Bamidbar (Numbers)
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Meaning
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Day Three
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Haftara
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B'rit Hadashah
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1 Our Father, we receive Your Words and hide Your commandments with us; 2 we incline our ear unto wisdom, and apply our hearts to understanding; 3 We cry after knowledge and lift up our voices for understanding; 4 we seek it as silver; and search for it as for hidden treasures; 5 We declare that we shall understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Declaration of Proverbs 2:1-5
Numbers 22:39-23:12 (NASB)1
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth . 40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him. 41 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people. 23 1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. 2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place. 4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. 5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. 8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! 11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether. 12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?
It's a good day on the homestead. The sun is shining, and the rain has a chance to seep into the ground or be pulled up and dissipated into the air contributing to that infamous summer humidity. I want to make today THE day that the coop is entirely cleaned and sanitized for the year. It's one goal and it's a small one that I think I can do later this afternoon. The eggs have decreased because there appear to be several hens that are having a deep molt. Some days I go in and there's five eggs and other days I only pick up two. I have an invitation to pick up a few more hens to supplement the older ones. Delilah the homestead horse got her first physical exam from the veterinary doctor who swung by about suppertime yesterday. He declared, however, that she appears to be more than nine years old as the previous owner stated. From the signs that he saw, he figures that her age is closer to twelve years. It could be a bad day when you discover that you've aged three years in one hour!
That was quite a show for the dignitaries yesterday when that mule put the squeeze on Balaam's foot between her and that wall! None of Balak's men could see who Balaam was speaking with and they must have thought that it was a thing that soothsayers and magic people did. They were only there to pick up this guy for the king and so anything else was above their pay grade. I imagine that whatever they thought of that strange incident, they kept it to themselves on the ride back to their destination. I have to say that I did feel for him then. One year when I was still riding horses, we went through between two poles of a gate and I didn't realize we were too close to one of those poles. The horse I was riding had no idea my leg was too big for that gap! She went right on through while I experienced the pain of that passage. As painful as it was I wasn't angry at her. I was a novice and had I noted the width before we went through, I certainly would have tried to lead her with enough space on both sides. That was a painful mistake and I made sure that it never happened again! It was a good learning experience with just a little residual pain left to remind me in the hours after. Despite how I feel about the personality of Balaam, I sure can sympathize with him on that point.
Today the official “game-player” production begins with Balaam and Balak making the trip up to the summit where they get a good sight of the magnitude of those Hebrews below. It gave Balaam time to work up his strategy.
1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. 2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place. 4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. 5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. Numbers 23:1-6.
Albert Barnes commented that this was the “general custom of the pagan”. His strategy was “divinations by sacrifice”. Even though it was a pagan practice, Balaam was covering his bases but was he honestly attempting to offer to the true God?
The Biblical Illustrator helps us to see several points of Balaam's method of 'mixed worship' that is abomination to THE true Creator God. It looks good objectively, but is insulting to Yahweh on another level.
“SUBJECTIVELY THIS SACRIFICE WAS VERY IMPERFECT, AND EVEN SINFUL. In the sentiments and motives of the offerers there was much that was erroneous and evil.
1. The sacrifice was offered with an admixture of faith and superstition.
2. The sacrifice was offered under the impression that the offering was meritorious on the part of the offerers, and placed God under an obligation to them.
3. The sacrifice was offered as a means to induce God to change His mind.
4. The sacrifice was offered with a view of obtaining permission and power to curse the people of God.”
God is never happy with that mixture of faith with superstition. Superstition is defined:
“The chief male god of the Phoenicians and the Canaanites, as ASHTORETH was the chief female goddess. The Israelites in coming into the land doubtless found temples, groves, altars and high places set apart to Baal: incense was offered and offerings burnt, and children were sacrificed to him, whilst a great retinue of prophets and priests was maintained in his service, as is manifest by its revival afterwards. Nu 22:41; 1Ki 18:22; Jer 11:13; 19:5; 32:29.”
In my opinion, if the religious sects that are supposed to be so different from each other (but aren't), Catholic and Protestant, with which I've been associated, had the depth of Scriptural knowledge to teach on this one subject of superstition, we would be able to counter much of the devil's strategies. But superstition is so woven into the church as we know it. The so-called 'church' has failed in this area of spiritual warfare. I'm not church-bashing, but it is just the way it is. Teachers and leaders got the wrong teaching at the beginning. I don't blame any of the ones I knew because they were only teaching what they'd been taught, all in good faith. The result of that is many church members are not aware of the true nature of superstition, its origins, or how it's practiced. Even if you gently tell them, they insist on it anyway, going about “knocking on wood” and prognosticating visitors if somebody drops an item of cutlery. This behavior is right there in the third aspect of the definition of superstition: they will still practice superstitious ritual despite “evidence to the contrary”. I've said many times in the Torah Bites Project that there is simply, no room for it in the worship of The True Creator God.
Nevertheless, Balaam carried on. Despite the location of being right on the high places of Ba'al, God spoke through the tongue of this man. Now that was supernatural!
5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. 8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! Numbers 23:5-10.
If our church leaders and teachers had even taught us to know what the supernatural is, we'd be better for it. We've gone to the point where scores of church folk think that anything supernatural is God. On the other hand, scores of church folk can't seem to see anything about The LIVING God that is supernatural. The enemy deceives both ways! Yahweh took control of a tongue and a man blessed Israel! Do you think that Balaam is playing both sides here between Balak and God? When Balak remonstrates with him, he essentially pleads “Don't shoot the messenger!” Stay tuned for the next round.
That was quite a show for the dignitaries yesterday when that mule put the squeeze on Balaam's foot between her and that wall! None of Balak's men could see who Balaam was speaking with and they must have thought that it was a thing that soothsayers and magic people did. They were only there to pick up this guy for the king and so anything else was above their pay grade. I imagine that whatever they thought of that strange incident, they kept it to themselves on the ride back to their destination. I have to say that I did feel for him then. One year when I was still riding horses, we went through between two poles of a gate and I didn't realize we were too close to one of those poles. The horse I was riding had no idea my leg was too big for that gap! She went right on through while I experienced the pain of that passage. As painful as it was I wasn't angry at her. I was a novice and had I noted the width before we went through, I certainly would have tried to lead her with enough space on both sides. That was a painful mistake and I made sure that it never happened again! It was a good learning experience with just a little residual pain left to remind me in the hours after. Despite how I feel about the personality of Balaam, I sure can sympathize with him on that point.
Today the official “game-player” production begins with Balaam and Balak making the trip up to the summit where they get a good sight of the magnitude of those Hebrews below. It gave Balaam time to work up his strategy.
1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. 2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the LORD will come to meet me: and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee. And he went to an high place. 4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. 5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. Numbers 23:1-6.
Albert Barnes commented that this was the “general custom of the pagan”. His strategy was “divinations by sacrifice”. Even though it was a pagan practice, Balaam was covering his bases but was he honestly attempting to offer to the true God?
The Biblical Illustrator helps us to see several points of Balaam's method of 'mixed worship' that is abomination to THE true Creator God. It looks good objectively, but is insulting to Yahweh on another level.
“SUBJECTIVELY THIS SACRIFICE WAS VERY IMPERFECT, AND EVEN SINFUL. In the sentiments and motives of the offerers there was much that was erroneous and evil.
1. The sacrifice was offered with an admixture of faith and superstition.
2. The sacrifice was offered under the impression that the offering was meritorious on the part of the offerers, and placed God under an obligation to them.
3. The sacrifice was offered as a means to induce God to change His mind.
4. The sacrifice was offered with a view of obtaining permission and power to curse the people of God.”
God is never happy with that mixture of faith with superstition. Superstition is defined:
- a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation
- an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition
- a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary
“The chief male god of the Phoenicians and the Canaanites, as ASHTORETH was the chief female goddess. The Israelites in coming into the land doubtless found temples, groves, altars and high places set apart to Baal: incense was offered and offerings burnt, and children were sacrificed to him, whilst a great retinue of prophets and priests was maintained in his service, as is manifest by its revival afterwards. Nu 22:41; 1Ki 18:22; Jer 11:13; 19:5; 32:29.”
In my opinion, if the religious sects that are supposed to be so different from each other (but aren't), Catholic and Protestant, with which I've been associated, had the depth of Scriptural knowledge to teach on this one subject of superstition, we would be able to counter much of the devil's strategies. But superstition is so woven into the church as we know it. The so-called 'church' has failed in this area of spiritual warfare. I'm not church-bashing, but it is just the way it is. Teachers and leaders got the wrong teaching at the beginning. I don't blame any of the ones I knew because they were only teaching what they'd been taught, all in good faith. The result of that is many church members are not aware of the true nature of superstition, its origins, or how it's practiced. Even if you gently tell them, they insist on it anyway, going about “knocking on wood” and prognosticating visitors if somebody drops an item of cutlery. This behavior is right there in the third aspect of the definition of superstition: they will still practice superstitious ritual despite “evidence to the contrary”. I've said many times in the Torah Bites Project that there is simply, no room for it in the worship of The True Creator God.
Nevertheless, Balaam carried on. Despite the location of being right on the high places of Ba'al, God spoke through the tongue of this man. Now that was supernatural!
5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. 8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! Numbers 23:5-10.
If our church leaders and teachers had even taught us to know what the supernatural is, we'd be better for it. We've gone to the point where scores of church folk think that anything supernatural is God. On the other hand, scores of church folk can't seem to see anything about The LIVING God that is supernatural. The enemy deceives both ways! Yahweh took control of a tongue and a man blessed Israel! Do you think that Balaam is playing both sides here between Balak and God? When Balak remonstrates with him, he essentially pleads “Don't shoot the messenger!” Stay tuned for the next round.
12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth? Numbers 23:12.
1 NASB www.lockman.org for daily reading and KJV in commentary unless otherwise specified
*The Torah and Haftara chapter/verse numbering taken from the Hebrew Bible (Christian-published chapter/verse numbering indicated within parenthesis)
*The Torah and Haftara chapter/verse numbering taken from the Hebrew Bible (Christian-published chapter/verse numbering indicated within parenthesis)
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