The Tribe of Benjamin
26: 38-41

The tribe of Benjamin DIG: What does the Second Census tell us about Benjamin’s historical roots? Why did the tribe of Benjamin increase so greatly from the First Census? Why would the wilderness generation want to know they had common historical roots from their parents, but a completely separate identity.

REFLECT: What meaningful group are you a member of? How does being a part of that group help to support you and make you grow spiritually? How does being a part of it enable you to help others? What can you do to make sure that the positive parts of your past are accentuated in your relationship with God?

Benjamin is a ravenous wolf.

1. The First Census in the past found the tribe of Benjamin being numbered at 35,400 (to see link click Ak – Numbering the Tribes). The banner of the tribe of Benjamin has a wolf on it, to indicate the warlike nature of the tribe. On his deathbed, Jacob prophesied: Benjamin is a ravenous wolf (Genesis 49:27a). The word ravenous comes from the Hebrew tref or trefah, meaning a wolf that tears apart his prey. Sometimes tref is used in a generic sense. For example, there is kosher food, and anything else is treff. But the word trefah actually comes from the Hebrew word meaning to tear. In the Torah, if an animal, even a kosher animal, is torn apart and killed, it is trefah. In other words, there is no such thing as kosher road-kill even if it’s a nice prime rib. It would not be prepared in a way that the Torah commands (Leviticus 11:1-46; 17:1-16), with the core thought being: Be sure you do not eat the blood, because the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat (Deuteronomy 12:23). That’s why hunting is not normally a Jewish thing. When someone shoots their prey, it is torn apart and automatically becomes unkosher. In the TaNaKh, Jews would set a snare for a kosher animal and capture it. Then they could kill in the ritual way, by draining the blood.

Therefore, Benjamin is a wolf who tears apart, and there are some very interesting people from the tribe of Benjamin who fulfilled Jacob’s prophecy. One is Ehud, a famous warrior and one of the judges (Judges 3:15-30). Sha’ul the first king of Isra’el was also a Benjamite (First Samuel 9:1-2), and for better or worse, fulfilled this prophecy of Jacob. Saul’s son Jonathan, a great warrior, became one spirit with David (First Samuel 18:1). In addition, both Mordecai and Esther were from the tribe of Benjamin (Esther 2:5-7). They were warriors of that generation whom ADONAI used to deliver Isra’el from her enemies like a ravenous wolf (see Esther Bm – The Jews Struck Down All Their Enemies with the Sword, Killing and Destroying Them).

The warlike nature of the small tribe of Binyamin became well known, as exhibited in their swordsmen. This tribe was so aggressive and successful that they would be able to share their plunder with the other tribes. This seems like a strange prophecy for a son whom Jacob especially loved, but it was both a promise and a warning. The tribe of Benjamin would be courageous and strong, successful in warfare, but at the same time it might become cruel and ravenous.

So, it seems that Benjamin’s tribe had its dark side. The warlike nature came out not only in defense of his country, but also in depravity within his country. In Judges 19–21 Benjamin took up an offense against the other eleven tribes of Isra’el, and civil war ensued. This period had the reputation of everyone doing what was right in his own eyes (Judges 21:25). What led to this was the horrific abuse and death of an unnamed Levite’s concubine (Judges 19:10-28). The eleven tribes turned against the tribe of Benjamin and nearly annihilated them because of their refusal to give up the perpetrators (Judges 20:1 to 21:25).⁵⁹³ Thank God they were not destroyed, otherwise we would not have had Mordecai (see the commentary on Esther Bh – The King Gave His Signet Ring to Mordecai), or Paul. Eventually they all restored Benjamin’s tribe, greatly diminished due to the war, and the country reunited.

In the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder (49:27b). Both attributes, devouring the prey and dividing the plunder, were later evident in the tribe. Although the smallest of the tribes, in the near historical future, they would become famous for their courage, fierceness and power. After the conquest of Canaan, they received the territory between the tribes of Ephraim and Judah. It has been a war-zone throughout Israel’s history. The tribe of Benjamin themselves became known as a warrior tribe (Judges 5:14, 20:14-21; 2 Samuel 2; First Chronicles 8:40 and 12; 2 Chronicles 14:8, 17:7; Psalm 68:27).

2. The Second Census in the present: The descendants of Benjamin by their five clans were: of Bela, the Belaite clan; through Ashbel, the Ashbelite clan; through Ahiram, the Ahiramite clan; through Shupham, the Shuphamite clan; and through Hupham, the Huphamite clan. Moses goes back to the first son, Bela, and describes the two sub-clans of Ard and Na‘aman; through Ard, the Ardite clan; and through Na‘aman, the Na‘amanite clan. These were the clans of Benjamin, by their families; those numbered were 45,600 (26:38-41), a considerable increase of 10,200 from the First Census (see Ai – The First Census: The Old Generation of Rebellion), or 29 percent, the second largest increase of all the tribes. Although the Benjamites were very courageous, that was not where their safety lay. The prophecy of Moses shed some light on this. He prophesied: Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one ADONAI loves rests between His shoulders (Deut 33:12). This last phrase literally means he rests on the Lord’s back. This pictures a Father carrying His beloved on His back, and therefore a beautiful metaphor for God’s protective, fatherly care of Benjamin.⁵⁹⁴ The little tribe of Benjamin was situated next to Judah’s northern boundary, and the city of Jerusalem was on the northern border of Judah and the southern border of Benjamin. Since the Sanctuary would be in Jerusalem, Benjamin would be close to the LORD, who dwelt there with His people.⁵⁹⁵

Unlike the blessing in Genesis 49, which depicts Benjamin as a ravenous wolf, in Deuteronomy Moses pronounces a tender blessing on Benjamin – Jacob’s youngest son – one reminiscent of Benjamin’s close relationship with his father (Genesis 42:4 and 38, 44:18-34). For Benjamin, Moshe said: The beloved of ADONAI rests securely beside Him. He shields him all day long. Between His shoulders he rests. Benjamin can rest securely on the shoulders of YHVH who shields him from all threats. The anthropomorphism of resting between the shoulders of ADONAI brings to mind the figure of a father carrying his young son on his shoulders. Here, Moses rejoices that the tribe of Benjamin will dwell safely in peace among the people of God, no longer in conflict during the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Isaiah Ge – Your Eyes Will See the King in His Beauty).⁵⁹⁶

3. The Messianic Kingdom in the future: The lists of names and numbers are the material and tangible signs of God’s blessing, God’s faithfulness to past promises, and the surety of God’s future promise keeping (see Ae – Stars of Heaven, Grains of Sand, and the Promises of God). In the far eschatological future, the tribe of Benjamin will have one portion of land in the Messianic Kingdom, extending from the east side to the west side (Ezekiel 48:23). When you look at Jacob’s family I think it would be fair to say that it was very dysfunctional, but even with all their problems, the sons of Isra’el believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all fourteen sons are found in the Messianic Kingdom (Ezeki’el 47:13, 48:1-29). Not one was lost. Yeshua talked about eternal security for those who believe, trust and have faith in Him. He said: My sheep hear My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand; I and the Father are one (John 10:27-30).

Dear Heavenly Father, how fantastic you are, our always-loving, always-caring Holy Heavenly Father! What a beautiful picture of tender care that the Spirit of God painted of You when He inspired Moses to write the blessing for Benjamin, the one ADONAI loves rests between His shoulders (Deuteronomy 33:12), literally meaning he rests on the Lord’s back. It is a picture of great security when a young child is carried on their dad’s shoulders, resting on his back. The father is not only close by, but is right there holding on. The child does not even need to call out for help, for her dad is closer than even nearby, her dad is right there, holding onto her and protecting her.

What a wonderful comfort to be held close to You by Your mighty arms and to rest securely on Your shoulders! When problems and trials come, one thing that makes them harder is facing the problem all alone; but when daddy is near it brings such comfort. Problems seem so much easier to handle and much smaller when your children realize that an All-loving, Almighty Daddy is right there. When the focus is on the problem, then the problem seems big; but instead when Your child wisely focuses on your Almighty power, love and strength, then the problem becomes small. O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You. My soul thirsts for You. My flesh longs for You in a dry and weary land, where there is no water (Psalms 63:1-2).

David focused on your great lovingkindness and that kept him from falling into the trap of pity. How very wise of David that even when his life was in danger, instead of focusing on the problem, David looked up to You and praised You! He focused his mind off of the hard and dangerous situation that he was in and lifted his heart to concentrate on how very Awesome and Wonderful You always are! Since Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live. In Your name I lift up my hands (Psalms 63:3-4). Making time to praise You and to meditate on Your Word is like feasting on a rich meal. My soul is satisfied as with fat and oil, so my mouth praises You with joyful lips (Psalms 63:6). Thank You for carrying me (Isaiah 41:13, 46:4, 63:9). Praise You so very much for Your everlasting love that holds me tight in Your hands (John 10:27-30). I love to worship and to praise You! In Messiah Yeshua’s almighty Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Tribe of Joseph
26: 28-37

The tribe of Joseph DIG: What does the Second Census tell us about Manasseh’s and Ephraim’s historical roots? Why did the tribe of Manasseh increase so greatly from the First Census? Why did Ephraim decrease so much their forefather was blessed? Why would the wilderness generation want to know they had common historical roots from their parents, but a completely separate identity from them?

REFLECT: What meaningful group (tribe) are you a member of? How does being a part of that group help to support you and make you grow spiritually? How does being a part of that group enable you to help others? What can you do to make sure that the positive parts of your past are accentuated in your relationship with God? How can you make sure you will receive the blessing from ADONAI and not squander it?

Joseph is a fruitful vine near a spring, whose shoots climb over a wall.

1. The First Census in the past found the tribe of Manasseh being numbered at 32,200 and the tribe of Ephraim being numbered at 40,500 (to see link click Ak – Numbering the Tribes). The banner of the tribe of Joseph has wheat stalks on it, a reference to Joseph’s dream and the rescue of the Egyptians, and the people of the world, from famine. On his deathbed, Jacob prophesied: Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose shoots climb over a wall (Genesis 49:22). The well-watered, far spreading, fruitful vine is often used in the Bible to signify great productivity and fruitfulness (Psalm 128:3; Ezekiel 19:10).⁵⁸⁹ The word fruitful has the same root as the name Ephraim, which means double fruit. In the history of Joseph’s sons are accounts of victorious leaders. Joshua, Deborah and Samuel all came from the tribe of Ephraim; while Gideon and Jephthah came from the tribe of Manasseh.⁵⁹⁰ So Joseph’s descendants would be strong and numerous. From the metaphor of a fruitful vine, Jacob changed the metaphor to a warlike figure beset by enemy archers who had tried to destroy him as a hated foe. With bitterness, archers attacked him; they shot at him with hostility (Genesis 49:23). This refers to the mistreatment that Joseph suffered first at the hands of his brothers (see Genesis Ix – Joseph Sold into Slavery by His Brothers), and then from Potiphar’s wife (see Genesis Ji – Potiphar’s Wife said: Come to Bed with Me! But Joseph Ran Out of the House). Their lying tongues seemed to be as sharp as arrows.

Joseph knew that his bedridden father was old and ready to die when he was compelled to agree to bury him in the Promised Land (47:28-31); when news came that his father was ill and close to death, this came as no surprise. So Yosef responded by taking his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him as Jacob’s life drew to a close (48:1). Jacob then adopted his two grandsons, intentionally blessing Ephraim over the firstborn Manasseh (see Genesis Kx – Jacob Adopted Joseph’s Two Sons Ephraim and Manasseh).

2. The Second Census in the present: These were the descendants of Joseph, by their clans. The tribe of Joseph was one tribe, which was composed of two half-tribes, so Moses dealt with them separately. First, the descendants of Manasseh were: of Makhir, the Makhirite clan (Makhir was the father of Gilead); through Gilead, the Gileadite clan. These are the six sub-clans of Gilead: through Iezer, the Iezrite clan; of Helek, the Helkite clan; through Asriel, the Asrielite clan; through Shechem, the Shechemite clan; through Shemida, the Shemidaite clan; and through Hepher, the Hepherite clan. Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons but five daughters; whose names were Machlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. These were the clans of Manasseh; those numbered were 52,700 (26:28a-34), a tremendous increase of 20,500 from the First Census (see Ai – The First Census: The Old Generation of Rebellion), or sixty-three percent! The largest increase of any of the tribes.

To find the answer to this great increase, we must look to the daughters of Zelophehad. Because Zelophehad had no sons, his inheritance was supposed to be given to a male relative, a brother, uncle, or cousin. This was not written in the Torah, but was merely a Jewish tradition. However, his five courageous daughters stood up for their father’s name. They came forward and stood before Moses, Eleazar the high priest, the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance to the Tabernacle and said: Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the LORD, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? They did not ask for personal gain, but for what was right and fair for their family name. So they asked: Give us property among our father’s relatives (27:1-4). Moses waited. The ground under the girls did not split apart and swallow them like the households of Dathan and Abiram. Nothing happened. No blasphemy was spoken. Being a wise man, Moses brought the case before the LORD, just as he had done with the problem of the blasphemer (Lev 24:10-16) and the man who had violated the Sabbath (15:32-36). And ADONAI said to him, “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them” (27:5-7). God changed the custom because it was abusive to women. It was as if God was waiting for them to come forward.

YHVH continued: Say to the people of Isra’el, “If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. If his father had no brothers, the man’s inheritance would be given to the nearest relative in his clan, so that he may possess it. This will be the standard for judgment to be used by the people of Isra’el, as ADONAI ordered Moshe” (27:8-11). Regulations like this are unnecessary in today’s society, but they were very important to God’s ancient people. The LORD owned the Land and allowed His people to use it as long as they obeyed Him. When the Jews turned to idols and polluted it, God allowed other nations to invade and steal their produce (see my commentary on the book of Judges). When Isra’el’s sins became so wicked that YHVH could endure it no longer, He took the Israelites off the Land and exiled them to Babylon (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule). There, they learned to appreciate what ADONAI had given them.

The daughters of Zelophehad changed things for the better, but in essence they were a reflection of the tribe of Manasseh that was behind them. Proverbs 31:26 says that the virtuous woman opens her mouth with wisdom, just like the daughters of Zelophehad. ADONAI not only did what was right and fair; He gave them far more than what they had asked for. Manasseh’s share of the Promised Land was increased by ten tracts of land, in addition to Gilead and Bashan east of the Jordan, because the daughters of the tribe of Manasseh received an inheritance along with the sons. The land of Gilead belonged to the rest of the descendants of Manasseh (Joshua 17:5-6). Zelophehad’s name means first born, and thus, he would have been entitled to a double portion of inheritance; but instead, his five daughters each received a double portion resulting in the whole tribe of Manasseh being blessed with an additional ten tracts of land west of the Jordan (see map).⁵⁹¹

Secondly, these were the descendants of Ephraim, by their clans: of Shuthelah, the Shuthelahite clan; through Beker, the Bakerite clan; through Tahan, the Tahanite clan. This was one sub-clan of Shuthelah: through ‘Eran, the ‘Eranite clan. These were the clans of Ephraim; those numbered were 32,500 (26:28b and 35-37), a net decrease of 8,000 from the First Census, or twenty percent, the second largest decline after Simeon’s whopping sixty-three percent. The question then becomes, if Jacob chose to bless Ephraim, the younger brother, over Manasseh, the firstborn by the time Joshua was ready to assign the land for each tribe after Canaan was conquered, why was Manasseh’s portion of land much larger the that of Ephraim? Even though Ephraim had been blessed by his grandfather Jacob, and given the right of the first born and a double portion, the size of the land to be inherited was proportional to each tribes’ spiritual condition. In this sense, Ephraim was so much like the believer today, if we walk with God we are blessed; however, if we walk in the flesh, our blessing decreases.

The huge size of the Promised Land is given in Genesis 15:18 and Deuteronomy 11:24. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said: To your descendants I give this land, from the River of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates – the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites (Genesis 15:18-21). And God repeated this promise to the wilderness generation ready to enter the Promised Land. Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Mediterranean Sea if you obey My commands (Deuteronomy 11:24). But sin got in the way of Ephraim and worked against their blessings.

But during the conquest, Ephraim sinned by failing to drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer. Joshua recorded that the Canaanites lived among the people of Ephraim, but became their slaves doing the heavy work (Joshua 16:10). Like King Sha’ul later in Isra’el’s history, who did not completely destroy the Amalekites, the Ephraimites did not completely destroy the Canaanites. This was against God’s explicit command. And like king Sha’ul, who suffered the loss of his reign, the tribe of Ephraim suffered the reduction of the size of their land that might have been theirs if they had not sinned. As Samuel said to king Sha’ul, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams” (First Samuel 15:22). Therefore, Manasseh’s obedience resulted in a 63 percent increase of their tribe, while Ephraim’s disobedience resulted in a 20 percent decrease, which was reflected in the size of both their territories (see map).

The disobedience of Ephraim eventually resulted in the end of the monarchy. At the end of king Solomon’s life, Jeroboam, from the tribe of Ephraim, led a revolt against Solomon’s son Rehoboam, which resulted in the Kingdom being divided into the northern kingdom of Isra’el and the southern kingdom of Judah (see the commentary on the Life of Solomon Cz – The Divided Kingdom). Jeroboam immediately led the ten northern tribes astray when he established a new religion (see the Life of Solomon Dd – Golden Calves at Dan and Bethel). The sin of Jeroboam would infect nineteen kings of Isra’el, and produce only one godly king (see the Life of Solomon Dn – The Kings of Isra’el). Their downward spiral would continue until 722 BC when the Assyrians conquered them, intermarrying with many and taking others captive back to Assyria (Second Kings 7:5-6). During the life of the Master, the ten northern tribes were called Samaritans and shunned by the Jews because they were half Assyrian and half Jewish. But Yeshua viewed them differently (see the commentary of The Life of Christ Ca – Jesus Talks with a Samaritan Woman).

3. The Messianic Kingdom in the future: The lists of names and numbers are the material and tangible signs of God’s blessing, God’s faithfulness to past promises, and the surety of God’s future promise keeping (see Ae – Stars of Heaven, Grains of Sand, and the Promises of God). In the far eschatological future, during the Messianic Kingdom, Joseph will continue to inherit a double portion of the land (Ezeki’el 47:13), one being for the tribe of Manasseh, bordering the territory of Naphtali from east to west (Ezeki’el 48:4), and the other being for the tribe of Ephraim bordering the territory of Manasseh from east to west (Ezeki’el 48:5).

Jacob began his prophecy with fruitfulness when he said: Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall (Genesis 49:22). That is, Joseph is like a fruitful tree planted by streams of living water in Psalm 1:3, and of which the shoots, spring overtop the wall built round the spring for its protection. This fruitfulness of Joseph was shown by the vast number of his descendants. Therefore, the blessing of Joseph can be summed up in the word fruitful. There is nothing more glorious in life than fruitfulness. Fruit is the natural and necessary expression of the spiritual life, and the way in which our Lord emphasized it (John 15:1-17), shows the importance of fruitfulness in the Gospel. The people who, like Joseph, are faithful to ADONAI will bring forth much good fruit, and their lives will be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Yeshua Messiah – to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:11).⁵⁹²

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Your Awesome love, omnipotence and Almighty power! It is such a joy to bear fruit for You. Your love is so great and is always with me, guiding, caring and protecting me. What a comfort that Messiah dwells in me with the power of Your Ruach Ha’Kodesh. I pray that from His glorious riches He would grant you to be strengthened in your inner being with power through His Ruach, so that Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to grasp with all the holy ones what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Messiah which surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled up with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 1:17-19).

Thanks so much for the wonderful blessing of being adopted as Your child (Ephesians 1:5). But whoever did receive Him, those trusting in His name, to these He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12). So that we, who were first to put our hope in Messiah, might be for His glorious praise (Ephesians 1:12). It is fantastic that You sealed me with the promised Spirit of God, a guarantee of my future home in heaven (John 14:1-3). After you heard the message of truth – the Good News of your salvation – and when you put your trust in Him, you were sealed with the promised Ruach Ha’Kodesh . He is the guarantee of our inheritance, until the redemption of His possession – to His glorious praise (Ephesians 1:13-14)!

Being connected to You, my vine, is such a life changer. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for apart from Me, you can do nothing (John 15:5). It is only by being connected to You, living with You as my Lord and Savior, that fruit can be produced. It is a joy to live my life bearing fruit for You, my gracious and holy Heavenly Father! But the fruit of the Ruach is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – against such things there is no law. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Tribe of Zebulun
26: 26-27

The tribe of Zebulun DIG: What does the Second Census tell us about Zebulan’s historical roots? Why did the tribe of Zebulan increase from the First Census? Why would the wilderness generation want to know they had common historical roots from their parents, but a separate identity from the Exodus generation?

REFLECT: What meaningful group (tribe) are you a member of? How does being a part of that group help to support you and make you grow spiritually? How does being a part of it enable you to help others? What can you do to make sure that the positive parts of your past are accentuated in your relationship with God?

The people and territory of Zebulun will become a haven for ships,
just as Galilee was a haven for Yeshua before the cross.

1. The First Census in the past found the tribe of Zebulon being numbered at 57,400 (to see link click Ak – Numbering the Tribes). Ya’akov prophesied to the sixth son of Leah first and said: Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon (49:13). The shortest of all the bedside blessings, this is not a curse leveled at Zebulun because of his vain flirtation with the Phoenicians, but a word or praise and promise addressed to this tribe.⁵⁸⁶ The need for a near historical and a far eschatological view of this prophecy is vital because initially Zebulun had no border by the seashore (see the commentary on Genesis Lh – Zebulun Will Live by the Seashore and Become a Haven for Ships).

In the near historical future we know that Zebulun’s borders did not extend to the seashore (Joshua 19:10-16). Zebulun was separated from the Mediterranean Sea by the tribe of Asher on the west, and from the Sea of Galilee (Kinnereth) by the tribe of Naphtali on the east (Joshua 19:24-31). But Asher never fully settled the northern peninsula. They failed to possess the land . . . and did not drive out those living in Akko or Sidon or Ahlab or Akzib or Helbah or Aphek or Rehob. The Asherites lived among the Canaanite inhabitants of the land because they did not drive them out (Judges 1:31-32). Therefore, the tribe of Zebulun ended up having an expanded influence in northern Isra’el. The word seashore is plural, and it became a double fulfillment because Zebulun then had access to both the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee.

The influence of Zebulun’s trading also extended northward toward the Phoenicians and the city of Sidon (Isaiah 23:4 and Ezeki’el 28:22). They would do business with the Phoenicians, and therefore, would be enriched with trade from the sea. In fact, one of the key highways of the ancient world, the way of the sea, or the via maris, passed right through the territory of Zebulun. As a result, the rich crops Zebulun and members of his tribe were exported by the Phoenicians.

2. The Second Census in the present: The descendants of Zebulan by their three clans, were: through Sered, the Saredite clan; through Elon, the Elonite clan; and through Jahleel, the Jahleelite clan. These were the clans of the Zebulan, those numbered were 60,500 (26:26-27), an increase of 3,100 from the First Census (see Ai – The First Census: The Old Generation of Rebellion), or five percent. Zebulun and Issachar are described as two tribes who will receive rich blessings from land and sea (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ge – Rejoice Zebulun, in Your Going Out, Issachar, in Your Tents). Moses prophesied: Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and Issachar, in your tents (Deut 33:18). The two phrases going out, and in your tents, cover all of daily life, a merism (polar elements that signify a totality): going to work, coming home to rest. Moshe was blessing every aspect of their lives, what we might call the routine tasks of life.⁵⁸⁷ Peoples they call to the mountain – there they offer righteous sacrifices. For they suckle the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand (Deuteronomy 33:19). This is a picture of worship followed by a communal feast, but the Jews had to bring their sacrifices to Mount Tabor (Joshua 19:12 and 22; Judges 4:6-12), and later the Temple, where they could enjoy family feasts. Zebulun is seen as an obedient, contented, secure tribe, and the increase of their population revealed how much the LORD had blessed them.

Isaiah also gives us a prophetic promise through Zebulun. How unexpected! Why not through Judah? God will reach Isra’el and all the Gentile nations. Speaking of the darkness of his day, the prophet writes: Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past God humbled the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, but in the future He will honor the Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan. Jacob’s prophecy would be fulfilled by a tribe living on the edge of the nations – Zebulun. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy (Isaiah 9:1-3a). But how?

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of ADONAI, the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies, will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:6-7).

We also know that the tribe of Zebulun was a haven for Yeshua. When Joseph and Mary returned from Egypt when Yeshua was an infant, Galilee was their haven of safety (Matthew 2:13-23). Although Yeshua was of the tribe of Judah, He grew up in Nazareth, in Zebulun, and lived there about thirty years before He started His ministry, much of which took place in the territory of Zebulun (Matthew 4:12-17). Eleven of the twelve apostles were from Galilee (Judas was not). Also, when the Jewish religious leaders were plotting to kill Him, He took refuge in Galilee (John 7:1 and 9).

3. The Messianic Kingdom in the future: The lists of names and numbers are the material and tangible signs of God’s blessing, God’s faithfulness to past promises, and the surety of God’s future promise keeping (see Ae – Stars of Heaven, Grains of Sand, and the Promises of God). When Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land, Zebulun and Issachar had no outlet to the Mediterranean Sea. But during the Messianic Kingdom, they will have plenty of access to the sea (see the commentary on Genesis Lh – Zebulun Will Live by the Seashore and Become a Haven for Ships) because the topography of Isra’el will change at that time. The massive Millennial River will begin at the Temple then flow down to the city of Jerusalem, where it splits, half heading east to the Dead Sea, and the other half heading west to the Mediterranean Sea. Rivers will characterize the Millennial Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:8; Ezeki’el 47:1-12). Therefore, ships will sail on the Millennial River in the Kingdom. But while there may be ships on the Mediterranean, there will be no ships of war. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them (see the commentary on Isaiah Ge – Your Eyes Will See the King in His Beauty).

So, a key part of Jacob’s blessing referred to the Messianic Kingdom. Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships during that time (Ezeki’el 48:26). So, because of this, it appears that in some way Zebulun will have a special ministry to the unbelieving Gentiles, and many will be saved. The people and territory of Zebulun will become a haven for ships, just as Galilee was a haven for Yeshua before the cross.

The Psalmist describes how God came to Israel’s rescue and ours as well. He paints four pictures taken from life, yet intended to represent Israel’s and our experience. The fourth of these parables speaks about Israel’s and our smallness when compared to ADONAI. Some went out to the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the LORD, His wonderful deeds in the deep; For He spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits end, literally, all their wisdom was swallowed up (Psalm 107:23-27). The hurricane shakes us into seeing that in a world of frightening forces, we live by permission and not by good management.⁵⁸⁸ We come to the end of ourselves, or our wits end. All of our supposed skills to manage our lives become useless. We need to believe that it is God who has His hands on the helm of our ship.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper and the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and He guided them to their desired haven (Ps 107:28-30). This will be the message of the tribe of Zebulun during the thousand-year reign of Messiah. Their message will point unbelieving Gentiles to Messiah, and He will become a haven for those who have come to their wits end, who are weary of trying to steer their own ship.

Let them give thanks to ADONAI of His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind. He calmed the storm and delivered them from their danger, guiding them safely to their destination. Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people and praise Him in the council of the elders (Psalm 107:31-32). The tribe of Zebulun will finally live by the seashore, but they will become fishers of men (Matthew 4:18-20).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being such an awesome and loving Heavenly Father! It is such a joy to serve You! Your holiness means that You never do anything wrong, so when Your Word tells me to do something, it is absolutely the wisest and best action to follow. Just as Your being a rest for Zebulun is promised (Psalms 107:28-32); so those who put their trust in You, letting You steer their lives, will find great joy and a peaceful rest in You.

It is a wonderful privilege to serve You and to experience the joy of sharing how wonderful and loving you are. We lift up before You right now those in our family and friends who have only head knowledge of You, for they have not yet decided to make You their Lord. Please open their eyes to see You in your Awesome holiness that they may fall in love with You and desire to serve You with all their hearts as their Lord and Savior. For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation. For the Scripture says: Whoever trusts in Him will not be put to shame (Romans 10:9-11).

You opened the eyes of Hagar (Genesis 21:19), Balaam (Numbers 22:31), and Elisha’s servant (Second Kings 6:17). Please open the thinking of these family members and friends to recognize how short life on earth is and how much more important it is to live with eternity in view. May they be willing to live for You on earth that they may gain an eternity of peace and joy with you in heaven. Whatever suffering occurs on earth because my love for You, is well worth the joy for all eternity of living with You in heaven where there will never be any crying nor pain (Revelation 21:4). For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Tribe of Issachar
26: 23-25

The tribe of Issachar DIG: What does the Second Census tell us about Issachar’s historical roots? Why did the tribe of Issachar increase so greatly from the First Census? Why would the wilderness generation want to know they had common historical roots from their parents, but a separate identity from them?

REFLECT: What meaningful group (tribe) are you a member of? How does being a part of that group help to support you and make you grow spiritually? How does being a part of it enable you to help others? What can you do to make sure that the positive parts of your past are accentuated in your relationship with God?

Bear one another’s burdens,
in this way you will be fulfilling the Torah’s true meaning, which the Messiah upholds.

1. The First Census in the past found the tribe of Issachar being numbered at 54,400 (to see link click Ak – Numbering the Tribes). Jacob had prophesied: Issachar is a strong donkey pausing to rest between the sheepfolds, and [when] he saw how good [his] resting-place was, and that the land was pleasant he will [bend his shoulder to the burden], and will become a [farmer who tills the land] in Genesis 49:14-15. Issachar is pictured as a sturdy, hard-working donkey resting from his labors. When he sees how good his inheritance is and how productive the land may become, he becomes even more determined to continue his hard-working efforts (see the commentary on Genesis Li – Issachar is a Strong Donkey, and Became a Laborer Who Tills).

2. The Second Census in the present: The descendants of Issachar by their four clans, were: through Tola, the Tolaite clan; through Puah, the Puite clan; through Jashub, the Jashubite clan; and through Shimron, the Shimronite clan. These were the clans of Issachar, those numbered were 64,300 (26:23-25), an increase of 9,900 from the First Census (see Ai – The First Census: The Old Generation of Rebellion), or eighteen percent. Zebulun and Issachar are described as two tribes who will receive rich blessings from land and sea (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ge – Rejoice Zebulun, in Your Going Out, Issachar, in Your Tents). Before going into the Promised Land, Moses prophesied: Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and Issachar, in your tents. The two phrases going out, and in your tents, cover all of daily life, a merism (polar elements that signify a totality): going to work, coming home to rest. Moshe was blessing every aspect of their lives, what we might call the routine tasks of life.⁵⁸⁴ Peoples they call to the mountain – there they offer righteous sacrifices. For they suckle the abundance of the seas and the hidden treasures of the sand (Deut 33:18-19). This is a picture of worship followed by a communal feast, but the Jews had to bring their sacrifices to Mount Tabor (Joshua 19:12 and 22), and later the Temple, where they could enjoy family feasts. Issachar is seen as an obedient, contented, secure tribe, and the increase of their population revealed how much the LORD had blessed them.

3. The Messianic Kingdom in the future: Issachar will have one portion in the Messianic Kingdom; it will border the territory of Simeon from east to west (Ezeki’el 48:25). The lists of names and numbers are the material and tangible signs of God’s blessing, God’s faithfulness to past promises, and the surety of God’s future promise keeping (see Ae – Stars of Heaven, Grains of Sand, and the Promises of God). When Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land, Zebulun and Issachar had no outlet to the Mediterranean Sea. But during the Messianic Kingdom, they will have plenty of access to the sea because the topography of Isra’el will change at that time. The massive Millennial River, will begin at the Temple then flow down to the city of Jerusalem, where it splits, half heading east to the Dead Sea, and the other half heading west to the Mediterranean Sea (see the commentary on Isaiah Ge – Your Eyes Will See the King in His Beauty). Rivers will characterize the Millennial Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:8; Ezeki’el 47:1-12). Therefore, ships will sail on the Millennial River in the Kingdom. But while this is true, there will be no ships of war. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them.⁵⁸⁵

The spirit of Issachar is still with us today. Rabbi Sha’ul, inspired by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, speaks to us today and says: Brothers, suppose someone is caught doing something wrong. You who have the Spirit should set him right, but in a spirit of humility, keeping an eye on yourselves so that you won’t be tempted too. Bear one another’s burdens – in this way you will be fulfilling the Torah’s true meaning, which the Messiah upholds (Galatians 6:1-2 CJB). This reminds us of our own calling of being a burden bearer. A strong donkey for Yeshua, if you will. I wonder if Paul wasn’t thinking of the tribe of Issachar when he wrote these words. The spirit of Issachar is about restoration – about bearing burdens. That’s a picture of what ADONAI wants from us. We all need assistance from time to time. Which means God wants to use you as a burden bearer.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your great steadfast love for me, at all times. You are right there to bear my burdens. For God Himself has said: I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5c). Your love and care is always surrounding me. When David was being chased by King Sha’ul, he still knew your steadfast love was there surrounding and protecting him. He said: O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You. My soul thirsts for You. My flesh longs for You in a dry and weary land, where there is no water . . . Since Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live. In Your Name I lift up my hands. My soul is satisfied with fat and oil, so my mouth praises You with joyful lips (Psalms 63:1, 3-5).

What a comfort to know that You are always there with me to care for me and bear my burdens. Cast all your worries on Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).  Problems and trials may seem to be so huge and out of control, but I can be comforted as I hold tightly to Your hand because I know that nothing can separate me from Your great love! For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Messiah Yeshua our Lord (Rom 8:38-39). Praise You for Your Awesome love. I delight in loving You and living a life that says thanks to You, by loving You! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Tribe of Judah
26: 19-22

The tribe of Judah DIG: What does the Second Census tell us about Judah’s historical roots? Why did the tribe of increase decline from the First Census? Why would the wilderness generation want to know they had common historical roots from their parents, but a completely separate identity from them?

REFLECT: What meaningful group (tribe) are you a member of? How does being a part of that group help to support you and make you grow spiritually? How does being a part of it enable you to help others? What can you do to make sure that the positive parts of your past are accentuated in your relationship with God?

The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.

1. The First Census in the past found the tribe of Judah being numbered at 74,600 (to see link click Ak – Numbering the Tribes). Jacob had little good to say about his first three sons, but his fourth son Judah was the first to receive a true blessing. Jacob prophesied with a play on words when he said: Judah, your brothers will praise you, literally, it means praise you will your brothers praise (Genesis 49:8a), because Judah means praise. He will be a praise himself, but more importantly, he will be a praise to ADONAI because this is the tribe that the Messiah will come from. Because of this, Judah will be praised by all his other brothers. Then Ya’akov said: Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, pointing to superiority and triumph in war. Judah is a lion’s cub; my son, you stand over the prey, who dares to provoke him. Jacob predicted a fierce lion-like dominance of Judah, saying: Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, pointing to superiority and triumph in war. It is obvious from the rest of the Bible that he became the leading tribe. Judah was to be praised indeed.

2. The Second Census in the present: The descendants of Judah by their clans were: First ‘Er and Onan were sons of Judah, but they died in the land of Canaan (see the commentary on Genesis Jd – Judah said to Tamar: Live as a Widow Until My Son Grows Up). Like Dathan and Abiram (see Cq – The Rebellion of Dathan and Abiram), ‘Er and Onan would serve as reminders of God’s judgment upon disobedience in the Exodus generation, providing a meaningful link of the Second Census to the sins of their forefathers. The purpose of the historical allusions was to challenge the wilderness generation to renounce the past and to pay attention to the Word of ADONAI by faith as they advanced into the Promised Land. The descendants of Judah by their three clans were: through Shelah, the Shelanite clan; through Perez, the Perezite clan; and through Zerah, the Zerahite clan (see the commentary on Genesis Jf – Tamar Gave Birth to Twin Boys, She Named them Perez and Zerah). Through Perez would come the greatest heirs of the line of Judah, and indeed all of Isra’el. Their descendants would be chosen as kings of Isra’el, starting with David and culminating with the greater Son of David, Yeshua Messiah (see the commentary on Ruth Bd – Coda: The Genealogy of David). The two subclans of Perez were: through Hezron, the Hezronite clan; and through Hamul, the Hamulite clan. These were the clans of Judah, those numbered were 76,500 (26:19-22), an increase of 1,900 from the First Census (see Ai – The First Census: The Old Generation of Rebellion), or nearly three percent. Judah, then, was the largest tribe of the twelve.

In the near historical future, Jacob prophesied about the coming of Yeshua, when he said: The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet (Genesis 49:10a). The scepter was the symbol of royalty, and emphasized Judah’s right to rule. So God declares that the only tribe that would have the scepter, or the right to rule, would be Judah. All the kosher kings would come from Judah; any king that ADONAI has designated to rule the Jews must come from the tribe of Judah.

This passage points to the Second Coming when Yeshua Ha’Meshiach comes to set up His Kingdom for a thousand years. At that time, He will have the right to rule, and the obedience of the Gentile nations will be His (see the commentary on Genesis Lg – The Scepter Will Not Depart from Judah Until He Comes to Whom It Belongs). The one who has the right to the throne would be King Messiah – the Kosher King from Judah to whom the throne rightfully belongs. There were other godly kings from Judah, like David, Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Uzziah, Hezekiah and Josiah. But the sad prophecy of Ezeki’el 21 says remove the crown, it’s done. The kosher kings ended in 586 BC with the destruction of the Temple (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mt – The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple Remembered on Tisha B’Av in 70 AD). There will be no more kings of Judah until He comes to whom it rightfully belongs, and to this very day not one king of Judah has been crowned. The Maccabees were Levites. In fact, the Hasmonean Empire ran into trouble precisely because they were priests who tried to become kings later on. What about King Herod? His family was converted to Judaism. He was really a Roman king. In 1948 David Ben-Gurion didn’t call himself a king. As a result, for about 2,500 years – there has been no king of Judah. This is why Rashi, and many other rabbis believe, that the last King of Judah has to be King Messiah.

Historically, this prophecy has already been fulfilled. Once the tribe of Judah, under King David, attained leadership over the nation, the scepter (or the symbol of the king) never departed from Judah until after Messiah was born.⁵⁸¹ About that time the Romans, who had the right to rule, took away the right of capital punishment from the Jews. This changed the death penalty from stoning, to the Roman method of the cross for the Israelites (John 18:31-32). The sages recount that when this happened, the high priest went throughout the city of Yerushalayim wearing sackcloth and ashes saying, “Woe to us for the scepter has been taken from Judah and He to whom it belongs has not come.” They thought the Word of the LORD had been broken, but they didn’t know that up in a Nazareth carpenter’s shop, a young Yeshua, the One to whom the scepter belonged, the One to whom obedience belonged, had come . . . and Genesis 49:10 was fulfilled.

The promise of a personal Messiah began in the garden of Eden. And ADONAI said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel (Genesis 3:15). Through all the ages, men have looked for the coming Savior, and this was certainly true of Jacob. The old patriarch would surely be expected to express that hope in his prophecy. This promise to Judah must indeed be Jacob’s specific reference to that hope. Centuries later, Isaiah seemed to have these prophecies in mind when he first spoke of the coming child of the virgin (Isaiah 7:20), and then went on to say that His name would be the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7). The obedience of the Gentile nations, which Ya’akov prophesied, corresponds clearly to God’s messianic promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that through their coming Seed, all the peoples on earth will be blessed (12:3b).⁵⁸²

3. The Messianic Kingdom in the future: The lists of names and numbers are the material and tangible signs of God’s blessing, God’s faithfulness to past promises, and the surety of God’s future promise keeping (see Ae – Stars of Heaven, Grains of Sand, and the Promises of God). In the far eschatological future, Jacob’s prophecy about Yeshua’s scepter not departing from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet (49:10a), will become a reality. This passage points to the Second Coming (see the commentary on Isaiah Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah) when Yeshua Ha’Meshiach comes to set up His Kingdom for a thousand years. At that time, He will have the right to rule, and the obedience of the Gentile nations will be His (see Revelation Ce – The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David Has Triumphed).

And when Messiah returns, we will return with Him. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. During His thousand-year reign, He will rule the nations with an iron scepter (Psalm 2:8-9). He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of ADONAI, God of heaven’s armies (Revelation 19:14-15 CJB). At that time Messiah will be the Kosher King who will hold the iron scepter. He will swiftly judge all sin and instantly put down any rebellion. Using the same imagery of ruling with an iron scepter, Yeshua promised that believers would rule under Him in the same way: To him who overcomes and does My will to the end, I will give authority over the Gentile nations. He shall rule them with an iron scepter and he will dash them to pieces like pottery, just as I have received authority from My Father (Revelation 2:26-27). Therefore, because we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation belonging to God (First Peter 2:9), we will be the priests of God and of the Messiah, and we will reign with Him for a thousand years (Revelation 20:6). Believers now serve as priests by worshiping ADONAI and leading others to the knowledge of Him, and we will also serve in that same way during the Messianic Kingdom.⁵⁸³ We are blessed to be royalty, and we will rule under Messiah with an iron scepter, because we are children of the King.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your Almighty power and the total security of knowing that You will for sure reign over the whole earth for one thousand years. You will have bound Satan and thrown him into the bottomless pit. Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a great chain.  He seized the dragon – the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan – and bound him for a thousand years. He also threw him into the abyss and locked and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed (Revelation 20:1-3b).

The martyred believers who remain faithful to You during the Tribulation, will then be raised to reign with You. What a difference that will be, to go from being persecuted for their faith in You to reigning with You! And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Yeshua and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image, nor had they received his mark on their forehead or on their hand. And they came to life and reigned with the Messiah for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4b-c). Please help us to remember that the trials and problems of this life will soon be over and You are for sure coming back as conquering King of Kings (Revelation 19:11-21). For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). In Your holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Tribe of Gad
26: 15-18

The tribe of Gad DIG: What does the Second Census tell us about Gad’s’ historical roots? Why did the tribe of Gad increase from the First Census? Why would the wilderness generation want to know they had common historical roots from their parents, but a completely separate identity from them?

REFLECT: What meaningful group (tribe) are you a member of? How does being a part of that group help to support you and make you grow spiritually? How does being a part of it enable you to help others? What can you do to make sure that the positive parts of your past are accentuated in your relationship with God?

Can we, like the tribe of Gad, stand strong and overcome in the face of the enemy?

1. The First Census in the past found the tribe of Gad being numbered at 45,650 (to see link click Ak – Numbering the Tribes). Gad was one of the tribes especially dedicated in the fight to conquer the Land as God commanded, and Jacob prophesied that raiders shall raid Gad (see the commentary on Genesis Lk – Raiders Shall Raid Gad, But He Shall Raid at Their Heels). Their territory was large and they were constantly under attack by the enemies of the Jewish people – the Ammonites and the Moabites who were the terrorists of their day (Jdg 11:1 to 12:7; 1 Sam 11). The Gadites had to be strong because of where they lived. But when Jacob prophesied: But he shall raid at their heels, they knew that they already had the victory. It was as if Jacob was saying: They think they are attacking you, but you will attack them! This is very interesting and we continue to see this being played out in our own day. We can rely on God’s Word that Isra’el will be victorious.

Why did ADONAI designate them as a tribe of warriors? We can read about some of the qualities of this elite military unit in First Chronicles. In describing Gad much later during the times of King David, we read: Some Gadites defected to David (as opposed to continuing to support King Sha’ul who had disobeyed the LORD) at his stronghold in the wilderness, or masada. They were brave warriors, [trained] for battle and [skillful] in handling the shield and spear. Their faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift gazelles in the mountains (First Chronicles 12:8). What an amazing description. This was a tribe of brave warriors, an elite army unit, the Mossad of the tribes of Isra’el, if you will.

What does this mean for us today? Well . . . it’s both good news and bad news. The good news is that God is in control. But the bad news is that we are in the midst of a tremendous battle called life. We know that we already have the victory and that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37), but it is still a battle nonetheless. The spiritual walk on planet earth is not going to be easy. In fact, if it were easy to follow God everyone would be doing it. But Yeshua says, “If you make a decision to come to Me, you had better count the costs. If you come to Me, you have to die to yourself. If you come to Me, you need to pick up your cross and follow Me” (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Hq – The Cost of Being a Disciple). The question is this. Can we, like the tribe of Gad, stand strong in the face of the enemy?

2. The Second Census in the present: The descendants of Gad by their seven clans were: through Zephon, the Zephonite clan; through Haggi, the Haggite clan; through Shuni, the Shunite clan; through Ozni, the Oznite clan; through Eri, the Erite clan; through Arodi, the Arodite clan; through Areli, the Arelite clan. The Gadites lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its outlying villages, and on all the pasturelands of Sharon as far as they extended. All these were entered in the genealogical records during the reigns of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel. These were the clans of Gad; those numbered were 40,500 (Numbers 26:15-18; First Chronicles 5:16-17), a decrease of 5,150 from the First Census (see Ai – The First Census: The Old Generation of Rebellion), or about eleven percent. Therefore, the population of Gad fell quite remarkably during the forty years in the wilderness. It is probable this clan, being warlike, suffered very much in their attempt to enter the land of Canaan contrary to the will of God, and were repulsed and defeated by the Amalekites (see Cc – Defeat by the Canaanites and Amalekites).

The tribe of Gad had already been allocated its territory prior to the renewal of the covenant at Sinai. When Isra’el defeated the pagan kings east of the Jordan River (see the commentary on Deuteronomy At – Isra’el’s Conquest of the Transjordan), Gad took the “lion’s share” for themselves. For Gad, Moses said: Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad. Although the tribe of Gad already had possessed its territory, it still had responsibilities in the coming military conquest of Canaan. Like a lion he crouches, and tears off an arm or even the crown of a head. He chose the best land for himself; the leader’s portion was kept for him. When the heads of the people assembled, he carried out the LORD’s righteous will, and His judgments concerning Isra’el (Deuteronomy 33:20). Gad fulfilled its responsibilities, as is made clear by Joshua 22:1-6. The blessing indicates that Gad was to play an important part in the battle, and that as a result, the tribe would deserve a “lion’s share” of the fruit of victory.⁵⁷⁸

3. The Messianic Kingdom in the future: The lists of names and numbers are the material and tangible signs of God’s blessing, God’s faithfulness to past promises, and the surety of God’s future promise keeping (see Ae – Stars of Heaven, Grains of Sand, and the Promises of God). In conquering the Promised Land, he chose the best for himself, being one of the first tribes to choose their territory, but in the far eschatological future during the Messianic Kingdom, there will be a marked portion reserved for him, to the south of the Millennial Jerusalem (see the commentary on Isaiah Ge – Your Eyes Will See the King in His Beauty). At that time, Gad will also overcome the Ammonites and Moabites (see the commentary on Revelation Cr – Then I Heard the Number of Those Who Were Sealed). Jeremiah prophesied that in the end times the Ammonites will become a mound of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Then Isra’el will drive out those who drove her out (Jeremiah 49:1-2). In the Kingdom, just as the Ammonites and the Moabites possessed their territory, the Jews will end up possessing theirs. However, ADONAI will be gracious to them. Just as He promised the restoration of Ammon (Jeremiah 49:2 and 6), He also promises the restoration of Mo’ab (Isaiah 16:1-5; Jeremiah 48:12-17 and 47). Both will serve Isra’el for a thousand years in the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Revelation Fk – Gentiles in the Messianic Kingdom).

Life is often associated with sorrow and hardship, but victory is promised to the faithful soldier, and to those who overcome, there are eternal spiritual blessings.⁵⁷⁹ Yeshua made seven specific promises to the overcomer. For everyone born of God overcomes the world. Our faith is the means by which we overcome the world. Therefore, who is it that overcomes the world? Only he or she who believes that Yeshua is the Son of God (First John 5:4-5). What will overcomers inherit?

Messiah said that the overcomer will be given the right to eat from the tree of life (Revelation 2:7), the overcomer will not be hurt at all by the second death (Revelation 2:11), will be given some of the hidden manna (Revelation 2:17), will be given authority over the nations (Revelation 2:26-28), will be dressed in white and never be blotted out from the book of life (Revelation 3:5), will be made a pillar in the Temple of God and Christ will also write on them a new name (Revelation 3:12), and will be given the right to sit with Christ on His throne, just as He overcame and sat down with His Father on His throne (Revelation 3:21). Are you, like the tribe of Gad, constantly under attack today? If you are living for Messiah, you are in a spiritual battle whether you like it or not. Therefore, we need to be brave spiritual warriors, having our priorities in order so that we can overcome the world and live with our Savior forever.

Dear heavenly Father, Praise You for being Almighty and for the peace that comes from knowing that you have conquered and won the Last Battle (Revelation 19:19-21)! When I face trials and problems that may lead to battles, what a comfort to know that You have promised to be there, helping and guiding me. For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” so that with confidence we say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear” (Hebrews 13:5c-6b). What joy that I do not need to go looking for You, for You are right there, living inside of me. Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23).

Battles and problems are sure to come in this sinful fallen world, but they will soon be over compared with an eternity of joy with You our wonderful heavenly Father. I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). It is such a comfort to know that when I am going thru a battle that I am not alone; for You, our almighty and loving heavenly Father, who loves me so greatly, is right there with me. Nothing can separate me from Your awesome love! For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Messiah Yeshua our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). Praise You for Your almighty power and strength that is always with me. Someday, I will be with You in Your Promised Land of heaven. But until then, I am delighted to love and serve You with all my heart! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Tribe of Simeon
26: 12-14

The tribe of Simeon DIG: What does the Second Census tell us about Simeon’s historical roots? Why did the tribe of Simeon decline so greatly from the First Census? Why would the wilderness generation want to know they had common historical roots from their parents, but a completely separate identity from them?

REFLECT: What meaningful group (tribe) are you a member of? How does being a part of that group help to support you and make you grow spiritually? How does being a part of it enable you to help others? What can you do to make sure that the positive parts of your past are accentuated in your relationship with God?

The loss of nearly two-thirds of Simeon’s soldiers was the result of their worshiping the gods of Mo’ab.

1. The First Census in the past found the clan of Simeon being numbered at 59,300 (to see link click Ak – Numbering the Tribes). When Jacob was giving his blessings and cursings to his sons, he said: Simeon and Levi are brothers, and his near historical prophecy was that their swords would be weapons of violence and cruelty (Hebrew: chamas, meaning doing evil). When the men of Judah needed help to fight the Canaanites, they asked for the help of the Simeonites (Judges 1:3). Later in their history, the Simeonites also slaughtered the Amalekites who had escaped in the hill country of Seir (First Chronicles 4:42-43). But Simeon and Levi’s slaughter of the men of Shechem was not a holy war, as was the case with Joshua; it was a case of unnecessary vengeance (see Le – The Slaughter at Shechem by Simeon and Levi).

After the slaughter at Shechem, Simeon and Levi hamstrung oxen as they pleased (Genesis 49:6b). After the attack they had seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields (Genesis 34:28). To hamstring oxen means to cut the tendons in their legs so that they can no longer work. The oxen that they didn’t take – they hamstrung, making them useless and helpless. All the men of Shechem were slaughtered and their wives and children were taken as spoil. So there was no one left to tend the oxen. This was merely an act of cruelty, which, of course, was their nature.

Then Jacob, speaking on God’s behalf, said to them, “Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel” (49:7a)! Proverbs 6:16-19 tells us that there are six things ADONAI hates, seven things that are detestable to Him. The first is haughty eyes, reflecting a proud heart, the second is a lying tongue, the third is hands that shed innocent blood, the fourth is a heart that devises wicked schemes, the fifth is feet that are quick to rush into evil, sixth is a false witness who pours out lies, and the seventh is a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. It seems like Simeon and Levi did all seven of these when they lied to the men of Shechem before they slaughtered them. No wonder the LORD hated what they did and found their actions detestable.

Because Simeon and Levi had joined together to commit their crime, their punishment was to be scattered among the tribes of Isra’el. Jacob prophesied: I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel (49:7b), never to receive their own territory during the dispensation of the Torah (Exodus 19:1 to Acts 1:26). Thus, they would be denied one of the major covenant blessings promised by God (15:18-20). Inseparable growing up, they brought out the worst in each other. So, for their own good they would be separated.

In contrast to the idolatry of the Simeonites, the Levites sided with Moses over the sin of the golden calf at Mount Sinai. But even then they used their swords as weapons of violence in slaughtering about three thousand that day (see my commentary on Exodus Gv – And All the Levites Rallied to Moses). So in keeping with Jacob’s curse, the Levites did not receive their own territory, but scattered in forty-eight Levitical cities throughout Isra’el when they came into the Land (Num 18:20-24, 35:1-8; Deut 10:8-9; Josh 14:4, 24:1-42).

In the final analysis, the Levites had a change of heart and developed a zeal for the LORD, while the Simeonites continued their passion for violence and cruelty. Thus, the Simeonites started to decline into obscurity while the Levites ascended to the prominence of the priestly tribe, and they would be the custodians of the Tabernacle and the priesthood. Moses declared: In this way you are to set the Levites apart from the other Israelites and the Levites will be Mine . . . I have taken them as My own in place of the first born, the first male offering from every Israelite woman (Numbers 8:14-17; Deuteronomy 18:2).

2. The Second Census in the present: The descendants of Simeon by their six clans, were: of Nemu’el, of the Nemuelite clan; through Jamin, the Jaminite clan; through Jakin, the Jakinite clan; through Zerah, who was also the head of one of the clans of Judah (Genesis 46:12), but since Simeon was absorbed into Judah, it is plausible to assume that representatives of this clan became linked to both tribes, the Zerahite clan; and of Sha’ul, the Shaulite clan. A sixth clan, Ohad (also missing in First Chronicles 4:24), occurs in Genesis 46:10 and Exodus 6:15, possibly because it later disappeared.⁵⁷⁶ It is even possible that the extremely wicked Zimri was the leader of the Ohadite clan, and that the plague destroyed it completely. These were the families of the Simeon that survived the plague that broke out as a result of the participation of Zimri, the leader of one of the clans from the tribe of Simeon, and many other Simeonites in the worship of Moabite gods (see Ea – Taking a Stand for God: The idolatry of Israelite men).⁵⁷⁷ By the time the Simeonites were ready to enter the Promised Land there were only 22,200 soldiers left (26:12-14). The tribe of Simeon suffered the greatest decline in population of all the tribes since the First Census (see Ai – The First Census: The Old Generation of Rebellion), a net loss of 37,100 or sixty-three percent! The largest decrease of any of the tribes. Opposed to the First Census, the Second Census is more interested in the clans and families rather than the founders of the clans (who were long dead), for families are the basis of society (see the commentary on Ephesians Bu – The Necessary Foundation). The list of Jacob’s sons in Genesis (see the commentary on Genesis Lf – Simeon and Levi are Brothers, Their Swords are Weapons of Violence) forms the basis of this clan list, with the names of the sons transformed into the names of the clans.

There is one sad note in the listing of these tribes in Deuteronomy and First Chronicles. Simeon is not listed. There is always a reason why one tribe is omitted from the list of tribes in the Scriptures. We know that Simeon and Levi had taken cruel revenge on the men of Shechem for the rape of their sister Dinah. Jacob had condemned both of them. But because the tribe of Levi was the only tribe to show their allegiance to ADONAI during the golden calf incident, they were set apart by God for His service. While it is true that Simeon’s territory was absorbed into that of Judah (Joshua 19:1) as seen in this map, the real reason for their decline was much more sinister. Simeon was implicated in another great sin in the wilderness. Zimri and his Midianite priestess partner Cozbi were attempting to transform the worship of ADONAI into Canaanite worship. Moses ordered that all who participated in that sin should be killed. As a result, many from the tribe of Simeon died. The only reason the carnage stopped was because Phinehas, in his zeal for ADONAI, thrust his spear all the way through both of them (see Ea – Taking a Stand for God).

3. The Messianic Kingdom in the future: The lists of names and numbers are the material and tangible signs of God’s blessing, God’s faithfulness to past promises, and the surety of God’s future promise keeping (see Ae – Stars of Heaven, Grains of Sand, and the Promises of God). In the far eschatological future, we see the tribe of Simeon will be included in the 144,000 during the Great Tribulation (see the commentary on Revelation Cr – Then I Heard the Number of Those Who Were Sealed, 144,000 from all the Tribes of Isra’el), and the allocation of land during the Messianic Kingdom (Ezeki’el 48:24-25). During the Eternal State (see Revelation Fq – The Eternal State), Simeon’s name will also be etched into one of the great pearls that will serve as gates to the New Jerusalem (see Revelation Fu – A Great High Wall with Twelve Gates). We will remember him for all eternity. Like Simeon, our sins can have a long range, tragic consequences. Sin takes you further than we want to go, and costs us more than we want to pay. However, like Simeon, all of our sins will be forgotten when we enter the future Messianic Kingdom and Eternal State.

On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Isra’el (21:12). Those who believe in “Replacement Theology,” (who believe that all of ADONAI’s promises to Isra’el have been forfeited by her and given to the Church) have a tough time with this verse. For all eternity the twelve tribes of Isra’el will be remembered. The LORD has not replaced Isra’el with the Church. These gates will be an eternal reminder that it was through the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with the twelve sons of Isra’el that the Gentiles first entered into the great family and City of God.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for always being righteous and just (Psalms 89:14). When You get angry, it is always a righteous anger because of sin. Simeon and Levi’s anger, though provoked by the rape of their sister Dinah, was an out of control wrath that was more of a revengeful wrath that wiped out the sinners; as opposed to your righteous wrath that desires to correct sinners and to bring them back into a restored fellowship with You. Your righteous anger is provoked when Your people turn from You and follow other gods (First Kings 14:9, 16:2, Jeremiah 11:17, 32:32, 44:8, Ezeki’el 8:17, 16:26). You desire to bless Your people, but instead You must discipline. Yet even in your discipline You are a perfect balance of love and holy correction for the good of Your children. My son, do not take lightly the discipline of ADONAI or lose heart when you are corrected by Him, because ADONAI disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He accepts (Hebrews 12:5-6).

Your holiness is always matched by Your gracious love. You are always loving and caring for each of Your children. Trials are allowed to purify Your children and bring glory and honor to Your Name. These trials are so that the true metal of your faith (far more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire) may come to light in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Messiah Yeshua (First Peter 1:7). Our trials will soon be over and all who love You will enjoy an eternity of peace and joy with You forever in Your heavenly home. For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18).

You are such a wonderful and loving Heavenly Father! I can always feel safe in Your care. When You are angry and discipline, it is out of love to bring me back to Your blessing. You never sleep, nor slumber but are constantly caring for me. He will not let your foot slip. Your Keeper will not slumber. Behold, the Keeper of Isra’el neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalms 121:3-4). It is a joy to love and to follow You, my Awesome and loving Heavenly Father! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Tribe of Reuben
26: 5-11

The tribe of Reuben DIG: What does the Second Census tell us about Reuben’s historical roots? Why did the tribe of Reuben decline from the First Census? Why would the wilderness generation want to know they had common historical roots from their parents, but a completely separate identity from them?

REFLECT: What meaningful group are you a member of? How does being a part of that group help to support you and make you grow spiritually? How does being a part of it enable you to help others? What can you do to make sure that the positive parts of your past are accentuated in your relationship with God?

The reason for Reuben’s numerical decrease
was the challenge of the Aaronic priesthood by Dathan and Abiram.

1. The First Census in the past found the tribe of Reuben being numbered at 46,500 (to see link click Ak – Numbering the Tribes). When Jacob was giving his blessings to his sons (see the commentary on Genesis Ld – The Blessing and Cursing of Jacob’s Sons), Reuben, the eldest, naturally took his place closest to his father on the side of the bed. Jacob looked up to him and said: You are my firstborn, literally, my chosen one, the first sign of my strength, superior in vigor and power (49:3). The firstborn is often called the first sign of his father’s strength in the Scriptures (Deuteronomy 21:7; Psalm 78:51). He was supposed to be the leader of the twelve tribes of Jacob. Always wanting his father’s favor, yet realizing he had forfeited his right to it, Reuben was a pathetic person and son. Originally, he had a claim to the natural birthright of the firstborn son, which meant a double portion of the inheritance, the claim to the priesthood, and the leadership of the nation. Unfortunately, Reuben did not live up to his promise, or his father’s hopes (see Genesis Le – Reuben, You are My Firstborn, Turbulent as the Waters, You Will No Longer Excel).

In the near historical future, Reuben would be as turbulent, or as unstable as water. The Hebrew word for unstable is pahaz. It is from the root that describes the lawless mob of Judges 9:4 and the defiant prophets of Zephaniah 3:4. It suggests wildness as much as weakness. It is this aspect of water, so quickly becoming an undisciplined torrent, as pictured in Proverbs 17:14, which is the point of the comparison.⁵⁷³ He was passionate, but lacked self-control. Unfortunately, Reuben turned out to be weak and lustful.

2. The Second Census in the present: The census results begin with Reuben, the firstborn of Isra’el, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright. Judah was the strongest of his brothers and a Ruler came from him; however, the rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph. The four clans of Reuben (Hebrew: meaning I see a son) were: of Hanoch, the Hanochite clan; through Pallu, the Palluite clan; through Hezron, the Hetzronite clan; and of Carmi, the Carmite clan. These were four the clans of Reuben, who numbered 43,730, a decrease of 2,770 from the First Census (see Ai – The First Census: The Old Generation of Rebellion) or six percent (Numbers 26:5-10 and First Chronicles 5:1-10). The reason for this decrease was the challenge of the Aaronic priesthood by Dathan and Abiram below. The territorial inheritance of the tribe of Reuben is found in Joshua 13:15-23, 20:8, 22:25. The western border of the Reubenite territory is the Jordan River as seen in this map.

This listing of the clans of Reuben becomes an occasion to remind the reader of those who played a part in the rebellion of Korah (see Cn – Korah’s Rebellion). The son of Pallu was Eliab; and the sons of Eliab were Nemu’el, Dathan and Abiram (see Cq – The Rebellion of Dathan and Abiram). Then The Ruach Ha’Kodesh deviates and reminds us of the sin of Dathan and Abiram. These were the same Dathan and Abiram, men of reputation in the community, who rebelled against Moshe and Aaron in Korah’s followers, when they rebelled against ADONAI; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up along with Korah, whose followers died when fire consumed 250 men. Some names of unbelievers and rascals are to be forgotten. They are to be treated as though they never existed. But others acted so shamefully that their names are to be preserved as a warning sign (26:8-10) to others not to be like them.⁵⁷⁴ In Isaiah 11:10 the root of Jesse stands as a banner for the nations to seek. But like Sodom and Gomorrah, or Nadab and Abihu, Dathan and Abiram serve as historical bywords for how Ha’Shem deals with revolutionaries.

However, the sons of Korah did not die (26:11). It is important that we know that the sons of Korah survived their father’s folly. Evidently, they had nothing to do with their father’s foolishness. They went on to father some impressive offspring. They survived as the family of the Korahites (26:58) and occupied an important place in the service of the Temple under David and Solomon by becoming the Korahite singers in the Temple (First Chronicles 6:31-38) and they were responsible for writing several of our psalms (Psalms 42, 44-49, 84-85, and 87-88). So by the grace of ADONAI, the sons of Korah did not perish in this judgment. And according to First Chronicles 6:27-28, the prophet Samuel actually descended from Korah. How ironic that Samuel actually did enter the functions of the priesthood. The very desire that had been the undoing of his forbearer was given to Samuel.⁵⁷⁵

Opposed to the First Census, the Second Census is more interested in the clans and families rather than the founders of the clans (who were long dead), for families are the basis of society (see the commentary on Ephesians Bu – The Necessary Foundation). The list of Jacob’s sons in Genesis 46:6-26 forms the basis of this clan list, with the names of the sons transformed into names of the clans. In the list of the clans in Deuteronomy (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Fy – This is the Blessing), Moses starts, of course, with Reuben, saying: Let [the clan of] Reuben live and not die, though his people become few (33:6). Why did he say that? When Jacob prophesied about Rueben, he did not show him in a favorable light because of the great sin he had committed, and lost the blessing attached to the firstborn. Throughout the history of this tribe, they showed instability because of their refusal to fight (Judges 5:16). They also showed a lack of restraint, being the first to request a place to settle in the Promised Land (Numbers 32). Not only that, the tribe of Reuben showed a lack of faith by erecting a pagan place of worship (Joshua 22). No leaders of Isra’el ever came from this tribe, and as time went on, it became smaller and smaller. This would make it appear that the tribe, at the time of Moses’s blessing, was in danger of extinction. But this was the past.

3. The Messianic Kingdom in the future: The lists of names and numbers are the tangible signs of God’s blessing, God’s faithfulness to past covenants, and the surety of God’s future promises (see Ae – Stars of Heaven, Grains of Sand, and the Promises of God). In the far eschatological future, the tribe of Reuben will be included in the 144,000 during the Great Tribulation (see the commentary on Revelation Cr – Then I Heard the Number of Those Who Were Sealed, 144,000 from all the Tribes of Isra’el), and the allocation of land during the Messianic Kingdom (Ezeki’el 48:6-7). During the Eternal State (see Revelation Fq – The Eternal State), Reuben’s name will also be etched into one of the great pearls that will serve as gates to the New Jerusalem (see Revelation Fu – A Great High Wall with Twelve Gates). We will remember him for all eternity. Like Reuben, our sins can have a long range, tragic consequences. Sin takes us further than we want to go, and costs us more than we want to pay. However, like Reuben, all of our sins will be forgotten when we enter the future Messianic Kingdom and Eternal State.

On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Isra’el (21:12). Those who believe in “Replacement Theology,” (who believe that all of ADONAI’s promises to Isra’el have been forfeited by her and given to the Church) have a tough time with this verse. For all eternity the twelve tribes of Isra’el will be remembered. The LORD has not replaced Isra’el with the Church. These gates will be an eternal reminder that it was through the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with the twelve sons of Isra’el that the Gentiles first entered into the great family and City of God.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your great love and mercy! Thank You for Your great love that never replaces Isra’el as Your firstborn (Exodus 4:22). Though Isra’el sinned many times, when they came back to You in repentance, You always forgave and rescued them. Remember these things, Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant. I formed you, you are My servant. Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me!  I have blotted out your transgressions like a thick cloud and your sins like a mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you (Isaiah 44:21-21). Thank You also that when the fathers sinned and died, as did Rueben’s descendants in the rebellion of Korah, the sons did not die (Numbers 26:11).  The soul that sins, he will die. The son will not bear the iniquity of the father with him, nor will the father bear the iniquity of the son with him (Ezeki’el 18:20a-b). You judge each person’s own heart. For man looks at the outward appearance, but ADONAI looks into the heart (First Samuel 16:7).

Sometimes life is very unfair and people can be selfish and mean. When that happens your people have a choice to make. They can complain and try to get even or they can pray to you our Almighty loving Heavenly Father and ask you to work in the situation to Your honor. Leading so many rebellious people was a hard job. When Korah rebelled Moses and Aaron did not respond quickly out of anger, but they spoke to You, LORD, and listened to You. As we put tough times into your hands, we can be confident that you care and will always be there to help. Sometimes your timing is not our timing, but your ways are best and are always done with omniscient wisdom and great love.

The trials of this earth will soon be over, so let us remember to live for all eternity and for our Promised Land of heaven (John 14:1-3). For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). May we keep our hearts focused on eternity in heaven and the great joy that those who love You will have with You, their Heaven Father, in Your holy home of heaven. I also heard a loud voice from the throne, saying: Behold, the dwelling of God is among men, and He shall tabernacle among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them and be their God. He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:3-4). We love you and look forward to praising you forever! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

The Numbering of the Soldiers
26: 1-4

The numbering of the soldiers DIG: Compare this census with the first one found in Chapter 1. What is the reason for this Second Census? How were the land allocations decided? What tribe suffered a drastic decline in numbers? Why did that happen?

REFLECT: According to the record in Joshua, some of the tribes gladly accepted their inheritance and went to work making it home, some complained about the land they were given, and some went out and conquered more territory. What parallels can you draw between this and how believers might react to the situations God has put them in?

It was an entirely new generation of Israelites, who were encamped on the east bank
of the Jordan River, ready for an attack on the land of Canaan.

Numbers 26:1a begins with a significant opening phrase: After the plague . . . which was the one recorded in Numbers 25 that had put to death those who had participated in the worshiping of the idols of Mo’ab (to see link click Ea – Taking a Stand for God: The idolatry of Israelite men). While the wilderness generation was more faithful than their parents, they were no less sinful. Even before entering the Promised Land, Moshe (under the influence of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh), commanded: When ADONAI your God hands it over to you, you are to strike all its males with the sword. Only the women, children, livestock and all that is in the city – all its spoil – may you take as plunder for yourself (Deuteronomy 20:13-14). Which they did not do, and as a result, had countless problems for the nation for many years to come, culminating in the period of the judges where Isra’el had no king and everyone did what they saw fit (Judges 21:25).

ADONAI said to Moshe and the high priest Eleazar, the son of Aaron (26:1b). God’s command for the First Census (see Ai – The First Census: The Old Generation of Rebellion) was given to Moses and Aaron. Now following Aaron’s death (see Df – The Death of Aaron), his successor took his place. The aged Moshe would also die soon as well (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Gj – The Death of Moses). This is the only place that ADONAI addresses Eleazar directly. Why he was needed for the census is not clear. It is possible that the tribes of Jacob were counted by Eleazar, and Moses was merely to record the totals.⁵⁷⁰

How sad it must have been for Moses to realize what might have been! Yet, there must have been enormous satisfaction to realize that it still might be . . . yet without him. This was a bittersweet time, one of ruing the past while still anticipating the future. It was the same task: number the able-bodied men over the age of twenty to muster them for the army of Isra’el. But, at the same time, it was a different task. The place had changed from Sinai to Mo’ab. The personnel had changed: Moses now assisted his nephew Eleazar. More importantly, the people had changed: they were a new generation.

Nearly forty years had transpired since the First Census, and now the LORD said: Take a census of the entire assembly of the people of Isra’el twenty years old and over, by their ancestral clans, all who are subject to military service in Isra’el (26:2). The instructions are identical to, but briefer than, the corresponding ones of the First Census. The sequence in the list of the twelve tribes is identical except for the minor reversal in the order of Ephraim and Manasseh. All the men over twenty in the Exodus generation had died; therefore, it was time for the wilderness generation to be numbered and mustered for the campaign of conquest that now awaited them.

Moshe and Eleazar the priest spoke with them on the plains of Mo’av by the Jorden across from Jericho, explaining, take a census of the people from twenty years old and over who came out of the land of Egypt, as ADONAI ordered Moshe and the people of Isra’el (26:3-4). These words actually serve as the section heading for the tribe-by-tribe list that follows. How impressive it is that the phrasing includes the departure from Egypt. The wilderness generation were historically included with their parents who came out of Egypt. In other words, in a positive sense, the wilderness generation was given credit as being part of the Exodus. They were either under the age of twenty or not even born yet. But God wanted them to know that they were part of it all. In a sense, it seems as though the story begins anew, as though the people had just left the bondage in Egypt.⁵⁷¹

Opposed to the First Census, the Second Census is more interested in the clans and families rather than the founders of the clans (who were long dead), for families are the basis of society (see the commentary on Ephesians Bu – The Necessary Foundation). The list of Jacob’s sons in Genesis 46:6-26 forms the basis of this clan list, with the names of the sons transformed into clan names. The reason for adding the clan names of each tribe in the Second Census is to reinforce the sense that another new generation had been added to this Second tribal Census. Notice that all the figures in the book of Numbers are even numbers with the exception in 3:43 where there were 22,273 first born Israelite men over twenty (see As – The Census and the Redemption of the Firstborn). Because the census was taken primarily for military purposes, it would naturally be arranged by hundreds, fifties, and so on. Since the Levites were not to have a physical inheritance in the land of Canaan itself (18:20), they are not included in the census with the other twelve tribes, but have their own numbering (see Er – The Second Numbering of the Levites).

It is interesting to compare the numbers counted in the two census lists in Numbers 1 and Numbers 26. The total number for all twelve tribes decreases only slightly from the First to Second Census list: a total of 603,550 in Numbers 1:46, and a total of 601,730 in Numbers 26:51. The difference is less than two thousand people. God had faithfully brought the little ones (14:3) to the edge of the Promised Land, in spite of the fears of the Exodus generation that their little ones would only die in the wilderness or in the conquest of Canaan. One tribe among the twelve experienced a dramatic decrease in its numbers, the tribe of Simeon. There were 59,300 Simeonites in Numbers 1 and only 22,000 in Numbers 26. The dramatic act of faithlessness and disobedience of Zimri the Simeonite in Numbers 25 probably reflected this decline, an example of God visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children to the third and fourth generation (Numbers 14:18). The overall effect of the total numbers remaining relatively the same in spite of all the rebellions of the preceding generation and all the rigors of life in the wilderness is to affirm that ADONAI is abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but by no means clearing the guilty (14:18).

Two important passages in Numbers 26 guide the interpretation of this Second Census. First of all, 26:52-56 indicates that this second head count of all the tribes is primarily for the purpose of distributing fair amounts of land to the tribes based on their relative sizes. The larger the tribe, the larger will be their allotment of territory in Canaan. The location of the land, however, will be determined by lot. This land distribution function of the Second Census is a shift from the purpose of the previous list in Numbers 1, which focused on military preparation for war. The formula all who are subject to military service in Isra’el, which was repeated fourteen times in the First Census does not appear at all in the Second Census, except once here in 26:2. The census in Chapter 26 is no longer for estimating available military strength and the numbers of warriors as a means of gaining the Land. The goal of the Second Census is more to ensure that each tribe would receive its fair share of God’s gift of the Land according to the needs of its particular population.⁵⁷²

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being so wonderful and loving! You have such a strong desire to love and to bless Your people. What blocks You from blessing Your people is their own sinful attachment to going their own way, and not following your way. You discipline out of love to bring Your selfish child back to Yourself so You can bless him. Because ADONAI disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He accepts (Hebrews 12:6). Forty years of discipline seems long and harsh; but that generation had seen all Your mighty miracles that rescued them from Egypt. They could remember and retell the stories that they had seen that evidenced Your Almighty power and love. Knowledge of how great You are is one thing; but true love that is willing to follow and obey You in both the good and the hard times is another thing.

The selfishness of mankind is constantly ready to make a captive whenever life gets easy. Once in the land and ruled by judges, Seven cycles occurred in the book of Judges where Isra’el listened to their own sinful selfish ways, served other gods causing God in righteous anger and love to sell Isra’el into the hands of other nations (Judges 3:8 Mesopotamia, 3:12 Eglon King of Moab, 4:2 Jabin king of Canaan, 6:1 Midian, 10:7 Philistines and Ammonites, 13:1 Philistines). Their captivity was not because Your back was turned, but in open-eyed love You sought to bring them back to obedience to Your love so that You could bless Isra’el.

How much your heart must have rejoiced when Isra’el cried to you again in true sincerity by turning back to you in love. They did not just cry out to you for help with their voices; but their actions showed hearts of true repentance when they put away foreign gods and worshiped you. Then Bnei-Yisrael said to ADONAI, “We have sinned. Do to us whatever seems good to You, but please, deliver us this day.”  Then they removed the foreign gods from among them, and worshiped ADONAI. So His soul could not bear the misery of Israel (Judges 10:15-16). Then Your Spirit came upon Jephthah, by whom You rescued Isra’el from the hand of the Ammonites (Judges 11:33).

You are so worthy of all our worship! May Your people learn righteousness from Your discipline and not have to be disciplined again and again. May they lovingly follow You with all their heart. My soul longs for You at night, yes, my spirit within me seeks You. For when Your judgments are on the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. Though grace is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness. Even in a land of uprightness he will act wrongly, not perceiving the majesty of ADONAI (Isaiah 26:9-10). It is a joy to worship and bow before you our majestic, wonderful and loving Heavenly Father! Thank You for seeking to purify Your people by trials (First Peter 1:7) and captivities, so Your people will come running back to Your love and You can bless them! In Your holy Name and power of resurrection. Amen

The Second Census: The New Generation of Hope
26: 1-65

The transition between Chapters 25 and 26 reminds us of the transition from Chapter 14 to Chapter 15, for in both of them, ADONAI moved from judgment to mercy, from punishment to promise. At Kadesh-barnea and at Ba’al Peor, Isra’el had sinned greatly and God disciplined them, but in His grace He forgave their disobedience and gave them a new start (to a summary of Numbers 26 click here). Ezra, the teacher of Isra’el, expressed this truth in his prayer of confession when he said: Our God, You have punished us less than our sins deserve (Ezra 9:13). David felt the same way when he wrote: He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities (Psalm 103:10).⁵⁶⁸

Forty years after the census that began the book of Numbers (to see link click Ai – The First Census: The Old Generation of Rebellion), it was time to recount the fighting men. The conquest was about to begin! The men twenty-years-old and up were to be numbered as part of the preparation for crossing the Jordan and conquering the Promised Land. However, the numbers were not just for military information. The land of Isra’el was to be divided among the tribes according to population indicated by the census results. The land is to be allotted to them as an inheritance based on the number of names. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed (26:53-54). The Torah tells us that among the men numbered, not a single one from the first census remained: But there was not a man among them who had also been included in the census of Moshe and Aaron the High Priest when they enumerated the people of Isra’el in the Sinai Desert (26:64).

By comparing the census numbers with those of the previous census, we see that the overall population didn’t drop significantly. Seven out of the twelve tribes actually increase in size. But those population gains were offset by the dramatic drop in the size of the tribe of Simeon. The Simeoniets decreased by 37,000, a 62 percent drop in population. Strangely, the Torah does offer any explanation. Traditional thought suggests that the 24,000 that died in the Ba’al Peor incident (see Ea – Taking a Stand for God) were all Simeonites. After all, Zimri was from the tribe of Simeon.

Perhaps the diminishing of the tribe of Simeon was connected to Jacob’s prophecy (see the commentary on Genesis Lf – Simeon and Levi are Brothers, Their Swords are Weapons of Violence). In that passage, Jacob said of Simeon and Levi, “I will disperse them in Jacob, and scatter them in Isra’el.” The allotment of the Levites had already been determined. They were to function, scattered throughout the tribes of Isra’el. The Simeonites, on the other hand, found themselves facing a different type of dispersion and scattering. Their dwindling population was a result of assimilation into the territories of all the other tribes, but primarily into Judah.⁵⁶⁹ The teaching on each tribe follows a basic outline containing three parts. They are (1): The First Census in the past, (2) The Second Census in the present, and (3) The Messianic Kingdom in the future.

God’s Eternal Covenant with Phinehas
25: 10-18

God’s eternal covenant with Phinehas DIG: What would have happened if Phinehas had either waited several days, or even not cared at all and did nothing? Why was Phinehas rewarded for his actions? Define zealous. How did Phinehas make atonement for Isra’el? Why are Zimri and Cozbi now remembered?

REFLECT: What covenant of peace do you have with Messiah (John 14:27)? How does the action of Phinehas encourage you to act when you see blasphemy against your God? What does it mean to be zealous for the Lord in today’s culture? How can this story of Isra’el’s seduction aid you in this struggle? 

Parashah 40: Phinehas (dark-skinned) 25:10 to 29:40
(See my commentary on Deuteronomy, to see link click Af – Parashah)

The Key People are Moshe, Phinehas, Zimri, Cozbi, the Midianites, Eleazar, the Israelites who were counted a second time and listed clan by clan, Caleb and Joshua. This portion is named for Phinehas, the zealous grandson of Aaron the high priest, who turned aside God’s anger by publicly impaling two flagrant transgressors of Torah. Without trial or due process, Phinehas rose up as a court of one. He was the witness, judge, and executioner. Yet, rather than being punished for his zeal, Phinehas was awarded an eternal covenant of peace.

The Scenes are on the plains of Mo’av by the Jordan across from Jericho; entrance into the Tabernacle, and a mountain in the Abarim range.

The Main Events include Phinehas becoming High Priest because of his zeal, another census count for the army, land inheritance that was to be based on numbers, the Levites receiving no land, a note that the first generation had all died except for Caleb and Joshua, Joshua declared the new leader to succeed Moshe, and regular and festival offerings spelled out.

Phinehas made atonement for the people of Isra’el.

In this parashah, we find ourselves back in the setting of the camp of Isra’el. The Guardian and Protector of Isra’el has just thwarted a potentially major catastrophe in the spiritual realm by stifling the curses of Balak and causing the evil Balaam to utter blessings toward Isra’el. Now ADONAI has some unfinished business to attend to in order to fully prepare the wilderness generation to take possession of the Land.

The zeal of Phinehas (25:10-11): ADONAI said to Moshe, “Phinehas the son of El‘azar, the son of Aaron the high priest, has deflected my anger from the people of Isra’el by being as zealous as I am, so that I didn’t destroy them in my own zeal.” The word that is translated as jealousy is the Hebrew word kana, a word that can also be understood as zeal. In fact, the anti-Roman, Jewish revolutionaries of the First Century were referred to by the same word: the Zealots. First Century Judea and Galilee were filled with political and religious zealots who regularly resorted to violence to advance their purposes. In many ways, their fervor and ruthlessness is comparable to religious fundamentalists, who trouble our modern world with terrorism and bloodshed.

Prior to his encounter with Messiah on the road to Damascus (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Bc – Sha’ul Turns from Murder to Messiah), Rabbi Sha’ul pursued believers with a Phinehas-like zeal. As he wrote to the Philippians, he mentioned his history as a persecutor of the believers as evidence of his zeal for God (Philippians 3:6). It is far better to emulate the Master who was zealous for His Father’s house (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bs – The First Cleansing of the Temple) and His Father’s will. It is good to be zealous for God, but we must be careful in case we misplace that zeal. We should be zealous for the godly standards of the Kingdom of God; we should be zealous for the Word of God; and we should be zealous for our Lord. This means ruthlessly rooting out from our lives those things that lead us to sin and compromise. After Phinehas had stopped the plague, Ha’Shem instructed Moshe to carry out His zeal against Midian. Because the Midianites had conspired to seduce the sons of Isra’el, Moses was told to lead Isra’el in a war against them. We need to exercise this same type of vigilance in our war against the flesh. For Messiah gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good mitzvot (Titus 2:14).⁵⁶³

God’s eternal covenant (25:12-13a): To protect Phinehas from being punished for taking the law into his own hands, the LORD announced: I am giving him my eternal covenant of shalom. This saved him from any personal revenge, it also served to vindicate him of any legal wrongdoing. So, YHVH made a covenant with him and his descendants after him with an eternal priesthood. God made another dynastic covenant with King David and his descendants (see the commentary on the Life of David Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David). There, God promised that the descendants of David will occupy the throne of Isra’el forever; there will never be another family who will rightfully usurp this honor. The prophet Jeremiah spoke about both of these families, the royal family and the priestly family. For this is what ADONAI says: David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Isra’el, nor will the Levitical priests ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices (Jer 33:17-18).

Thus, through the prophet, God reiterates the fact that His covenants with David and Phinehas (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah Bh – Ezra Returns from Babylon: Ezra’s Genealogy) will never be broken. In fact, a line of Phinehas’ descendants, called the Zadokites, will be given a superior role in the ministry of the Temple during the Kingdom (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gs – God Shows a Vision of the Messianic Temple: the descendants of Phinehas). Today, it seems to us that there is no one left from either the line of David or the sons of Levi to fulfill God’s covenants. However, we need to remember that the houses of David and Phinehas have never stopped existing, even though we don’t know for certain who the proper descendants are. The important thing is that God certainly remembers! It is not a problem for Him to sovereignly maintain His covenants.⁵⁶⁴

The broken Vav and Yeshua (25:12): I am giving him my eternal covenant of shalom, a priesthood forever. Soferut (the laws concerning the scribal arts of writing Seferi Torah) requires that all Hebrew letters be well formed; that is, no letters can touch other letters and no letters can be malformed, broken, or otherwise illegible. However, there is a strange exception to these rules regarding the Vav that appears in the word shalom in Numbers 25:12. The Vav is broken, this is the only place in the Torah that we see such an abnormality. What is the reason for this? The Vav is a picture of the brokenness of the Messiah for our ultimate deliverance. How so? Well, since the Vav (the number 6) represents the number of Man, the broken Vav represents a man that is broken. In this particular verse, the man has been broken for the sake of a covenant of shalom that brought atonement to Isra’el . . . a clear picture of the man Yeshua Messiah, our eternal High Priest.

Phinehas made atonement (25:13b-15): The priests and Levites were responsible for guarding the Tabernacle against any illegitimate entry, be it inadvertent or intentional, and had the responsibility of killing trespassers. Here, however, Phinehas killed a sinner in the camp, not a would-be trespasser into the Tabernacle. Nevertheless, his action was quite similar to the responsibility of the priesthood. The priest represented God before the people. So, his body needed to be unblemished, to symbolize the perfection of ADONAI. His wife and children needed to be of exemplary character, so that they did not tarnish his reputation (see the commentary on Leviticus Do – Prohibited Practices for the Priests). In his personal life, the priest needed to personify the character of YHVH. And that was exactly what Phinehas did, he was zealous on behalf of his God. In other words, because Phinehas executed the sinner, expressing so clearly and visibly Ha’Shem’s own anger, that anger was turned away. Phinehas made atonement for the people of Isra’el (25:13b). To make atonement (Hebrew: kipper) is the usual phrase to describe the effect of the sacrifice (Leviticus 1:4, 4:20 and 5:16). In normal circumstances, the animal died in place of the guilty sinner; here the guilty sinners themselves were put to death, and, consequently, they became the sacrifice.

Not only did the priest represent God before the people; he also represented the people before God. He attempted to be the ideal Israelite. All the Israelites were called to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6), but the priest was expected to display true holiness in his life. This idea of the priest representing the people before God explains the covenant of peace made with Phinehas. Isra’el had broken the covenant she had agreed to at Mount Sinai (see the commentary on Exodus El – The Sinai Covenant Oath of Allegiance) by worshiping the gods of Mo’ab (see Ea – Taking a Stand for God: The idolatry of Israelite men). Phinehas had restored the Sinai Covenant with his deed, and was therefore rewarded with the covenant of an eternal priesthood.⁵⁶⁵ This suggests that the office of priest would now be channeled through Phinehas and not through any other grandson of Aaron (First Chronicles 6:4-15).

These two verses give the names and families of the two slain sinners. They were perhaps not given until now because insertion of them earlier would have deflected the main point here, which was not connected with the specific identity of the pair, but their sin, its consequences, and Phinehas’ reaction.⁵⁶⁶ The name of the man from Isra’el who was killed was Zimri the son of Salu, leader of one of the clans from the tribe of Simeon (25:14). As the great pride of Eleazar must have swelled over the actions of his son that day, so there must have been extraordinary shame among the members of Zimri’s family on realizing what that promising young man had done. Zimri (Hebrew: meaning praiseworthy) had been named in praise of ADONAI. However, he is now remembered as the one who nearly destroyed his people with his brazen, immoral attack on the pure worship of YHVH. With his name turned on its head, he serves as a memorial to destruction. The name of the woman from Midian who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Tzur, and he was head of the people in one of the clans of Midian (25:15). Her name is likely another example of the names deliberately changed by Isra’el because of the contempt in which she is held. Cozbi means My Lie or My Deception. She stands forever memorialized as a prime example of the deception of the allure of pagan worship. Verse 18 speaks of her as the daughter of the leader from Midian. She was likely a high priestess of her religion, a prototype of Jezebel (see the commentary on Elijah and Elisha As – The Wrath of Jezebel) who would later be instrumental in bringing Ba’al and Asherah worship into the center of the life of Isra’el.

Attack the Midianites (25:16-18): Because of their active participation in the seduction of the sons of Isra’el with the Moabites (31:16), the Midianites were also put under the curse of God and afterwards were to be treated as enemies. They had been in league with Balak from the beginning of the confrontation and became the objects of wrath to declare the glory of the name of ADONAI (see Fp – The War Against Midian).⁵⁶⁷ ADONAI said to Moshe, “Treat the Midianites as enemies and attack them; because they are treating you as enemies by the trickery they used to deceive you in the Peor incident and in the affair of their sister Cozbi, the daughter of the leader from Midian, the woman who was killed on the day of the plague in the Peor incident.” This is in keeping with the Abrahamic Covenant: I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse (Genesis 12:3a). A later campaign against the Midianites would be led by Gideon during the period of the Judges (see the commentary on Judges Bb – Gideon’s Victory Over the Midianites). Indeed, Isaiah 9:4 likens the victories of the Messiah to Gideon’s triumph over Midian.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that You are not only a gracious God of love, You are also a righteous and just Father who delights in blessing His children! You are a perfect balance of complete love, God is love. Now whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (First John 4:16c); and total holiness: One (Seraphim) called out to another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, is ADONAI-Tzva’ot! The whole earth is full of His glory (Isaiah 6:3).

Your love is so great and You want all to come to you to be saved. You call out to the crowds to come to You (Matthew 11:28-29). You desire people to respond to Your call with a yes, they will love and follow You. You wisely give the choice to come humbly to You or to remain separated from You. You never grab someone and tell them they are chosen to do something. Instead You call to them to forsake their evil ways and return to ADONAI, so He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7). Phinehas, out of love for You, chose to protect Your holy Name and You graciously awarded him with an eternal covenant of peace.

Ruach Ha’Kodesh, please help me to speak up against wrong. And when I do speak up for You, please protect me for the world thinks that there is no wrong and everyone can do what they want. But Your Word declares that is not so! Thank You that when I stand for what is right and just, and told that I am wrong, in the Spirit, I focus on the brevity of trials on earth and the eternal joy of home in heaven with you! For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). In your holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Balaam’s Seventh Oracle
24: 23-25

Balaam’s seventh oracle DIG: How do Balaam’s seven oracles relate to each other? What unifying theme do you see? How is this last oracle different from the other six? What do these verses teach you about ADONAI? About deliverance?

REFLECT: Life is full of ups and downs. When bad, or even tragic, things happen to you or the ones you love, do you blame God or Satan? Would you trade your free will to make sure everything goes smoothly in your life. Why or why not?

Balaam saw a troubled time ahead when empires would rise and fall,
each traipsing through the Land as if it was a highway from Egypt to Mesopotamia.

The remaining three oracles seem to spring almost involuntarily from the fourth oracle (to see link click Dw – Balaam’s Fourth Oracle). They overlap the promise of victory of Isra’el over all her enemies; hence these are “curse oracles.” It may be that these were similar to the types of oracles that Balaam intended to hurl against Isra’el. Instead, these harsh words lash out against the foes of the people of ADONAI. Here lies the final irony: Balak and Balaam had plotted to bring Isra’el under a curse, but their conspiracies only assured their own doom.

Concerning the Kenites’ demise (see Dy – Balaam’s Sixth Oracle), Balaam saw the rise of the Assyrian Empire. As he looked ahead he saw a troubled time when empires would rise and fall, each traipsing through the Promised Land as if it was a highway from Egypt to Mesopotamia. In fact, the strategic significance of the Promised Land is that it forms a natural bridge between the population centers of Mesopotamia and Egypt. In the Messianic Kingdom, it will serve the same purpose, a part of the pilgrimage of all nations to worship the God of Isra’el (see the commentary on Isaiah Eg – Blessed Be Egypt, Assyria and Isra’el).

Finally, Balaam spoke this oracle: “Alas, who can survive unless God has willed it (24:23)? The introductory words set a grim stage for the words to follow and lead one to a sense of utter dependence on ADONAI. This is the lesson that is taught throughout the oracles. None is able to live, except by the will of the LORD. Ah! For a brief moment, Balaam seemed to have a moment of spiritual clarity and grasped the ultimate futility of his vocation as a sorcerer.⁵⁴⁹

Balaam looked into the near historical future and spoke of the ships will come from the island of Crete; they will afflict (Hebrew: anah, meaning to be bowed down) Assyria and all the children of Eber (Genesis 10:21), in other words, the Hebrews. Assyria refers to the Eastern Shemites, and Eber to the Western Shemites. It was, in fact, Rome that finally drove Isra’el from her Land until May 14, 1948. The oracle of Rome afflicting the Hebrews was the first and only utterance against Isra’el that Balaam managed to deliver. But they, too, will come to destruction” (24:24). These words cannot relate to Assyria or Eber, for their fate is already announced in the word afflict, but only to Rome who was to come over the sea, and to which the others were to succumb.⁵⁵⁰

The cruelty of the Assyrian Empire alone would have been sufficient. But the Assyrians were just the first in a line of World Empires. We do not know much of the unfolding view of history that Balaam was allowed to see, but it is very interesting that he mentions the ships of Crete. In the prophecies of the book of Dani’el, written some eight centuries later, the term “ships of Crete” is used to refer to the Roman fleet that stopped the advance of Antiochus Epiphanes into Egypt (Dani’el 11:30). Balaam said that ships will come from the coast of Crete; they will afflict Assyria. The Assyrian Empire was long dead and gone by the time Rome rose to power, but the inheritors of the Assyrian Empire were the Babylonians (see the commentary on Revelation Ao – The First Beast of Dani’el: A Lion with a Head of Gold); and the inheritors of the Babylonian Empire were the Medo-Persians (see Revelation Ap – The Second Beast of Dani’el: A Bear with a Chest and Arms of Silver); and the inheritors of the Persian Empire were the Greeks (see Revelation Aq – The Third Beast of Dani’el: A Leopard with Thighs of Bronze). And as the Greek world divided into quarters and crumbled, the ships of the Romans were quick to pick up the pieces (see Revelation As – The Fourth Beast: The Roman Empire Stage). It was as if Balaam, under the influence of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, saw the four empires of Dani’el’s vision in rapid succession (see the commentary on Dani’el Ar – Dani’el Interprets the King’s Dream).⁵⁵¹

Then, with the promises of a future Deliverer ringing in their ears, the two collaborators departed. Balaam got up, left and returned home and king Balak went his way also (Numbers 22:5). This shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that Balaam returned home immediately to Pethor, since he was among those killed when Isra’el slaughtered the Midianites (see Fq – Report of the Battle). “Home” probably means the place where Balaam was staying while visiting Balak, and planning his next diabolical scheme to advise the king of Midian in his war against Isra’el (see Ea – Taking a Stand for God).⁵⁵²

The B’rit Chadashah does not cite the oracles of Balaam explicitly, but there are allusions to it in Luke 1:78; Second Peter 2:15-16; Jude 11; Revelation 2:14, 22:16, and of course Messiah’s birth was announced by the Star, or the Sh’khinah glory (see Dw – Balaam’s Fourth Oracle). If the primary fulfillment of Balaam’s near historical fulfillment was in the rise of David and the defeat of his foes, the far eschatological fulfillment must surely be seen in Yeshua, the son of David, who has conquered sin and death, and now reigns until He has put all His enemies under His feet (First Corinthians 15:25).⁵⁵³

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your Almighty power and Your wonderful love! Rulers and Kingdoms come and go but You will reign over an eternal Kingdom. “I was watching in the night visions. Behold, One like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days, and was brought into His presence. Dominion, glory and sovereignty were given to Him that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will never pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed (Dani’el 7:13-14).

What a joy and comfort it is to know that when there are problems, trials and the world seems to be spinning out of control, You, Father God, are still the Almighty, All-powerful, Sovereign Ruler. Your children do not need to fear, for though for a short time there will be persecutions on earth, Messiah Yeshua is preparing an eternal home in heaven for His children. Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.  In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be (John 14:1-3).

Wow! An eternal home where there is no crying, no sadness, no pain. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city – the New Jerusalem – coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  I also heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is among men, and He shall tabernacle among them. They shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them and be their God. He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:1-4).

Heaven’s future glory will be fantastic!  For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us (Romans 8:18). No matter what is happening in the world, I can be filled with Your peace when I focus on Your Awesome love and the eternal home in heaven that You have for me. Thank you for being such a wonderful, wise and Almighty Heavenly Father! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Balaam’s Sixth Oracle
24: 21-22

The Kenites were destined to go into Assyrian captivity along with Isra’el.

The remaining three oracles seem to spring almost involuntarily from the fourth oracle (to see link click Dw – Balaam’s Fourth Oracle). They overlap the promise of victory of Isra’el over all her enemies; hence these are “curse oracles.” It may be that these were similar to the types of oracles that Balaam intended to hurl against Isra’el. Instead, these harsh words lash out against the foes of the people of ADONAI. Here lies the final irony: Balak and Balaam had plotted to bring Isra’el under a curse, but their conspiracies only assured their own doom.⁵⁴⁴ As Balaam stood on the top of the Pisgah Mountain Range, he had visions concerning other nations and predicted their destiny. They differ from the previous oracle against Mo’ab and Edom, in that they do not mention Isra’el. Indeed, from the Moabite plateau looking southward to the Negev, he could see the Amalekites, Kenites, and future rise of the Assyrians.

The Kenites were a clan of the Midianites (Exodus 3:1; Numbers 10:29), who lived in the hill country south-west of the Dead Sea, quite close to the Amalekites. But unlike the Amalikes, the Kenites were on good terms with Isra’el. Zipporah, the wife of Moshe, was a Midianite of the Kenite clan. Moses’ brother-in-law Habab was described earlier as a Midianite (10:29), but Hobab’s father, and thus Hobab, were Kenites (Judges 1:16).⁵⁴⁵ Furthermore, they settled with the people of Isra’el in the Land (Judges 1:16, 4:11 and 5:24). In addition, David treated them quite well (First Samuel 29:9-10 and 30:29), so the Jews and the Kenites had a long-term relationship. When Sha’ul went to battle against the Amalekites (see the commentary on the Life of King Sha’ul Cl – The Rejection of King Sha’ul), he first gave the Kenites the opportunity to withdraw from their lands so they wouldn’t be destroyed along with the Amalekites. Thus, the Kenites had a different relationship with Isra’el in the oracles of Balaam. They were not going to be dislodged by Isra’el because they had essentially joined Isra’el.

The Kenites put their faith in the security afforded them by their geographical location, nestled in the rocky highlands of southern Canaan. Though they felt as though their settlements were impregnable, when Balaam saw the Kenites (Hebrew: keini) from the top of the Pisgah Mountain Range, he made this oracle, “Though your dwelling is firm, your nest (Hebrew: kayin) set on rock; nevertheless, you Kenites will be destroyed and taken captive by the Assyrians.” There is a play-on-words here, the Kenites (keini) nest (kayin) will fail. This prophecy was fulfilled by Tiglath-Pilesser III in 742 BC, and Shalmaneser V in 722 BC. The point of this oracle is that the Kenites were destined to go into Assyrian captivity along with Isra’el (Second Kings 17:5-6). And they have not been heard of since.⁵⁴⁶

These three oracles (24:20-25), paint a picture of one nation raising and supplanting another, only to face its own doom (see Dz – Balaam’s Seventh Oracle). In contrast, there is the implied ongoing blessing on the people of Isra’el and their sure promise of a future Deliverer who will have the final victory. It is remarkable that God gave these visions to a covetous Gentile sorcerer instead of a dedicated Jewish prophet. But He is sovereign in all His ways, and His ways are higher than our ways (see the commentary on Isaiah Ji – My Word That Goes Out Will Not Return Empty).⁵⁴⁷

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that Your Kingdom is an eternal Kingdom! Then the Kingdom, power, and greatness of the kingdoms under all heaven will be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High. Their kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey Him (Dani’el 7:27). Your Almighty Sovereign power will sustain Your kingdom thru all eternity! Even when the Beast has taken over the world and all the armies of the world are gathered to fight against You. There is not even a battle, for You wipe them all out with the sword of your mouth. From His mouth comes a sharp sword – so that with it He may strike down the nations – and He shall rule them with an iron rod, and He treads the winepress of the furious wrath of Elohei-Tzva’ot. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:15-16, 20-21b).

Your wisdom and omniscience extends to knowing all that will happen in the future. The future is in Your hands and your knowledge of what will happen is so exact and sure, that in many places in Your Word, future events are written in past tense, as though they already happened. Your ruling for all eternity, though still to come in the future, is sure and trustworthy. You are so incredibly mighty that Your throne is ablaze with flames and a river of fire flows out before You! While I was watching, thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His garment was as white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him. Thousands of thousands attended Him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened (Dani’el 7:9-10) .

You accurately have prophesied the future, telling the name and describing all the future kingdoms of the world. It has all happened just as you said. Your Word is 100% true and always 100% accurate. You prophecy of Messiah’s coming Kingdom, an everlasting dominion that will never be destroyed, will also come true exactly as You said. Behold, One like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days, and was brought into His presence. Dominion, glory and sovereignty were given to Him that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will never pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed (Dani’el 7:13-14). What comfort it is to know that You, our wonderful and loving Heavenly Father, will be the final and supreme Ruler of the world. We bow in worship of You and we live our lives focusing on how to obey You. In Your holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Balaam’s Fifth Oracle
24: 20

There came a day of reckoning on the Amalekites that was dreadful.

The remaining three oracles seem to spring almost involuntarily from the fourth oracle (to see link click Dw – Balaam’s Fourth Oracle). They overlap the promise of victory of Isra’el over all her enemies; hence these are “curse oracles.” It may be that these were similar to the types of oracles that Balaam intended to hurl against Isra’el. Instead, these harsh words lash out against the foes of the people of ADONAI. Here lies the final irony: Balak and Balaam had plotted to bring Isra’el under a curse, but their conspiracies only assured their own doom.⁵⁴² As Balaam stood on the top of the Pisgah Mountain Range, some 2,600 feet above sea level, he had visions concerning other nations and predicted their destiny. They differ from the previous oracle against Mo’ab and Edom, in that they do not mention Isra’el. Indeed, from the Moabite plateau looking southward to the Negev, he could see the Amalekites, Kenites, and the Asshurites.

Balaam saw Amalek and made this oracle, “First among nations [was] Amalek” (24:20a). Amalek, the tribal ancestor of the Amalekites is here used as a synonym for the tribe. They were first among the nations in two ways. First, they were first among the nations in the sense that their ancestry could be traced all the way back to Esau, making them an ancient people (Genesis 36:16). And secondly, they were the first nation to take up arms against Isra’el. They attacked the Israelites just after they left Egypt (see the commentary on Exodus Cv – The Amalekites Attacked the Israelites at Rephidim). To remember the attack, Jewish communities around the world observe Shabbat Zachor (Shabbat of Remembrance). It is the Shabbat immediately preceding Purim when the attack is remembered. There is a tradition from the Talmud that Haman, the antagonist of the Purim story, was descended from Amalek. The portion that is read includes a commandment to remember the attack by Amalek, and therefore at the public reading, both men and women make a special effort to hear the reading.

But, there came a day of reckoning on the Amalekites that was dreadful. Balaam concluded: their destiny [will be] destruction (24:20b). In the near historical future, at the request of God, king Sha’ul seemed to defeat the Amalekites, but disobeyed when the prophet Samuel placed them under His cherem judgment (see the commentary on the Life of King Sha’ul Cl – The Rejection of King Sha’ul). Later, David defeated the Amalekites. He fought them from dusk until the evening of the next day. The attack was massive, bloody, and decisive. None of them got away, except for four hundred young men who rode off on camels and fled (see the commentary on the Life of David Cb – David Defeats the Amalekites). Later, they were totally destroyed by the tribe of Simeon in Hezekiah’s time (First Chronicles 4:43). However, the Exodus passage above ends with the statement: ADONAI will wage war against the Amalekites from generation to generation, symbolizing all of God’s enemies (Exodus 17:16). Therefore, this oracle of doom will also extend into the far eschatological future where the Messiah will secure the final victory over all His enemies (see the commentary on Revelation Fl – When the Thousand Years Are Over).

These three oracles (24:20-25), paint a picture of one nation raising and supplanting another, only to face its own doom (see Dz – Balaam’s Seventh Oracle). In contrast, there is the implied ongoing blessing on the people of Isra’el and their sure promise of a future Deliverer who will have the final victory. It is remarkable that God gave these visions to a covetous Gentile sorcerer instead of a dedicated Jewish prophet. But He is sovereign in all His ways, and His ways are higher than our ways (see the commentary on Isaiah Ji – My Word That Goes Out Will Not Return Empty).⁵⁴³

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being such a wonderful Heavenly Father, completely loving yet also fair and righteous in judgment. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne. Lovingkindness and truth go before You (Psalms 89:14). Messiah Yeshua called out to all that they should come to him. Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the importance of coming to God, not just knowing about Him, but to answer the LORD’s invitation and come to Him so that their soul may live. Everyone who thirsts, come to the water . . . open your ears and come to Me. Listen, so that your soul may live (Isaiah 55:1 and 3). Messiah calls out for all to come to His gracious offer of living water. On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Yeshua stood up and cried out loudly: If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.  Now He said this about the Ruach, whom those who trusted in Him were going to receive; for the Ruach was not yet given, since Yeshua was not yet glorified (John 7:37-39).

Many do not want to humble their hearts before You. They do not want to answer Your gracious invitation to come to You by making You their Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-11). They choose to follow their own selfish hearts desires and ignore Your merciful call. You will judge each one fairly. Then Yeshua began to denounce the towns where most of His miracles had happened, because they did not turn from their sins. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have turned long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  Nevertheless I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the Day of Judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum? Will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will go down to Sheol! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. Nevertheless I tell you that it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you (Matthew 11:21-24).

Praise Your great love that calls all to come, and Your righteousness and justice that will judge with fairness Your enemies. Life is so short and eternity is so long. It is foolish to be Your enemy. What joy it is to love and follow You and be rewarded by a home in heaven for all eternity (John 14:1-3, Revelation 21:1-4)! Praise You always! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Balaam’s Fourth Oracle
24: 15-19

Balaam’s fourth oracle DIG: How is this oracle similar or different from the previous one? How does it continue the “theme song” of the “Balaam and Balak show?” In these oracles who is the “Star” on the horizon (compared to Revelation 22:16)? What is the scepter a symbol of? Who is the Ruler of Jacob? What near historical and far eschatological fulfillments of these prophecies do you see? How do these oracles relate to each other? What does this passage teach you about God?

REFLECT: What people or things do you face every day that keep you from doing God’s work? How are these “enemies” similar to those facing ancient Isra’el? In the face of such “enemies,” what hope can you draw from this passage? In the past year, how has God removed obstacles keeping you from serving Him? What part did you play in this? If you were to hitch your wagon to the “Star” of this story, where would it lead you? Thank the Lord that He uses us even though we are not perfect.

If there is any one verse in Torah in which the Messiah is revealed to us,
it is in this verse about the “Star.”

Hebrew poetry is not based on the concept of Western meter. The poetry of Isra’el was infused with rhythm, and the accentuation (with basically one “beat” per word) most likely signifies that pattern. The predominant feature of Hebrew poetic structure is the repetition of meaning in parallel expressions . . . or poetic parallelism. The biblical verse of poetry normally has two or more of these parallel units. The first line makes a statement, followed by the second line which elaborates on it in some manner. The words are not meant to rhyme, but are parallel in thought. Therefore, Balaam’s fourth oracle is written in five tightly parallel couplets. At the beginning of the oracle proper, the speaker shifts from third to first person, with Balaam now speaking in his formal role as the oracle speaker.

This oracle is not an attempted curse Isra’el; rather, it’s a glimpse into the future of Isra’el and her relationship with her neighbors. The fourth oracle that Balaam pronounced was specifically directed toward the Moabites. Balaam kept on insisting to Balak that he would not curse the Israelites. But Balak continually put him up to it. Three times Balak made Balaam go through the standard ritual for sorcery which was prevalent in the ancient Near East. When the ritual was finished, the sorcerer was supposed to either see a demon or hear from him the curse that was to be pronounced. However, despite the fact that the ritual was done three times, it was never effective. Balaam never cursed Isra’el.

Finally, after the third attempt at sorcery, Balaam spoke the Word of God, not just in blessing Isra’el, but in cursing Mo’ab! The tables were completely turned. Balak must have been completely shocked. He was the one who hired Balaam to curse his enemy Isra’el. Now he heard that the God of Isra’el intended to use Isra’el to be a means of cursing for him and the rest of the Moabites. Yikes! The main figure who would lead Isra’el in destroying the Moabites (as well as other enemy nations mentioned in Balaam’s fourth oracle) would be a figure referred to as the “Star.” But who or what was that “Star?”

Today, most Jewish scholars see the fulfillment of Balaam’s oracle in king David. However, the ancient rabbis have habitually interpreted this passage to be speaking about someone who would be more than king David. They thought it had something to do with the Messiah. According to Alfred Edersheim (the brilliant Messianic believer who lived from 1825 to 1889), both the Targum Onkelos and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan paraphrased it the way, as well as some ancient midrashim (Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Volume 2, page 714). Moreover, such an eminent authority as Rabbi Akiva also understood “the Star” as speaking of the Messiah.⁵³¹

Then Balaam spoke under the control of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh (24:15-16), saying: This is the oracle of Balaam, son of Beor; the oracle of a man whose eyes have been opened, more aware now than he was before; the oracle of him who hears the words of God; who knows what ‘Elyon knows, who sees what Shaddai sees, who falls down with eyes wide open (24:16). These verses form the introduction to the oracle; except for the one exception of the mention of ‘Elyon, they are identical to 24:3-4. Balaam was unworthy of the words that passed through his lips, even as others were unworthy of the role they played in salvation history of the Bible. But his words were not compromised; for it was the LORD who put His words in his mouth as the Spirit of God came upon him (24:2b).⁵³¹

(A) I see Him, but not here and now, with the near historical fulfillment of king David,
(A) I perceive Him, but far in the distant future (24:17a), with the far eschatological fulfillment of King Messiah. This verse presents the grand idea that Isra’el has a coming Deliverer. But when will that happen? How will it happen? It is safe to say that there has never been a period of Isra’el’s history when she experienced absolute peace and security from all her external dangers. There were two periods when Isra’el was close.

The first was during the period of the conquest of the Promised Land by the wilderness generation. At that time, at least there was great potential for absolute peace; and in fact, for a brief moment it seemed like it was so. We read in Joshua 2:7 that after the Land was conquered: The people served ADONAI throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things YHVH had done for Isra’el. For this to continue, it seems like all Isra’el had to do was to follow the LORD and He would have given them victory over all the enemies in the land of Canaan. Correct? No, wrong! Judges 3:1 indicates that Ha’Shem left certain nations in the Land that Joshua’s generation did not conquer, to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan. God left a test for them; however, they didn’t fare too well. Shortly after Joshua died, Isra’el proved unfaithful to El Shaddai and it has been that way ever since!

The second was during the reign of king David, when Isra’el almost gained absolute peace and security from her neighboring countries. Under David’s and Solomon’s leadership, Isra’el’s borders expanded and she entered into a time when there was godly leadership. Yet, there was still an external threat from various enemies. After their reigns, the Kingdom divided (see the commentary on the Life of King Solomon, to see link click By – The Fall of the House of David). The northern kingdom of Isra’el fell quickly into idolatry (see the Life of Solomon Dd – Golden Calves at Dan and Bethel) and was swallowed up by the Assyrians in 722 BC. The southern kingdom of Judah lasted longer but suffered continually under threat from the Assyrians. Isra’el’s history could, in fact, be outlined by examining the curses and blessings found in Deuteronomy Chapters 27-29. As Isra’el was unfaithful to her God, He disciplined her with more dangers, especially external menaces like the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans.

It seems that only the Messiah could completely deliver Isra’el from the threat of destruction. He would have to do a spiritual work among the Israelites that would cause the curses for disobedience to be lifted from her (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ff – Curses for Disobedience). That would mean He would have to work a spiritual revival in Isra’el of such magnitude that she had never experienced before (see the commentary on Ezeki’el Ea – The Valley of the Dry Bones). The sages of the Talmud (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law) predicted that such a revival would come. However, according to Sanhedrin 96-99, Isra’el herself would do the work of repentance. They teach that the Messiah would only come when Isra’el was spiritually deserving to receive Him. Moreover, the Messiah would only be a mighty general who would defeat armies.

There is only one kind of Messiah who could cause both a spiritual revival and a decisive military victory for Isra’el. He is described in Zechariah Chapters 12 and 14. There we read of a predicted time in Isra’el’s future when the armies of the world would come against Isra’el. When all seems lost, the leadership of Isra’el will cry out for Yeshua to return (see Revelation Ev – The Basis for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ). Then, at the most critical point, the Messiah will reveal Himself to Isra’el (see the commentary on Isaiah Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah). Zechariah says: And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son . . . On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity (Zechariah 12:10 and 13:1). Furthermore, the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as He fights on a day of battle. On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (see Revelation Ex – The Eight Stage Campaign of Armageddon). Thus, we have a Messiah who will both cleanse Isra’el from sin and defeat her enemies. He is the One who will rule and reign in the golden age of peace and security that Balaam predicted (see Revelation Fh – The Dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom).⁵³²

(B) A “Star” will come out of Jacob. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, Joseph and Mary evidently decided to continue to stay and live in the town of their ancestry. Two years later, during the reign of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. They asked repeatedly: Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-2a)? The word asked is a present participle, emphasizing continuous action. They kept on asking and asking. They had calculated exactly how many years would transpire before the Messiah would come (Daniel 9:24-27). Although they were familiar with the book of Dani’el and the book of Numbers, they were, however, not familiar with the book of Micah, where in Micah 5:2 it predicted that the Messiah would be born in the town of Bethlehem. As a result, they came to Jerusalem because they were desperate to find Him (see The Life of Christ Av – The Visit of the Magi).

There are several misconceptions in the common nativity scene. First, is the very popular Christmas song that begins with, “We three kings of Orient are.” There is no way of knowing how many there were. The Bible merely mentions them in the plural. There could have been two, twenty or a hundred. We don’t really know. The second misconception is that they were kings. They were not kings, but magi, or astrologers, from the east. Why would those Gentile astrologers want to worship a Jewish king? These were magi from Babylon. In the past, Dani’el had saved the lives of all the magi of Babylon by interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (see my commentary on Jeremiah Dq – Nebuchadnezzar’s Troubling Dream). The source of Daniel’s ability was not the stars of the heavens but the God of Heaven. As a result, a line of Babylonian astrologers spanning generations worshiped the One true God, and having Dani’el’s prophecy, looked forward to the coming of the King of the Jews. We can conclude from the book of Dani’el that Babylonian astrologers did know the time Messiah was to be born. But Dani’el says nothing about a star that would proclaim the birth of the King of the Jews. So how did the magi know about it?

Balaam, a Babylonian sorcerer, had the Spirit of God place these words in his mouth: A “Star” will come out of Jacob; a scepter will arise out of Isra’el (Numbers 24:17). But it was not a literal star because the “Star” and the scepter in this verse are one and the same. We know this because Balaam’s prophecy is in the form of Hebrew poetry, which is not based on rhythm or rhyme but on parallelism. The term scepter is a symbol of royalty. This “Star” that would come out of Jacob, be a symbol of God Himself.

Furthermore, Balaam’s occupation was that of a sorcerer/astrologer. Even more significant is that he came from Pethor, a city on the banks of the Euphrates River in Babylonia (Numbers 22:5; Deuteronomy 23:4). With the book of Dani’el and the prophecy of Balaam, we have a double Babylonian connection. Therefore, the revelation of a “Star” in relation to Messiah’s birth came by means of a Babylonian astrologer who, no doubt, passed the information down to his colleagues. Centuries later, Dani’el was able to give further details to the Babylonian astrologers about the time that the “Star” of Jacob would appear (see the commentary on Dani’el Cm – The Beginning of the Great Tribulation).⁵³³

These magi said that they saw His “Star” when it rose and had come to worship Him (Matthew 2:2b). The Greek word translated star is aster, and means light, radiance or brilliance. What they actually saw was the Sh’khinah glory, or the visible manifestation of God Himself (see the commentary on Isaiah Ju – The Glory of the LORD Rises Upon You). There are five reasons why this could not be a literal star. First, it was uniquely the Messiah’s “Star” because it is called His “Star” . . . and in that way, it is not true of any other star. Second, this “Star” appears and disappears. Third, this “Star” moved from east to west, from Babylon to Tziyon. Fourth, it moved from north to south, from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Fifth, it hovered over the very house where the child was living. A literal star cannot hover in one place. So, just as the Sh’khinah glory was used to announce the birth of the King of the Jews to Jewish shepherds (see The Life of Christ Ar – The Shepherds and the Angels), the Sh’khinah glory was also used to announce the birth of the King of the Jews to Gentile astrologers (see my commentary on Genesis Lw – The Witness of the Stars).⁵³⁴

(B) A scepter will arise from Isra’el (24:17b). Balaam saw the scepter as a Davidic King who would rise out of Jacob like a “Star,” sometime in the distant future. The scepter is yet another allusion back to Jacob’s prophecy over Judah (see Genesis Lg – The Scepter Will Not Depart from Judah Until He Comes to Whom It Belongs). The One who has the right to the throne would be King Messiah – the Kosher King from Judah to whom the throne rightfully belongs. There were other godly kings from Judah, like David, Solomon, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Uzziah, Hezekiah and Josiah. But the sad prophecy of Ezekiel 21 says remove the crown, it’s done. The kings of Judah stopped in 586 BC with the destruction of the Temple. There will be no more until He comes to whom it rightfully belongs (see my commentary on Revelation Ce – The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David Has Triumphed), and to this very day not one king of Judah has been crowned. The Maccabees were Levites. In fact, the Hasmonean Empire ran into trouble precisely because they were priests who tried to become kings later on. What about King Herod? His family was converted to Judaism. He was really a Roman king. In 1948 David Ben-Gurion didn’t call himself a king. So, for about 2,500 years – there has been no king of Judah. This is why Rashi, and many other rabbis, believe that the last King of Judah has to be King Messiah.

Historically, this prophecy has already been fulfilled. Once the tribe of Judah, under king David, attained leadership over the nation, the scepter (or the symbol of the king) never departed from Judah until after Messiah was born.⁵³⁵ About that time the Romans, who had the right to rule, took away the scepter, the right of capital punishment, from the Jews. This changed the death penalty from stoning to the Roman method of crucifixion for the Jews (John 18:31-32). When this happened, the high priest went throughout the city of Yerushalayim wearing sackcloth and ashes saying, “Woe to us for the scepter has been taken from Judah and he to whom it belongs has not come.” They thought the word of God had been broken because they didn’t know that up in a Nazareth carpenter’s shop, little Yeshua, the One to whom the scepter belonged, had come, and Genesis 49:10 had been fulfilled.

(C) It will crush the heads of Mo’ab’s people (24:17c). This phrase was a symbol of defeating one’s enemies in Hebrew literature. Mo’ab would be destroyed as a nation because she defiled YHVH (Jeremiah 48:40-42), but a believing remnant will survive. Mo’ab had become a satellite of Assyria by the late 8th century BC and was conquered by the Babylonians in 582 BC, upon which the Moabites disappeared from history as a nation. Their territory was resettled by the Nabataeans in the fourth/third century BC.⁵³⁶ However, by the grace of God, the descendants of Mo’ab were not totally obliterated (see the commentary on Jeremiah Dl – The Punishment and Restoration of Moab). Those who survived repented and became a faithful remnant (see the commentary on Isaiah Dw – The Hope of Moab’s Salvation). So peace will come between Mo’ab and Isra’el by means of a partial destruction that will lead to a national regeneration of Mo’ab. As such, there will be a saved nation called Mo’ab during the Messianic Kingdom.

(C) and subdue all descendants of Seth (24:17d). These are probably not the descendants of Seth who were the descendants of Adam, for that would imply the annihilation of a major portion of the human race. But instead, the phrase the descendants of Seth would be the equivalent of the phrase the people of Mo’ab in this couplet. Such parallelism is reinforced by the couplet of Edom and Seir below.⁵³⁷ King David accomplished all of this. Ironically, king David’s great grandmother was Ruth, a Moabitess (see the commentary on Ruth Bd – Coda: The Genealogy of David). At one point, David was on good terms with the king of Mo’ab. He even left his mother and father in the protection of the king of Mo’ab so that Sha’ul could not kill them in his madness (First Samuel 22:3-4). Yet, when David took the throne of Isra’el, the Moabites challenged him and he went to war with them, defeating them and collecting tribute.⁵³⁸

There is a sense in which the modern reader might regard 24:18 and 19 as somewhat anticlimactic to what it followed. Yet, this is not at all unusual in biblical prophecy. One can pick almost any well-known messianic text (Isaiah 9:6-7 or Micah 5:2 for example) and find it to have what appear to be rather humble associations. However, the wording of these two verses are significant for the advance the idea of 24:17, that the coming Deliverer will have a great victory and will provide a Kingdom for His people.⁵³⁹ With a slight rearrangement of the Hebrew text, these verse may be read:

(D) Edom we be conquered,
(D) and Seir will be conquered, when Isra’el grows strong (24:18). Edom and Seir are synonymous terms (Genesis 32:3, 36:8-9; Deuteronomy 1:44, 2:4, 8 and 12, etc). The paring of the two words may help us understand the pairing of Mo’ab and Seth (24:17c and d). In Moshe’s day, Edom was a nation that Isra’el was forbidden to attack. The future projection of the text assumes a time when Edom attacked Isra’el (see the book of Obadiah), for which Edom finally receives her punishment for refusing passage to the Hebrews in route to the Promised Land (see De – The Resistance of Edom).⁵⁴⁰ In the near historical fulfillment, king David was victorious over Edom. He defeated the Edomites and they became his servants (see the Life of David Cx – David’s Victories: Edom defeated in the south). This was predicted in Obadiah 18-21. In the narratives of the books of Kings, we read that David’s conquest of Edom was extremely brutal. First Kings 11:15-16 tells of how David’s general, Joab, occupied Edom for six months in an attempt to slaughter every male Edomite. And one of David’s mighty warriors, is credited with striking down 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt (see the Life of David Ej – David’s Mighty Warriors: Abishai).⁵⁴¹ The words contrasting the ultimate downfall of Edom are to be stressed: Isra’el will grow strong while her enemies languish. This is the promise of 24:19, Jacob will provide a Ruler who will finally destroy all of the enemies of God.

(E) And a Ruler will come out of Jacob,
(E) who will destroy the survivors of the city of Babylon (24:19). In the far eschatological fulfillment, Ha’Shem will destroy the kingdom of Darkness during the Great Tribulation. However, as a display of His grace, the Lord will restore the believing remnant of countries during the Messianic Kingdom that had previously opposed Him and His people Isra’el (see Revelation Fk – Gentiles in the Messianic Kingdom). The entire world will be fruitful and very productive. Yet, there will be two areas of perpetual desolation during the entire thousand years. The first of these two desolate areas, Babylon, will be the former commercial and political capital of the antichrist (see Revelation Em – Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She Has Become a Home for Demons); and the second desolate area will be Edom (see the commentary on Isaiah Gi – Edom’s Streams Will Be Turned into Pitch). Messiah will ultimately exercise dominion over all nations, tribes, and peoples. The theme of the oracle is constant: Isra’el’s ultimate blessing is dependent on her Deliverer.

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your incredible love that was willing to bear the great shame and pain to be the spotless Lamb of God (John 1:29; First Corinthians 5:7; Romans 8:34) bearing my punishment of death because of my sin. Your love is so great that you withhold nothing that will bless those who love You (Psalms 84:11). It is so comforting to know that nothing can separate me from Your love, neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Messiah Yeshua, our Lord (Romans 8:35-39). What a wonderful blessing it is to be Your child! It is a blessing that no one can take away.

Isra’el is Your first born and You so desire to bless Isra’el. This is what ADONAI says: Isra’el is My son, My firstborn (Exodus 4:22b-c). Your promise of blessing is so definite, that Your promised blessing extends even to those who also bless Isra’el. My desire is to bless those who bless you, but whoever curses you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:3). No sorcerer, or anyone else, can ever take away the blessing that You so desire to pour on Isra’el.

Israel itself by its disobedience, brought on discipline when it refused to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:22-35) out of a fear of the giants rather than trusting in Your Almighty power. That disobedience was a thing of the past for now the new generation vowed to obey God by entering and conquering the Promised Land. Then Isra’el vowed to ADONAI and stated, “If you deliver this people into our hand, we will put their cities under the ban of destruction” (Numbers 21:2)! As the people obeyed, God was able to fulfill His promise to bless Isra’el.

Trials and suffering in this world often comes, but it will soon be over and for all who love you, Messiah Yeshua is preparing a heavenly home of eternal joy and peace (John 14:1-3). You always keep Your promises! You kept Your Word to bless Isra’el and You will also keep Your Word to bring those who love You home to live with You in heaven, where there will be eternal joy and peace (Revelation 21:1-4). Praise and thank You for always being so faithful, even when I am not! It is a joy to think of praising You forever in heaven! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Balaam’s Third Oracle
23:27 to 24:14

Balaam’s third oracle DIG: Based on these three oracles, how would you describe Balak’s view of God? Do you think Balaam has changed since the first oracle? How so? Which Jewish king is referred to in this prophecy? How is Balaam remembered in the Bible (Second Peter 2:15 and Jude 11)? What do you see as God’s purpose in giving these oracles to someone as greedy or as pagan as Balaam? This oracle emphasizes the contentment of God’s people in their own land. What reasons did they have for contentment? Who do you think these oracles were aimed at? Balak? Balaam? Isra’el? Explain.

REFLECT: Do you think that God wishes for you all the goodness that he decrees for the Israelites in these oracles? Why or why not? In what ways has He blessed you this past year? How does that make you feel? Do you always believe that God wants only good for you? When is the most difficult time to believe that? If you could believe this at all times, how would it change your prayer life? Your view of God? What is one thing God has given you that moves you toward contentment? How could Balaam have such a powerful experience with ADONAI and still not have saving faith? What can you learn from this?

The third attempt at cursing Isra’el corresponds to the third time ADONAI blocked Balaam’s way. Just as the donkey lay down under Balaam, refusing to go any further, so, too, the LORD intervened a third time putting His words in Balaam’s mouth to speak a third message of blessing over Isra’el (22:26-30).

Hebrew poetry is not based on the concept of Western meter. The poetry of Isra’el was infused with rhythm, and the accentuation (with basically one “beat” per word) most likely signifies that pattern. The predominant feature of Hebrew poetic structure is the repetition of meaning in parallel expressions . . . or poetic parallelism. The biblical verse of poetry normally has two or more of these parallel units. The first line makes a statement, followed by the second line which elaborates on it in some manner. The words are not meant to rhyme, but are parallel in thought. Thus, Balaam’s third oracle is written in one triplet and ten tightly parallel couplets. At the beginning of the oracle proper, the speaker shifts from third to first person, with Balaam now speaking in his formal role as the oracle speaker.

The setting of the oracle (23:27 to 24:2): Disappointed, but not deterred, King Balak took Balaam to the top of another mountain. He said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to one more high place” (23:27). The high places, very simply, were places of worship on elevated pieces of ground. High places were originally dedicated to idol worship (Numbers 33:52; Leviticus 26:30), especially among the Moabites (Isaiah 16:12). These shrines often included an altar and a sacred object such as a stone pillar or wooden pole in various shapes identified with the object of worship (animals, constellations, goddesses, and fertility deities). It seems that, at times, high places were set up in a spot that had been artificially elevated, like the tower of Babel (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Dl – The Tower of Babel).

The Israelites, forever turning away from God, worshiped Molech and built high places for Ba’al (Jeremiah 32:35). Although Solomon built the Temple of God in Jerusalem, he later established idolatrous high places for his foreign wives outside of Jerusalem and worshiped with them (see the commentary on the Life of Solomon Bx – Solomon’s Wives), causing him to lose his Kingdom (First Kings 11:11). The people were still sacrificing at the pagan high places before the Temple was built, and Solomon joined them. After God appeared to him in a dream at Gibeon, the king returned to Jerusalem and sacrificed offerings; however, he continued to waver between the two places of worship.⁵²¹

You would have thought that Balak would have given up by now, but evil is persistent, so he decided to have Balaam make one last attempt to curse Isra’el. King Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God for you to put a curse on them from there.” But, God had just spoken to king Balak directly and explained in no uncertain terms that Isra’el was blessed and could not be cursed. However, Balak had ignored the warning and took Balaam to another high place of a local god on the top of Peor, overlooking the desert. Again making the foolish assumption that changing locations would change his luck. Once more, Balaam said to Balak, “Build me the obligatory seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams.” The same old pagan customs continued. Balak did as Balaam said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar (23:27-30).

Balaam did three things differently when giving this third oracle, then he did in the previous two. First, he didn’t leave Balak and the rulers by themselves; secondly, he didn’t even think about using sorcery because he knew it was useless; and thirdly, the Spirit of God took control and put the words in his mouth.

But despite the token efforts of seven more altars and fourteen more sacrifices, Balaam had already given up. He realized that ADONAI was determined to bless Isra’el, because God had already declared that no black magic would work against Isra’el (23:23a). Instead, he raised his eyes and saw Isra’el encamped tribe by tribe. Then YHVH intervened, taking control of Balaam, the LORD put His Words in his mouth as the Spirit of God came upon him (24:1-2). In regard to the two former oracles, it says that ADONAI put a Word in the mouth of Balaam (Numbers 23:5 and 15). In the present case the Spirit of God came upon him. The same expression is used of the messengers of king Sha’ul (First Samuel 19:20), and of king Sha’ul himself (First Samuel 10:9-12). The prophecy of Caiaphas (John 11:46-52) affords another instance of the sovereign power of the Spirit as displayed through the medium of wicked men. From this we can conclude that the Spirit of God can use anyone whom He wants to use for His purposes.⁵²²

As Sha’ul had his experience on the road to Damascus (see the commentary on Acts Bc – Sha’ul Turns from Murder to the Messiah), so also, Balaam had his experience on the road to Mo’ab. In both cases there was Divine revelation. In the case of Sha’ul, the revelation was one of grace; in the case of Balaam, it was one of judgment. But both revelations included the protection of the true people of God from those who wished to do them harm.⁵²³

The oracle: the beauty and strength of Isra’el (24:3-9): Balaam’s third oracle followed the same style of parallelism and repetition established in the first two oracles, but this one is far less mechanical than the previous two. It erupts like an explosion of poetry, rich with rhyme, meter and metaphor. Instead of following the rigid pattern of parallel couplets, this third oracle begins with a triplet, each line starting with a phrase: the oracle. And he made his third oracle, saying:

(A) This is the oracle of Balaam, son of Beor,
(A) the oracle of a man whose eyes have been opened
(A) the oracle of him who hears the words of God (24:3-4a). These verses form the introduction to the oracle; with one exception they are identical to 24:15-16. Despite its formal drumbeat of pomp and circumstance, these introductory lines of the oracle are supposed to be amusing to the reader. Balaam described himself as a man whose eyes have been opened, who sees a vision of what Shaddai sees. Yet we remember well that his donkey saw the Angel of ADONAI far more clearly than Balaam did. He claimed to be a man who hears the words of God, yet we recall that His donkey had to tip him off that God had something to say.⁵²⁴

(B) who sees a vision of what Shaddai sees,
(B) who falls down with eyes wide open (24:4b). When YHVH had stood in the way of the donkey for the third time, Balaam’s eyes were opened at last. Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, so that he could see the Angel of ADONAI standing in the way with His drawn sword in his hand, and he fell on his face. Here, Balaam, once again (22:31), fell face down as a result of being in the presence of God. This was a common occurrence when people were faced with the living God. Abraham fell on his face when YHVH appeared to him (Genesis 17:1-3, 17); the people fell on their faces when fire came out from before the LORD (Leviticus 9:24); Moses and Aaron fell on their faces (Numbers 14:5, 16:20-22); Joshua fell on his face (Joshua 5:14); Ezeki’el fell on his face (Ezeki’el 44:4), and Dani’el fell on his face (Dani’el 8:17); three apostles fell on their faces on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:6), a man full of leprosy fell on his face before Yeshua (Luke 5:12), and a healed leper fell on his face before Messiah giving Him thanks (Luke 17:15-16), and finally the twenty-four elders in heaven fell on their faces worshiping ADONAI (Revelation 11:16). You would think that such a remarkable experience with the living God would have brought Balaam to a place of submission and faith, but it did not. It only shows that an unbeliever can intellectually come to a knowledge of the LORD and yet not step over the line from knowledge to faith (see the commentary on Hebrews Al – How Shall We Escape If We Ignore So Great a Salvation). Balaam is the Judas Iscariot of the Torah. Both received so much revelation; both spoke to God; and both sold their gifts for money.

(C) How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,
(C) your dwellings, O Isra’el (24:5)! Balaam compared Isra’el’s future settlements in Canaan to the strong trees growing by life-giving streams of water. He offered a pulsating description of Isra’el, so beautiful that it has become a permanent part of Jewish liturgy. As Balaam was looking down at the tents in the wilderness, the Spirit of God gave him a vision of future cities with homes and buildings.

(D) They spread out like valleys,
(D) like gardens by the riverside (24:6a). In an attempt to describe his vision of the camp of Isra’el, Balaam launched into a four-line series simile which describes Isra’el as a lush, well-watered garden with aloes and cedar trees planted by the water. He described the blessings that YHVH would bestow upon the people of Isra’el in their future dwelling in the new Land. These words are among the most treasured in the Torah regarding the blessings of ADONAI upon His people.

The image of Isra’el as a well-watered garden planted by the LORD, is another picture that takes us back to Genesis 13. There we find Lot, the forefather of Mo’ab, quarreling with Abraham, the forefather of Isra’el, over pastureland. It says: Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valleys of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere . . . like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt are you to Zoar (Genesis 13:10). Lot chose those well-watered valleys for himself, but that choice proved to be his undoing.

Now things have come full circle as the descendants of Abraham are described in much the same terms. They were camped in the plains of Mo’ab beside the Jordan river, across from Jericho. As Balaam looked out over these encampments, he observed that they were like the well-watered valleys of the Jordan, described as valleys that spread out, like gardens by the river. They were like the garden of the LORD in as much as they were planted by the LORD.⁵²⁵

(E) like succulent aloes planted by ADONAI,
(E) like cedar trees beside the waters (24:6b). In a crescendo of phrases, the geographical and floral aspects refer to the highly prized bodies of water that Isra’el would possess in great abundance in the Promised Land. Some, more concerned with scientific accuracy than poetic imagery, have been concerned with cedar trees pictured beside the waters. This is poetry not botany. Cedars do not grow beside rivers; they grow in the mountains. So why would Balaam liken Isra’el to one here? Cedars’ strength is exceptional without a river running nearby, but Isra’el will be even stronger, like a cedar beside a river.

(F) Water will flow from their buckets,
(F) their offspring will have plenty of water (24:7a). Here is the image of a man with two pails hanging from his shoulders, overflowing with water. Again, water is being used as a symbol of great fruitfulness. Although the reference could again be to the fertility of the land, resulting from the abundance of rain, it more probably refers to a growing population. Drink the water from your own cistern, fresh water from your own well. Let what your springs produce be dispersed outside, streams of water flowing in the streets; but let them be for you alone and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain, the wife of your youth, be blessed and find joy in her (Proverbs 5:15-18). Although Isra’el may already be too many to count (23:10a), Balaam declares they will multiply even more.

(G) And their future King will be greater than Agag,
(G) and His Kingdom high and lifted up (24:7). Here, Balaam first broached the topic of Isra’el’s future King, a theme he develops more fully in the following oracle. Their King, promised by God to the patriarchs (Genesis 17:6 and 16, 35:11) will be greater than a king considered great in ancient times. Sha’ul, the first king of Isra’el, defeated Agag, the king of the Amalekites (First Samuel 15:8), and this word of Balaam would appear to be foretelling of the eventual destruction of Isra’el’s oldest enemy (see the commentary on Exodus Cv – The Amalekites Attacked the Israelites at Rephidim). Moreover, during the promised Messianic Kingdom, the land of Isra’el will become like the garden of Eden (see the commentary on Isaiah Gk – The Desert and the Parched Land Will Be Glad).⁵²⁶

(H) God, who brought them out of Egypt,
(H) gives them the horns of a wild ox (24:8a). Isra’el’s strength came out of God’s strength. Verses 8 and 9 depict Ha’Shem leading Isra’el out of Egypt like a conquering army, decimating any enemy who would stand in their way. In the second oracle we learned that God gave Isra’el the strength (Hebrew: toaphah, meaning horns) of a wild ox (23:22). Now, 24:8–9 are an expansion of 23:24 of the second oracle (see Du – Balaam’s Second Oracle). The term horns of a wild ox is a biblical, poetic idiom for strength, pride and power. God is described as going before Isra’el like horns of a wild ox. The horns of the fearsome beast gore and tear anyone foolish enough to get in its way. So, too, Ha’Shem will go before Isra’el, goring and removing anyone who would oppose His people.

You will recall that Balak had already compared Isra’el to an ox. He had said: This horde will lick up everything around us, the way an ox licks up grass in the field (22:4). In his simile, he compared Isra’el to a shor, meaning a domesticated ox. In this oracle, however, he compared Isra’el to a reim, a far more dangerous wild ox. It is like the difference between a barnyard pig and a wild boar.⁵²⁷

(I) He will devour hostile nations,
(I) And will break their bones into pieces, and pierce them with his arrows (24:8b).

In both the second and third oracles, Balaam compares Isra’el to a lion. In the second oracle, the lion is seen as rising, crouching as if to pounce, devouring its prey and lapping up its blood before laying down again (23:24b). This will be the case during the conquest of the Promised Land (see the commentary Deuteronomy Ag – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh). The animal images are not over yet, though.

(J) Like a lion He crouches and lays down,
(J) as a lion, who dares to provoke him (24:9a)? In the days that followed the conquest of Canaan, Isra’el, in its own land, will be like a lion/lioness resting, unconcerned and satisfied, yet still dangerous and fearsome. The nations around Isra’el will rouse it at their own peril. The image of the lion, laying down, is taken directly from Jacob’s blessing over Judah. You are a lion’s cub, Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness – who dares to rouse him (Genesis 49:9)? Therefore, we should take it as a reference to the Messianic King (see the commentary on Revelation Ce – The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David Has Triumphed).⁵²⁸

(K) May those who bless Isra’el be blessed,
(K) and those who curse Isra’el be cursed (24:9b)! At last Balaam ends the oracle with a final concise statement which summarizes all three failed attempts to curse Isra’el. The irony cannot be missed. In his actions, Balaam brings a curse upon his own head even as he speaks words of blessing! Those who attempt to curse the children of Abraham will find themselves cursed. This is a reaffirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant, when God said: I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse. Therefore, the promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:3 and 22:18), to Jacob (Genesis 27:29) and to the Israelites (Exodus 23:22) was fulfilled by Balaam.⁵²⁹

The Moabites’ failed attempt to curse the children of Abraham returned to them like a boomerang. The descendants of Lot were cursed, while Isra’el, the descendants of Abraham, were blessed. The score between Abraham and Lot was finally settled on the plains of Mo’ab. Lot went for the quick and easy reward; while Avraham held onto the promises. In the end, Abraham was vindicated. God is the Promise Keeper.⁵³⁰

Balak’s angry response (24:10-11): Balak’s anger burned against Balaam after his third blessing upon Isra’el. Then, Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily struck his hands together (see Job 27:23 and Lamentations 2:15) and shouted, “I called you to put a curse on my enemies. Instead, you have done nothing but bless them – three times already! At least Balak got that much right. Now get out of here! Go back home! I had planned to reward you very well, but now ADONAI has deprived you of payment.” As far as the king was concerned, all his efforts had amounted to nothing.

Balaam’s response (24:12-14): Balaam, although clearly disappointed, reminded the king, “Didn’t I tell the messengers you sent me that even if the king would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of ADONAI. I told you that I could only say what ADONAI has put in my mouth? Balak should have known that the whole thing would end in failure. Then, the defeated sorcerer declared: I am going back to my own people. But first let me warn you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future Messianic age (see Dw – Balaam’s Fourth Oracle: the far eschatological fulfillment).

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being so very Awesome with Almighty power! Your strength and wisdom are so great that there is no possibility of You ever making even the slightest mistake. You not only have total power but your omniscient wisdom guides You to know what will take place hundreds of years in the future, and you already have the plan on how to win the victory! Praise Your infinite wisdom! In the days of Dani’el, You foretold and described all the future world kingdoms, thousands of years before the kingdoms even began to exist (Daniel 2:31-45, 7:1-27).

What a comfort it is that you prepare in advance for the right people to be in exactly the right place to win the battle. When Haman plotted to destroy the Jews, you already had the perfect Jewish woman in place to be the queen whom You would use to move the king’s heart to reverse Haman’s demonic plan. Haman’s plan backfired on him for instead of Jews being killed, it was evil Haman himself who was impaled on the Pole he had set up for Mordecai (Esther 7:10). Also, not only were the Jews not killed, but King Ahasuerus’ new decree allowed the Jews to defend themselves and 75,000 of their enemies were killed (Esther 9:16). The Jews who at one time were the cursed people, then became the blessed people. Many Gentiles of the land were circumcised and became proselytes because the fear of the Jews had overcome them (Esther 8:17c). You so wisely put everything carefully in place for future victory! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Balaam’s Second Oracle
23: 13-26

Balaam’s second oracle DIG: Why is Balak back again giving it the old college try? What does he know about Balaam or God that leads him to believe either one can be bought? What is God’s answer to this presumption of Balak’s? What do you see as the central message or key verse of this oracle? How does the blessing of this second oracle compare in scope to the first one? What is Balak’s response to this greater blessing? What truths about the people of Isra’el did God’s message to Balaam reveal? What can we learn from Balaam’s first two oracles that is relevant today?

REFLECT: When are God’s decrees hardest for you to accept? How is God not like a parent or a spouse or a politician who can, and do, change their minds? How do your reactions at these times help you to understand Balak in this story? If you could give Balak one piece of advice, what would it be? What will you do to ensure you follow your own advice? In verse 25 Balak admits that this whole exercise is backfiring. When have you felt like Balak in this regard? How can you avoid situations like that in the future? How might the story of Balak and Balaam help you to do just that, “the next time?”

The second intervention on God’s part corresponds to the second time the donkey was turned aside (22:24-25); just as the Angel of ADONAI forced the donkey against the vineyard wall, once again,
God forced Balaam to turn aside from cursing Isra’el (22:23).

Hebrew poetry is not based on the concept of Western meter. The poetry of Isra’el was infused with rhythm, and the accentuation (with basically one “beat” per word) most likely signifies that pattern. The predominant feature of Hebrew poetic structure is the repetition of meaning in parallel expressions . . . or poetic parallelism. The biblical verse of poetry normally has two or more of these parallel units. The first line makes a statement, followed by the second line which elaborates on it in some manner. The words are not meant to rhyme, but are parallel in thought. Thus, Balaam’s second oracle is written in eleven tightly parallel couplets. At the beginning of the oracle proper, the speaker shifts from third to first person, with Balaam now speaking in his formal role as the oracle speaker.

Disappointed, but not deterred, King Balak took Balaam to the top of another mountain. He said to Balaam, “All right, come with me to another high place where you can see the Israelites” (23:13a). Obviously the king thought that a change in locations would change his luck. The high places, very simply, were places of worship on elevated pieces of ground. High places were originally dedicated to idol worship (Numbers 33:52; Leviticus 26:30), especially among the Moabites (Isaiah 16:12). These shrines often included an altar and a sacred object such as a stone pillar or wooden pole in various shapes identified with the object of worship (animals, constellations, goddesses, and fertility deities). It seems that, at times, high places were set up in a spot that had been artificially elevated, like the tower of Babel (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Dl – The Tower of Babel).

The Israelites, forever turning away from God, practiced Molech worship and built high places for Ba’al (Jeremiah 32:35). Although Solomon built the Temple of God in Jerusalem, he later established idolatrous high places for his foreign wives outside of Jerusalem and worshiped with them (see the commentary on the Life of Solomon Bx – Solomon’s Wives), causing him the loss of his Kingdom (First Kings 11:11). The people were still sacrificing at the pagan high places before the Temple was built, and Solomon joined them. After God appeared to him in a dream at Gibeon, the king returned to Jerusalem and sacrificed offerings; however, he continued to waver between the two places of worship.⁵⁰³

God met Balaam (23:13b-16): So Balak took Balaam through the field of Tzofim to the top of the Pisgah Mountain Range, some 2,600 feet above sea level, the very place where Moses would view the whole Land before he died (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Gj – The Death of Moses). Again, they built seven altars and offered the bribe-sacrifices of a bull and a ram on each altar. The king declared: You will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, you can curse them for me. Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD over there.” YHVH met Balaam, put a Word in his mouth and said, “Go on back to Balak, and speak as I tell you.” Rather cursing Isra’el, God’s Word was a message for Balak.

Balak met God (23:17-24): So Balaam went back and found Balak standing by his burnt offering, along with all the Moabite rulers. Balak asked him, “What did ADONAI say” (23:17)? It is remarkable that Balak, the Moabite king, would even inquire of the God of Isra’el. But Balaam had given him no choice, so the mouthpiece of the Most High made his pronouncement (23:18a):

(A) Get up, Balak, and listen!
(A) Turn your ears to me, son of Zippor (23:18b)! Ha’Shem called the king to attention, preparing him to receive the coming remarkable pronouncement. The naming of Balak in the second line as son of Zippor is a fine example of parallelism.

(B) God (El) is not a human being who lies,
(B) or a mortal who changes His mind (23:19a). Balaam is himself a foil for God. The sorcerer was constantly shifting, evading, vacillating – he is the prime example of the distinction between God and mortal human beings.⁵⁰⁴ Through the mouth of Balaam, El explains to Balak why Isra’el cannot be cursed. Three times in his oracle (23:19a, 22, and 23b) the word for God is El, which derives from the basic word for deity in Semitic languages. Most often the term in the TaNaKh occurs in the plural form Elohim, denoting the power and majesty of the One True God.⁵⁰⁵ God is not fickle. Having already promised to bless Isra’el, He could not reverse Himself. The LORD cannot change His mind. Unlike mortal human beings, He cannot be manipulated by black magic or dictated to by sorcerers, even those of the stature of Balaam. He is the Creator, not a creature. It is people who are unreliable and fickle, God is neither. Therefore, any attempt to place a curse upon Isra’el was, and is, utterly futile. We already know that YHVH has declared a blessing on Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12:2-3a).⁵⁰⁶ Moreover, God doesn’t lie, so God always keeps His promises; He doesn’t change, so His character remains the same. He isn’t weak, so He is able to fulfill what He promises. He was, and is, faithful to the people of Isra’el and continues to reign throughout history as their King.⁵⁰⁷

Here we have an antimony, God disciplines Isra’el, yet God blesses Isra’el. An antimony means two things that are mutually exclusive, but both are true. For example, the Trinity in an antimony, where you have God as being three distinct people, Father, Son, and Spirit, yet the Bible teaches that God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). The antimony here is that sometimes Scripture clearly says that God never repents (First Samuel 15:29; Malachi 3:6; Romans 11:29; James 1:17). But sometimes it does say that God does relent (Genesis 6:6). God’s larger purpose does not fail, but His relationship with mankind will vary with certain individual cases. For example in Exodus 32:14, ADONAI relented about the disaster He had planned for His people after the intercession of Moses. Now it is obvious that in God’s overall plan, He would never destroy Isra’el because of His covenantal promises Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But the means of the people’s survival included Moshe’s intercession. Jeremiah 18:8 says: If a nation turns from evil, which prompted Me to speak against it, then I relent concerning the disaster I had planned to inflict on it. But this also was part of God’s overall plan, so the change is only apparent on a human level. The same thing is true in Jeremiah 26:3. And in Amos 7:3 and 6 we read how the prayer of Amos averted a divine judgment, but that also was part of God’s overall plan. This can also be seen in Jonah when the Ninevites repented and God relented (see the commentary on Jonah Az – Jonah’s Anger at the LORD’s Mercy).⁵⁰⁸

(C) When he says something, He will do it;
(C) when He makes a promise, He will fulfill it (23:19b).

(D) Look, I am ordered to bless;
(D) and when He blesses, I can’t reverse it (23:20). These two verses explain 23:19a in greater depth. What YHVH has said will come true without fail, and what God has said is that Isra’ael is blessed (23:7-10). This concept, of course, would contradict Balak’s understanding of God. The king’s whole motive in moving the site of the second oracle was to force El to change His blessing into a curse. As a result, Balaam rebukes Balak for his idea of God, and in essence, tells the king that his plan was doomed. No human – sorcerer or otherwise – can contradict the revealed will of God.⁵⁰⁹

(E) He has not planned misfortune, or evil, for Jacob,
(E) no trouble is in store for Isra’el (23:21a). At first blush the wording of this verse is seemingly farfetched. The whole course of Isra’el’s experience in the wilderness was one misfortune after another. Yet, it was evidently their standing before Him that is in view here, rather than their sinful nature. God didn’t have to plan for their misfortune, they were perfectly capable of handling that on their own! Nevertheless, with God in their midst, they were safe from utter destruction.⁵¹⁰

When God looked upon Isra’el, He didn’t see any evil; and therefore, had reason to judge them. They were a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6), even though He had to discipline them for their unbelief and disobedience (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children). Believers today are God’s chosen people (Ephesians 1:4), hidden in Messiah (Colossians 3:3), clothed in His righteousness (Second Corinthians 5:17 and 21), sealed with the Ruach (Ephesians 1:13b-14) and seated with Him in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:4-6). Because we are in Messiah, God sees us as His own special people (First Peter 2:5, 9-10), and He loves us unconditionally, and eternally (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer). Once again, God turned the curse into a blessing!⁵¹¹

(F) Elohim their God is with them,
(F) and the shout for a King is among them (23:21b). As 23:21a is negative, 23:21b is positive. What set Isra’el apart was not their population, their power, or their perseverance over the past forty years; what set Isra’el apart was their God. Isra’el was, and is blessed, because ADONAI goes with them. Opposed to king Balak, YHVH is the King in the midst of Isra’el. The word translated as shout in Hebrews is teruah. It is the same word commonly used for the shofar blast. Therefore, the second line could be translated as the trumpet blast of the King is among them.⁵¹² This was a joyful shout for a King, and their King was not in some far-off, remote place, but was in their very midst. The Divine Presence was, of course, in the Tabernacle (see Exodus Hh – The Glory of the LORD Filled the Tabernacle), with the camp of Isra’el around Him.⁵¹³ And, of course, in the far eschatological future, Messiah will rule and reign as King of Isra’el during the Messianic Kingdom.

(G) God (El) has brought them out of Egypt,
(G) He gives them the strength (Hebrew: toaphah, meaning horns) of a wild ox (23:22). It was God who gave the Israelites their victories, beginning with their exodus from Egypt. The nation was like an ox in its strength, in particular the powerful and protruding horns of the animal, and like a lioness and a lion in its determination to catch its prey and kill it. Therefore, no sorcery could succeed against God’s people because He was at work in them and through them.⁵¹⁴

(H) Surely, no one can put a curse on Jacob,
(H) no black magic will work against Isra’el (23:23a). The oracle specifically speaks against Balaam being able to put a curse on Jacob. Isra’el did not need sorcerers or magicians to have success against their various enemies. Balaam speaks here from his fearsome experience. Those who practiced black magic try to determine the will of God through the casting of lots via dice or darts, the consulting of domestic deities, or in reading the patterns animal entrails via liver dissection or intestinal examination. The denial regarding Isra’el’s possession or adherence to black magic is remarkably contrasted with the positive praise of what God has done on behalf of Isra’el.⁵¹⁵

(I) For now it can now be said of Jacob,
(I) Oh, what wonders God (El) has done for Isra’el (23:23b)! As 23:23a is negative, 23:23b is positive. The second line builds the crescendo of thought, erupting in this compelling confession: Oh, what wonders God has done for Isra’el! This verse is the key to all of Balaam’s pronouncements. He had come to use his black magic on Isra’el, but in the end, he wanted his end to be like theirs (23:10b). He had come to bring a curse, but he found them blessed. He had come to use his sorcery, but he found it ineffective. God was in control, and Balaam was His puppet in this spiritual battle.⁵¹⁶

(J) These people rise up like a lioness,
(J) like a lion raising himself up (23:24a). Rather than delivering a curse, Balaam compares the camp of Isra’el (see Am – The Camp of the Twelve Tribes of Isra’el) to a lion, rising up to pounce upon its prey. The lion imagery points back to Jacob’s blessing over Judah (see the commentary on Genesis Lg – The Scepter Will Not Depart from Judah Until He Comes to Whom It Belongs).⁵¹⁷

(K) They will not lie down until they have eaten up the prey,
(K) and drinks the blood of the slain (23:24b). As a lioness, Isra’el was about to rouse herself and would soon bring her foes to destruction. She would not rest until the enemy was devoured; its blood licked clean at the end of the chase. The effectiveness of the lion image was not lost on the northern kingdom of Isra’el. Witness the seal from Megiddo with the figure of a roaring lion, inscribed, “Belonging to Schema, servant of Jeroboam.” The use of the image of the lion was a way of speaking of Isra’el’s destiny as the warrior of God.

The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, which mauls and mangles as it goes, there is no one to rescue them (Micah 6:8).⁵¹⁸ As long as Isra’el walked with God and obeyed His will, they were an undefeated nation and God did great wonders for them.

And this is the victory that has overcome the world . . . our faith (First John 5:4). The battles God’s people fight today are not with flesh and blood, but with Satan’s demons (see the commentary on Ephesians Ca – The Spiritual Battle), and we can’t win the victory in our own strength. We must first see ourselves as the people of God, purchased by the blood of Messiah, indwelt by the Spirit of God, and more than conquerors through Messiah (Romans 8:37). Our protection is the whole armor of God (see Ephesians Cb – The Armor of God), and our chief weapons are the Word of God and prayer (see Ephesians Ci – Praying at All Times).⁵¹⁹

Balaam’s warning (23:25-26): Balaam declared that just what Balak feared would happen: Isra’el would destroy their enemies and nothing could stop them. At that news, Balak appeared incredulous and was angry once again by Balaam’s defiance of his request to curse Isra’el. He gasped: Obviously, you won’t curse them. But at least don’t bless them already!” In other words, “Shut up!” Balak preferred silence to the words of blessing. But Balaam, once again, reminded the king, “Didn’t I warn you that I must do everything ADONAI says?” Balak was now growing weary of hearing this (22:38, 23:3 and 12). I am sure it reverberated through his heart and mind, but he would hear it again after the third oracle (24:13).⁵²⁰

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your promise to bless those who love You. Your promises are as a solid rock that can always be counted on. You allow trials into my life, but they are allowed for the purpose of blessing me by giving me an opportunity to be shaped by Your loving hand and result in praise and glory. These trials are so that the true metal of your faith (far more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire) may come to light in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Messiah Yeshua (First Peter 1:7).

It is always wise to trust Your hand of love and mercy, even when the skies look dark, for You are Almighty and the God of compassion. For ADONAI Elohim is a sun and a shield. Adonai gives grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. ADONAI-Tzva’ot, blessed is the one who trusts in You (Psalms 84:11-12). There is evil in this world, but You can turn what someone means for evil – into good! Yes, you yourselves planned evil against me. But God planned it for good (Genesis 50:20a). Praise and thank You for Your great and merciful love for me. For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5c). You never sleep, never yawn (Psalms 121:4); but are always watching over me with a father’s tender heart of compassion, seeking to guide and bless me as I obey Your Word. What a comfort it is to trust in Your almighty power and tender love at all times! In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Balaam’s First Oracle
22:41 to 23:12

Balaam’s first oracle DIG: In this first oracle, what is Balak’s desire? Balaam’s desire? God’s desire? How would each see the function of the seven altars and seven sacrifices? Why can’t Balaam bring himself to curse Isra’el? What secures Isra’el’s blessing forever? What truths about the people of Isra’el did God’s message through Balaam reveal to Balak? In what ways are God’s people separate from the world?

REFLECT: When you want to know God’s will for your life, what do you do? When are your desires most likely to conflict with God’s desires? Have you ever tried to convince God that your way is better? What was the result? What can you do to ensure that, unlike Balaam, you mold your desires to fit God’s desires? How are you like the world? How are you separate from the world (First John 2:15-16)?

The first intervention on God’s part corresponds to the first time the donkey turned aside;
for just as God forced the donkey off the road, He forces Balaam to turn aside from cursing Isra’el (22:23).

The high places of Ba’al (22:41 to 23:6): The next morning after their meeting (to see link click Dr – Balaam and the Donkey: Preparation for the first oracle), Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Ba‘al (22:41). The high places, very simply, were places of worship on elevated pieces of ground. High places were originally dedicated to idol worship (Numbers 33:52; Leviticus 26:30), especially among the Moabites (Isaiah 16:12). These shrines often included an altar and a sacred object such as a stone pillar or wooden pole in various shapes identified with the object of worship (animals, constellations, goddesses, and fertility deities). It seems that, at times, high places were set up in a spot that had been artificially elevated, like the tower of Babel (see the commentary on Genesis Dl – The Tower of Babel).

The Israelites, forever turning away from God, practiced Molech worship and built high places for Ba’al (Jeremiah 32:35). Although Solomon built the Temple of God in Jerusalem, he later established idolatrous high places for his foreign wives outside of Jerusalem and worshiped with them, causing him the loss of the Kingdom (First Kings 11:11). The people were still sacrificing at the pagan high places before the Temple was built, and Solomon joined them. After God appeared to him in a dream at Gibeon, the king returned to Jerusalem and sacrificed offerings; however, he continued to waver between the two places of worship.⁴⁹⁰

In Chapter 25, we will see the Midianites and Moabites worshiping Ba’al (see Ea – Taking a Stand for God), a local deity, perhaps associated with the Canaanite Ba’al cult which will plague Isra’el in later years. From there, the sorcerer could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp (see Am – The Camp of the Twelve Tribes of Isra’el). But after his encounter with ADONAI on the road the previous day, Balaam understood the situation better than Balak. Chemosh, Ba’al and the Ba’al of Peor would be of no assistance.

Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams here.” Balak did as Balaam said, then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Through the means of the sacrifices, Balaam hoped to appease the angry Deity that had nearly decapitated him the day before. The sorcerer reasoned that seven sacrifices might change God’s mind about the whole cursing thing. Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering while I go off. Perhaps ADONAI will come and meet me; and whatever He reveals to me I will tell you” (23:3). Then he went off to a bare hill. God met with him, and Balaam said to God, “I prepared the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. But all of these were of pagan origin and were hardly impressive to YHVH. So the bribe failed. Then ADONAI put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said: Go on back to Balak, and speak as I tell you. So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite rulers.⁴⁹¹ The scene is dramatic as Balaam returned to those who had sent for him. They were all standing by the seven altars and hoping for a word from heaven that would destroy their presumed foe. They received a word from heaven all right; but that word was far from what they expected.⁴⁹²

The first oracle (23:7-10): Hebrew poetry is not based on the concept of Western meter. The poetry of Isra’el was infused with rhythm, and the accentuation (with basically one “beat” per word) most likely signifies that pattern. The predominant feature of Hebrew poetic structure is the repetition of meaning in parallel expressions . . . or poetic parallelism. The biblical verse of poetry normally has two or more of these parallel units. The first line makes a statement, followed by the second line which elaborates on it in some manner. The words are not meant to rhyme, but are parallel in thought. Thus, Balaam’s first oracle is written in seven tightly parallel couplets. From atop the high places of Ba’al, Balaam looked out over a portion of the camp of Isra’el and spoke his oracle (Hebrew: mashal, usually translated as a proverb). At the beginning of the oracle, the speaker shifts from third to first person, with Balaam now speaking in his role as the oracle speaker.

(A) Balak brought me from Aram,
(A) the king of Mo’ab from the eastern mountains (23:7a). In the first couplet, Balak summons Balaam from his homeland, the country of Aram, which is northeast of Isra’el in northeast Syria and northwest Mesopotamia. This area is in agreement with the location of Pethor (22:5). Thus, the eastern mountains are the mountains that run through the eastern Syrian-Arabian desert up toward Pethor.

(B) Come, put a curse on Jacob for me;
(B) come and denounce Isra’el (23:7b). The second couplet gives the reason for which Balaam brought Balaam to Mo’ab: to curse and to denounce. The first of these verbs (Hebrew: ‘arar) commonly means to utter a curse and in the present context probably means something like to put under an evil spell. The second of these verbs (Hebrew: za’am) means to threaten or injure. When taken together the two words indicate that Balaam’s job was to put Isr’ael under an evil spell that would threaten or injure her.⁴⁹³ These verbs work together to give the sense of anger and indignation. Jacob and Isra’el are regularly occurring pairs, and, of course, they are interchangeable words marking out the people of God’s covenant. In these words there is a call, deliberate or not, for YHVH to break His promise to the patriarchs.⁴⁹⁴

(C) How am I to curse those whom God has not cursed?
(C) How am I to curse those whom ADONAI has not denounced (23:8)? In the third couplet, we discover that Balaam couldn’t do what he’d been hired to do. The blessing of Isra’el was sacred and holy and Balaam had no power to attack their blessing. God forbade him to speak in a curse on his people, who were unlike the nations of the world.⁴⁹⁵ Balaam stayed true to his promise to speak only what God allowed him to say.

(D) From the top of the rocks I see them,
(D) from the hills I behold them (23:9a). In the fourth couplet, we are brought alongside Balaam, and with him look down at the camp of Isra’el. Along with him we affirm that these people are not like any other; they live apart to this very day, not a part of the families of the nations. Their distinction was in their relationship with their God. As He is holy, so they are holy.⁴⁹⁶ Ha’Shem has judged every ruler or nation that has caused His people to suffer, including Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and, of course, Nazi Germany.

(E) I see a people who live apart,
(E) and do not consider themselves one of the nations (23:9b). In the fifth couplet, we are reminded that Isra’el is a separate people. This was true even when Isra’el dwelt among other nations and is a characteristic which defines them even to this day. They are fundamentally different. There should be no difficulty in distinguishing them from the other Gentile nations. The significance of this observation may refer back to the story of Abraham and Lot. When Abraham and Lot separated, the Torah tells us that Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against ADONAI (Genesis 13:12-13). Lot failed to live apart from the wicked culture around him. Unlike Abraham and his descendants, Lot found himself numbered among the Gentile nations.⁴⁹⁷

Isra’el’s great temptation was wanting to be like the other nations, and this is what led to their downfall and captivity. Instead of rejoicing in their uniqueness as the people of the true and living God, they imitated their neighbors in their worship and conduct, and Ha’Shem had to discipline them. Instead of letting God rule as their King, they asked for a king like all the other nations (see the commentary on the Life of King Sha’ul Br – Give us a King), and this brought the nation nothing but trouble and heartache.

Unfortunately, many people in the Church today have the mistaken belief that being like the world is the way to reach the world. They forget that the Church is the people of God, a very special people, saved by His grace. Instead of maintaining separation (see the commentary on Second Corinthians Bi – Do Not be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers), they promote imitation (First John 2:15-16; Romans 12:2), so that it’s becoming more and more difficult to distinguish the people of God from the people of the world. And yet, as Campbell Morgan famously reminded us, “The Church did the most for the world when the Church was the least like the world.”⁴⁹⁸

(F) Who can count the dust of Jacob,
(F) or numbered even a fourth part of Isra’el (23:10a)? The sixth couplet describes the outward sign of Isra’el’s election and blessing of God. The numerical strength of Isra’el (see Ep – The Numbering of the Eleven Tribes) was, of course, the reason why the Moabites were fearful and decided to call Balaam in the first place (22:3-6). They seemed as numerous as the dust on the ground. Here, Balaam sees that their strength was no mere accident, but was the sign of Isra’el’s separate status and the blessing of YHVH. The Israelites were divided into four great camps, north, south, east, and west (Numbers 2). It seems that Balaam could only see one of those campsites, or a fourth part of Isra’el, as it were, from the high places of Ba‘al (22:41).⁴⁹⁹

(G) May I die as the righteous die!
(G) May my end be like theirs (23:10b)! After describing his target, Balaam was expected to deliver a devastating curse upon them. It should have spelled out some nasty, horrid death for the Israelites. Something like a plague, starvation, or military defeat. Instead, the seventh couplet closes the oracle with a personal reflection by Balaam. Here, Balaam’s wistful desire was to share in Isra’el’s blessing! He who had come to curse the people of God wished himself to be blessed along with them (Genesis 12:3).⁵⁰⁰ The irony was so thick he could eat it with a spoon! You don’t die the death of the righteous unless you live the life of the righteous, and that was something Balaam wasn’t prepared to do. His love of money so controlled his life that he would do anything to obtain great wealth. Balaam died with the wicked when Isra’el defeated the Midianites (see Fq – Report of the Battle), and he joined Hitler and many others in eternal judgment.⁵⁰¹

Balak’s response to Balaam (23:11-12): Balak’s furious response came as expected, since, as the king of Mo’ab, he had spent so much time and money personally working toward the desired end of condemning Isra’el to destruction. Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me?! I brought you to put a curse on my enemies; but, here, you have done nothing but bless them!” He took Balaam’s actions and words as a personal and professional affront, yet his words expressed the reality of the situation. God would curse any who would try to destroy His people. Then Balaam reminded Balak of what he had been communicating from the beginning. Must I not take care to say just what ADONAI puts in my mouth?⁵⁰²

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that what You say, You will always do. Thank You for adopting those who love and trust You to be Your children. But whoever did receive Him, those trusting in His name, to these He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12 and Ephesians 1:5). Your Word is totally reliable (Second Corinthians 1:20). You are always everything that I could possibly need. You are my shield when I am in a battle. ADONAI is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him, and I was helped. Therefore my heart leaps for joy, and I will praise Him with my song (Psalms 28:7). You are my rock when I need a safe place to run to for protection. There is none holy as ADONAI, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God (First Samuel 2:2). You are my wisdom when I don’t understand or know what to do. I can trust in Your Word.

Praise You for Your everlasting love! “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. (Jer 31:3b). I know I can trust You with complete confidence! Thank You for Your promise that You will take me to Your wonderful eternal heavenly home of peace and joy, to live with You eternally. Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.  In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be (John 14:1-3). You are so wonderful! In Messiah holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Balaam’s Seven Oracles
22:41 to 24:24

What are the oracles of God? There are several places in the Bible that mention the oracles of God, which refer to the words of God. These verses form a close unit based on the oracles of Balaam. Characteristically of the elegant Semitic style, these oracles come in a set of seven. The first four oracles are lengthier, and the last three brief; nonetheless, each oracle has its own independent nature within the overall body and is introduced in the same manner (23:7a, 23:18a, 24:3a, 24:15a, 24:20b, 24:21b, 24:23a). Considering the role that the number seven plays in the narrative of this section (see the sevens in 23:1, 14 and 29), and in the Bible in General (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ag – The Importance of the Number Seven in the book of Revelation), this feature can hardly be accidental. The oracles show a sense of progression and development. The structure shows a repetitive nature, but the repetition is not static, as the text displays a development, a growing intensity – indeed, a crescendo.⁴⁸⁹

1. Balaam’s First Oracle – 22:41 to 23:12 (Dt)
2. Balaam’s Second Oracle – 23:13-26 (Du)
3. Balaam’s Third Oracle – 23:27 to 24:14 (Dv)
4. Balaam’s Fourth Oracle – 24:15-19 (Dw)
5. Balaam’s Fifth Oracle – 24:20 (Dx)
6. Balaam’s Sixth Oracle – 24:21-22 (Dy)
7. Balaam’s Seventh Oracle – 24:23-25 (Dz)

Balaam and the Donkey
22: 21-40

Balaam and the donkey DIG: Since Ha’Shem had given his permission for Balaam to go with the rulers, why was He so angry with Balaam for going? What impresses you about the donkey? Why wasn’t Balaam shocked when this donkey spoke to him? Judging from your prayer life, are you doing God’s bidding? Or is He doing yours? What does that say about your relationship? What was the biggest lesson Balaam had to learn? Do you identify with Balaam at all? How so? Why not?

REFLECT: Why didn’t Balaam’s words, “I have sinned” (22:34) count as true repentance? How is this relevant today? How aware are you of the realm of the supernatural? Have you ever ignored what the Spirit wanted you to do? How so? How did that turn out? Do you think it is possible to always know God’s will every step of the way? Why or why not? Judging from your prayer life, are you doing God’s bidding? Ask the Lord to help you open your eyes to any blind spots you may have.

The donkey had more spiritual insight, and a better vision of God than Balaam did.

In the days of the apostles, Simon Peter compared Balaam to those who loved the wages of unrighteousness (Second Peter 2:15). To the apostolic community, Balaam was the example of a man who exploits religious authority for his own profit. Regarding such a person, Jude, the brother of the Master, says: for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam (see Jude, to see link click Aq – They Have Taken the Way of Cain, Rushed into Balaam’s Error). The error of Balaam was that he obeyed his greed rather than the LORD. Though God strictly warned Balaam to speak only when he was told (22:12 and 22:20), the sorcerer intended to curse Isra’el and earn that house full of gold and silver which Balak had offered him (22:16).

The Master railed against those who exploited the sacred as a means of dishonest gain. We remember well His anger toward the money-changers in the Temple (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bs – Jesus’ First Cleansing of the Temple at the Passover). He overturned their tables and drove them out of the courtyard. Interestingly, the Midrash Rabbah refers to Balaam as a money changer because the kings of the nations rushed to him for counsel in the same way that people rush to a money-changer to change their money (Numbers Rabbah 20:7).⁴⁷⁹

Up to this point, Balaam, the internationally known sorcerer, had been portrayed as a man of great spiritual stature, who could meet with God when he wanted and whose words had tremendous effects on the fate of nations. Here, however, his spiritual blindness and weakness are exposed. He was so spiritually dead that he could not see the Angel of ADONAI standing in his path, though his donkey could. Furthermore, he saw no significance in her behavior, though strange actions by animals were often regarded as omens in Mesopotamia. As a specialist in black magic, he should have realized the Deity had a message for him. Instead, he beat his donkey three times, an ungodly act in itself (Proverbs 12:10).⁴⁸⁰

The error of Balaam (22:21-22): During the previous night, God came to Balaam and said to him, “Since the rulers of Mo’ab have come to summon you, get up and go with them; but do only what I tell you (22:20).” So, the next morning, Balaam didn’t wait for them to come to him; he got up, saddled his donkey and along with his two servants, and went to the place where the delegation was camped. But God was very angry because he went. Angry! Why was He angry? Didn’t God already give Balaam permission to go? Why, then, would He be angry? It was because YHVH knew Balaam’s heart. The LORD knew full well that despite all his superficial piety, Balaam fully intended to curse Isra’el and get his reward from Balak. God was angry at Balaam for defying His will and allowing the love of money to control him.⁴⁸¹

But the Angel of ADONAI stationed Himself on the path to block his way (22:21 and 22:22b). This is a unique Person. He is called the Angel of the ADONAI 58 times and He is called the Angel of God 11 times in the Bible. This is never a common angel, but the second Person of the Trinity, Yeshua. This is always a reference to the pre-incarnate Messiah. Significantly, the rabbis teach that the phrase the Angel of the ADONAI is sometimes used to refer to God Himself. The Angel of ADONAI blocked Balaam’s path three times. Each time, Balaam did not see the Angel, but the donkey did. This is more than just good story telling. The three interventions are meant to correspond to Balaam’s three attempts to curse Isra’el in Chapters 23 and 24. Three times Balaam will attempt to utter a curse against the people of Isra’el, but each time God will stand in his way, so to speak, and change Balaam’s curse into a blessing.

There is a considerable amount of irony in the story of Balaam and his donkey. For example, Balaam referred to himself as a man with his eyes wide open (24:4), as the man who hears the words of God, who knows what ‘Elyon knows, and who sees what Shaddai sees (24:16). Basically, he was full of himself! He is the model of spiritual pride. He sees himself as the man who sees with his eyes wide open, but his donkey disagreed with that self-assessment. Balaam, the man who knows what ‘Elyon knows, and who sees what Shaddai sees, did not see as clearly as his donkey. The donkey had a better vision of God than Balaam did and had more spiritual insight than Balaam did.⁴⁸²

The first intervention (22:23): When the donkey saw the Angel of ADONAI standing on the road with a drawn sword in hand, a position of judgment; this terrified the donkey and she was forced to turn off the road into an open field. Balaam, not knowing the problem, had to beat the donkey to get her back on the road (22:23).

The second intervention (22:24-25): Then, again, the Angel of ADONAI stood on the road where it became narrow as it passed among the vineyards and had stone walls on both sides. The donkey saw the Angel of ADONAI, and trying to get around Him, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot. So he beat the donkey again (22:24-25).

The third intervention (22:26-30): Simon Peter tells us that Balaam received a rebuke for his own lawlessness, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the “prophet” (2 Peter 2:16). Balaam’s madness was his greed for reward. Though he had been sternly warned, he was determined in his heart to curse Isra’el. In the climactic scene, the Angel of ADONAI moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where it was impossible to turn, either right or left. Again, when the donkey saw the Angel of ADONAI, it lay down under Balaam, which made him so angry that he beat the donkey with his stick again. But ADONAI enabled the donkey to speak, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times.” Balaam answered the donkey, saying: It’s because you’ve been making a fool of me! I wish I had a sword in my hand; I would kill you on the spot! The donkey said to Balaam, “I’m your donkey, right? You’ve ridden me all your life, right? Have I ever treated you like this before?” “No,” he admitted. Why wasn’t Balaam shocked when his donkey spoke to him? It certainly wasn’t an everyday occurrence, even for a professional sorcerer. Satan spoke through a snake when he deceived Eve (Gen 3:1-6; 2 Cor 11:3), and it’s possible that in the past, Satan’s demons had spoken to Balaam through animals.⁴⁸³

The rebuke (22:31-35): Then ADONAI opened Balaam’s eyes, so that he could see the Angel of ADONAI standing in the way, only a few paces ahead of him, with His drawn sword in his hand. Then Balaam bowed his head and fell on his face (22:31). The sages of the midrash noticed the absolute irony of such a statement from a man who allegedly could defeat an entire nation simply by the power of his words, but he needed to beat his donkey with a stick and wished for a sword to kill her. “This villain was going to curse an entire nation which had not sinned against him [by the power of his words], yet he had to beat his donkey [by the power of his hand] to prevent her from going into a field! The donkey spoke to Balaam saying, ‘You need a sword in your hand to kill me? How then do you intend to uproot an entire nation with only your words?’ Balaam could not think of an answer, so he kept silent” (Numbers Rabbah 20:14).⁴⁸⁴

The Angel of ADONAI said to him, “Why did you hit your donkey three times like that? I have come out as an adversary (Hebrew: satan, used here as an adjective) to bar your way, because you are rushing to oppose me. Balaam had hoped to employ the power of the Adversary (Hebrew: satan), in other words sorcery, against Isra’el. Now Ha’Shem opposes him as an adversary, turning the tables completely. If not for the quick thinking of Balaam’s donkey, he would have died on the spot. The donkey saw me and turned aside these three times; and indeed, if she hadn’t turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and saved your donkey” (22:32-33). Then, Balaam had a temporary moment of regret and confessed to the Angel of ADONAI, “I have sinned.” These words might lead us to think that he was truly repentant. Only later in the story do we find out that this confession was false (see Ea – Taking a Stand for God). While it appeared to be a confession of sorts, it was a confession that fell short of the repentance of saving faith. Doubtless, Balaam confessed with one eye on the Angel’s sword held menacingly above his head.⁴⁸⁵

Balaam declared: I didn’t know that You were standing on the road to block me. Now, therefore, if what I am doing displeases You, I will go back home.” He mistakenly assumed that the reason the Angel of ADONAI was blocking his path was to prevent him from going to Balak. But the Angel of ADONAI said to him, “No, go on with the men. However, ADONAI reminded him of the original terms, saying: “You are to say only what I tell you to say.”⁴⁸⁶ So, Balaam went along with the rulers of Mo’ab (22:34-35).

The lesson here is profound. Here was a man bent on doing evil. He came into direct contact with the realm of the supernatural – and did not even notice it. Instead, his own donkey did! In like manner, how many of us do not see what God is doing or hear what He is saying because we are set on acting according to our flesh, ignoring what the Spirit wants to do?⁴⁸⁷

Balaam meets with Balak (22:36-38): When King Balak heard that Balaam had come, he was so anxious to have him start his work of cursing Isra’el that he traveled some distance to meet him in the Moabite town of Ar on the northern border between Mo’ab and Ammon, in the farthest reaches of the territory. The fact that the king went out to meet Balaam, showed his high regard he had for the sorcerer. Nevertheless, the king berated Balaam for his delay, saying: I sent more than once to summon you! Why didn’t you come to me? Did you think I couldn’t pay you enough.” He mistakenly believed that money was at the heart of the issue, but in fact Balaam’s real concern was that he would only be able to say what had been revealed to him by YHVH. Balaam repeated what he had surely learned even more emphatically along his journey. Then he confessed: I have no power of my own to say anything. I must speak only what God puts in my mouth (22:38). Apparently, the sorcerer had come to the full realization that he would simply be God’s mouthpiece of revelation. He did not, however, inform Balak of his earlier revelation, that God had said he could not curse Isra’el because she was to be the recipient of His blessing.

Preparation for the first oracle (22:39-40): Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath-Huzoth, where they prepared for the next divine encounter by which the Moabite king still expected the sorcerer to fulfill his commissioned duty of cursing Isra’el. When they arrived, Balak had cattle and sheep sacrificed to Chemosh (21:29), which would have been the normal hospitable practice for visiting dignitaries. Then Balak sent some of the sacrifices to Balaam and the rulers who were with him (see Dq – Balaam’s Second Encounter with God). All this was in preparation for the black magic that was supposed to take place the next morning.⁴⁸⁸

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that though Satan does have some power, His power is limited by You and is nothing compared to Your awesome Almighty power. For nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1:37). I can always rest in the comfort of knowing that Your power is so much greater than any evil power. Even when all the armies of the world come against you, you only need to speak and the enemy is completely defeated. From His mouth comes a sharp sword – so that with it He may strike down the nations – and He shall rule them with an iron rod, and He treads the winepress of the furious wrath of Elohei-Tzva’ot. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “King of kings, and Lord of lords.” . . .  Then the beast was captured, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs before him by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast, as well as those who had worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the One riding on the horse (Revelation 19:15-16, 20-21b). In Messiah Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen