He was a leader over the people of a clan of Midian. Today, God has ordained human government as the means by which justice is meted out (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-15). The nation had been seduced and had fallen into spiritual harlotry. But before we press on to consider these verses, let us pause momentarily to consider why Moses appears to have called for action that was less severe than what God commanded. The Israelites were more vulnerable to the dinner parties of the Moabites and Midianites than to the war parties of their enemies. Prof. 6 Your boasting is not good. For some time the plague had been taking its toll among the Israelites; thousands were dying. In his excellent commentary on the Book of Numbers, Gordon J. Wenham points out the parallels between the experiences of the first generation of Israelites to leave Egypt and the second generation, which will enter the land of Canaan.39 The sin of the second generation of Israelites in Numbers 25 is remarkably similar to the sin of the first generation Israelites at Sinai, when Moses had gone up the mountain to receive the law from God: 1 When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered together around Aaron, and they said to him, Get up, make us gods that will go before us. This text does not justify violence in seeking justice in the name of God. 14 For he is our peace, the one who turned both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, in his flesh, 15 when he nullified the law of commandments in decrees. Who came to stop Balaam? 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 so that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:11-18, emphasis mine). Yet you continue to cling to my name and you have not denied your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed in your city where Satan dwells. These weeping Israelites seem to have been godly Jews who were mourning there on account of this sin, and the outburst of divine displeasure that it had produced. Later on, this expression, covenant of peace seems to refer to the salvation which will be accomplished through the coming of Messiah. Why didnt I think of it before? Balaam had been using the wrong approach. The altars were either, 1. They were waiting for the time when God would lead them into the promised land. Why would God require such severe action? This is true enough, since he has agreed to say what God commands . They are wrong: 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days 17 that are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ. 3 The Moabites were very afraid because there were so many Israelites. Milchan, Sara Netanyahu embrace, despite ban on contact ahead of 4th Now, on the other hand, we read that an Israelite deliberately carries out his sin in view of all, and once again no one does anything about it. Leviticus 18:6-23 then specifies what the practices are which God has forbidden, and they are virtually all related to sexual purity. I said, 13Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord. I told you that I could say only what the Lord says! Balaam and Balak: The Full Story - Judaism, Torah and Jewish Info 18 But all the young women who have not had intercourse with a man will be yours (Numbers 31:8-18, emphasis mine). 43 It is obvious from this that just as both the Moabites and Midianites worked together to hire Balaam, so the two peoples are working together to seduce the Israelites, and to lead them to commit immorality and to engage in idol worship. He knew (as all Israel should have known) that God had forbidden such immorality and idolatry. Verse 6 informs us that the whole community of the Israelites were assembled near the entrance to the tent of meeting (verse 6). 4 He must manage his own household well and keep his children in control without losing his dignity. 21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 40 The translators note in the NET Bible reads, This means in broad daylight.. Go back home! The parents of this young man and young woman were both leaders. 12 Be careful that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, where you are going, lest it should become a snare in your midst. It is evident, from Nu 23:4 that they were prepared for the worship of the true God; although in choosing the high places of Baal as their site and rearing a number of altars (2Ki 18:22; Isa 17:8; Jer 11:13; Ho 8:11; 10:1), instead of one only, as God had appointed, Balaam blended his own superstitions with the divine worship. . All rights reserved. It would appear that the leaders did little or nothing to deal with the idolatry and immorality of the people. His hope is to weaken the nation Israel militarily, so that the Moabites and Midianites might defeat them in battle and drive them out of the land. When Moses sent the Israelites to war against the Midianites, he sent Phinehas with them, along with the holy instruments and signal trumpets. Parashat Balak presents an intricate and carefully crafted story about Balak, the king of Moab, who seeks out the services of a well-known soothsayer, Balaam, to curse the Israelites. God Himself will speak the word from heaven. Seldom are we as prompt to deal with sin. Now the Bible has a great deal to say about our responsibility toward those who are being persecuted for their faith (Hebrews 10:32-35; 13:1-3), and I do not wish to minimize our obligations here. He took a spear 8and rushed after the man into his tent. Dont you know that a little yeast affects the whole batch of dough? Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altarsBalak, being a heathen, would naturally suppose these altars were erected in honor of Baal, the patron deity of his country. 2 And you are proud! But I have a few things against you: You have among you those who follow what Balaam taught Balak. It is often after one has taken his stand in this manner that others follow. 6 Just then one of the Israelites came and brought to his brethren a Midianite woman, before the eyes of Moses, and in the plain view of all the whole community of the Israelites, while they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. saying, "Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. Rabbi David Frankel is Associate Professor of Bible at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, where he teaches M.A. 36 . 20 If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, why as though you lived in the world do you submit to them? 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 7 If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; 8 if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness (Romans 12:6-8, emphasis mine). 14 Now the name of the Israelite who was stabbed, the one who was stabbed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a leader of a clan of the Simeonites. Follow asked Mar 7, 2021 at 14:45. community wiki . He and Barnabas have the right to marry, and to take a wife along as they minister. Gods wrath had been provoked, and thus He had sent a plague upon Israel. And so when we come to Numbers 25, we do not expect to hear any more about Balaam. It is sad to say that in the church today, there are parents who choose to cling to their children rather than to rebuke and discipline them, because their commitment to their children is greater than their commitment to their God and to His Word. Ive got it, he cries out. Balaam had not succeeded in turning Gods blessing to a curse. As it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. 8 And let us not be immoral, as some of them were, and twenty-three thousand died in a single day. Our text and the story of Balaam remind me of several other Scriptures: The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot (Proverbs 10:7, NKJ). One cannot avoid considering the possibility that Phinehas was, in one sense, foreshadowing the coming of our Lord and His atoning work at Calvary. A wise king separates out the wicked; he turns the threshing wheel over them (Proverbs 20:26). Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel. Balaam, a sorcerer, was summoned by King Balak of the Moabites to curse the Israelites as Moses was leading them toward Canaan. Thanks to the zealous action of one manPhinehasthe nation was spared. He rewarded Phinehas for his faithfulness. "He whom you bless is blessed indeed, and he whom you curse is cursed," Balak tells him in Numbers 22:6. 14The Israelite man killed with the Midianite woman was named Zimri son of Salu, the leader of a family from the tribe of Simeon. 13Then King Balak told him, Come with me to another place. 19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! How does Joshua 24:9 say Balak fought Israel? As Phinehas acted in his zeal for the Lord by putting this couple to death, our Lord revealed His zeal by cleansing the temple (John 2:17). If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. The purpose of this was to create in himself the two into one new man, thus making peace, 16 and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed. Balak (parashah) - Wikipedia Then Balaam goes to speak with God. "Balaam 'loved the wages of . 18 Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels pass judgment on you. But I do wish to point out that we are often most vulnerable at those times when we are not under direct attack. 27 Now you are Christs body, and each of you is a member of it. They are gods whose minds can be changed, whose wills can be influenced, even manipulated. It is at 1 Corinthians 9:24ff. Balaam now seems to realize that he has been foolishly seeking to change God, which cannot be done. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. I believe an important principle is evident here: the sins which leaders knowingly choose to condone or to tolerate become sins for which the leaders are also responsible. Without a doubt, Balaam is the hero of the Parshah, all of which revolves around his personality and actions. He did his Ph.D. at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem under the direction of Prof. Moshe Weinfeld, and is the author or The Murmuring Stories of the Priestly School (VTSupp 89) and The Land of Canaan and the Destiny of Israel (Eisenbrauns). that Paul gets to the heart of the matter at handself discipline vs. self-indulgence. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5, NIV). Balaam returned and told Balak: "My message was to bless: When He blesses, I cannot reverse it. 23Then Balaam said to King Balak, Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice. 2Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar. 18 Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. In my opinion, anyone reading these words in the original text would not have any difficulty understanding exactly what God meant.41 The problem is not that Gods words are unclear, but rather that they are difficult to accept. As for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. 2 So Aaron said to them, Break off the golden earrings which are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me. 3 And all the people broke off the golden earrings that were on their ears, and they brought them to Aaron. Launched Shavuot 5773 / 2013 | Copyright Project TABS, All Rights Reserved, script type="text/javascript"> He opens his mouth to curse, but instead, blessings upon the Israelites come out of his mouth. In Numbers 22:3 we learn that Israel had become numerous, which made the Midianites and Moabites nervous. The spices of Egypt were no more. Then the Spirit of God came upon him, 3and this is the message he delivered: This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,4the message of one who hears the words of God,who sees a vision from the Almighty,who bows down with eyes wide open:5How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob;how lovely are your homes, O Israel!6They spread before me like palm groves,[b]like gardens by the riverside.They are like tall trees planted by the Lord,like cedars beside the waters.7Water will flow from their buckets;their offspring have all they need.Their king will be greater than Agag;their kingdom will be exalted.8God brought them out of Egypt;for them he is as strong as a wild ox.He devours all the nations that oppose him,breaking their bones in pieces,shooting them with arrows.9Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down;like a lioness, who dares to arouse her?Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel,and cursed is everyone who curses you., 10King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. Did Balaam suppose that because God appeared to change His mind by allowing him to go to Balak that He would also change His mind about cursing Israel? It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell (Matthew 18:6-9). 18This was the message Balaam delivered: Rise up, Balak, and listen! There was also a human response. In the end, Balak dismisses Balaam, sending him home without pay. Often they seek to sanctify their action by calling it unconditional acceptance. Why do we think that the New Testament texts which call for church discipline (e.g., Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; Galatians 6:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; 1 Timothy 5:19-20; Titus 3:9-11) exclude the members of our family? The whole plane spontaneously erupted with cheers and shouts of joyfor a McDonalds! . If Balaam learned anything at all, it was that when he spoke for God, he must not say anything but that which God revealed to him. Balaam, son of Beor, was a prophet from Penthor, on the Euphrates River, and Balak, son of Zippor, was a king of Moab. Israel would be blessed as they obeyed Gods commandments. Numbers 22 NIV - Balak Summons Balaam - Then the - Bible Gateway They cover the face of the earth, and they are settling next to me.6 So now, please come and curse this nation for me, for they are too powerful for me.Perhaps I will prevail so that we may conquer them, and drive them out of the land. In 1 Corinthians 10:8, we are told how many died in one day. God therefore commanded Moses to see to it that the Midianites were destroyed for their treachery. Balak, Numbers 22:225:9 D'Var Torah By: Kristine Garroway, Ph.D This week's Torah portion centers on the story of Balak, King of Moab and Balaam, a foreign prophet. There, at the tent of meeting, stood virtually all of Israels leaders; yet when they saw what was happening, they did nothing either. (1 Timothy 3:2-5, emphasis mine). Initially, the man acknowledges his sin and guilt, and agrees that he must cease from his sinful behavior. 2 Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. The Corinthians have gotten soft, and they are living indulgent lives, rather than the disciplined lives of an athlete, or a disciple. 4 When you gather together in the name of our Lord Jesus, and I am with you in spirit, along with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 turn this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. If this is true, then there can be nothing wrong with eating meats offered to idols (see 1 Corinthians 8:4-6). For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. It will crush the heads of Moabs people. 10 And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. The NKJV is not a translation at this point, but an interpretation, and I fear that it is not a good one. Let us learn what God has to teach us from the lives of these two men, and from the nation Israel in this dark chapter in Israels history. Balak was a king of Moab who appears in the Old Testament in Numbers 2224. they will oppress Assyria and afflict Eber, but they, too, will be utterly destroyed.. 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it from you. Balaam and Balak - My Jewish Learning - Judaism & Jewish Life It is not our faithfulness to Him which assures us of His promises, but His faithfulness to us. 28 And God has placed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, gifts of healing, helps, managements, different kinds of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:27-28, emphasis mine). The sin of this young Israelite was deliberate; he took the initiative to act as he did. The only person who is said to have acted in response to Israels great sin was Phinehas. I am about to do something in Israel such that when anyone hears about it, both of his ears will tingle. 1 When Israel dwelt in Shittim,34 the people35 began to commit fornication with the daughters of Moab. 7 When Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he got up from the midst of the assembly, took a javelin in his hand, 8 and went after the Israelite man into the tent and thrust both the Israelite man and the woman through to her belly. Balaam and Balak. Israel fell into sin, and God called for the death of all of its leaders. Balak offered Balaam a lucrative fee for his services if he could persuade God not to bless Israel, but to curse them. Who can count even a fourth of Israels people?Let me die like the righteous;let my life end like theirs., 11Then King Balak demanded of Balaam, What have you done to me? 25 Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. This was an abomination to God and would thus bring a curse upon them.
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