Numbers 25:4-5 - The high cost of low living.

The sons of Israel as a nation had fallen, all of them including their leaders. They were enticed by the women of Moab into immorality, leading them into harlotry. They participated in the pagan sacrifices, ate the food that was offered to their gods, and joined in the worship of Baal. Isn’t this how degeneration would occur in any community? First the compromise then the full indulgence. After all the Lord had done for them, was this the way to reciprocate His kind overtures? What a let down! This tells us how needful it is to stay watchful over our walk. We need to guard our hearts with all diligence. Passionately and zealously!

Obviously, what they did had aroused God’s fierce anger. So in His wrath, He commanded Moses to take all the leaders and have them executed in broad daylight. Why only the leaders? It was to publicly demonstrate how grievous the sin was to the whole community. It was to make known that the leaders must bear the brunt of the covenant responsibility for the people’s waywardness. God was holding the leaders responsible by executing covenant punishment. Only by executing the leaders could God’s wrath be atoned, His fierce anger against the people averted, and rebellious people be spared. But Moses did not fully follow His instruction. Instead of doing what he was told and killed all the leaders, Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.” He unwittingly had advocated individual punishment.

 

What Moses failed to do, resulted in the loss of more lives. The people could have been spared  had he strictly followed the instruction of the Lord. But he did not. The failure of discipline on his part had caused a more serious consequence to take place to the sons of Israel. Know it or not, a moment of pleasure can lead to a whole life of misery. Sin always invites God’s displeasure. So live life measuredly. We are made for greater things. We must remember that low living always exacts a high cost. Live life sensibly and please  God!       

Numbers 25:1-3 – Always keep the main thing, the main thing.

The last verse of Numbers 24 tells us that Balak sent Balaam packing, as he himself returned to his home. They both must be sorely disappointed. The former was left with the huge problem he imagined he would have to face at the hand of the Israelites, while the latter left without the rich reward he came looking for. One would have thought that all would be well for the people of Israel after all the glowing declarations Balaam had said about her. After all, Israel was a God-chosen and blessed nation. God had delivered her from Egypt, ensured her of His constant presence, promised to be her protector, not only from natural disasters but also from all omens and divination. 

It appeared that when Balaam was sent home, his intended mischief would be brought to a halt. Or so we thought. Was Balaam’s mischief really brought to a halt? Apparently not. How do we know?  Numbers 31:16 has this to say, “Behold, these (the women) caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD…” Apparently, Balaam gave counsel to the people of Moab on how they could stumble the Israelites. He suggested that they use their women to entice the people into harlotry and immorality, and then into idolatry and Baal worship. It was for this that the Apostle Peter wrote negatively about Balaam in his second letter in chapter two and verses 15-16. Furthermore, the Lord Jesus in assessing the church at Pergamum in Revelations 2:12-17, condemned them for holding on to the teaching of Balaam. This wicked seer taught the people of Moab how to stumble the sons of Israel, to partake food offered to idols and immorality.   

So following the counsel of Balaam, the event in Numbers 25:1-3 took place. The sons of Israel were enticed into harlotry by the daughters of Moab at Shittim. Their downfall began with immorality which led them into spiritual adultery. They participated in the sacrifices to their gods, then ate of the food offered to their false gods, and eventually joined in Baal worship. The absurdity of what happened here in Shittim was astounding. Why? For in Balaam’s earlier visits to Baal’s sacred sites from Bamoth-baal (Numbers 22:41), to the heights of Peor (Numbers 23:28), nothing was accomplished to bring a curse upon Israel. And now to think that despite all the assurances of a great future with God, they could so quickly become unfaithful and fall into a curse. This falling into the curse of sin did not just happen with a few individuals of the sons of Israel, but the whole nation was enticed into a curse.      

What happens here in Shittim underscores for us the need to be careful in life. In our glittering world, there are so many attractions that can distract us from God.  Remember, all that glitters is not gold! We must examine every step we take. We will be enticed when we unremittingly pursue pleasure, position, or possession. How then should we live in a world so full of distractions? We keep our focus on God and depend on Him for our daily strength. Make time for Him and cultivate needful spiritual disciplines to strengthen our lives. Be watchful and alert, keep short accounts with God. Mind the little things in life, for it is the little foxes that spoil the vine.  Do not journey the Christian life alone, find a few good spiritual friends, get a mentor, and journey together. Be faithful to God no matter what!

Numbers 24:10-24 – Loving wealth is incomparable with loving God

The continuous hearing of what Balaam said about Israel being blessed by God, not only irritated Balak but also wore his patience thin. His third oracle to the king in verses 3-9, was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Who would blame the king for being angry? Obviously, his anger reached a crucial point. So he struck his hands together in disgust and contempt and ordered Balaam to leave his land. Mockingly he jeered Balaam saying that it was Yahweh who had deprived him of his reward. But what he said did not mean much to Balaam. We can almost imagine him shrugging his shoulders and said, “But I have told you so.” He said to Balak that even if he had given him a house full of silver and gold, he still could not do anything against the command of the Lord, either good or bad, on his own accord. He even emphasized saying, “What the Lord speaks, that I will speak.” This was like plunging a knife into his heart, where it truly hurts.  

Unsolicited, Balaam then offered one last oracle to Balak from verses 15-24. Asserting that the origin of his message came from God, Balaam foretold the rising of a king in Israel. Predicting the glorious future of the nation under him, he emphasized Israel's blessedness. He then predicted what would happen to Moab and the other nations. All nations who were Israel's enemies would be crushed. He predicted the defeat of Moab, and that both Edom and Seir would be possessed by Israel. He even went on to predict the downfall of the nation of Amalek which was a dominant force. So also would the Kenites be destroyed.  

At the conclusion of this chapter, we must consider one important lesson of life. The lesson: the mindless pursuit of worldly wealth and personal gain, and being obedient to God are conflicting. We see this in Balaam’s life and ministry. He tried to reconcile his pursuit of wealth and being obedient to God. They just simply could not work. He failed to receive the reward he went for. What he did leave Balak disappointed in deep frustration. What was worst for Balaam was God’s disapproval of his works. Let us hear afresh what Christ Jesus our Lord says in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” Choose to serve God rather than wealth. The issue of greed is an issue of an unsatisfied heart. So, remember to guard our heart with all diligence, for out of it are the wellspring of life!

   

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Numbers 24:1-9 – We are blessed to be a blessing.

Balak's previous two attempts to have Balaam curse Israel had both come to naught. So in Numbers 23:27, he took the seer up to Peor, in yet another attempt to have Israel cursed. This would be his third attempt. Like the previous two attempts, he was made to build seven altars and to offer a bull and a ram on each of them. However, this time Balaam did not move away somewhere to seek the Lord as he did the previous two times. Seeing that the Lord would not allow Israel to be cursed, he did not seek omens to do so. From this, we conclude that whenever he brought curses on people, he would do so by seeking omens. Here we also see that Israel had divine insulation and was protected by God. Realizing that, he set his face toward the wilderness instead, and there he saw the people of Israel neatly camped tribe by tribe. It was at this point that the Spirit of God came upon him and had him declaring his third oracle concerning Israel.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and against the desire of Balak, Balaam spoke glowingly for the third time about Israel. He began by describing her beauty then proceeded to talk about her prosperity and security. He then rounded up by pronouncing her victory. Balaam said that God, having rescued Israel out of Egypt, continued to strengthen them and fight on their behalf. He would help Israel to destroy her enemies. This whole oracle was a pronouncement of Israel’s blessing. What was worst, Balak ended receiving a curse.

From this passage, we cannot miss the fact that the strength and security of Israel rested in her relationship with the mighty God. It was He who ensured their rescue, strength, and protection, In the same way, our strength and security also rest in our relationship with God. Walking with God we will be guaranteed His blessings. It is impossible for the curse to overtake us when in God we are made to be blessed. We are too blessed to be stressed. We are blessed to bless others. Let’s be the source of blessings for others. Blessings will continue to flow into our life as we bless others!

 

 

Numbers 23:27–30 – The futility of persisting in a false hope

Twice Balak’s expectation was shattered. Both his attempts to get Balaam to curse Israel came to naught. One would have supposed that they both would know by now how futile it was to continue with their folly and to call it a day. But somehow, there was a certain determination about them both. Balak sought to do it again the third time and Balaam chose to go along.

 

Why engage in an exercise when one could guess very well where it was heading? Well, Balaam did it for money, and Balak out of hatred for the Israelites. But from their foolish impulses, we who belong to God, derive some encouragement. We get this message that no evil scheme designed against us can prosper when we are in God. We can certainly concur with Isaiah 54:17 that says, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you (us) in judgment you (we) will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me.” This should motivate us to commit ourselves more fully to God, hence leaving no room for the enemy to create any dent in our lives. Our surest insulation is in God. When we put ourselves wholly into God’s hand we can be assured of His protection.  

 

The hatred Balak had against the people of Israel caused him to stop at nothing to harm them. Despite being disappointed twice, he still could not see that another attempt would still be just as inane. However, from both Balaam and Balak’s senseless determination, we learn that a person’s desire, whether good or evil, is often the driving force of his or her life. For Balaam, the desire that drove him was material gain. Whereas Balak was driven by his evil desire to destroy the people of Israel because of his unfettered fear that had turned into intense hatred for them.  

 

So despite the two failures to have Israel cursed, Balak made a third attempt. He was still hoping to get Balaam to curse the people of Israel for him. What irredeemable folly! He brought Balaam to the top of Peor. This would be the most popular place in Moab because of the temple of Baal, the false god. Disappointingly, Balaam on his part continued to play along. He had the king built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each of them. Couldn’t they both see the futility of it all? They couldn’t, because they held on to false hope. One thing a false hope can do is that it blinds and misleads people. False hope always causes one to consider irrational choices and make faulty decisions. Only in knowing the truth we are set free. So let us seek to know the truth and truly be set free!   

Numbers 23:13-26 – When God blesses…

Driven by his desire to curse Israel, Balak did everything Balaam told him to do. In the earlier verses under Balaam’s instruction, he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each of the altars. Then he was told to stand by his sacrifice while Balaam went to another part of the hill to seek the Lord on what to say. That first attempt turned out to be an exercise in futility. Balaam could only pronounce positively about Israel. No curse came forth. Disappointed, Balak then confronted Balaam with a series of questions only to realize that the “seer” could not pronounce anything negative over the people of Israel. What a costly affair, all for nothing! 

Undeterred by the failure, Balak then took Balaam to another part where they could just see a portion of the people of Israel. He must have reckoned that if the entire Israel could not be cursed, perhaps he could at least get Balaam to curse a part of them. So he brought Balaam to the field of Zophim to the top of Pisgah. It seemed that he voluntarily built seven altars and on each of them, he again offered a bull and a ram. Again Balaam told him to stand next to his burnt offering while he proceeded elsewhere nearby to seek the Lord.

When Balaam returned to Balak and his leaders with him, they evidently were anxious to hear what happened in his meeting with the Lord. Balak then apprehensively asked Balaam what the Lord had spoken. It was then that the seer declared:

“Arise, O Balak, and hear;
Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!
“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
“Behold, I have received a command to bless;
When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.
“He has not observed misfortune in Jacob;
Nor has He seen trouble in Israel;
The Lord his God is with him,
And the shout of a king is among them.
“God brings them out of Egypt,
He is for them like the horns of the wild ox.
“For there is no omen against Jacob,
Nor is there any divination against Israel;
At the proper time, it shall be said to Jacob
And to Israel, what God has done!
“Behold, a people rises like a lioness,
And as a lion it lifts itself;
It will not lie down until it devours the prey,
And drinks the blood of the slain.”

In the first attempt, in verses 1-12, Balaam affirmed God’s blessing for Israel which the Lord had promised to them in the past. This second series of words affirmed that, unlike any other nation, God had a unique relationship with them. He had been dwelling among them since He brought them out of Egypt. And God had been their strong protector since. Balaam also made known that, unlike man, God never reneges on His words. He always does what He says He will do. He has kept and will certainly continue to keep His words. God not only promised to protect Israel from natural disasters but promised also to guard them supernaturally from any omen and divination. Balaam declared that Israel at the right time would realize what God had done for them. He further declared that as a lion, Israel would be a formidable nation that would lick her enemies. 

When Balak heard all that Balaam had said, he must have felt disappointed. He then told Balaam that if he would not curse Israel for him, the last thing he wanted was for him to bless them. The king spoke as if it was up to Balaam. The truth is this, Balaam could do nothing about it. He was a man under direction and could only speak as God wanted him to. He had no choice but to speak what God wanted him to say.  

The lesson: It is good to know that when God is for us nothing can come against us. With divine approval always comes unhindered blessing. Besides, when God is for us,  we will be protected from the forces of evil. He not only delivers from dangers but also protects us from them. It is true that God has so often averted accidents from our lives without our realization. Yes, God’s goodness runs after His people. It behooves us therefore to stay faithfully committed to Him, as He certainly will stay faithful to us!

Numbers 23:1-12 – God’s Word is sure.

Numbers 22 closed with Balaam being brought to the high place of Baal and there he saw a portion of the people of Israel. Then in Numbers 23, we see the different occasions where Balak was instructed to get ready for Balaam to consult the Lord. Deceived, Balak probably thought that Balaam had come to curse the people of Israel for him. He had high hope that Balaam would be able to curse the Israelites so that he could then destroy them. Balak had paid extravagantly to secure the service of Balaam.

In verses 1-10, we see the first attempt made. Balak was told to build seven altars and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for the offering, which he did as instructed. Balaam then took the animals and offered up a bull and a ram on each of the seven altars. He then told Balak to stand next to his offering while he would go to another part of the hill to seek God. Notice how he framed his words to the king. What he said was “…perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” The word “perhaps” speaks of uncertainty. He was certainly unlike Moses whom the Lord would speak face to face.  

 

According to verses 4-6, God met Balaam and was told that seven altars had been built, and on each altar was a bull and a ram offered. God then told Balaam what to pronounce. These were the words:

“From Aram Balak has brought me,
Moab’s king from the mountains of the East,
‘Come curse Jacob for me,
And come, denounce Israel!’
“How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
“As I see him from the top of the rocks,
And I look at him from the hills;
Behold, a people who dwells apart,
And will not be reckoned among the nations.
“Who can count the dust of Jacob,
Or number the fourth part of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright,
And let my end be like his!”

Balak of course, was shocked to hear Balaam’s words. For he did not do what the king had expected him to do. So he queried the seer asking, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have actually blessed them!” Balaam’s reply was plain and simple. Those were the words the Lord had put in his mouth, and he could not speak otherwise. From the words God gave, we can see how true God had been to His people. He had made Israel a distinct people like no other nation ever existed. When these words were first told to Abraham, it must have seemed unbelievable. Yet the Lord brought them to pass. Yes, the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus. One heartening truth is this: God’s promise to us will never fail. God can be trusted. His promises always come to pass. Trust Him no matter what!    

Numbers 22:31-40 – Called to serve God’s purpose

The ability of the donkey to communicate in human language would have caused a discerning person to listen up. Yet Balaam could engage her in a conversation and not realize the hand of God behind it. How dense could he be? So, God opened his eyes to see the angel with the drawn sword standing in front of him. Rebuking him for beating his faithful donkey, the angel told him that had his donkey not acted the way she did, he would have been dead by now. Blinded by his unbridled lust for gold Balaam had not been candid about the purpose of God for Israel. He had unwittingly put his own life at risk by acting so recklessly. This could also be true for us too. First John 2:15 reminds us “not to love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him.” What are the things of the world?  John clarified saying, “they are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life.” When we relentlessly pursue them,  we needlessly put our relationship and walk with God at great risk.

Balaam failed to see that if the donkey deserved to die because of her faithful service how much more should he himself die for being unfaithful to God. Even a donkey knew how to respond to her Creator, yet Balaam, a higher creature of God, would not respond appropriately to Him. He stood condemned by his action. Realizing his folly, Balaam confessed his sin by going with Balak’s envoys. He was prepared to turn back if the Lord wanted him to. But God did not want him to turn back. He only wanted to remind Balaam what He wanted him to do. So in verse 35, God reiterated to Balaam saying, “Go with the men, but you shall speak only the word which I tell you.”   

Verses 36-40 show us that Balaam finally understood that he was not free to speak as he so desired. Humbled by the incident with the donkey on the way to Moab, Balaam finally knew that he was there by God’s design. He was there to speak only as God would direct him. From his response to Balak, we conclude that he finally understood what his mission was. So he told the king unabashedly, “Behold, I have come now to you! Am I able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak.” So Balaam went with Balak and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.

God could use circumstances, people, events, and even animals to speak to us. We must seek to be receptive to God as He prompts us through different means. Our personal ambition and agenda can be a hindrance to the greater things God wants to do in and through us.  Be careful how we handle our life and ministry. We are made to serve God’s purpose and we can never be fully satisfied doing something else. If we are not careful and receptive, we can be walking down the path of destruction!   

Numbers 22:22-30 – In need of discernment

Enticed, Balaam chose Balak’s offer of gold and prestige over the clear word of God. Greed is another word that we can use to describe him. He was so overtaken with greed that he could not discern the clear instruction of God. Before we get carried away with Balaam’s flaws, we should take a good look at ourselves too. Are we bugged by the same itch of Balaam? Are we enticed by riches and prestige to the point that we will compromise the truth we have gleaned from God’s Word? Do we only speak piously when people are around but live opposite to our words in their absence? Remember the congruency of what we say to people and what we do in their absence is a great gauge of our spirituality. No matter how spiritually sounding we may be, our words would not worth the vibration they cause if our actions are inconsistent with those words. Balaam could have sent Balak’s envoys packing home with the truth, but he did not. He schemed to make the emissaries believe that he had the ability to do what they came to seek him to do.   

So saddled on his faithful donkey, Balaam was on the way to Moab. God would have nothing of it. He sent an angel with a drawn sword to block the donkey from advancing. Three times the donkey was prevented from pressing forward even with Balaam’s beating. The first time was when the donkey was forced to turn into the field from the path. But Balaam beat her to get her back on track. The second time was when the angel blocked the donkey on a narrow path between two walls. To avoid the angel, the donkey pressed against one side of the wall hurting Balaam’s feet. She was beaten again. Then the third time was when the donkey found it impossible to go past the angel, so she just lay down. She refused to move even though Balaam beat her with a stick.  

It was at this point that the LORD did an unusual thing. He opened the mouth of the donkey and she spoke and protested. Even when the donkey opened her mouth and spoke, Balaam was none the wiser. Any discerning person would be taken aback by a talking donkey and would have paused and paid attention to what had just happened. But Balaam seemed oblivious. He even had the gall to answer the donkey’s protest by insisting that the animal had made a fool of him. He told the donkey that if he had a sword in his hand, he would have killed her. The donkey then asked Balaam if she had ever done something like this before. The answer was no.

Yet Balaam said that if he had a sword, he would have killed the donkey. But he was so unaware that it was the donkey who had saved him from being killed by the angel with the drawn sword. Here is where the irony lies. That a person who claimed to have the power to speak for God could be so blind and undiscerning. Even a donkey could read and see God’s intention, yet an acclaimed seer could not. It is true that there is none who could be so blind who chooses not to see. We are God’s instrument, and we must seek to obey and speak only for him. Here is one last thought: when our path forward is blocked, pause and reflect. We could be going down the wrong path. Be discerning as we journey with God. Not all things negative are from the enemy!

Numbers 22 :15-21 – Make God’s instruction a priority.

Balaam was a double-talker who lacked integrity. We can describe him as a person who would speak with a forked tongue. He chose to be deliberately misleading. When he gave God’s response to the elders of Moab and Midian, he left out the part that said he was unable to curse Israel because God had blessed them. He told them that  “the LORD has refused to let me go with you.” What he was signaling was that he personally would like to go if not for the LORD who had refused to let him go. So by the time the elders returned to Balak and reported to him, the message was distorted. What the king heard was “Balaam refused to come” and not “God had blessed Israel and he was not able to curse them.”

With the different message, Balak misread the whole situation. He thought that Balaam wanted more money for his service. He concluded that the latter wanted to negotiate the fee for his service. So he sent more distinguished leaders on this second trip to Balaam to entice him. So they came to the “prophet” saying, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me; for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Please come then, curse these people for me.’” They made him an offer that was hard for him to refuse, so he was thrown into a catch-22 situation. There was first the clear command of the Lord that specifically stated, “you shall not curse the people for they are blessed.” Then there was the lucrative offer of position, honor, and material reward.

In verse 18, Balaam gave another politically correct answer that was incongruent with what his heart wanted. He said, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the Lord my God.” He revealed the real position of his heart when he again retained this second delegate for the night, like he did with Balak’s previous entourage.

Verse 20 shows us that nothing escapes God. He knew what was on Balaam’s heart. So He came to Balaam in the night and said, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.” The duplicity of Balaam could again be detected in verse 21. He arose early the next day and followed the delegate without telling them that God had placed a restraint on him. He could go but was only to say what God wanted him to speak.

Here we conclude with a pertinent question that should have confronted Balaam: where should his priority be? The answer may seem obvious to a person who loves the Lord and knows his God-given mission. But Balaam was a mercenary. He was in the ministry for the profit he could get out of it. Balaam set for us an example we must not emulate. If we want to be pleasing to God and serve Him honorably, we must not allow money, status or prestige to be the reason why we serve Him. We serve Him because we love Him. And because we love Him, we choose to do what is right and pleasing to Him. God knows the intention of our heart!

 

 

 

 

 

Numbers 22:7-14 – Live life with integrity

Driven by fear, Balak, the king of Moab resorted to seeking the help of Balaam, who was more a diviner than a true “prophet” of God. However, he was known for his accuracy in bringing a blessing or a curse on people. We are told that Balak sent his elders together with the elders of Midian with the money to secure his service. From the onset, we could tell Balaam was a wily and duplicitous character. He invited the elders to stay the night saying that he would consult the LORD and would revert to them with His answers.     

The use of the word “divination” in verse 7 makes us suspicious of who Balaam truly served. Technically, the word divination suggests that a diviner might not necessarily be seeking answers from the true God. He could be seeking any other supernatural being besides God. Being a dubious person, Balaam would probably include the name of the true God to serve his personal agenda. So in this incident, he mentioned Yahweh, God’s covenant name with Israel, translated here as the LORD. It was likely that he used it for his self-aggrandizement. If he were truly a prophet who served Yahweh, he would have known that he could not do anything contrary to what God had intended for His people. He would have known that the plan God had for the people of Israel could not be supplanted.  

In this passage we see the LORD intervened by coming to Balaam first. This is an indication of the supremacy of Yahweh. No matter who Balaam truly served, Yahweh was Sovereign. And He could overwrite the power of any gods this deceitful prophet would call upon. The question the LORD asked Balaam was not to seek information. Being the all-knowing God, He already knew everything. The purpose He asked was likely to get Balaam to weigh the seriousness of what Balak was seeking him to do for. However, in his response to the LORD, he was not truthful. He left out one line that Balak had said i.e. that the people of Israel were now camping opposite Moab. God made it clear that the people of Israel were a blessed people and could not be cursed. And He instructed Balaam not to go with the elders of Moab and Midian. He did as he was instructed and sent the leaders back to Balak telling them that  “the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”

Balaam’s action leaves us an example of not to be duplicitous in life and ministry. Duplicity is misleading. It is communicating in a way that gives a false impression. It is presenting in such a way that would hide one’s true agenda. As believers in the Lord, we cannot say one thing and mean another. We must speak truthfully and act righteously. We must seek to honor and please God in all that we say and do. We live life with integrity!

Numbers 22:1-6 – Acting out of fear.

Interestingly, Numbers 22 throws up a few groups of people that were all linked in some way in history and relationships. Firstly, there were the Amorites. Where did they hail from? From Genesis 10:15-16, we are told the origin of the Amorites. They were the descendants of  Canaan, the son of Ham, Noah’s renegade son. Secondly, there was Balak, the king of Moab. Genesis 19:37 tells us that Moab, a son of Lot, was born from his incestuous relationship with his eldest daughter when he was drunk. Lot, as we know, was the nephew of Abraham. Thirdly, there was Midian. Who was Midian? He was the son of Abraham. Genesis 25:1-2 reveal that after Sarah’s death, he married Keturah, who gave him six sons, and Midian was one of them. Fourthly, we have Balaam who was a wicked prophet. How do we know that? In 2 Peter 2:15-16, the apostle alluded to him as a wicked prophet who sold out his ministry for personal gain.   

Numbers 22:1 tells us that the children of Israel were now camped in the plains of Moab facing Jericho across the river Jordan. Balak the king of Moab saw what they did to the Amorites and was in great fear of them. Notice how the people of Israel had grown to a sizable number. Verse 2 used the word “numerous” to describe the number of  Israelites. This fact plus what they had done to the Amorites caused Balak to dread them. He voiced his concern to the elders of Midian saying, “Now this horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak, aware of the accuracy of Balaam, resorted to getting him to curse the people of Israel for him. He was hoping that with the curse, the Israelites would not be as successful as him. He was probably hoping to lick Israel in the battle.  

What Balak did not know was that Israel was curse-proofed! Remember the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-2. He said to the patriarch:

“And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you, all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Would Balak have acted the way he did if He knew that God was behind Israel’s success? Apparently not. So when he set himself up against Israel, he was setting himself up against the Lord. He allowed his fear to get him moving in the wrong direction. It is said that fear is False Education Appearing Real. It causes one to view situations from a distorted perspective. And it causes one to panic and act rashly and illogically. The right kind of fear in life is to fear the Lord. If we are to be victorious in our walk, we need to have reverential fear for God. For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom!

Numbers 21:21-35 – Improve as we journey with God.

The passage before us shows the next generation of the children of Israel on the march. Numbers 21 began with their bright prospect in their first-fruit victory over the Canaanites led by King Arad. It was a battle initiated by the Canaanites. The new generation of Israelites with the help of God defeated them at Hormah. It was a sweet victory. For earlier in Numbers 14:45, we were told that their forefathers were defeated at the same site by the Canaanites and the Amalekites. But the next event was disappointing. We saw this new generation falling into the bad old behavior of grumbling like the previous generation. They murmured about the same old things such as no water, monotonous food and, etc. They again accused Moses of leading them out of Egypt to die in the wilderness. God then caused fiery serpents to come among them and many were bitten to death. And at Moses’ intercession, God also provided the remedy that saved the day. For the details read verses 1-9. In Numbers 21:10-20, they resumed their journey, moving from place to place. The grumbling did stop. It could have dawned on them that they needed to trust God’s faithfulness. And their faith was rewarded. Out of the middle of nowhere, God led them to a well and provided them with refreshing water. That led them to burst out with a song. Singing and praising would certainly be a better alternative to grumbling.    

Th rest of Numbers 21 from verses 21-35 talk about the victories they had over two kings of the Amorites. First, they defeated King Sihon, who like the Edomites, refused to allow them to pass through their land. Despite the assurance that they would just pass through his land without touching his water, the king refused. Sihon, with a sizable army, went out to intimidate the children of Israel.  Unlike the previous generation, this new one was not so easily intimidated. Verses 23-25 tell us that they overcame Sihon and his army and took over their territory. What the Israelites conquered included all the land that Sihon had taken from his previous battle with the king of Moab.   

Verse 31 said that Moses sent out men to recce the area at Jazer. In view of what happened in Numbers 13-14 with the negative reports of some of the spies, this action should have been nerve-wracking. Why did Moses repeat something that would affect the morale of the people? One sanctified guess would be that he must have seen the difference in this generation. He could have seen the confidence that he did not see in the previous generation. Verse 31 tells us that the spies went and even captured the villages and disposed of the Amorites and dispossessed them of their territory. The second victory Israel had was over King Og of Bashan. At Edrei, encouraged by the Lord, Moses sent the people to battle at Bashan. They defeated Bashan like they did to King Sihon and the people at Heshbon. They utterly destroyed King Og, his sons, and his people until there was no survivor left as they took possession of the land.

The questions that confront us as we read these verses are: in our Christian journey who would we rather emulate? Would we rather emulate the Israelites of that generation that came out of Egypt and perished in the wilderness or this conquering new generation? Like them, we are on a spiritual journey to our promised land. We can trust the Lord and gratefully praise Him for His faithfulness. Or we can murmur and grumble over every little discomfort we encounter and incur His anger and discipline. Like the new generation of Israelites, we need to cultivate faith. In our journey, God is helping us to cultivate faith upon faith, to learn precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little. Will we yield ourselves totally and follow Him resolutely? Be patient, God is not through with each one of us yet!

Numbers 21:10-20 – Let a new song arise!

Israel was a people on a journey. It started with the generation that Moses led out of Egypt. God promised to take them to a fruitful land, with milk and honey flowing abundantly. Unfortunately, that generation defaulted it and perished in the wilderness because of unbelief. In Numbers 21, we see the journey of the Israelites continued with the next generation. There were some behaviors that were similar but there are, of course, areas where they were different. One similarity that they had with their forefathers was their grumbling.

Earlier verses in the chapter, we saw how God dealt with their grumbling. He sent fiery serpents and those bitten by the serpents died. But at Moses' intercession, He also gave them a remedy. He instructed him to make a bronze serpent and lift it up on a flagpole as a standard. Anyone bitten by the serpents could then gaze on it and receive their healing. What a merciful God! This incident was alluded to by Jesus in John 3:14-15 concerning the cross and the impact it would make for those who put faith in His finished work. So Jesus said,  “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him.   

In Numbers 21:10-20 we see another similarity that the two generations had. It was their frequent camping and moving. If we do not think much about it, we may just see a redundant record of their traveling from site to site and nothing specific. It may seem like the second generation was journeying and heading nowhere. Have you ever wondered what was God’s intention for this part of their journey? If we think about it, one thing is clear. God wanted them to experience His faithfulness. This was particularly seen when they reached the place called Beer. God in the middle of nowhere provided a well. Moses was then told to assemble the people and there through the well, the Lord gave them refreshing water.

What took place after it was telling. The people welled up with a song. There is a marked difference between grumbling and singing. The former made them view their journey in a negative light whereas the latter was an expression of delight. It was an indication of a grateful heart. This attitude of gratitude suggests that the new generation had learned to praise God for His faithful provision. So they burst forth with a song in place of grumbling. Whether we realize it or not, singing always makes us see that life is not just a mundane journey of a series of purposeless stops and starts. It helps us see that God has a purpose for every moment of our lives in the journey.  And that He can be trusted to take us to achieve our goal and reach our ultimate destination. Remember how the first generation left Egypt. They went forth with a song of victory which slowly faded from their jaded life of unbelief.  Now the rise of a new song in the new generation speaks of the rise of new hope.  

These ten verses help us see that Christian life is also a journey. And it is not a mundane and purposeless journey but a meaningful one with the Lord. He will faithfully walk with us like He did with the Israelites. We can journey with gratitude in our hearts and a song on our lips. The best indicator of our trust in Him will be when things don’t happen as we expect them to, do we still have a song? Or will only grumbling be heard? When we trust Him, we will sing! Our song is the best indicator of our faith in His faithfulness. Remember James 1:2 exhorts us to “consider it all joy, … when we encounter various trials.” So, “Spring up, O well, within my soul!”        

 

Numbers 21:4-9 – Don’t be a grumbler be a believer.

Numbers 21 began with an encouraging start for the new generation of Israel. They trusted God and were victorious in their first encounter with the Canaanites. We expect them to move from there and go on from victory to victory. But when they took their journey from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to go round the land of Edom, they became impatient like their forefathers. Maybe going by the way of the Red Sea itself was much like returning to Egypt where the exodus took place. Despite their victory at Hormah, they were still going round in a circle. So the old bad habits of their forefathers surfaced. Like fathers like sons, their grumbling against God and Moses appeared. They grumbled with the same old line and with the same old excuses. So they murmured, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we are disgusted with this miserable food.”

Notice that God’s dealing with their grumbling was no different from the way He had dealt with the previous generation. The consequence of sin is death. It has been and will always be. As it was for the previous generation so it would be for the new. So in judgment, God sent fiery serpents among them, and many were bitten by the snakes and died.

This fiery serpent was not a random punishment that God had thought up for that moment. It was in fact a message of God for them. Having left Egypt, the land of bondage, they probably understood what the serpent represented. The serpent was a powerful representation of the crippling power of Egypt, a place where they once were in bondage. The serpent was a symbol of the power of Egypt. This could be seen on the headgear of the Pharoah that carried an image of a cobra. More than a representation of the power of the Pharoah, the serpent to us is a symbol of our archenemy, Satan himself. How then would they in their grumbling wished to return to Egypt? The issue to the Israelites was this: having been freed from the power of Egypt would they now want to be subjected to the serpent again?

We who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ had come out of the crutches of this wicked enemy. We should not be like the people of Israel who wish to be in his power again. In that incident, once again Moses was at hand to intercede for them. They wanted Moses to request that God remove the serpent. But God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a flagpole so that those bitten by the serpent would be healed when they would gaze upon it.  The flagpole was a symbol of the power of Egypt’s gods. There is nothing magical about gazing at the bronze serpent on the pole that brought their healing. But when they obey the instruction, they were putting faith in God’s Word. That faith in God brought healing. For us, the bronze serpent on the pole points to the cross of Jesus Christ. We received our healing - spirit, soul, and body - not by gazing at the cross. It is our belief in the finished work of Christ at Calvary that can bring us our total healing.  

We are grateful for the cross of Jesus Christ that made us God’s people. Let us not allow unbelief to cripple our faith in Him. We must continue to walk with Him and be established, deeply rooted in our faith in Him. Let us also abound in thanksgiving and not grumbling!      

Numbers 21:1-3 – Have faith in God.

As mentioned earlier, the book of Numbers covers two generations of the journey of the children of Israel. The first generation led by Moses out of Egypt rebelled against God and all died in the wilderness in unbelief. Then there was the second generation who would camp at the edge of the promised land ready to possess it at the end of this book. In many ways, Numbers 20 marks the end of the forty years wandering of the first generation with the death of Miriam and Aaron. And Numbers 21 seems to kick off the story of the second generation although it would not only be until Numbers 26 that the entire first generation would disappear. Until then there would still be some remnant of the people lingering. The appropriate question to ask would be: what would this new generation be like? Would they be as stubborn and rebellious as their parents? Just as what would happen in true life, there would be similarities in some and differences in other aspects.   

Numbers 21 began by recording the victory of Israel’s second generation in a battle. It was the Canaanites, led by their King Arad, who had started the fight by attacking the Israelites and capturing some of them. The record of Israel’s victory in this battle is significant. If something like this had happened with the previous generation, it would have sent them panicking, grumbling, and charging with accusations at Moses and God. But not so with this new generation. They refused to flap and go on a nosedive. Instead, they courageously made a vow to God saying, “If You will indeed hand over these people to me, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” Verse 3 tells us that God heard their voice and turn the Canaanites to them. It is heartening to see that they fulfilled their vows and destroyed the cities of the Canaanites utterly. The place was significantly named Hormah.

What is the significance of Hormah? We are told in Numbers 14:45 that this was the site where the previous generation was defeated by the Amalekites and the Canaanites. These opposing forces came down from the mountains and drove the people of Israel as far as Hormah. They tried to enter the promised land in their own strength when the Lord had already told them that they would never set foot there for their unbelief. For more details read Numbers 14.

In this second generation of Israel we glimpse a light. This first-fruit victory for this second generation of Israelites underscores for us the importance of having faith in God. What the first generation failed through unbelief, they accomplished through faith. One verse to take with us in our spiritual journey is Hebrews 11:6 that says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God. He that comes to God must believe that He is, and He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Whatever our obstacle may be, trusting God helps us to go beyond what our eyes can see. Have faith in God!

Numbers 20:22-29 – God never leaves His work stranded.

Numbers 20 began with the death of Miriam and closed with the death of Aaron. In this chapter we see the disobedience of Moses sandwiched between these two deaths. The rebellious generation was about to fade out of the scene and the next generation would be coming in to succeed them. In some sense, here we see the judgment of God reaching its climax. As the followers were judged so were the leaders. Ultimately, it was not the lack of water that took the lives of the children of Israel, it was their unbelief seen in how they responded to the kind overtures of God. Many a times we are like them. We feel threatened by the problems of our needs, not realizing that it is our unbelief that would do us in. Like the Israelites, we can also get the wrong end of the stick. Remember God is not partial. He does not play favorites. Leaders or members alike, all will have to face God squarely based on their personal response to Him.

When the Edomites refused to allow them to pass through their land, the whole congregation of Israel came to Mount Hor. Here God announced Aaron’s death ahead of time. Moses was instructed to bring along Aaron and Eleazar with him to Mount Hor. Eleazar as we know was Aaron’s son. There on Mount Hor, Aaron would be stripped of the Priestly garments and his mantle transferred to Eleazar, who would succeed him. With the high priestly baton handed to Eleazar, Aaron died. Where he was buried was not mentioned but we guess that he was probably buried on that mountain. Moses returned with Eleazar and when the people learned that Aaron had died, they mourned for him for thirty days.   

From the death of Aaron, we learn that no one is indispensable. Many great men had come and go but only God is still on the throne.  A person’s ministry may be over, but God will never allow His work to be left stranded. He will always have someone to replace the ministry to continue the work. Meanwhile, for everyone who is at the helm, it is his or her responsibility to be faithful to ensure that the service to God is the best. The ministry of a person has a fixed duration. Hence, it is better to appreciate a person when he is around and still at the job, rather than wait until he is gone to show gratitude. Don’t wait till a funeral to appreciate someone. Show them you value them when they are alive!  

Numbers 20:14-21 – Seek to avoid blind alley in our spiritual journey

In this portion of the Scriptures, we find Moses sending messengers to the Edomites to seek permission to take the people of Israel through their land. Edomites of course were the descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Jacob, who was later named Israel. As relatives, the Edomites should have been sympathetic and more agreeing towards them, but this was not the case. Despite Moses' discourse of their long bondage in Egypt and how the LORD heard their cries for deliverance and took them out of their plight, the Edomites vehemently refused their request.

Here Moses even explained that they were now at the edge of Edom and would like to pass through their land if they were granted permission. He even pledged to go directly to where they were heading for and would neither touch their vineyard nor water. All Moses wanted to do was to take the people into Canaan through Edom. What Moses tried to do here was no different from what the people of Israel tried to do earlier. Numbers 14:39-45 described their attempt to force their way into Canaan despite the LORD’S judgment that they would not set foot on the promised land.

In these nine verses, there was no mention that Moses sought the LORD. He only mentioned the LORD superficially and in passing. Not a hint was given here that God had instructed Moses to take this route. It was a case where he once again took matters into his own hand. Rather than praying, he resorted to negotiating with the Edomites politically. He even promised them saying, “We will go up by the road, and if I and my livestock do drink any of your water, then I will pay its price. Let me only pass through on my feet nothing more.” If he had God’s approval and was assured that God would be with them, the Edomites would be easy meat for them. The fact that the Israelites turned away and took another route suggests that Moses knew that God was not with them in this endeavor. Like the people who earlier attempted to force their way into the promised land, Moses’ attempt also ended in a dead-end, a sort of cul-de-sac.    

The key message of these verses is simply this: don’t attempt to live life outside of God’s will for us. How do we stay in God's will? To stay in God's will we need to know His Word. From what we know we must obey and act on them. In everything, we must act in consultation with Him and His word. We must not act on impulse. Always be sure to stay on course with God and not meander outside of what He has installed for us! Hear God’s word to us in Psalm 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds a house, they who build it labor in vain….” Heed God’s warning!

Numbers 20:9-13 – Honor God by acting right

The focus of Numbers 20:9-13 is on Moses and Aaron's wrong action. What they did shows us that even the best of us have our flawed moments. Yes, including Moses and Aaron. They started well despite being accused by the people of Israel of leading them into the desert to die of thirst. They did right by coming to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell before the Lord to intercede for the people. True to His faithfulness, God responded to Moses’ prayer and commanded him saying, “Take the staff; and you and your brother Aaron assemble the congregation and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it shall yield its water. So you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and have the congregation and their livestock drink.”

So Moses took the staff from before the presence of God, just as he was commanded. He then summoned the whole assembly to gather at the rock. But what he did next was uncalled for. He started by chiding the people saying, “Listen now, you rebels; shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” Then raising the staff in his hand, Moses struck the rock twice. And water in abundance indeed gushed out and the whole congregation and their livestock were able to drink of it. The problem, however, was that he failed to carry out exactly as God had commanded him to do. Instead of speaking to the rock, he took the staff in his hand and struck the rock twice in anger and irritation. In his frustration, he took matters into his own hand. He had shown dishonor to God and had unconsciously set himself up as the judge and deliverer of the people. Where exactly did Moses do wrong?

In the first time at Rephidim, when they had no water to drink, God in Exodus 17:5-6 said to him, “Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” From that incident, we learned that the rock clearly represented God. He instructed Moses to strike the rock to bring out water. When Moses did, it happened exactly as God had said. That moment also pointed us to the remarkable grace of God. That was a picture of Calvary where Christ allowed Himself to be smitten for the sake of His people to provide them with God’s life-giving water. But this second time in the water of Meribah, God did not ask Moses to strike the rock at all. He only directed him to speak to the rock. But Moses in frustration struck the rock twice. It is one thing to strike the rock once at His instruction, but quite another to strike it twice on his own impulse. He was virtually assaulting God and showing disrespect to Him. What happened next was a sobering moment for Moses. God said to him, “Since you did not trust in Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, for that reason you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”  Moses had brought dishonor to God and for that, he paid dearly.   

Here are three quick lessons from the passage. Firstly, like what James 1:19 says, we must learn to be “quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” For anger will hinder us from doing the righteous work of God. Moses here gives a clear-cut example for us. Secondly, the lesson is more for the leaders of God’s people. A leader must never abuse his ministry and beat the sheep of God. No matter how justified a leader may feel about a certain thing, be careful not to ventilate one’s frustration and be led to act irrationally. Thirdly, we see the gravity of a wrong action. With every privilege comes responsibility. Greater honor means greater culpability for any wrong action. It is because our action always impacts the things we are called to do for God. So we must be careful how we act. Make honoring God our main desire in life and it will keep us moving on the right track with Him. Let the fear of the Lord be our constant reminder. Tread softly before Him!