NUMBERS 22 THROUGH 31 - REQUIREMENTS AND PREPARATIONS FOR GOING INTO BATTLE

 

 

This will be a three part series in the Torah that explains what the Lord requires of us and how He prepares us prior to going into battle against His enemies.

Numbers 22 - Balak Hires Balaam to Curse Israel - Balaam is a seer/prophet who has a reputation as a diviner who can effectuate curses. He does this for hire. He is in it for the money. He is symbolic of false prophets today who preach the word for personal gain and notoriety. He knows the Lord but also follows pagan gods. He has mixture in his life and agenda.

When Balak send a delegation of seers (v7) to hire Balaam to curse Israel they offer him a handsome reward. When Balaam asks the Lord, the Lord tells him don’t go and curse Israel because they are blessed (v12). Balak does not take no for an answer and sends another delegation to hire Balaam.

God now tests Balaam and tells him he can go but will only be able to speak what the Lord commands. Balaam has already been told Israel is blessed and now he is told he will only be able to do as the Lord commands, which is bless Israel. He goes anyway because he is only in it for the money. He is not hearing what the Lord is telling him--he doesn’t want to hear.

He rides there on his donkey and the donkey sees angels with swords blocking the way. Balaam, the seer, cannot see them because the seer is blinded by his greed. He is furious with the donkey for not wanting to proceed. Once again God was warning him not to go. He pushes on.

When Balaam meets Balak he tells him he will only be able to speak what El tells him. Of course Balak thinks this is just Balaam’s sales pitch. Balaam prepares to curse Israel.

The Lesson: Deception is very smooth and appears to be of the Lord. Sometimes it is really hard to discern. Many claim to be prophets and go from church to church “selling” their words and goods. Many are in it for the money and recognition. Their words and testimony are shallow. They really don’t say anything specific. They very seldom mention the cost of following Yeshua and how we need to lay down our lives to receive that for which we are called.

Balaam is the perfect example. He should not have gone in the first place knowing what the Lord told him. He was determined to get his reward. God told him he could go to test his sincerity. Both he an Balak were hoping to find a loop hole. Eventually they would. His life was not yielded to God. He was going to do it in the name of God--but his way!

This is a perfect example of why we should be careful who we invite to our assemblies. There is much false teaching out there and we need to know the word of God to be able to properly discern. Deception is very close to the real thing--it mixes in the truth but twists it. We need to be in the word daily to hear and see the truth.

Numbers 23 and 24 - Balaam’s Four Oracles - Much to Balak’s displeasure Balaam proceeds to bless Israel. Each time Balak insists they move to another location for Balaam to curse Israel. Notice in 24.1in the KJV that on the third try, “Balaam…went not, as at other times, to seek enchantments.” This means to search for omens by divining, implying this is what he had done the first two times.

After blessing Israel three times Balak has had enough. Balaam sheepishly says, “I told you even if you gave me gold and silver I could only do what the Lord commands.” He had hoped to find a way to give what Balak wanted but the spirit of the Lord was too powerful.

Now Balaam tells Balak he will tell him what is going to befall his people in the days to come. Not only is this a historical prophecy against Moab for that time, it is an end time word to the nations. It speaks of a scepter coming out of Jacob (Israel). After this they both go to their respective homes.

The Lesson: Balaam was a false prophet who used divination. Think of all the mixture in our assemblies in our day. How much New Age, Gaia, and Asian paganism is mixed into our churches--and that is only naming a few. Balaam knew the “truth” but did his best to pervert it to his own advantage. In the end God would not allow it. The message here is to get the mixture out of our assemblies and our personal lives.

In order to move on in God we must have a holiness and purity through knowing the Word of God and following it. We are reading the Torah here, and God is teaching us through His Law, what we should be aware of. He does not want pagan rooted mixture in our lives or assemblies.


Tomorrow: Part Two