to war on the other side of the Jordan. Doing so will be a great discouragement to the other tribes. (v.6-7) Moses then compares this request to the lack of faith and courage displayed by their fathers thirty-eight years earlier when the twelve spies returned from their mission when the nation was camped at Kadesh-barnea. (v.8-13) Moses briefly summarizes God’s wrath and judgment against that generation because of their disobedience, and he warns the men of Reuben and Gad that they are in danger of committing the same sin. (v.14-15) Verses 16-32: The men reassure Moses three times that their soldiers will go to war with the rest of the nation for as long as is needed in order to conquer the promised land. (v.17-18, 27, 32) Moses reminds them that if they renege on this promise they will be sinning against the LORD, and He will punish them accordingly. “…be sure your sin will find you out…”. (v.23) (Genesis 4:7, 44:16, Joshua 7:1, Isaiah 59:12, Galatians 6:7) Part of that punishment will be that some of that land east of the Jordan will go to the other tribes and not Reuben or Gad. (v.30) Moses confirms this agreement with Eleazar and Joshua since he will not be around to see this agreement fulfilled. Verses 33-42: It’s not just Reuben and Gad that will inherit the land of the Transjordan. Half the tribe of Manasseh is also given some of that land (v.33), possibly because of the inheritance law that was changed when the daughters of Zelophehad presented their case in chapter 27. Further repercussions of that law are dealt with in chapter 36, which also probably affects Moses’ decision to include part of Manasseh in this agreement. (Deuteronomy 3:13-15, Joshua 13:29-31, 17:1-2) The two and a half tribes not only build new cities but also rename existing ones. (v.34-42) CHAPTER 33: This chapter is a travel summary of all the places where Israel camped since their exodus from Egypt. There’s a total of forty locations named in this passage, and with some of them is a mention of the important event that took place there. Their journey began in Rameses (Exodus 12:37), on the 15th day of the first month (Exodus 12:2, 13:4), the morning after the first Passover was held (v.3). Moses reaffirms in verse 4 that God’s judgment, the death of all the firstborn (Exodus 12:29), was on the Egyptians because of their belief and worship of false gods. (Exodus 12:12, 18:11, Isaiah 19:1) The miraculous crossing of the Red Sea is mentioned in verse 8, and verse 14 names the location where the LORD brought forth water from the rock the first time. (Exodus 17:1, 6) Kibroth-hattaavah, which is literally “The Graves of Craving”, is where God provided quail because the people complained about the manna. (v.16) (Numbers 11:34) They ate to the point of gluttony, thus incurring God’s wrath. Verses 18-36 are a list of campsites with no previous mention in the books of Exodus, Leviticus or Numbers. My study Bible suggests that verses 31-33 possibly relate to Deuteronomy 10:6-7, probably because of the name “jaakan” in both passages, as well as the mention of Aaron’s death in the Deuteronomy passage. Here in chapter 33, though, it’s recorded in verses 38-39 as taking place after the Israelites moved from those campsites to that of Kadesh at the base of Mount Hor, near the border of Edom. It’s likely, then, that the campsites listed in 31-35 are all in the same region near Kadesh. Though not recorded in chapter 20, Moses writes here in verse 39 that Aaron was 123 at the time of his death up on Mount Hor. He also records the day, month and year in verse 38. The victory against King Arad and his army is recalled in verse 40. (Numbers 21:1-3) Verses 41-47 is another list of campsites, only a few of which have been mentioned in the previous chapters, and verses 48-49 brings us to the current day, the aftermath of the victory over the Midianites and the request of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and part of Manasseh for the land west of the Jordan River. The warning given by the LORD to Moses in verses 50-56 relates directly to that request that was recorded in chapter 32, as well as the brief travel summary of Israel’s journey since the exodus from Egypt recorded here in chapter 33. As He did forty years earlier, God reminds the children of Israel of what they are to do to the peoples of Canaan once they cross into the promised land. The first command is to tear down their idols and destroy their places of pagan worship. (v.52) (Exodus 23:24, 33, 34:13, Deuteronomy 7:2, 5, 12:3, Judges 2:2, Psalm 106:34) They are to completely drive out all the inhabitants and fully possess the whole promised land before settling there permanently. (v.53) (Deuteronomy 11:31, Joshua 21:43) Verse 54 is a reminder of how they are to divide up the land. The size of the tribe determines the amount of land that each one gets. Verses 55-56 are both a reminder and a warning. Failure to obey the commands of verses 52-53 will cause the children of Israel much grief and suffering. (Joshua 23:13, Judges 2:3) But more than that, it will bring upon them the same wrath that has come upon those very nations whom God has already judged and condemned. As we already know, the Israelites failed to heed this warning, and it resulted in the Assyrian captivity of Israel and the Babylonian captivity of Judah. (Leviticus 26:31-33, Deuteronomy 28:64-66)  CHAPTER 34:
Verses 1-15: God now instructs Moses on the precise borders of the promised land. (See map above, courtesy of Logos Bible Software.) The southern border is from the end of the Salt Sea (Dead Sea) along the Wilderness of Zin that borders Edom, including Kadesh-barnea, all the way to the Mediterranean Sea whose coast is the western border. (v.3-6) (Numbers 20:1, Joshua 15:1, Ezekiel 47:13, 19) The northern border begins near Mount Hor (not the one where Aaron died) and ends at Hazar-enan. (v.7-9) This border also includes Hamath. (Numbers 13:21, Joshua 13:5, 2 Kings 14:25) The eastern border begins at Hazar-enan and extends all the way past the Sea of Chinnereth (Sea of Galilee), following the Jordan River all the way to the Salt Sea. (v.10-12) These borders, however, do not include the land east of the Jordan River that has already been granted to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. (v.13-15) (Numbers 32:33) Verses 16-29: Next, God commands Moses to select a leader of the ten tribes that will be settling the land west of the Jordan to assist Joshua and Eleazar when the time comes to actually divide up the land. (v.17-18) Once again, the tribe of Judah is mentioned first (v.19) and Caleb is named as its representative. He is the only leader mentioned here that is also named elsewhere in the Scriptures. The fact that God names these men specifically signifies the importance of this task. It’s also important to note that the tribe of Levi does not inherit any land, but instead will receive specific cities throughout the land. This will be addressed in more detail in the next chapter. According to Matthew Henry’s commentary, as well as other commentaries and online Biblical sources, the total area of the borders as described in this chapter is about 160 miles long and 50 miles wide, which doesn’t include the land east of the Jordan that is given to Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. That’s a massive area, but as I already noted in the previous chapter, Israel doesn’t fully conquer and settle all of this land. Their failure to completely drive out all of Canaan’s inhabitants causes them to forfeit most of the promised land, a consequence that it is, sadly, still in effect today. The land that the current nation of Israel now occupies is less than half of what God promised them here in Numbers. But a day is coming when all of this land will belong to the re-gathered nation of Israel; a day when Jesus Christ will sit on His throne in Jerusalem in the newly restored temple, and He will reign over all the earth. Israel will the preeminent nation, the one to whom all nations of the earth are subject, and the twelve tribes will each reside in their respective regions as described here in chapters 32 and 34. God’s chosen people will receive their full inheritance, amen! CHAPTER 30:
As noted in the previous chapter, verse 39 was a reminder from the LORD of the importance of the various voluntary offerings and sacrifices, including those that are done in connection with vows. Now, in chapter 30, God gives more detailed instructions through Moses to the Israelites regarding vows. Leviticus 27 introduced legislation for redeeming those who had made a vow of lifetime service to God or had donated an animal to the priest for his use in the tabernacle. Now God is giving more detailed case law to Moses regarding vows, specifically when it’s a daughter, wife, widow, or a divorced woman that is making a vow to the LORD. Vows made to God are a serious matter and not to be treated lightly or done impulsively. Verse 2 makes it clear that whatever oath or vow a man swears unto the LORD shall not be broken. He is to keep that vow, no matter the cost. (Leviticus 5:4, 27:2, Deuteronomy 23:21, Judges 11:30-31, 35, Ecclesiastes 5:4, Matthew 14:9, Acts 23:14) That cross reference from Deuteronomy makes it clear that to break a vow to God is sin. If a woman who is unmarried and still living in her father’s house makes a vow unto the LORD, and her father hears her vow and says nothing, then that vow will stand and the woman is bound to obey it. (v.3-4) But if her father immediately objects to the vow and declares it void, then the woman is not obligated by God to keep it. (v.5) The same law applies to a woman who is married. (v.6-8, 10-13) If her husband overhears a vow made by his wife and keeps his peace, then she must keep the vow. But if her husband immediately objects and disallows her from making the vow, then it is void. By their silence, the father or husband is giving approval of the vow made by his wife or daughter, and all that she says to the LORD is binding. (v.14) She is required to fulfill all that she vowed to God. However, if the father or husband does not immediately object to the daughter’s or wife’s vow, and then sometime later changes his mind and tries to annul the vow, he is too late. God will hold him accountable for the sin of forcing his daughter or wife to break her vow. (v.15) If a woman is divorced or is a widow, she is free to make a vow unto the LORD, and the LORD expects her to honor it. (v.9) The whole purpose of this particular law is to ensure that the patriarchal system of authority is not subverted by the daughter or wife that might make a rash, impulsive vow. Whether we like it or not, God ordained the men to rule over the women as His natural, proper design, and the daughters and wives are to submit accordingly. That is the principle behind this law, and God is making it clear to the children of Israel that the fathers and husbands are responsible for leading their homes in all things. That means guiding and watching over all that their daughters and wives do or say. CHAPTER 31: The narrative thread now resumes, picking up where chapter 25 left off. God had commanded Moses at the end of that chapter to attack the Midianites as part of His judgment against them and Balaam for drawing Israel into the sin of idolatry and immorality. (Numbers 25:16-18) Moses commands each tribe to select from among them a thousand men (v.4), and the army of twelve thousand marches against Midian, led by Phineas, the son of Eleazar the high priest. (v.6) (Numbers 25:7-8) The fact that Phineas is at the head of the army, carrying the holy instruments and sounding the trumpets, indicates that this war is a holy one, reinforcing the statement by God to Moses in verse 2: “Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites…”. (Numbers 10:9) Verses 7-11: The Israelites are more than victorious. They utterly destroy the Midianites, slaying all the men – including Balaam (v.7-8) – and taking captive all the women and children, as well as all their livestock and wealth. (v.9) (Deuteronomy 20:13-14, Judges 21:11, 1 Samuel 27:9, 1 Kings 11:15-16) The cities and fortresses of the Midianites are burned to the ground. (v.10) The names of the slain listed in verse 8 alongside Balaam’s are also significant. (Numbers 25:15, Joshua 13:21) It’s important to note here that only the Midianites living in the plains of Moab are conquered and destroyed. The Midianites that are named in Judges 6 are a different clan that currently occupies the promised land. Verses 12-20: Moses is angry with the soldiers because they saved all the women of Midian, including those that had seduced the men of Israel to sin. (v.14-16) (Numbers 25:1-2) Moses then orders the army to slay all the male children and any woman that is not a virgin. (v.17) The virgins, presumably, are allowed to marry any eligible Israelite man. (v.18) Moses also reminds the soldiers of the law regarding those who have been defiled by either touching or being in the presence of a dead body. They must remain outside the camp for seven days and then wash themselves, their clothing, and anything else that came into contact with the slain Midianites. (v.18-20) (Numbers 5:2) One of the many problems that non-Christians have when confronted by scenes such as this in the Bible, particularly in the OT, is that they cannot understand how a loving and just God would condone that kind of murder of the innocent, especially babies and young children. Even some believers struggle with reconciling God’s attributes of love, mercy, longsuffering, and graciousness with passages such as this one. Moses is relaying the word of the LORD (v.2), not his own decision or judgment, so therefore it is God who is commanding His chosen people to execute all the male children – yes, even the babies – and the women who had enticed the men of Israel into idolatry and adultery – both physical and spiritual. The killing of the male children and the adult women that committed adultery ensures that there will be no future rebellion against Israel by the Midianites. There’s a couple of important points to remember when reading these passages: 1) God had promised Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “…I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee…”. The destruction of the nation of Midian in this chapter is God fulfilling that promise. The princes of Midian, along with King Balak, had cursed the nation of Israel. Therefore, because God is perfect He cannot lie, nor can He go back on His word. It’s impossible for Him to do so. This passage demonstrates God keeping His promise to Abraham’s descendants. 2) The idolatry of the Midianites, which involved not only their worship of Baal but also their sexual immorality, has so angered the LORD, that He brings swift and immediate vengeance upon the entire nation. That includes not only the men, but the some of the women and the male children as well. God so despises adultery that He made it a capital crime. (Leviticus 20:10) Again, God cannot go back on His word, and that means that sin must be punished accordingly. The sins of idolatry, immorality, and adultery are not trifle matters, and that, too, is shown here in Moses’ command to the Israelite soldiers. We must keep in mind that while God is a loving and merciful God, He is also a just and jealous God who, because of His perfect and holy nature, cannot abide by even the slightest sin. Any sin, no matter how slight or microscopic, is an abomination to Him, and He must punish it accordingly, precisely because of His perfect and holy nature. Therefore, scenes like the one here in Numbers 31, as well as that of Genesis 19, are examples of God displaying His holiness, perfection, justice, and sovereignty over all His creation. Verses 21-24: The instructions in these verses by Eleazar to the soldiers are in keeping with the ordinances of the law that require purification by those who have been in contact with the dead as well as other causes of general uncleanness that are a side effect of both war and sin. (Leviticus 11:25) Verses 25-47: This section lists not only the numbers of the women and children taken captive by the Israelites, but all the different animals as well: sheep, oxen, donkeys, goats, etc. Both the people and the livestock are divided equally among the soldiers as well as the congregation, minus portions that are given to Eleazar as a tithe to the LORD and provision for the priests (v.41), and to the tribe of Levi for tribute and provision since they do not share in any inheritance like the other tribes according to the law (v.47). After carrying out Moses’ command earlier regarding the captive women who were non-virgins and the male children, those that remained of the virgins are a total of thirty-two thousand. (v.35, 40) A tenth of them, three hundred and twenty, are given as tribute, or tithe, to the LORD. They will serve in the tabernacle. (Exodus 38:8) As noted earlier, the rest of the virgins are, presumably, given to the men of Israel as wives. Verses 48-54: In accordance with the law, the soldiers come to Moses and Eleazar and present an offering of gold from the spoils of war “…to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.” (v.50) (Exodus 30:12) Since there is no record in this chapter of any Israelite soldier dying in the battle with the Midianites, it’s possible that this offering is also a gift to God as gratitude for their victory. Eleazar receives it as a memorial, also in accordance with that same law. (Exodus 30:16) CHAPTER 28:
Following the pattern of updates or reviews of current law after an incident of national disobedience and judgment by God (refer back to the table in chapter 26), chapters 28 and 29 are God’s instructions to Moses regarding the burnt offerings and sacrifices. Chapter 28 is arranged thusly: the daily burnt offerings (v.2-8), the weekly Sabbath offering (9-10), the monthly offerings (11-15), and the annual offerings arranged in chronological sequence (v.16 – 29:38). The primary purpose of these instructions are to remind the new generation that is preparing to enter the promised land of their covenantal obligations once they have conquered and settled in the land. This is also a reminder of how their fathers failed the Lord by not obeying His commandments, part of which includes the sacrificial system of burnt offerings. Verses 1-8: The daily offerings were first covered in Exodus 29:38-42 and Leviticus 1-7. These are for the atonement of daily sins, a reminder to every Israelite of their constant uncleanness before God and their need of regular, consistent atonement. All of us are sinners, even after salvation, for we must continue to live in our fallen, wicked flesh until we receive our new, uncorrupted bodies, either in death in this life or immediately following the second coming of Christ. This means that we sin every day, and before the death of Christ at Calvary the only way to atone for sin was the daily burnt offering, once in the morning and once in the evening, of “…two lambs of the first year without spot…”. (v.3) Verses 9-10: The Sabbath day required the daily burnt offerings as well as an additional meat offering and burnt offering of two more lambs of the first year without blemish or spot. Verses 11-15: The first day of each month, which is also the new moon in the Jewish calendar, requires burnt, grain and drink offerings, as well as a sin offering of a male goat. (1 Samuel 20:5, 1 Chronicles 23:31, 2 Chronicles 2:4, Ezra 3:5, Nehemiah 10:33) The first day of the month is also one of the occasions for which God commanded the blowing of trumpets. (Numbers 10:10) Verses 16-25: Further instructions regarding the Feast of Unleavened Bread are given here. (Leviticus 23:6) This feast follows the day of Passover, which is the fourteenth day of the first month, and lasts for seven days. (Leviticus 23:5, Numbers 9:2, Deuteronomy 16:1, Ezekiel 45:21) The first and seventh days are to be treated as sabbaths (v.18, 25), with an assembly by the whole congregation on both days. In addition to the usual daily offerings, the ones described in these verses are also to be done on each day of the feast, a combination of burnt, meat, drink, and sin offerings. (v.23) Verses 26-31: These verses pertain to the Feast of Weeks, a.k.a. firstfruits. (Exodus 23:16, 34:22, Leviticus 23:10, Deuteronomy 16:9, Acts 2:1) This is the festival that is held in the summer months, starting at the end of the barley harvest but before the beginning of the wheat harvest. As with the other sacrifices described in this chapter, the burnt, meat, and sin offerings on this day are in addition to the other daily offerings. This day is also a sabbath requiring an assembly of the people. (v.26) CHAPTER 29: Verses 1-6: Throughout scripture, the number seven is a holy number, and this is especially seen here in the OT in the Mosaic Law. These verses are a review of the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24-25), which takes place on the first day of the seventh month, which is named Tishri in the Jewish calendar. (In the modern calendar this is somewhere around September/October.) The trumpets are blown on this day to call the people to “…an holy convocation…” (v.1), referring to an assembly of the whole congregation. As with all the other festival days, this day is to be a sabbath where no work is done except that which is necessary to gather the people together and prepare the feast. And, same as the other holidays described in chapter 28, this day is also to have a burnt, meat, and sin offering in addition to the other daily offerings. (v.6) Notice, also, that each of these special sacrifices and offerings requires either seven or fourteen lambs of the first year. Verses 7-11: This is referencing the Day of Atonement, the one day every year when the high priest was allowed to enter the holy of holies within the tabernacle to atone for the sins of the nation. (Leviticus 16:29-30, 23:27-28) As with the first day of this month, there is an additional burnt, meat, and sin offering required, and this day is a sabbath with a national assembly required as well. The phrase “…ye shall afflict your souls…” appears again in this passage, just as it did in the original command from Leviticus. (Psalm 35:13, Isaiah 58:5) This day is to be a special one for all the people, a time set aside to reflect on their sins and to humbly seek God’s face by atoning with the proper offerings and sacrifices. To afflict one’s soul is to contemplate our wretched state before a holy and righteous God, and to earnestly seek His mercy and forgiveness. That is the whole purpose behind this special day. Verses 12-38: The last feast to be reviewed is the Feast of Booths. This begins on the fifteenth day of the seventh month and lasts for a total of eight days. (v. 12, 35) This, too, was first described in Leviticus 23:39-43, and it commemorates the time immediately following the exodus from Egypt when the Israelites dwelt in temporary shelters in the wilderness. On each day there’s a specific number of bullocks, rams, lambs, and one goat kid to be sacrificed along with a daily meat offering. The ingredients of the meat offering are split up between the bulls, rams, and lambs as part of their individual offerings, same as with all the other blood sacrifices described in this chapter and the previous one. On each day there is one less bull to sacrifice, and the eighth day is a sabbath with a holy assembly of all the nation, same as the previous festivals. (Leviticus 23:36) Verses 39-40: This chapter closes with a reminder from the LORD that these appointed feasts and their respective sacrifices and offerings are not optional for the children of Israel. There is also an exhortation to bring the other voluntary offerings throughout the year as well. These are listed once more in verse 39: the votive, freewill, meat, drink, burnt, and peace offerings. (Leviticus 7:16, 22:18, 21, 23, 23:38) Moses faithfully relays all these commands to the children of Israel. Verses 1-11: The four daughters of Zelophehad first mentioned in the previous chapter now take center stage in the beginning of Chapter 27. (v.1) They come before Moses, Eleazar, and all the congregation of Israel at the door of the tabernacle to present a legal case involving the law of inheritance. (v.2-4) Zelophehad had died in the wilderness as part of the faithless generation that came out of Egypt. He was not involved in Korah’s rebellion, and he had no sons. It’s unclear from the text why this specific distinction is made, but perhaps it has something to do with dilemma that his four daughters now face. If Zelophehad had been part of Korah’s rebellion, perhaps God wouldn’t have allowed his daughters to inherit their family’s portion of the promised land?
Whatever the reason, the daughters come before Moses with a bold request. Under the current Levitical law, if there are no living sons to inherit a man’s land and/or goods, the inheritance would pass on to the nearest male relative, starting with his brothers, or his uncles if no brothers remained living. Because of this, the man’s name and lineage could be forever lost since his daughters would be taking on the family name of their husbands when they married. (Deuteronomy 25:6) What Zelophehad’s daughters are requesting now of Moses is a change to the inheritance law that would give them equal property rights to those of a son regarding their father’s inherited portion of the promised land. (v.4) There is a magnificent demonstration of faith on the part of these four women. Unlike their father’s generation, these children believe in the promise of God to Abraham that they will, indeed, inherit the promised land. There is no doubt in their minds about this, and that faith is what emboldens them to come forward with this request. The Moody Bible Commentary states it this way: “This request by the daughters models what the author of Numbers wanted to highlight, namely, great faith. These daughters so trusted the LORD that they were confident of receiving an inheritance of their father’s estate. They took the effort to deal with the issue of property rights before any property in the promised land was actually parceled out. Earlier they expressed concern that they did not want their father’s name to be withdrawn from among his family (v. 4) so they seem to have believed in the LORD who established the Abrahamic covenantal blessing, and they did not want their father’s household to miss out on the legacy that covenant provided. In spite of the murmuring and rebellion of the nation in the wilderness, these daughters exemplified great faith in God’s promises to Israel, and they wanted to lay hold of them. They provide a role model as to how this new generation should respond to God’s promises.” Moses, in a familiar demonstration of wise, godly leadership, promptly takes their case to the Lord. (v.5) God rewards the faith of these four daughters, granting them their request. (v.7) Furthermore, He amends the law to allow for a man’s inheritance to pass to his surviving daughter(s) if he has no living sons. (v.8) If he has no children at all, then his land and goods will pass to his brother(s) (v.9), and if he has no brothers, then his inheritance will pass to his paternal uncle(s) (v.10). If he has no uncles, then it will go to the nearest surviving kinsman. (v.11) Verses 12-23: The last half of this chapter deals with the impending death of Moses. God tells Moses to ascend Mount Abarim, which is actually a range of mountains east of the dead sea. (Deuteronomy 32:49-50 names Mount Nebo, which is part of this range, as the actual site of Moses’ death.) From this peak Moses will be able to view the promised land, and after that “…thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.” (v.13) Because of Moses’ sin of rebellion in the desert of Zin, at the rock of Meribah in Kadesh, both he and Aaron were forbidden by God to enter the promised land. (v.14) (Numbers 20:12, 24, Deuteronomy 1:37, 32:51, Psalm 106:32-33) In another display of humility and true leadership character, Moses has one last request for the LORD: the selection of a new leader for the children of Israel. (v.16-17) Moses has no concern for himself but instead is worried “…that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.” (v.17) Moses recognizes the need for a godly, upright, strong leader because of the nation’s propensity to go astray so easily. Once again, he is assuming the role of a mediator between the Israelites and God, pleading on their behalf that the LORD not leave His chosen people without a man to take Moses’ place as they enter the promised land. Moses, as we see him here towards the end of his life, is a radically different man than the one we met at the beginning of Exodus. That man was a coward, quick to anger, rash, impulsive, and utterly lacking in any of the characteristics required for true, godly leadership. Moses, along with Abraham and Joseph and King David, is an excellent example of the old saying, “God does not call the qualified, but instead qualifies the called.” Moses initially threw up every excuse in the book for why he wasn’t the man to confront Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. And he was absolutely right. He wasn’t an eloquent, persuasive orator. He lacked self control, he was impatient and quick to anger. And his only experience in leadership was as a sheep herder. But none of that mattered to God, and Moses eventually surrendered his will and his life to the LORD. God used him in a mighty and miraculous way, transforming Moses into one of the greatest and godliest leaders of Israel. The man that we see now displays the opposite of all those characteristics that I listed above. He is wise, humble, and unselfish. He isn’t perfect by any means, as proven by his sin at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, but God changed him over the years, refining Moses’ upright qualities, and teaching him how to subdue his faults to bring them under the will of God. It was only after Moses surrendered to the LORD’s calling for his life that God began to work in him in a mighty way. Moses is the prefect example of how every believer today must first surrender, beginning at the point of salvation. We must set aside our pride and all other excuses, humble ourselves and seek God’s face, and acknowledge our need for a savior if we are to be truly saved. After that, as we continually surrender ourselves daily (Romans 12:1-2), God will begin to work in us to qualify us for whatever calling He has already given us at the time of our salvation. The more that we allow God work in us and through us, the more that we study His word and grow in faith, the more we will see of His transforming power in our lives. That day at the burning bush, on the backside of the desert where he had spent forty years, Moses must have thought his life was pretty much done. He was then eighty, and he probably assumed his remaining years would be spent with his family in Midian, herding sheep and watching his children grow into adulthood, get married, and father children of their own. He could not have imagined the wild, crazy, radical new adventure that was about to begin when he first spied the sagebrush that was on fire, yet not consumed. Now, as he nears the end of his life, Moses pleads with the LORD to not leave His chosen people without a leader. God tells Moses to bring Joshua, son of Nun, “…a man in whom is the spirit…”, before Eleazar to lay hands on him in the presence of all the congregation of Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:9) Moses is to “…give him a charge in their sight…” (v.19) and “…transfer some of thine honour upon him…” (v.20). (Deuteronomy 3:28, 31:3, 7-8, 23) Furthermore, God will not speak directly with Joshua as He did with Moses. Instead, Joshua will seek the LORD’s counsel through Eleazar who will use “…the judgment of Urim before the LORD…” (v.21). This references the Urim and Thummim that are kept in the breastplate of judgment worn by the high priest. (Exodus 28:30, 1 Samuel 28:6) The reference in verse 18 of Joshua possessing the spirit indicates that God had already chosen Joshua to succeed Moses. (Genesis 41:38, Judges 3:10, 1 Samuel 16:13) Joshua has been Moses’ faithful servant ever since the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 17:9), and he has demonstrated all of the same qualities of true, godly leadership the LORD instilled in Moses. Moses has taught Joshua well, as is seen by Joshua's obedience in the last two verses of this chapter, as well as the book that bears his name. Verse 22: “And Moses did as the Lord commanded him…”. Though Moses’ story is not yet finished, this phrase accurately sums up his life from the moment God called and ordained him at the burning bush. In the forty years since that time, there are only two instances of disobedience on record (Exodus 4:24-26, Numbers 20:10-12), demonstrating a career of genuine faithfulness and striving for godliness that has set an example for all the children of Israel to follow. It is an epitaph that every believer today should strive for. Because of his submission and obedience, God used a violent, angry, coward in a mighty way, making Moses one of the greatest leaders that Israel has ever known, even to this present day. CHAPTER 25: Chapter 24 is the end of Balaam’s meeting with King Balak, but it’s not the end of Balaam’s story. We know from Numbers 31:16 and Revelation 2:14 that Balaam advised the Moabites on the best way to lure the Israelites into sin and disobedience against God, which is described here in chapter 25. Shittim is the last encampment of the Israelites before crossing the Jordan River. (v.1) (Joshua 2:1) Because of its close proximity to Moab, it’s easy for the daughters of Moab to entice the men of Israel to idolatry and immorality. (v.1-2) (Exodus 34:15, Deuteronomy 32:38, Joshua 22:17, Hosea 9:10, 1 Corinthians 10:20) Nearly all of the Canaanite religions require orgies as part of their worship rituals, and Baal, specifically, is the god of fertility. The name “Baal-peor” very likely refers to a shrine built at the place where Balaam delivered his final oracle to Balak. (v.3) The term “whoredom” in verse 1 refers to both sexual immorality and spiritual infidelity. Israel violates her covenant with God once again by becoming involved in the pagan worship practices of the Moabites. Psalm 106:28-29 specifically mentions the practice of eating “…the sacrifices of the dead…” as part of this incident, which could refer to food that had first been offered to the idols or possibly some form of ritualistic cannibalism. Whatever the case, this egregious sin angers the LORD, and He commands Moses to slay any man who has gone to worship Baal-peor. (v.4) Their bodies are to be hung in the center of camp for all to see. (Deuteronomy 4:3) The judges of Israel mentioned in verse 5 are most likely the sons of the men appointed by Moses at Mount Sinai to help lead the nation, since most of the first generation has already passed away during the forty years of wandering in the desert. (Exodus 18:21-22) Moses instructs them to “Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baal-peor.” (v.5) (Deuteronomy 13:6, 9) While the text doesn’t say specifically, the man described in verse 6 is most likely one of the Baal worshipers. His name is Zimri, and he is a leader in the tribe of Simeon (v.14) The Midianites are allies of the Moabites (Numbers 22:4), and this man doesn’t even attempt to hide his sin from Moses or the people who are mourning at the entrance of the tabernacle. The implication here is that the judgment of the LORD has already begun, and the ones who are weeping are the families of the men who have been slain. That makes this man’s disobedience even more egregious and galling, which is the reason for Phineas’ furious reaction. (v.7) He spies the man and the Midianite prostitute, whose name is Cozbi, a daughter of one of the leaders of Midian (v.15), as they enter the man’s tent, and he takes immediate action. (v.8) (Psalm 106:30) Phineas, the grandson of Aaron, enters the tent and kills both the man and the woman by stabbing them with a large javelin in a single, vicious stroke. This action, along with the executions carried out by the judges, stays the wrath of the LORD. (Numbers 16:46) In addition to the slaying of the sinners, God had also sent a plague among the people, and Phineas’ swift, decisive judgment ends that as well. (v.8) The death toll for this latest act of rebellion is twenty-four thousand. (v.9) Because Phineas “…was zealous for my sake…” (v.11), God makes a covenant with him. (v.12-13) (Malachi 2:4-5, 3:1, Acts 22:3, Romans 10:2) He promises Phineas, the son of Eleazar, that the Levitical priesthood will continue through his specific bloodline, “…an everlasting priesthood…”. (v.13) While God had earlier promised this to Aaron (Exodus 40:15), He was now narrowing it further to the specific lineage of Phineas. The latter half of verse 13 implies that Phineas’ zealous and swift action saved the nation of Israel by serving as an atonement for their disobedience, in much the same manner as Aaron’s action with the incense in the incident following Korah’s rebellion. (Numbers 16:46-47) Some theologians and Biblical scholars, including John MacArthur, believe that Phineas’ bloodline is still present to this day, even though the twelve tribes of Israel as recorded in the Bible have long ago been lost to history, beginning in the first century when the Jews were scattered throughout the world following the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. When the sacrificial system is reinstated during the Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom, as described in Ezekiel, it is believed that the descendants of Phineas will be serving as priests in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. Given the promise by God in verse 13, that theory seems very likely. What we do know for certain is that Phineas’ bloodline did indeed continue throughout the OT and during the time of Christ’s ministry here on earth. We know this because the Levitical priesthood, the temple, and the sacrificial systems remained in place until the crucifixion of Christ. That is the essence of God’s promise to Phineas here in chapter 25. This chapter concludes with a command from the LORD to Moses. (v.16) The Israelites are to attack the Midianites because they enticed His chosen people to sin. (v.17-18) This is carried out in chapter 31, as already noted earlier regarding the death of Balaam. CHAPTER 26: This chapter opens with a command from God to have Moses conduct another census of the nation. (v.1-2) This instruction, following an account of new revelation from the LORD and then grievous disobedience of the Israelites, closely parallels the incident of the golden calf from Exodus 32 while Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the Law of God. The following table is courtesy of the Moody Bible Commentary:  What follows in this chapter is a census record similar to that of Numbers 1 and 3. Almost forty years has passed since that first census which was taken in the second month of the second year after the exodus. The purpose of that was to record all the men of Israel, twenty years and older, who were capable of going to war. The same purpose is given here (v.2) since a military campaign against Midian has just been announced. This census, though, has a secondary purpose: the proper division of the promised land among the tribes following their conquest of it. (v.53) The tribes with larger populations will receive a larger portion of land, while the smaller tribes will receive a portion equal to their populations. (v.54) The land will divided up fairly and equally by lot. (v.55-56) (Numbers 33:54, 34:13, Joshua 11:23, 14:2) There’s also a few more details of the clans within the tribes given here that is not found in chapters 1 and 3, including proper names and brief genealogies. (v.5-51, 58-62) The point of this is to show that the entire first generation that God decreed would never see the promised land due to disobedience (Numbers 14:22-23) has now passed away, save for Caleb and Joshua. (This also means that all those who were still alive of the first generation in chapter 25 were killed in the plague of God’s judgment for the sin of idolatry.) The Levites, of course, are counted separately as they are not allowed to inherit any land. (v.62) Dathan and Abiram are listed in verse 9, and Korah’s rebellion is briefly recalled (Numbers 16:1-2), but verse 11 reminds the reader that Korah’s children were not killed as part of God’s judgment against their father. Verse 33 mentions Zelophehad, of the tribe Manasseh, who has no sons. His daughters, who are also named, will be the focus of the first half of chapter 27. The following table illustrates the results of this second census:  Two things are immediately apparent: 1) despite the death of the first generation of the Exodus, the nation’s total population still increased in those forty years; 2) the most striking decrease in population occurred among the tribe of Simeon. This is most likely due to the recent incident of idolatry described in chapter 25. Zimri was a leader of that tribe, so it’s a reasonable assumption that the majority of the worshipers of Baal-peor were Simeonites. The Moody Bible Commentators have this to say of the census: “With the numbers given in this chapter, it is possible to calculate approximately on average how many of the first generation died per day during the wilderness-wandering period. Massive deaths occurred at the Korah rebellion and the plague of Baal-peor, but an average of 90 funerals a day would have had to be conducted during this period.”
Furthermore, there is the logical question of why Eleazar is still alive, since he was at least thirty when he began to serve in the tabernacle. (Numbers 3:2-3, 4:46-47) One possible answer is that only those of the first generation who actually rebelled against God died in the wilderness. It’s very likely that none of the Levites, especially those serving in the tabernacle, were part of that rebellion. This answer makes even more sense given Eleazar’s display of godly zeal in the previous chapter. However, the more likely answer is that the Levites were excluded altogether from God’s judgment of the first generation, just as they were excluded in the first census at Mount Sinai. Verse 64 clearly states that not a single member of that generation is alive at the time of this second census, and verse 62 also confirms that the Levites are again “…not numbered among the children of Israel…” this second time around. The only exception to this is Caleb and Joshua. (v.65) This proves God’s faithfulness and justice. He rewards those that obey Him and keep His covenant, while also keeping His word that those who rebel and disobey will be punished accordingly. CHAPTER 23:
Verses 1-2: The seven altars and the fourteen burnt offerings are not an indication that Balaam is honoring or worshiping God. According to Biblical scholars and historians, seven was a sacred number in the ANE, and we know from Genesis that animal sacrifices have been an integral part of mankind’s culture and tradition when God made animal skins to clothe Adam and Eve after the Fall. And since it’s clear from the text that both Balaam and King Balak are heathen men, it’s also clear that these burnt offerings are not the same as the ones God described for the Israelites in Exodus and Leviticus. Balak is a superstitious man, and he’s doing what he thinks will bring him the most reward from his false gods. Verses 3-5: Balaam tells Balak to stand by while he goes “…to an high place…” to meet with God. (v.3) This could be reference to a nearby hilltop or another sacred site of Baal that is a short distance away. Balaam tells the LORD that he has prepared seven altars and done two burnt offerings on each one. (v.4) Given the pagan worship that is represented by those offerings, this is either incredible pride and arrogance on the part of Balaam or he is simply so naïve in his sin that he somehow thinks that God is pleased by those sacrifices just because God has chosen him to be His oracle. Nevertheless, God tells Balaam what he will speak, and Balaam returns to Balak. Verses 6-12: This is the first of four blessings/prophecies that Balaam gives regarding God’s chosen people. It’s not just King Balak that is listening, but he has all his princes with him. (v.6) Verse 7 describes Balaam’s words as a parable, meaning that what he’s about to speak is more than just an ordinary blessing. (Job 27:1, 29:1, Psalm 78:2) What God has given Balaam is a fundamental, divine truth, a revelation that can neither be given nor found anywhere else except from Yahweh, the one, true God, creator of heaven and earth. In other words, King Balak and his princes are about to get far more than they bargained for, and it’s definitely not what any of them want to hear. For us, however, who truly believe and worship JEHOVAH, the words of Balaam in this chapter and the next are a heavenly parable indeed! Balaam begins by stating who has summoned him and from where he has come. (v.7) King Balak and all of Moab desire to defy Israel. (1 Samuel 17:10) But Balaam says he cannot curse those whom God has not cursed, nor can he defy them that God has not defied. (v.8) The children of Israel stand apart from all other people of the earth, “…and shall not be reckoned among the nations.” (v.9) (Exodus 33:16, Deuteronomy 32:8, 33:28, Joshua 11:23, Ezra 9:2) The LORD, speaking through Balaam, is confirming His covenant with Abraham here. Israel has been called out, separated from all other nations and peoples of the earth, and no one shall come against them or defy them, for they belong solely to God. “Who can count the dust of Jacob…” (v.10) (Genesis 13:16, 22:17, 28:14, 2 Chronicles 1:9) Abraham’s seed numbers about two million, even with the recent deaths due to disobedience and rebellion. From their vantage point atop this peak, Balaam and Balak can see only a quarter of Israel’s encampment. (“…the number of the fourth part of Israel…”) Balaam ends his blessing with a confirmation of Israel’s righteous state before God. Note from my study Bible: “This episode is a test case for the Abrahamic covenant in its most elemental and fundamental level. Balaam was called by Balak to put God to the test.” Balak, of course, is not at all happy with this blessing, but Balaam reminds him that he can only “…speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth.” (v.11-12) Verses 13-17: Balak thinks a change of view will alter the outcome of Balaam’s prophecies, so he relocates everyone to “…the field of Zophim, to the top of Pigsah…”. (v.14) This site offers a different view of Israel’s encampment. (v.13) Another seven altars are built and another round of burnt offerings are completed. Balaam once again tells Balak to stand by “…while I meet the LORD yonder.” (v.15) Once again, God tells him what to say to Balak. (v.16) Verses 18-24: The immutability of God is stated clearly in verse 19. “…hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” What God wills will be done, and no man can change that or stand against it. The first part of this verse is referring to the fact that God cannot go back on the promise He made to Abraham. He gave His word to Abraham that his seed would number as the stars of the heaven, and that through him all nations of the earth would be blessed. God also specifically stated “…I will bless thee…” (Genesis 12:2) and “…I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curesth thee…” (12:3) Although Balak is asking Balaam to curse Israel, what he’s really seeking is that God – through Balaam – curses Israel. God – through Balaam – is making it clear to Balak that He can’t do that. He is not like men that He can lie and break His promises. “…He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it,” Balaam says to the king. (v.20) “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel…”. (v.21) (Psalm 32:2, Romans 4:7-8) These verses refer to Israel’s standing before God. He has found the nation righteous in the same way that believers today are seen as righteous before God because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Because of Israel’s faith and their keeping of the law, God sees them as upright and blameless before Him. This is also another way of saying that they are God’s chosen people, and the second half of the verse attests to Israel’s victories because the LORD is on their side. (Psalm 89:15) Balaam then gives examples of God’s might, power, and sovereignty. (v.22-24). The first example is, of course, His deliverance of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. God’s power is compared to that of a unicorn, a reference that is used frequently in the OT to refer to God’s supernatural might and providence. (v.22) (Numbers 24:8, Deuteronomy 33:17, Job 39:9-10, Psalm 22:21, 29:6, 92:10, Isaiah 34:7) The exact definition of this word as well as the animal to which it is referring is unknown to modern Biblical scholars. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Bible dictionary gives this definition: “Probably the great aurochs or wild bulls which are now extinct. The exact meaning is not known.” The KJV translators used the term “unicorn” because it was the closest that we have in English to whatever mighty and powerful animal was native to this region of the ANE at this time. Whatever the case, Balaam is making it clear to King Balak that God is far more powerful than man, and what He has wrought cannot be undone by any mere mortal. Balaam confirms what God has told him from the start: no one can come against the seed of Jacob with any form of divination or supernatural power except that God allows it. (v.23) Not even Satan with all of his power and demonic forces can attack Israel, for God is their strength and protection. By His power the nation shall rise up against her enemies as a mighty lion, young and full of fury. (v.24) Anyone that comes against her will be utterly destroyed. (Genesis 49:9, 27, Psalm 31:19, 44:1) Verses 25-30: Balak now tries a different tactic, telling Balaam to neither curse nor bless Israel at all. (v.25) But Balaam reminds the king that he can only speak what God tells him to say. There’s also an interesting point here in that not only is Balaam allowed to speak only what God gives to him, but neither can Balaam refrain from speaking at all! God’s will is that Balaam publicly blesses the children of Israel, and Balaam has no choice but to obey! Balak, however, refuses to accept Balaam’s reply, and he relocates everyone to yet another mountain peak overlooking the plains of Moab. (v.27) The king foolishly and stubbornly believes that just because he and Balaam change the venue that God will suddenly change His mind as well. The new site is the mountaintop of Peor, looking towards Jeshimon. (v.28) (Numbers 21:20) As before, Balak and his princes build seven altars upon which Balaam performs the usual burnt offerings. CHAPTER 24: Verses 1-9: From the top of Mount Peor, Balaam and Balak can see all of the camp of Israel. (v.1-2) (Numbers 2:2, 34) This time Balaam has no need to depart a ways off in order to first consult with God before giving Balak a new parable. On the previous two occasions, God had spoken to Balaam through whatever method of divination and spiritual enchantment Balaam regularly practiced. Now, however, the spirit of God comes upon him directly. (v.2) (Numbers 11:25, 1 Samuel 10:10, 19:20, 23, 2 Chronicles 15:1) Verse 3 is the Lord speaking through Balaam about Balaam. He is “…the man whose eyes are open…”. Verse 4 gives further detail about Balaam’s appearance. He is clearly in a trance, seeing a “…vision of the Almighty…”. The seed of Jacob is compared to a bountiful garden full of rich, flourishing trees. (v.6) (Psalm 1:3, 104:16, Jeremiah 17:8) Cedar trees in the ANE always yielded strong, sturdy wood, and the forests of Lebanon at that time were ripe with these towering trees whose roots ran deep. Balaam prophesies that the nation of Israel will have seed as abundant as the waters of the earth, and their king will be exalted above all kings of the earth. (v.7) King Agag of the Amalekites is named specifically here, even though he is yet to be born. (1 Samuel 15:8-9) It’s also possible that Agag is a title rather than a proper name, like Pharaoh, and thus Balaam could be referring to the whole nation of the Amalekites rather than a specific man. The Amalekites were the first people to attack Israel after their exodus from Egypt, and that’s probably another reason that Balaam specifically mentions them here. There is a sudden change of pronouns starting in verse 8. Where Balaam referred to all of Israel in the two parables from chapter 23, he now shifts to a singular masculine pronoun. The simile of the unicorn is used again. (“God hath brought him forth out of Egypt…”) The rest of that verse continues the metaphor of the lion that was begun in the previous chapter. (Numbers 23:24, Psalm 2:9, 45:5, Jeremiah 50:17) None of His enemies shall be left standing when all is said and done. He will bask in His victories, as a lion that lays down in his den after devouring his prey. (v.9) Balaam closes this parable by repeating God’s promise to Abraham, even keeping the singular pronoun that God used in those proclamations. (Genesis 12:3, 27:29) There is a dual prophecy in verses 8-9. Balaam is speaking of the nation of Israel and her early victories that will come after entering the promised land. But he is also predicting the coming Messiah, the King of Kings and LORD of Lords, the One who will destroy all of Israel’s enemies in the last days of the Tribulation before establishing His millennial kingdom. Verses 10-19: Balak’s anger, of course, now reaches a boiling point, indicated by the phrase “…he smote his hands together…”. (v.10) (Ezekiel 21:14, 17) Rather than be humbled and corrected by Balaam’s words, the king’s heart hardens even further, and he orders Balaam to return home. (v.11) His claim that “…the LORD hath kept thee back from honour…” shows the extent of Balak’s sinful pride, as if he is the one who is right and Balaam deserves to be punished for disobedience! Balaam, nonplussed by Balak’s outburst, reminds the king yet again that he warned Balak he couldn’t say anything except what God allowed him to speak. (v.12-13) No amount of the king’s wealth and bestowed honor could override God’s sovereignty. But Balaam doesn’t stop there. He has one more prophecy to deliver before he returns to his homeland. (v.14) This one concerns the actions of Israel in the latter days against all her enemies. (Genesis 49:1, Deuteronomy 4:30, Daniel 2:28) Verses 15-16 echo verses 3-4, indicating once more that the spirit of God has come upon him directly. Once again, Balaam references both a specific person as well as the whole nation of Israel. The Moody Bible Commentary has this to say of verse 17: “Balaam envisioned this individual as a Star and a Scepter. A star was often mentioned in conjunction with royal figures (Isaiah 14:12, Matthew 2:2), and the scepter designated power and authority (Genesis 49:10, Psalm 45:6). While King David foreshadowed many of the predictions here, these images were clearly fulfilled in Christ (Matthew 2:2, Hebrews 1:8, 2 Peter 1:19, Revelation 22:16).” This whole chapter contains one of the clearest and strongest Messianic prophecies in all of the OT. (NOTE: the Moody Institute scholars are not using the KJV 1611 Bible as their source for the cross reference of Isaiah 14:12. There is actually no mention of a star in that verse except in the other corrupted English translations of the Bible. Isaiah spoke of Lucifer in those verses, not Christ, and nowhere in scripture does God compare anyone other than His only son to a morning star. This is another example of how all the other English translations of the Bible – which are based on the corrupted manuscripts that came out of Alexandria, Egypt – seek to rob Jesus Christ of His rightful deity. In the case of that specific verse in Isaiah 14, to refer to Lucifer as the “morning star”, “star of the morning”, or “day-star” – all of which are used by the ASV, CEB, CSB, ESV, LSB, NASB, NIV, NLT, and RSV – is outright blasphemy. The other cross references from Hebrews, 2 Peter, and Revelation prove this point.) The conquest of Edom is predicted in verse 18. (2 Samuel 8:14) Verse 19 is possibly a dual reference to King David as well as the Messiah since David is the one that will eventually subdue Edom and many of the other nations of the promised land during his reign. (Genesis 49:10, Amos 9:11-12) Verses 20-25: Balaam closes with three more prophecies regarding the Amalekites, the Kenites, Asshur, and Eber. In verse 20 he names the Amalekites, who are the descendants of Esau, as “…the first of the nations…”, referring to their might and power. They were also one of the first nations to attack Israel right after the exodus from Egypt. (Exodus 17) But, in the end, they will be utterly destroyed by the seed of Jacob. Verse 21 references the fact that the Kenites are well known for building strongholds in the sides of cliffs, yet they will eventually fall captive to the dominant empire of Assyria (Asshur). (v.22) But even Assyria, along with Eber (Genesis 11:14-17), will one day fall to another power whose mighty ships will come from Cyprus (Chittim), a possible reference to the world domination of Greece and Rome. (v.24) (Genesis 10:4, Ezekiel 27:6, Daniel 11:30) Both Asshur and Eber exist within the greater area of Mesopotamia at this time which will one day be conquered by both Greece and Rome as they build their respective empires. When this last parable is concluded, Balaam and Balak go their separate ways. (v.25) Balaam’s life comes to a tragic end not long after this when he is slain by the very people about whom he prophesied. (Numbers 31:8) The sovereignty of God is absolute. Every atom, molecule, and speck of everything in this universe, both living and non-living, sentient and non-sentient, is under His absolute and infinite control. There is nothing that occurs, or that a man says or thinks or does, that is not already known to God long before that event, or choice, or word, or thought is planned, made, spoken, or formed. When He so chooses, God may reach down from His throne in the highest heaven to turn the mortal, weak tongue of a single man to speak only the words that the Lord puts in his mouth. Our free will is like ashes in the mighty wind of God’s sovereignty, and the fact that we are free to make any choice in anything at all is only by His grace and mercy. God still allowed Balaam a free will after his meeting with King Balak, and we know this because of his tragic end seven chapters later. Balaam was indwelt by Almighty God, possessed by His spirit, and yet Balaam still chose of his own free will to reject God and suffer damnation accordingly. On the flip side of that coin, the Israelites continually turned back to God of their own free will following His divine punishment for disobedience. God had chosen the seed of Abraham and Jacob to be consecrated especially to Him, a sacred people through whom would come the salvation for all mankind. No mere man would be allowed to curse those people, and the Israelites stood righteous and pure before God always, even now in our present age. The time is coming soon when God will gather His chosen people from the ends of the earth, and He will have a final reckoning with them before giving them absolute dominion over all the earth. The Messiah about whom Balaam prophesied in this chapter will return to earth in all His might and glory to reign for a thousand years from His throne in Jerusalem, and the children of Israel will be the firstborn of all nations once and for all time. Praise be to Almighty God, hallelujah and amen! Chapter 22 begins a new section of the book of Numbers, bringing into the spotlight two heathen men: King Balak of the Moabites and a false prophet named Balaam. In the wake of their victory over the Amorites, the Israelites settle in the plains of Moab from where they are able to stage the next phase of their conquest of the promised land. The nation of Moab, now freed from the rule of the Amorites, looks at Israel with understandable fear, and this sets the stage for King Balak’s actions in chapters 22-25.
Balaam might at first appear to be a typical servant of God that is often found throughout the Old Testament, and thus it would be easy to treat him as Biblical hero or saint. But a close reading of not only this section in Numbers, but also 2 Peter 2:1, 15, Jude 4, and Revelation 2:14, reveals the truth of him and his character. Balaam is a false prophet, a heathen man whom God uses to fulfill His promise to Abraham, but is, ultimately, no hero or saint. My study Bible has this to say of Balaam: “After the formal encounter with Israel, he then counseled the women of Baal-peor to invite the men of Israel to their religious orgies and ‘to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.’ (Revelation 2:14) He did this for no pay and was killed by the Israelites. (Numbers 31:8)” Balaam is not to be admired, but rather seen as a sobering example of God’s sovereignty over the wicked and the just alike. All mankind is under the hand of God, and He can turn the hearts of men – both Jew and gentile – to His will as He so chooses. Deuteronomy 23:5 makes it clear that God actually changes Balaam’s words as they come out of his mouth. In light of the New Testament verses that specifically mention Balaam, it's also clear that God used him and the Moabites to also bring judgment, when necessary, upon Israel for her sins of idolatry and immorality. Verse 1: The Israelites settle in the plains of Moab, on the east side of the Jordan river, which also affords them a view of the city of Jericho on the other side of the river. (Numbers 33:48-49) This verse not only sets the stage for the events of these three chapters, but also foreshadows the conquest of the promised land that will come under the leadership of Joshua. One of Israel’s first and greatest victories is the defeat of the city of Jericho and all its inhabitants, save for Rahab. (Joshua 6:24-25) Verse 2-4: The Moabites and the Ammonites are descendants of Lot. (Genesis 19:36-38) Both nations are among the most wicked and heathen people of the promised land, and they are a never ending source of trouble and conflict for Israel. King Balak, son of Zippor is introduced here. (v.2) (Joshua 24:9, Judges 11:25, Micah 6:5, Revelation 2:14) He witnesses the conquest and destruction of the Amorites by the children of Israel, which causes him great fear. (v.3) (Exodus 15:15) Verse 4 states that Balak sends a message to “…the elders of Midian…” to seek an alliance with them against Israel, lest those people “…lick up all that are round about us…”. (Numbers 25:15, Joshua 13:21) As you’ll recall from Exodus, Moses took refuge in the land of Midian when fleeing from Pharaoh, and his first wife was the daughter of Jethro, a high priest in Midian. Midian is south of Edom which is south of Moab. (Refer back to the map from Chapter 20.) Since we know from chapter 20 that Israel was forced to travel around Edom, and since they have not yet fought with nor conquered that nation, it does raise a logical question of why Balak doesn’t also send a message to the king of Edom. Since the text doesn’t specify, the best answer, of course, is that God doesn’t permit it. The Midianites are descendants of Abraham through his marriage to Keturah after the death of Sarah. (Genesis 25:1-2) Although Moses had good relations with the Midianites in the past, this incident with Balaam and King Balak is the beginning of many decades of conflict between Israel and Midian, as we will see later on (Numbers 25, 31, and Judges 6-8). Verses 5-8: Balak’s entreaty to Balaam is simple: curse the nation of people that has come out of Egypt so that the Moabites and Midianites will win in battle against them. (v.5-6) (Numbers 31:16, Deuteronomy 23:4, Joshua 13:22, Nehemiah 13:1-2, Jude 11) Biblical scholars are divided as to where exactly Balaam is from, mainly because there are a couple different geographical and ethnic designations associated with him. The region known as Pethor (v.5) is described here as being “…by the river of the land of the children of his people…”, and which Deuteronomy 23:4 states clearly is of Mesopotamia, which today is the country of Iraq. Most scholars agree that the river mentioned here is the Euphrates, but given the time frame of the narrative of this story, it seems improbable that Balaam makes several four hundred mile one-way trips all the way from Mesopotamia to Moab. In Numbers 23:7 Balaam states that he is from Aram, which is another name for the region we know today as Syria. That places him in the Transjordan area which is much closer to Moab. However, Numbers 31:8 clearly states that Balaam is among those Midianites that are slain by Israel, so either Balaam is residing temporarily somewhere in the land of Midian at the time of Balak’s request, or that is his current home, and he is originally from Aram. Whatever the mystery of his exact origin and location, Balaam is widely known by all the peoples of this region as a diviner and soothsayer. (v.6-7) This is another reason that we know he is not a true believer in Jehovah, as it might seem from verse 8, for God had already clearly condemned in the Mosaic Law those who practice any form of witchcraft, divination, or sorcery. (Leviticus 20:6, 27, Deuteronomy 18:10-12) Balak references Balaam’s success and fame in verse 6: “…he whom thou blesses is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.” Balaam greets the elders of Moab and Midian and invites them to stay for the night. (v.8) He promises them an answer to their request in the morning. Verses 9-20: During the night, God comes to Balaam and asks him a rhetorical question. (v.9) This is not the first time that God has directly interfered to alter the course of men’s actions against those whom He has called for a specific purpose. (Genesis 20:3) Like King Abimelech, Balaam seems to not be surprised to hear from God, and he tells Him what Balak’s messengers have requested. (v.10-11) God commands Balaam to not do as they have asked and to remain where he is. “…thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.” (v.12) Balaam obeys (v.13) and sends “…the princes of Moab…” packing. (v.14) But Balak doesn’t take “no” for an answer. He sends back princes of even higher stature and rank than the previous envoy. (v.15) This time, the king promises Balaam “…very great honour…” (v.17), as well as whatever payment Balaam demands, if he will only curse the Israelites on behalf of the Moabites. (Numbers 24:11) But Balaam stands firm in his refusal, insisting that no amount of the king’s wealth will change his mind, for he “…cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God…”. (v.18) (Numbers 24:13) It does seem strange, given Balaam’s status here as a soothsayer and a heathen gentile, that he would use such an honorable title for God, as if he was a true believer. But, knowing what we know about Balaam’s future actions regarding Israel, his words here indicate a certain level of practiced hypocrisy, the same hypocrisy that was common to the Pharisees and other religious rulers of Jesus’ time, whom He accused of being of the devil. (John 8:44) They appeared to others as righteous and spiritual, but their hearts were not at all right with God. Nevertheless, Balaam tells the messengers to spend the night, and he will consult with God once more. (v.19) This is another indication that Balaam is, indeed, motivated by material wealth and power, as revealed by 2 Peter 2:15-16. God had already made clear His will, yet Balaam says he will ask God once more, perhaps hoping that the LORD has changed His mind. And verse 20 does indeed seem to support this. God tells Balaam that if Balak’s ambassadors entreat Balaam once more in the morning, then he is to go with them. But God also makes it clear to Balaam that he is to say only what God instructs him to say. Verses 22-35: The way that verses 20-22 are written, it’s easy for the reader to be confused as to why God is angry with Balaam when He seems to have given permission for Balaam to go to Moab to meet with King Balak. It’s important to keep in mind that just because God allows something or seems to change His will about a certain matter does not necessarily mean that God approves or is pleased with that person’s choices. God had already made clear to Balaam His will in this matter, and the fact that Balaam came back again with the same request to which he had already received an answer is partly what angers the LORD. Balaam, in other words, is being disobedient. This is clear in verse 22: “And God’s anger was kindled because he went…”. God is also angry with Balaam because “…thy way is perverse before Me…” (v.32). The appearance of the angel of the LORD in verse 22 is most likely another example of a Christophany, as discussed earlier in my commentary of Genesis. Since there is no mention of Balak’s messengers in any of these verses that describe Balaam’s encounter with the angel, we can presume that they had either gone ahead, leaving Balaam to travel by himself with his servants, or they were some distance behind Balaam and had not yet caught up with him. Balaam’s donkey sees the angel of the LORD, but neither Balaam nor his servants see Him. (v.23) (Joshua 5:13, 2 Kings 6:17, Daniel 10:7, Acts 22:9) Three times the donkey tries to avoid the angel, injuring his master in the process, and Balaam strikes the poor animal in anger. (v.23, 25, 27) When the donkey speaks with a human voice after the third incident (v.28), Balaam seems not at all astonished by this, further evidence of his longtime practice of divination and sorcery. He is used to interacting with the supernatural and has very likely conjured up the spirits of the dead for other clients before now. (1 Samuel 28:7-8) After a short, humorous exchange with the animal, God opens Balaam’s eyes to see the angel of the LORD. Although the text says Balaam falls prostrate before Him, Balaam is not doing so out of reverential fear of the one, true God. He is not acknowledging or worshiping God as others are described as doing in similar circumstances in the OT. Verse 32 makes this clear when the angel states that Balaam’s practice of divination is an abomination before God. He also says, “I went out to withstand thee…”, meaning that God is Balaam’s adversary, not His friend. Balaam’s confession in verse 34 is not true repentance. Like Pharaoh when confronted by Moses, Balaam is only reacting out of selfish fear for his own life. Although he promises to return home, he is only obeying in order to save himself, not because he truly fears God. Verse 35 reveals that God had intended all along for Balaam to go to King Balak. In His foreknowledge, God knew Balaam’s true motives and actions, and now the LORD is going to use this heathen sorcerer to carry out His divine will in blessing His chosen people. Now that Balaam understand who’s truly in charge here, he is allowed to resume his journey to Moab. The angel of the LORD warns Balaam that “…only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak.” (v.35) Balaam’s future obedience in the scenes of the next two chapters demonstrates that he recognizes and understands God’s sovereignty even though he is not all truly repentant. His heart remains stubborn and wicked for the rest of his life. Verses 36-41: Balaam warns King Balak that he can only speak the word that God speaks to him and nothing more. (v.38) Balak takes Balaam to Kirjath-huzoth, which is one of several sites of altars (high places) to the false god Baal. (v.39, 41) (Numbers 21:28, Deuteronomy 12:2) In the wake of the death of Aaron, the Israelites now prepare to embark on their official campaign to conquer the promised land. But God doesn’t direct Moses to lead the people north from Mount Hor, which was the route the twelve spies took in the chapter 13. Though the text doesn’t say so specifically, we can logically infer this because of the events and travel log that is recorded in this chapter, as well as the fact that Moses will not set foot in the promised land as decreed by the LORD in the previous chapter. Instead, the Israelites will start marching east towards Edom and Moab. But, because the king of Edom refused to allow the Israelites to pass through his land, the nation is forced to make the long trek south around Edom before heading north towards the promised land.
Verses 1-3: Sometime after the thirty days of mourning the death of Aaron, but before they break camp to begin their march east towards Edom and Moab, the Israelites are attacked by Arad, a Canaanite king whose people dwell in the land near Mount Hor. (v.1) (Numbers 33:40, Joshua 12:14, Judges 1:16) His attack is successful, and he succeeds in capturing several Israelites. Moses and the people pray to the LORD, vowing to Him that, if He will give Israel the victory in their counter attack against Arad, they “…will utterly destroy their cities.” (v.2) (Deuteronomy 2:34) The phrase in this verses is “…vowed a vow unto the LORD…”, which is the same phrase used in Genesis 28:20 and Judges 11:30. A vow to God is a serious and solemn matter, something not to be done lightly or impulsively. This indicates not only Israel’s desire to seek God’s leading, but also their faith in His ability to deliver the enemy into their hands. God honors His people’s request, giving them victory over Arad and his armies. (v.3) Israel lays waste to all of their cities and successfully rescues their people. Moses renames the place Hormah, which means “utter destruction”. Verses 4-9: Now the children of Israel begin their long march south around the border of Edom. (v.4) So soon after a taste of God’s blessing through the victory over Arad and his people, the Israelites are quick to fall back into grumbling and complaining against the Lord and Moses. The word “discouraged” in this verse refers to impatience. The people had just experienced a thrilling victory, but now they face a long trek around Edom before they will see another battle and conquest, and they become impatient with God and His timing. This leads to the usual complaint against Moses: “Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?” (v.5) They go on to grumble about the lack of bread and water, but this time they also add a new grievance about the manna. (“…our soul loatheth this light bread.”) This ungratefulness is especially surprising given that the Israelites had just sacked the cities of Arad. Though the text doesn’t say so specifically, it’s seems a reasonable presumption that God would have allowed His people to take away food, supplies, and other such spoil before they burned those cities to the ground. On the other hand, God could have ordered Moses to destroy the cities completely, including all the wealth, food and other supplies, as part of their vow to Him for freeing the ones captured by Arad. That might be another reason the Israelites are so quick to complain about the manna. Whatever the case, the simple fact remains: they rebel against God yet again. Once more, God answers the people’s disobedience with swift and terrible judgment, this time in the form of deadly, fiery serpents that spread quickly throughout the camp. (v.6) Several Israelites are bitten and immediately die. (Deuteronomy 8:15, 1 Corinthians 10:9) This, of course, leads to contrition and repentance from the people who beseech Moses to intercede with God on their behalf. “…We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee…”. (v.7) (Leviticus 26:40, Numbers 11:2, Psalm 78:34, Isaiah 26:16, Hosea 5:15) It’s interesting to note here how quickly the Israelites recognize their sin and, rather than hardening their hearts in further rebellion (as they did following the judgment and punishment of Korah and his followers), the people acknowledge their sin and beg Moses to pray to the LORD for them. (Exodus 8:8, 1 Samuel 12:19, 1 Kings 13:6, Acts 8:24) In response to Moses’ intercession God instructs him to fashion a serpent from bronze and set it on a tall pole in the center of the camp. (v.8) (Isaiah 14:29, 30:6) Anyone that has been bitten and looks to the serpent will be healed. Jesus referenced this incident in His talk with Nicodemus, comparing it to His own forthcoming death on the cross. (John 3:14-15) Moses quickly obeys, and the people obey God’s command to look towards the bronze serpent to stay His wrath. (v.9) That sculpture remains in Israel’s possession well after their settlement in the promised land, eventually becoming a source of idolatry for the apostate nation of Judah. (2 Kings 18:4) Verses 10-20: The Israelites resume their march towards the promised land, and these verses give a brief travel itinerary, starting at Oboth (v.10) and ending with Pisgah (v.20). Verse 14 mentions “…the book of the wars of the Lord…”, which, according to my study Bible, is “…a collection of war songs dealing with Israel’s struggle for the possession of Canaan.” This, along with verse 15, suggests that there is another battle here that is won by Israel. It’s been a long time since their last victory song. (Exodus 15) “This book is similar to the “Book of Jashar” (Joshua 10:13, 2 Samuel 1:18) but is not extant. These extrabiblical sources are not inspired but contain information that biblical writers used when composing their inspired texts, similar to what Luke did when he consulted material in the crafting of his gospel (Luke 1:1–4).” (The Moody Bible Commentary) God performs another miracle at Beer, providing water for the people from a well that is dug by the elders of Israel with their rods. (v.16-18) (Judges 9:21) This causes the Israelites to compose another song of joy, celebrating God’s provision and providence. (v.17-18) Verse 20 describes the mountain of Pigsah as providing a view of Jeshimon, a site that will come into play soon with the account of Balaam and the Moabite King Balak. (Numbers 23:28) Verses 21-31: As with Edom, Moses sends out messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, asking for safe passage of Israel through their land. (v.21-22) He promises the king that the Israelites will not depart from the king’s highway, nor will they eat of any of the crops or drink the water of their wells. Unfortunately for Sihon, he and his people are as stubborn as the Edomites, and he not only refuses Moses’ request but also gathers his armies and goes to war against Israel at Jahaz. (v.23) (Deuteronomy 29:7) God gives his chosen people the victory over the Amorites, and Israel takes possession of all their land from Arnon to Jabbok, all the way to the border of Ammon. (v.24) (Numbers 32:33, Deuteronomy 1:4, 2:32-33, 3:2, 6, 4:46, 31:4, Joshua 2:10, 9:10, 12:1-2, Judges 11:19-20, Nehemiah 9:22, Psalm 135:10-11, 136:18-20, Amos 2:9-10) The destruction of the Amorites is so complete that even Sihon’s capital city of Heshbon is captured and sacked. (v.25) Verses 27-30 is a song of victory that was sung by the Amorites when they conquered the Moabites. Now it’s used by the Israelites to taunt the Amorites. Some of the cities and places in these verses are mentioned throughout the OT: Moab, Ar, Chemosh, Dibon, and Medeba. (Numbers 32:3, 34, Deuteronomy 2:9, 18, Judges 11:24, 1 Kings 11:33, 2 Kings 23:13, Isaiah 15:1-2, Jeremiah 48:18, 22, 46) Most of those cross references highlight the idolatry of the Amorites and the Moabites, hence the reason they are brought up again by Isaiah and Jeremiah. Despite the victories of Israel over these heathen nations now, their failure to completely follow God’s command to utterly destroy these nations in the promised land will lead to Israel’s downfall and eventual judgment by God. Verses 32-35: The final section of this chapter details another victory for Israel, this time against Og, the king of Bashan. After capturing Jaazer (v.32) and driving out the Amorites dwelling there, Moses and the Israelites turn their sights on Bashan. (v.33) (Numbers 32:1, 35, Deuteronomy 3:1, 29:7, Jeremiah 48:32) God tells Moses not to be afraid “…for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people, and his land…”. (v.34) (Deuteronomy 3:2) The Israelites obey the word of the LORD, utterly destroying Og and all his people, thus taking possession of all his land. (v.35) (Deuteronomy 3:3-4, 29:7, Joshua 13:12)  Verse 1: Between chapters 19 and 20, a period of about thirty-eight years has passed. We know this because Aaron’s death is recorded in verse 28, and Numbers 33:38 tells us that he dies in the fortieth year after Israel’s exodus from Egypt. All the events of the book thus far have taken place in the second year following the exodus. (Numbers 9:1) This is also the third and last travel narrative found in Exodus through Numbers. The first was from the Red Sea to Mount Sinai (Exodus 13-19), and the second was from Sinai to Kadesh (Numbers 11-12). Now, thirty-eight years later, the children of Israel return to the site of their last major rebellion against God and the reason for their wandering in the desert for this whole time.
Shortly after arriving in the wilderness of Zin and setting up camp at Kadesh, Miriam dies and is buried there. (Exodus 15:20, Numbers 26:59) Verses 2-13: It’s clear from verse 2 that the nation’s rebellious attitude and predilection for complaining has not changed since their last visit here. The incident described in this passage is very similar to the one from Exodus 17, and Moses even gives both sites the same name: Meribah. (v.13) In both cases there is no water readily available, and the people immediately resort to complaining against Moses. This time, rather than wishing they had died in Egypt, they moan, “…Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!” (v.3) (Exodus 17:2, Numbers 14:2) The brethren they are referring to are all the ones that died instantaneous deaths for rebellion against God. (Numbers 11, 14 and 16) Since the ones complaining here are the remnant of the first generation that will be dead within a year, perhaps they feel they have nothing to lose by murmuring and grumbling now. Thirty-eight years of wandering in the desert has done nothing to correct their contentious spirit and bad attitude. Not only that, the Israelites actually blame Moses for bringing them back to Kadesh, as if it wasn’t their own disobedience that caused them to wander in the wilderness since their last sojourn here! (v.4) Yet they also have the audacity to call themselves the “…congregation of the LORD…” as if they have always been upright, faithful and obedient to God since the exodus! But then they throw in the usual complaint about Moses bringing them out of Egypt where they had plenty to eat and drink (v.5), as if it was all Moses’ plan in the first place and had nothing at all to do with the LORD! (Exodus 17:3) In response to all of this, Moses and Aaron, as usual, throw themselves prostrate before God at the entrance of the tabernacle. (v.6) (Numbers 14:5, 16:4, 22, 45) God, as always, is quick to appear and give guidance to His faithful servants. (v.8) As with the previous incident with the rock in Horeb, He will bring forth water, but this time Moses is to “…take the rod…”, gather the people in the presence of the rock, and then speak the command instead of striking the rock with the rod. (Exodus 17:6, Deuteronomy 8:15, Nehemiah 9:15, Psalm 78:15-16, Psalm 105:41, Isaiah 43:20, 48:21, 1 Corinthians 10:4) Verse 9 states that Moses takes “…the rod from before the LORD…” which suggests that God was referring to the rod of Aaron that is within the ark of the covenant (Numbers 17:10) instead of Moses’ own staff, another key difference between this miracle and the previous one. As before, Moses does all that God commands him, but this time his anger gets the better of him, and he makes two critical errors. The first is in verse 10: “Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?” (Psalm 106:33) God didn’t tell Moses to say anything to the children of Israel. He was told to speak only to the rock. Furthermore, by using the pronoun “we”, Moses implies that it is him and Aaron that are responsible for this miracle, not the LORD. The second transgression is in verse 11: Moses strikes the rock twice with Aaron’s rod. In spite of Moses’ disobedience, God still provides water for the Israelites, but both Moses and Aaron are rebuked by God afterwards for their sin of unbelief. Though the text does not say so specifically, it can be logically inferred that Aaron’s sin was not standing up to Moses and correcting him when he first spoke in anger to the people. Instead, Aaron once again displays an inability to stand for what’s right and be a godly example to the people. He stands by and remains silent when he knows that Moses is not doing what God commanded them. In this way, Aaron is also culpable in Moses’ sin of faithlessness and rebellion against the LORD. That’s why God uses the phrase “…ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel…”. (v.12) (Leviticus 10:3, Ezekiel 20:41, 36:23, 1 Peter 3:15) This is the root of their sin: their lack of faith. God is not punishing them for Moses speaking angrily to the people, or taking credit for the miracle, or for striking the rock instead of speaking to it. Rather, God is rebuking them for the same sin which cost this current generation the promised land: the sin of unbelief. All the actions by Moses, as well as the inaction by Aaron to correct him, are just symptoms of a much greater problem, that of faithlessness. And by that sin they misrepresented God to the people. This is why Aaron’s punishment is as severe as Moses’, for he stood by silently as Moses failed to be the LORD’s messenger and representative, which is what God had called him to be from the very beginning. (Exodus 3:10) That is no small transgression and, therefore, the punishment is equally severe. Neither Moses nor Aaron will live to see the promised land. (Numbers 27:14, Deuteronomy 1:37, 3:26-27, 34:5) Moses names this place Meribah, the same name used for the location of the previous incident from Exodus 17, even though this site is a different place. (v.13) (Deuteronomy 33:8, Psalm 106:32) This verse also confirms that God was, in the end, sanctified before the Israelites, meaning that by His judgment and punishment of Moses and Aaron for their sin, the name of the LORD was honored and hallowed among the people. God will always have the honor and glory when all is said and done, despite mankind’s sin and disobedience. Verses 14-21: The Edomites are descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob. (Genesis 36:8) They, along with the Moabites, settled in the land east of the Sinai Peninsula. (Refer to the map at the top of this post, courtesy of Logos.) Moses sends out messengers to the king of Edom (Genesis 36:31) to request safe passage for Israel through their country. (v.14) (Deuteronomy 2:4) Moses is hoping that there is goodwill on the part of the Edomites because of their distant relation to Israel. He relays to the king a brief history of Israel’s exodus from Egypt (v.15-16), perhaps in the hope that the king and his people will be sympathetic to their situation. He also promises that the Israelites will remain on established roads, leaving the fields and wells of the Edomites untouched and unmolested. (v.17) But the king refuses, threatening Israel with violence if they cross his border. (v.18) (Numbers 24:18, Judges 11:16-17, Psalm 137:7, Ezekiel 25:12-13, Obadiah 1:10) Even after a second plea where Moses promises to reimburse the Edomites for any water that Israel’s livestock might accidentally drink (v.19) (Deuteronomy 2:6, 28), the king still refuses and even calls out his army as a show of force along the border. (v.20) Moses and the Israelites have no choice but to turn away and start the longer route around the lands of Edom and Moab. (v.21) (Deuteronomy 2:8, Judges 11:18) Verses 22-29: The children of Israel journey from Kadesh to Mount Hor (v.22), which is along the coast of Edom (v.23). (Numbers 21:4, 33:37) God announces to Moses that the time has come for Aaron to “…be gathered unto his people…” (v.24), which is the typical phrase in the OT to describe the death of a righteous man. (Genesis 25:8, 17, 35:29, 49:33) He reminds Moses of the reason for this: “…ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.” (Deuteronomy 32:50) Moses is instructed to bring Aaron and Eleazar to the top of the mountain where Moses will remove Aaron’s priestly garments and put them on his son. (v.25-26) Moses, Aaron, and Eleazar do as God commands. (v.27-28) (Exodus 29:29-30, Deuteronomy 10:6) After this, Aaron dies. He is 123 years old. (Exodus 7:7) The whole congregation of Israel mourns Aaron for thirty days. (v.29) (Genesis 50:3, 10, Deuteronomy 34:8) The Believer’s Bible Commentary includes a quote from Matthew Henry regarding these final verses of chapter 20: “Aaron, though he dies for his transgression, is not put to death as a malefactor, by a plague, or fire from heaven, but dies with ease and in honour. He is not cut off from his people, as the expression usually is concerning those that die by the hand of divine justice, but he is gathered to his people, as one that died in the arms of divine grace. Moses, whose hands had first clothed Aaron with his priestly garments, now strips him of them; for, in reverence to the priesthood, it was not fit that he should die in them.” Matthew Henry is alluding to the eternal priesthood of Jesus Christ that is described in Hebrews. The act of Moses removing the garments of the high priest from Aaron before his death and then putting them on Eleazar symbolizes what Jesus is today for all believers. He is our eternal High Priest, the final one that makes the animal sacrifices of the OT under the law no longer necessary in our current dispensation of Grace. (Hebrews 9-10) Because of what Christ did on the cross and His resurrection from the dead three days later, He is forevermore the High Priest that is continually making intercession for us at the right hand of God the Father. |
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