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."
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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)
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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) |
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