Read today’s scripture.

What do you learn about God’s goodness?

Who can you share that with today?

Numbers 23.

The story of Balaam continues.

So far, Balaam has inquired of the LORD twice if he can go curse Israel for the Moabite King, Balak. After all, a lot of cash and honor is involved. The LORD says No, and then Yes, IF YOU SAY EXACTLY WHAT I TELL YOU.  Of course God knows what’s in Balaam’s greedy heart, and stops him by sending a fierce angel and scaring his donkey so much that it ACTUALLY SPEAKS to Balaam.  

Yesterday we saw Balaam with King Balak on a hill overlooking part of Israel’s camp.

So… Balaam (for show???) offers seven bulls and seven rams on seven altars. Then he walks over to a high cliff, looks down on the Israelites.  But the word of the LORD to him is, “You sent me to curse this people, but how can I curse what God has blessed?  Let my own end be like Israel’s.”

Yes, Balak is furious. He takes Balaam to a different spot and says to try again to curse this people.

And again with the seven offerings of bulls and rams on altars. Balaam again goes to the cliff overlooking the people and returns to Balak with this message….

• “God is not man, that He should lie, or the son of man, that He should change His mind. Has He said, and will He not do it? or has He spoken, and will He not fulfill it? Behold, I received a command to bless, H e has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.  He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has He seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them.“

“No, no, no!  Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all!” cried King Balak.  And then he took Balaam to a third spot to view Israel. Again with the three bulls and rams on altars.

Numbers 24.

This time, when Balaam looked out, he saw each of Israel’s tribes camped in order.  “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!  Blessed are those who bless you. Cursed are those who curse you.”

King Balak is FURIOUS!  “I called you to curse my enemies, and you have blessed them three times. Go home now. I will NOT HONOR you.“

But Balaam has one last prophecy concerning Israel and Moab, Edom, Amalek, the Kenites (Midian), and even Assyria. “King Balak, Come, I will let you know what THIS people will do to YOUR peoples in the latter days.” He pronounces his last scary “oracle” before he goes home.

Numbers 25.

Ah, but Israel, does not recognize, appreciate, or return the love of their God back to Him.

(Peek ahead to Numbers 31:16 to see that it was Balaam who suggested the following.)

These Moabites invited the people to sacrifices of their gods, and soon Israeli men were eating with them and bowing to their idol Baal. 

God was horrifically angry and told Moses to have the judges of Israel round up all the men “who had yoked themselves to Baal” and kill them. He sent a plague of His fury through the camp. But to show the people’s utter arrogance in the matter, one Israeli man brought a Midianite woman right into the camp, and in front of them all, went into the tent and had sex with her.

Phinehas, the son of the high priest Eleazar, burned with indignation for the LORD.  He took a spear, went into the man’s tent and ran the spear clear through both their bellies … in the very act.  The plague stopped, but not before killing 24,000 of Israel.   The LORD told Moses that it was the zeal of Phinehas that had turned back His wrath, and that his house would have a perpetual priesthood. 

God then told Moses to “harass” the Midianites and strike them down, because of the “wiles, with which they beguiled Israel in this matter.”

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Has the old generation finally all died? Tomorrow a Census of the NEW GENERATION is taken.