Thursday Night Bible Study

Numbers 24-Numbers 25 (Click scripture reference for audio access)  

"What Can't Be Cursed, Can Be Compromised!"  •  6.28.12  •  Thursday Night Bible Study, CCF

Intro.

- Israel is camped on the other side of the Jordan River, looking over to Canaan, a land promised to them by God. It has taken almost 40 years to get here, but they are finally about there.

- They have had to go through hostile territory, having repelled a frontal assualt and a sneak attack. Unbeknownst to them, their cousin Moab is plotting to curse them.

- Up on the hills over the Jordan, Balak the King and Balaam the prophet are working to curse the people of Israel, but no curse is allowed to pass Balaam's lips.

- They have tried twice and failed twice. Balak is determined to curse Israel and Balaam is finding his life increasingly difficult, as God keeps blessing through him.

Text

• Numbers 23:27-24:2 : " Then Balak said to Balaam, 'Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.' So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that overlooks the wasteland. Then Balaam said to Balak, 'Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.' And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar. Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him." : Balak kept trying different locations, but kept facing the same result. Balaam discerned correctly that God loved blessing Israel. It is His pleasure to bless His people!

- God was determined to bless the people despite the offerings that were ordered by Balaam and put together by Balak. Nothing could persuade Him to do otherwise.

- Consequently, Balaam didn't seek to hear God's voice through sorcery any longer. He set his face and listened and when he did, God's Spirit came upon him.

- To us, this is curious. Balaam was a man that was at best a "prophet" of very questionable character and yet, God's Spirit came upon him.

- This was not so much about Balaam's character, as much as it was about what he was about to prophesy, that the Spirit's presence ensured would be correct.

• Numbers 24:3-7 : "Then he took up his oracle and said: 'The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened, the utterance of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, with eyes wide open: How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel! Like valleys that stretch out, like gardens by the riverside, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. He shall pour water from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted." : To the ordinary eye, Israel was a camp of nomadic tent dwellers.

- Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Balaam's eyes could now see that this encampment was the dwelling place of God Almighty!

- You and I might not look like much, but the Holy Spirit indwells those who believe! Balaam saw Israel as she truly was: An encampment of the Lord Almighty!

- Balaam was one who had fallen down, but had been allowed to keep his eyes open to see the beauty of Israel.

- Israel was like a majestic valley, spread out in a spacious and good place before the Lord. They had a safe dwelling place to reside with the Lord.

- The were like gardens, aloes and cedars by the riverside all picture a King's garden where He would meet other dignitaries in the ancient world.

- It doesn't sound like much to us, but in the desert, this was a picture of paradise!

- The water that would be poured from buckets pictures the plentious provisions that the King had at His disposal. Truly, Israel's King and Kingdom would be greater than the greatest King!

• Numbers 24:8,9 : "God brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; He shall consume the nations, his enemies; He shall break their bones and pierce them with his arrows. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you.'" : Israel had come out of Egypt 40 years earlier and had learned the lessons of the dessert. Because God was with them, they were strong, unstoppable.

- They would move forward into Canaan and nations would be removed and conquered.

- What Israel will do in Canaan is but a picture of what the Lord will ultimately do to His enemies! Like a Lion who has won and rests from his victory, nobody will disturb Him from His place.

- He will have the victory, therefore the person who blessed Israel would be blessed. Never forget that! We want to be on the side of those who bless Israel, who pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

- When you consider that, consider praying that God would open the eyes of individual Israeli's that they may come to their Messiah and know the peace of their God.

- Pray for open doors of evengelism. Pray that God would be their shield as the nations surrounding them continually attempt to plot their demise.

- Notice also that Balaam acknowledges that a curse would be upon those who curse them. I wonder if Balaam said this and then fearfully shot a glance over at Balak.

- "Did you hear that!? By cursing this nation, you yourself are inviting a curse from the Lord!"

- Let us be mindful of that that. This promise stands as a part of God's everlasting covenant with the nation of Israel.

• Numbers 24:10-14 : "Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, 'I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! Now therefore, flee to your place. I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.' So Balaam said to Balak, 'Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 'If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’? And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the latter days.'" : Balak was hot! He was furious with Balaam. He clapped his hands together in fury, wanting to lay hands on Balaam!

- Forget about the curse of God. He hates Israel and wants them gone from his land!

- Balaam is in a very precarious position. He is feeling the full pain of his decision not to obey God's clear word to him. His very life now stands in the hands of this heathen King!

- Balak has a great case. "Your job was to curse my enemies and you have blessed them!" By coming with Balak, Balaam compromised and became an accomplice by association.

- Balaam's response is weakened because he came in the first place, taking advantage of all the privilege, all the money that was forwarded to him.

- Balak tells him, "All the honor you would have received from me is gone!" Serving God will often keep you from receiving the World's honor. That will never change!

- To make matters worse, Balaam still had something to say from the Lord regarding the future of Balak's Kingdom. 

• Numbers 24:15-19 : "So he took up his oracle and said: 'The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, and the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened; The utterance of him who hears the words of God, and has the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, with eyes wide open: 'I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult.  And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly. Out of Jacob One shall have dominion, and destroy the remains of the city.'" : This is profound when you consider what is happening to Balaam at this moment. The Spirit of God had come upon him.

- His words are his. He is speaking them. But they are not his. He is a man whose eyes are opened. There has been a revelation that has been given to him that he is driven to speak.

- In that little sentence we have the doctrine of revelation and inspiration. What we hold in our hands is God breathed revelation, given through human agency!

- Balaam on his own, could never have understood what it was that he was speaking about. God had to reveal that to him and then the Spirit of God spoke it through him!

- The Holy Spirit hears the words of God. He knows the Most High! He sees the Almighty! The Holy Spirit knows all that God wants to communicate, especially concerning Jesus.

- Jesus is the King not yet seen. He is the Star that comes out of Jacob. He's the one holding the Scepter that will rise out of Israel and beat down the head of Moab!

- Moab and Edom, all of Israel's enemies would be destroyed! There was nothing that anyone could do. God's plan would prevail and God's Messiah would be King.

• Numbers 24:20-25 : "Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said: 'Amalek was first among the nations, but shall be last until he perishes.' Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said: 'Firm is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in the rock; Nevertheless Kain shall be burned. How long until Asshur carries you away captive?' Then he took up his oracle and said: 'Alas! Who shall live when God does this? But ships shall come from the coasts of Cyprus, and they shall afflict Asshur and afflict Eber, and so shall Amalek, until he perishes.' So Balaam rose and departed and returned to his place; Balak also went his way." : Amalek was the next of Israel's enemies to be prophecied against, who God called the first among the nations, likely referring to Israel's first enemy.

- In the mind of God, they would be considered the last until their demise. God had a score to settle with them and they were doomed.

- Then came the Kenites, who were secure in their place, but would suffer exile at the hands of the Assyrian empire and their city, Kain, would be left an ash heap.

- Consider how many people groups have lived on the Earth that are no more. When was the last time that you met an Amalekite or a Kenite? Yet, Israel stands!

- After all of this, Balaam and Balak parted ways. It sounds like they just left one another without speaking, but that was not the case.

- Jesus in Revelation 2:14 says that Balaam taught Balak how to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, in order that they might defile themselves!

- Balaam could not let this opportunity pass. He was so greedy, he was willing to find a way to trouble God's people, not by a curse, but by inviting their compromise!

- Balaam could not cause a splinter to come into the hand of a child, but Israel opened the door to great peril by their own willingness to enter into foolishness!

• Numbers 25:1-3 : "Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel." : Understand that Acacia Grove is right across the River Jordan! It's on the border of the promised land! You know what they say: Most accidents happen within 5 miles of home!

- Israel is comfortable. The conflict is behind them and before them, but not necessarily upon them. This is the perfect time for Balak to send in his invading force!

- In this case, Balak did even need to send one man. Instead, he sent his women!

- It was not long before the people of God were involving themselves in the sexual cult religion of the Canaanites, taking it all in.

- Israel was married to God in covenant. He was their protector, their husband and here they joined themselves in their activities to another god!

- They were committing adultery on a spiritual level and this caused the Lord's anger to rail against them. 

• Numbers 25:4-9 : "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.' So Moses said to the judges of Israel, 'Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.' And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand." : Moses actions were swift, calling on the people to take the offenders and kill them. This was a capital crime against God and the death penalty had been what they signed up for.

- Their governance of their own society was appropriate, just as it would be if our government ever decided to actually enforce the laws on our books!

- Their decisive actions to execute these rebels would stem the tide of God's justified wrath. The judges, the men who were provincial law keepers, were to find their men.

- Israel was weeping at the door of the tabernacle when a guy came out a paraded his Midianite catch! Moses saw this, as did all of Israel. Phinehas, moved with zeal, found them together.

- In one movement, he thrust both of them through, indicating that they were involving themselves in this pagan activity there in the camp!

- When that happened, the plague was stopped and 24,000 people lay dead!

• Numbers 25:10-13 : "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 'Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’" : Aaron's Grandson had done what Aaron had done before him. He stood between the living and the dead.

- Phinehas was zealous with God's zeal. He had connected himself in action to God's attitude toward wickedness. He allowed his body to be an extension of God's mind.

- During a time of theocratic dispensation, execution was the appropriate response. What he did was reasonable and righteous.

- You and I would never be justified in such an action, but we can mirror God's zeal for things by allowing ourselves to be the extensions of His passion!

- We do this first by prayer. We are nothing until we are praying! Praying precedes action, but action must come next! Our prayers should lead to activism.

- We need to be willing to be the answers to our own prayers!

- Because Phinehas showed his faith by his action, God promised a wonderful promise to him regarding the future of his priesthood.

• Numbers 25:14-18 : "Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s house among the Simeonites. And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a father’s house in Midian. Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 'Harass the Midianites, and attack them; for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor.'" : God calls Moses to name the one who was involved in this treachery. It was a man of the tribe of Simeon and he was mixed up with a leader's daughter from Midian.

- This exposed where the plot came from and God called the people to act on this information against the Midianites, to teach them not to harass Israel.

Conclusion

- Let's leave on this warning: The door of blessing is ever before you and before you can enter, the enemy is looking to keep you from entering in.

- The enemy can't curse you. You are blessed of God. But he can present a compromise that will set you back! Walk circumspectly, carefully, for the days are evil!