Burunche’s Blog

Numbers 25:The Orgy at Shittim

25:1-3 While Israel was camped at Shittim (Acacia Grove), the men began to have sex with the Moabite women. It started when the women invited the men to their sex-and-religion worship. They ate together and then worshiped their gods. Israel ended up joining in the worship of the Baal of Peor. God was furious, his anger blazing out against Israel.

4 God said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of Israel and kill them by hanging, leaving them publicly exposed in order to turn God’s anger away from Israel.”

5 Moses issued orders to the judges of Israel: “Each of you must execute the men under your jurisdiction who joined in the worship of Baal Peor.”

6-9 Just then, while everyone was weeping in penitence at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, an Israelite man, flaunting his behavior in front of Moses and the whole assembly, paraded a Midianite woman into his family tent. Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw what he was doing, grabbed his spear, and followed them into the tent. With one thrust he drove the spear through the two of them, the man of Israel and the woman, right through their midsections. That stopped the plague from continuing among the People of Israel. But 24,000 had already died.

10-13 God spoke to Moses: “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has stopped my anger against the People of Israel. Because he was as zealous for my honor as I myself am, I didn’t kill all the People of Israel in my zeal. So tell him that I am making a Covenant-of-Peace with him. He and his descendants are joined in a covenant of eternal priesthood, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the People of Israel.”

14-15 The name of the man of Israel who was killed with the Midianite woman was Zimri son of Salu, the head of the Simeonite family. And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur, a tribal chief of a Midianite family.

16-18 God spoke to Moses: “From here on make the Midianites your enemies. Fight them tooth and nail. They turned out to be your enemies when they seduced you in the business of Peor and that woman Cozbi, daughter of a Midianite leader, the woman who was killed at the time of the plague in the matter of Peor.”

It all started because gorgeous Midianite women invited handsome young Israelite men to a feast with plenty of juicy meat. Who can resist a steak? No way were these men about to seek for permission or advice as to whether or not their actions would be acceptable to God. But what these guys failed to realize was that the meat they were enjoying came from pagan sacrifices and that by eating that meat, they were entering into worshiping the demons to whom it had been sacrificed. And of course, once these foolish youths had enjoyed a delicious meal with plenty of wine, the Midianite ladies faced no problems in seducing them. These guys were pushovers!

But these fools had already brought destruction on Israel. “God was furious, his anger blazing out against Israel. 4 God said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of Israel and kill them by hanging, leaving them publicly exposed in order to turn God’s anger away from Israel.”

5 Moses issued orders to the judges of Israel: “Each of you must execute the men under your jurisdiction who joined in the worship of Baal Peor.”  A plague (perhaps cholera?) had already broken out, and 24,000 people were dying, even as these men were still having sex with the Midianite women. God ordered Moses to hang all the leaders who had been involved in the orgy. But then things became worse.

“6-9 Just then, while everyone was weeping in penitence at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, an Israelite man, flaunting his behavior in front of Moses and the whole assembly, paraded a Midianite woman into his family tent. Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw what he was doing, grabbed his spear, and followed them into the tent. With one thrust he drove the spear through the two of them, the man of Israel and the woman, right through their midsections. That stopped the plague from continuing among the People of Israel. But 24,000 had already died.”

While most of the Israelites were weeping and repenting, Zimri, the son of Salu, the head of the Simeonite family, proceeded to saunter into his family’s tent, taking Cozbi, the daughter of a Midianite leader, with him. Cozbi’s arm was around Zimri’s neck and she was virtually plastered on Zimri. Perhaps these two felt entitled, certain they wouldn’t be punished because their fathers were chiefs. Confronted with this outright act of rebellion, Phinehas, Aaaron’s grandson, grabbed a spear, rushed into the tent, and drove the spear through Zimri’s and Cozbi’s bodies as they were having sex.

What we fail to consider when we read this story is this: Phinehas might well have been friends with Zimri. After all, Zimri was from the leading family in the Tribe of Simeon, while Phinehas was Aaron’s grandson. These two men may well have grown up together, played together, hunted together, and perhaps even worshiped together. Phinehas was standing there aghast as he watched his childhood friend blatantly advertising his lust. But when the situation became desperate, Phinehas did not hesitate to kill Zimri and Cozbi. Plague of some kind had already struck the Israelite camp, and Phinehas could hear wailing and screaming from the bereaved families.

Phinehas’ actions stopped the plague; however, now there were 24,000 corpses to be handled, plus the bodies of the leaders who had been hanged at God’s command. Dazed, the rest of the Israelites could only stand in wonder. What would God do next?

God allowed Moses to include this story to demonstrate that outright sin would require stringent measures to address it. God announced, “Phinehas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has stopped my anger against the People of Israel. Because he was as zealous for my honor as I myself am, I didn’t kill all the People of Israel in my zeal. So tell him that I am making a Covenant-of-Peace with him. He and his descendants are joined in a covenant of eternal priesthood, because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for the People of Israel.”

Notice God’s assessment of the situation: Phinehas picked up that spear because he was as zealous for God’s honor as God was. Honoring God does not necessarily gain one praise. There was every possibility that the Israelites could have turned on Phinehas, branding him as a murderer. The Israelites might have rioted, slaughtering Phinehas and every member of his family. But God stepped in.

Does this story promote human sacrifice? No. God ordered the hanging of the leaders who had participated in the orgy to eliminate those who might lead others into demon worship. Zimri could have saved himself, had he repented; however, Zimri’s flagrant act of rebellion sealed his fate and that of his sex partner. These deaths were necessary punishments, not human sacrifice. What of the 24,000 people who died from the plague? Presumably, these people had been active participants in the orgy and might also have led others into demon worship had they lived.

This story is not primarily a story about blood sacrifices but rather the story of a courageous young man who was zealous for the Lord’s honor, no matter the cost. Even when Phinehas was forced to kill his childhood friend, he didn’t hesitate. Throughout history, those who have stood for righteousness have frequently suffered themselves. Even in recent times, whistle blowers have been punished, ostracized, or even murdered. But God still keeps the books. Were we able to trace Phinehas’ family to the present, we would see that God’s promises were still being fulfilled.

Consider the words of this old hymn:

1 Once to every man and nation
comes the moment to decide,
in the strife of truth with falsehood,
for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision,
off’ring each the bloom or blight,
and the choice goes by forever
‘twixt that darkness and that light.

2 Then to side with truth is noble,
when we share her wretched crust,
ere her cause bring frame and profit,
and ’tis prosp’rous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses
while the coward stands aside,
till the multitude make virtue
of the faith they had denied.

3 By the light of burning martyrs,
Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track;
toiling up new Calv’ries ever
with the cross that turns not back.
New occasions teach new duties;
ancient values test our youth.
They must upward still and onward,
who would keep abreast of truth.

4 Though the cause of evil prosper,
yet the truth alone is strong;
though her portion be the scaffold,
and upon the throne be wrong;
yet that scaffold sways the future,
and, behind the dim unknown,
standeth God within the shadow
keeping watch above His own.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to pursue righteousness, no matter the cost. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Numbers 24:1-3 By now Balaam realized that God wanted to bless Israel. So he didn’t work in any sorcery as he had done earlier. He turned and looked out over the wilderness. As Balaam looked, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe. The Spirit of God came on him, and he spoke his oracle-message:

3-9 Decree of Balaam son of Beor,
    yes, decree of a man with 20/20 vision;
Decree of a man who hears God speak,
    who sees what The Strong God shows him,
Who falls on his face in worship,
    who sees what’s really going on.

What beautiful tents, Jacob,
    oh, your homes, Israel!
Like valleys stretching out in the distance,
    like gardens planted by rivers,
Like sweet herbs planted by the gardener God,
    like red cedars by pools and springs,
Their buckets will brim with water,
    their seed will spread life everywhere.
Their king will tower over Agag and his ilk,
    their kingdom surpassingly majestic.
God brought them out of Egypt,
    rampaging like a wild ox,
Gulping enemies like morsels of meat,
    crushing their bones, snapping their arrows.
Israel crouches like a lion and naps,
    king-of-the-beasts—who dares disturb him?
Whoever blesses you is blessed,
    whoever curses you is cursed.

10-11 Balak lost his temper with Balaam. He shook his fist. He said to Balaam: “I got you in here to curse my enemies and what have you done? Blessed them! Blessed them three times! Get out of here! Go home! I told you I would pay you well, but you’re getting nothing. You can blame God.”

12-15 Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I tell you up front when you sent your emissaries, ‘Even if Balak gave me his palace stuffed with silver and gold, I couldn’t do anything on my own, whether good or bad, that went against God’s command’? I’m leaving for home and my people, but I warn you of what this people will do to your people in the days to come.” Then he spoke his oracle-message:

15-19 Decree of Balaam son of Beor,
    decree of the man with 20/20 vision,
Decree of the man who hears godly speech,
    who knows what’s going on with the High God,
Who sees what The Strong God reveals,
    who bows in worship and sees what’s real.
I see him, but not right now,
    I perceive him, but not right here;
A star rises from Jacob
    a scepter from Israel,
Crushing the heads of Moab,
    the skulls of all the noisy windbags;
I see Edom sold off at auction,
    enemy Seir marked down at the flea market,
    while Israel walks off with the trophies.
A ruler is coming from Jacob
    who’ll destroy what’s left in the city.

* * *

20 Then Balaam spotted Amalek and delivered an oracle-message. He said,

Amalek, you’re in first place among nations right now,
    but you’re going to come in last, ruined.

* * *

21-22 He saw the Kenites and delivered his oracle-message to them:

Your home is in a nice secure place,
    like a nest high on the face of a cliff.
Still, you Kenites will look stupid
    when Asshur takes you prisoner.

* * *

23-24 Balaam spoke his final oracle-message:

Doom! Who stands a chance
    when God starts in?
Sea-Peoples, raiders from across the sea,
    will harass Asshur and Eber,
But they’ll also come to nothing,
    just like all the rest.

25 Balaam got up and went home. Balak also went on his way.

Well! If ever a prophet has failed to earn incredible riches, Balaam is it! All King Balak of Moab wanted was for Balaam to act as a channel of curses from God upon the Israelites. But Balak has misunderstood something: true prophets can only deliver the messages God gives them. And amazingly enough, in this instance, Balaam acts as a true prophet. Notice that previously, Balaam was trying to work sorcery on God-big mistake! Sorcery might work with demons, but sorcery simply offends God.

Balak has slaughtered animals and sacrificed them in hopes of manipulating God. While God has seen the sacrifices, God also knows the evil that lurks in Balak’s heart, and He will not go against His own divine Nature. Even if Balak were to fill all the mountain tops with altars and sacrifices, those sacrifices would be worthless because God sees hearts and not simply outward practices. Blood sacrifices are only effective when one’s heart is right.

But now Balak has gotten far more than he has bargained for, because Balaam is prophesying under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and nothing can stop him. Look at Balaam’s prophecies.

First, Balaam speaks marvelous things over Israel, concluding with the phrase, “Whoever blesses you is blessed, whoever curses you is cursed.” Sorry, Balak! This is God speaking and there’s nothing anybody can do about it. Balak has an absolute fit, jumping up and down, shaking his fist at Balaam, tearing his royal robes, and ordering Balaam to go home without any reward at all. But Balaam is only getting started.

Next, Balaam begins describing the coming of an almighty ruler: “I see him, but not right now, I perceive him, but not right here; A star rises from Jacob, a scepter from Israel, crushing the heads of Moab…” Amazing! Here in the midst of a prophecy about a group of people who are yet to truly become a nation, God causes this pagan seer to foretell the coming of Jesus Christ. This is one of the earliest prophecies about Jesus in the Bible.

At the same time, Balaam is pronouncing doom over Balak’s kingdom of Moab, as well as neighboring kingdoms of Edom and Seir. Balaam goes on to prophesy over several countries, world powers in Balak’s day, foretelling doom for the Amalekites, the Kenites at Petra, Asshur and Eber. Fed up, Balak leaves, and Balaam supposedly goes on his way; however, that’s not true.

Balaam REALLY wants that reward King Balak has promised, so he tries to find a way around God’s blessings. “…later on Balaam figured out a way to get his reward from Balak. Balaam advised the Moabites on how to entice the people of Israel with prostitutes and idolatry. He could not curse Israel directly, so he came up with a plan for Israel to bring a curse upon themselves. Balak followed Balaam’s advice, and Israel fell into sin, worshiping Baal of Peor and committing fornication with Midianite women. For this God plagued them, and 24,000 men died (Numbers 25:1–9; Deuteronomy 23:3–6). https://www.gotquestions.org/Balaam-in-the-Bible.html

Not only does Balaam not go home, but he hangs around and is eventually killed in battle. Numbers 31:8 and Joshua 13:22 both verify Balaam’s death. What a tragic end for a man who has heard the Voice of God!

In the American South, there’s a saying that “Even a blind hog finds an acorn once in awhile.” Balaam is a truly tragic figure. Here is a man who hears from the One True Living God and who prophesies under that anointing. But Balaam is like a blind hog, rooting around under oak trees to see if he can find any acorns that will assist him in fulfilling King Balak’s demands. The only prophecies God allows Balaam to utter all bless Israel and foretell doom for their enemies. And though Balaam has heard from God many times, that experience has failed to change his heart or mind. Even when God is ready to strike him dead, preserving the donkey on which he’s riding, Balaam reacts in a very mealy-mouthed, hand-wringing fashion.

Balaam still fails to realize the incredible blessing that God has given him, the blessing of hearing from God. Given the fact that Balaam begins by attempting to manipulate God using sorcery, it seems that most of Balaam’s curses have involved demons. Both Balak and Balaam appear to be following a formula: build seven altars, sacrifice seven bulls, utter a few words, and presto! the desired results come forth. But God isn’t putting up with these machinations, and the demons can’t do anything because God’s Presence is evident. The demons only get to come into play once Balaam entices the Israelites to worship the Baal of Peor by engaging in fertility rites with Midianite women. (Numbers 25) (The term “Baal” is a general term meaning “Lord,” and likely indicates a territorial spirit.)

Why consider Balak, Balaam, and the blessings on the Israelites? Blood sacrifices-or sacrifices of any kind-are only effective when someone has the proper heart attitude; obviously, Balak and Balaam are sacrificing to manipulate God. Somehow, Moses gains knowledge of this story because he records it in the Torah for all generations to study. As a prophet who hears from God frequently, Moses recognizes the validity of Balaam’s prophecies but deplores his other actions. It’s even possible that Moses grieves over Balaam’s eventual demise, realizing that Balaam has chosen to follow Satan rather than the One True Living God.

As we continue through Advent, consider the marvelous prophecy about the coming of Jesus Christ: “I see him, but not right now, I perceive him, but not right here; A star rises from Jacob, a scepter from Israel…” God who is not limited by time or space has given a pagan magician a vision of His Son. And Moses, who is recording all this, must be looking at God and asking, “Lord, when will all this happen?”

The miracle for us is that God is closer to us than our own heartbeats. We don’t have to slaughter bulls or sheep or goats or birds. All we need to do is to pray.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we give You our hearts as living sacrifices to Your goodness, Your glory, and Your grace. Thank You for delivering us from our sins. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Numbers 23:1Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and then prepare seven bulls and seven rams.

2 Balak did it. Then Balaam and Balak sacrificed a bull and a ram on each of the altars.

3 Balaam instructed Balak: “Stand watch here beside your Whole-Burnt-Offering while I go off by myself. Maybe God will come and meet with me. Whatever he shows or tells me, I’ll report to you.” Then he went off by himself.

4 God did meet with Balaam. Balaam said, “I’ve set up seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”

5 Then God gave Balaam a message: “Return to Balak and give him this message.”

6-10 He went back and found him stationed beside his Whole-Burnt-Offering and with him all the nobles of Moab. Then Balaam spoke his message-oracle:

Balak led me here from Aram, the king of Moab all the way from the eastern mountains.
“Go, curse Jacob for me; go, damn Israel.”
How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I damn whom God has not damned?
From rock pinnacles I see them, from hilltops I survey them: Look! a people camping off by themselves, thinking themselves outsiders among nations.
But who could ever count the dust of Jacob or take a census of cloud-of-dust Israel?
I want to die like these right-living people! I want an end just like theirs!

11 Balak said to Balaam, “What’s this? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and all you’ve done is bless them.”

12 Balaam answered, “Don’t I have to be careful to say what God gives me to say?”

 13 Balak said to him, “Go with me to another place from which you can only see the outskirts of their camp—you won’t be able to see the whole camp. From there, curse them for my sake.”

14 So he took him to Watchmen’s Meadow at the top of Pisgah. He built seven altars there and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

15 Balaam said to Balak, “Take up your station here beside your Whole-Burnt-Offering while I meet with him over there.”

16 God met with Balaam and gave him a message. He said, “Return to Balak and give him the message.”

17-24 Balaam returned and found him stationed beside his Whole-Burnt-Offering and the nobles of Moab with him. Balak said to him, “What did God say?” Then Balaam spoke his message-oracle:

On your feet, Balak. Listen, listen carefully son of Zippor: God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind. Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise and not come through? I was brought here to bless; and now he’s blessed—how can I change that? He has no bone to pick with Jacob, he sees nothing wrong with Israel. God is with them, and they’re with him, shouting praises to their King. God brought them out of Egypt, rampaging like a wild ox. No magic spells can bind Jacob, no incantations can hold back Israel. People will look at Jacob and Israel and say, “What a great thing has God done!” Look, a people rising to its feet, stretching like a lion, a king-of-the-beasts, aroused, unsleeping, unresting, until its hunt is over and it’s eaten and drunk its fill.

25 Balak said to Balaam, “Well, if you can’t curse them, at least don’t bless them.”

26 Balaam replied to Balak, “Didn’t I tell you earlier: ‘All God speaks, and only what he speaks, I speak’?”

27-28 Balak said to Balaam, “Please, let me take you to another place; maybe we can find the right place in God’s eyes where you’ll be able to curse them for me.” So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, with a vista over the Jeshimon (Wasteland).

29 Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for sacrifice.”

30 Balak did it and presented an offering of a bull and a ram on each of the altars.

WOW! Seven altars, each with a prize bull burning on them. The smoke ascending to heaven is so thick it’s practically choking. And Balak is watching Balaam anxiously. When one is dealing with prophets and seers, one never quite knows what they will do, particularly Balaam, who has the reputation of hearing from an unknown God. And Balak is right to be nervous, for Balaam can’t say or do anything apart from whatever God demands.

Instead of cursing these people, Balaam returns, saying, “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I damn whom God has not damned?” And things get even worse, for Balaam pronounces fantastic blessings over the Israelites. And when Balak sends Balaam to two additional places, building seven altars each time and offering bulls on them, things become terrible. Rather than Balaam cursing the Israelites, he returns with a message directly from God: “On your feet, Balak. Listen, listen carefully son of Zippor: God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind. Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise and not come through? I was brought here to bless; and now he’s blessed—how can I change that?”

By now, Balak is tearing his hair and his robe! Inviting Balaam has turned out to be one of the worst ideas he’s had for a long time. 25-28 “Balak said to Balaam, “Well, if you can’t curse them, at least don’t bless them.”

Balaam replied to Balak, “Didn’t I tell you earlier: ‘All God speaks, and only what he speaks, I speak’?”

Balak said to Balaam, “Please, let me take you to another place; maybe we can find the right place in God’s eyes where you’ll be able to curse them for me.” So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, with a vista over the Jeshimon (Wasteland).

In desperation, Balak changes locations, builds seven more altars, and offers a bull on each of them. The chapter ends as Balak is waiting to hear the final edict from Balaam.

This is the first time Balak has had any dealings with the One True Living God, and now he’s sorry he ever invited Balaam. In the past when Balak was invoking demons, changing locations and offering more animals seemed to get the desired results. But this God doesn’t appear to be impressed by the quality of the sacrifices, their numbers, or the locations where the sacrifices are offered. What does it take to get this God to do what Balak wants Him to do?

Unfortunately for Balak, God has already given His answer: God has spoken and He’s not about to change His mind, period. While demons might hand out a few paltry results to encourage people to believe in them, God doesn’t play those games. Tomorrow, we hear God’s final verdict on all this, but meanwhile, look at Balaam. Balaam has already delivered God’s verdict, but Balaam is still hoping to gain a rich reward somehow. If Balaam weren’t worried about the money, he would have stopped after God’s first message. Balaam is going through the motions at this point in hopes that somehow God will say something that will pacify Balak and result in Balaam collecting wealth.

In the end, twenty-one bulls lose their lives for nothing. When one’s aim is wrong in the first place, no amount of sacrifice is going to sanitize bad motives. 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 tells us, “If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.”

Balak neither knows God nor loves Him. Balaam knows God but is hoping for a pay-off. Under such circumstances, sacrifices of any kind-blood or otherwise-are useless. Psalm 51:7 tells us, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” This Christmas, why not give God the only gift you can possibly give Him? Give God your heart and let Him change your life forever.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and nothing we can do will wipe out that sin. But You have sent Jesus as a blood sacrifice to save us from our sins. Here are our hearts. Please take them and help us follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Numbers 22:1The People of Israel marched on and camped on the Plains of Moab at Jordan-Jericho. 2-3 Balak son of Zippor learned of all that Israel had done to the Amorites. The people of Moab were in a total panic because of Israel. There were so many of them! They were terrorized.

4-5 Moab spoke to the leaders of Midian: “Look, this mob is going to clean us out—a bunch of crows picking a carcass clean.”

Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent emissaries to get Balaam son of Beor, who lived at Pethor on the banks of the Euphrates River, his homeland.

5-6 Balak’s emissaries said, “Look. A people has come up out of Egypt, and they’re all over the place! And they’re pressing hard on me. Come and curse them for me—they’re too much for me. Maybe then I can beat them; we’ll attack and drive them out of the country. You have a reputation: Those you bless stay blessed; those you curse stay cursed.”

7-8 The leaders of Moab and Midian were soon on their way, with the fee for the cursing tucked safely in their wallets. When they got to Balaam, they gave him Balak’s message.

“Stay here for the night,” Balaam said. “In the morning I’ll deliver the answer that God gives me.”

The Moabite nobles stayed with him.

9 Then God came to Balaam. He asked, “So who are these men here with you?”

10-11 Balaam answered, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent them with a message: ‘Look, the people that came up out of Egypt are all over the place! Come and curse them for me. Maybe then I’ll be able to attack and drive them out of the country.’”

12 God said to Balaam, “Don’t go with them. And don’t curse the others—they are a blessed people.”

13 The next morning Balaam got up and told Balak’s nobles, “Go back home; God refuses to give me permission to go with you.”

14 So the Moabite nobles left, came back to Balak, and said, “Balaam wouldn’t come with us.”

15-17 Balak sent another group of nobles, higher ranking and more distinguished. They came to Balaam and said, “Balak son of Zippor says, ‘Please, don’t refuse to come to me. I will honor and reward you lavishly—anything you tell me to do, I’ll do; I’ll pay anything—only come and curse this people.’”

18-19 Balaam answered Balak’s servants: “Even if Balak gave me his house stuffed with silver and gold, I wouldn’t be able to defy the orders of my God to do anything, whether big or little. But come along and stay with me tonight as the others did; I’ll see what God will say to me this time.”

20 God came to Balaam that night and said, “Since these men have come all this way to see you, go ahead and go with them. But make sure you do absolutely nothing other than what I tell you.”

21-23 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went off with the noblemen from Moab. As he was going, though, God’s anger flared. The angel of God stood in the road to block his way. Balaam was riding his donkey, accompanied by his two servants. When the donkey saw the angel blocking the road and brandishing a sword, she veered off the road into the ditch. Balaam beat the donkey and got her back on the road.

24-25 But as they were going through a vineyard, with a fence on either side, the donkey again saw God’s angel blocking the way and veered into the fence, crushing Balaam’s foot against the fence. Balaam hit her again.

26-27 God’s angel blocked the way yet again—a very narrow passage this time; there was no getting through on the right or left. Seeing the angel, Balaam’s donkey sat down under him. Balaam lost his temper; he beat the donkey with his stick.

28 Then God gave speech to the donkey. She said to Balaam: “What have I ever done to you that you have beat me these three times?”

29 Balaam said, “Because you’ve been playing games with me! If I had a sword I would have killed you by now.”

30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your trusty donkey on whom you’ve ridden for years right up until now? Have I ever done anything like this to you before? Have I?”

He said, “No.”

31 Then God helped Balaam see what was going on: He saw God’s angel blocking the way, brandishing a sword. Balaam fell to the ground, his face in the dirt.

32-33 God’s angel said to him: “Why have you beaten your poor donkey these three times? I have come here to block your way because you’re getting way ahead of yourself. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she hadn’t, I would have killed you by this time, but not the donkey. I would have let her off.”

34 Balaam said to God’s angel, “I have sinned. I had no idea you were standing in the road blocking my way. If you don’t like what I’m doing, I’ll head back.”

35 But God’s angel said to Balaam, “Go ahead and go with them. But only say what I tell you to say—absolutely no other word.”

And so Balaam continued to go with Balak’s nobles.

36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him in the Moabite town that was on the banks of the Arnon, right on the boundary of his land.

37 Balak said to Balaam, “Didn’t I send an urgent message for help? Why didn’t you come when I called? Do you think I can’t pay you enough?”

38 Balaam said to Balak, “Well, I’m here now. But I can’t tell you just anything. I can speak only words that God gives me—no others.”

39-40 Balaam then accompanied Balak to Kiriath Huzoth (Street-Town). Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep for sacrifices and presented them to Balaam and the nobles who were with him.

41 At daybreak Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal (The Heights of Baal) so that he could get a good view of some of the people.

This is a great story that gets even better in the next chapter. The Israelites have already wiped out the Amorites, and now Balak, the king of Moab, is sweating bullets-or arrow heads, since bullets don’t exist at this point. Balak knows his people are the next target for the Israelites, and he is desperate to gain some kind of advantage, including a spiritual one. Balak sends emissaries hundreds of miles east to Balaam, who lives on the banks of the Euphrates River. Balaam is a seer and a magician famous for blessing and cursing people. Evidently, Balaam has a close relationship with God, because God advises him. To ensure Balaam’s agreement, Balak sends nobles with a large amount of money, but God orders Balaam to refuse.

The delegation returns to Balak, who sends out even higher-ranking nobles with more money. At this point, Balaam realizes he might be on to a great thing and makes a crafty remark that even if Balak were to give him Balak’s house stuffed with gold and silver, Balaam still can’t disobey God. Sounds as if Balaam has decided to go and is now entering negotiations. God tells Balaam he can go, but Balaam must absolutely follow God’s orders. Notice that Balaam doesn’t question God to see why God has changed His mind. Bad mistake.

The next morning, Balaam sets off with the Moabite delegation; however, along the way, the angel of the Lord confronts Balaam and his donkey. The donkey refuses to go further and Balaam is furious until the angel reveals himself. God wants to make sure that Balaam will obey completely. Shaken, Balaam agrees.

When Balaam arrives in Moab, King Balak slaughters cattle and sheep for sacrifices, presenting them to Balaam in readiness for the following day. We will continue the story tomorrow; however, look at Balaam. Balaam is a man who hears from God frequently and who knows God’s will in this matter; yet, enticed by the prospect of untold riches, Balaam travels to Moab and is about to make sacrifices. Why is Balaam going to sacrifice? Balaam thinks that if he burns enough animal bodies, surely God is going to change His mind and allow Balaam to curse the Israelites. God has already made His will perfectly clear, but Balaam’s heart is dazzled by the vision of incredible wealth and so he is willing to compromise.

You might not realize it, but Balaam is a tragic figure. Here is a man who has heard from God-the One True Living God-regularly for years; yet, he is willing to sell himself out if the price is right. Even though God has warned Balaam repeatedly, Balaam is still hoping to manipulate God.

We read this story and think, “Oh, I would never do anything like that!” Oh? How many times have ministers remained silent for fear they would suffer financially or socially? We know of missionaries who have been sent away from their mission groups in disgrace for standing for uncomfortable truths. One of the temptations in ministry is to assume that God will never allow bad things to happen to a minister or missionary because of their service.

James 1:2-4 tells us, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” God uses suffering to perfect those who follow Him.

God cannot be manipulated. The One who has created us, the One who knows our hearts better than we do, this is the God whom we should serve. Attempting to manipulate God by any kind of sacrifice is abhorrent. This is why Jesus mocked the Pharisees who made a great show of their donations, thinking they were gaining divine favor in the process.

This Christmas, as we give to the needy through various means, we must ask ourselves if we are trying to gain favor with God by doing so. God wants us to give cheerfully and even sacrificially; however, manipulation is an insult to God.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, You know our hearts better than we do. We give You our hearts and pray that You will forgive us for ever trying to manipulate You. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Leviticus 1: 1-2 “God called Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting: “Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them, when anyone presents an offering to God, present an animal from either the herd or the flock.

3-9 “If the offering is a Whole-Burnt-Offering from the herd, present a male without a defect at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting that it may be accepted by God. Lay your hand on the head of the Whole-Burnt-Offering so that it may be accepted on your behalf to make atonement for you. Slaughter the bull in God’s presence. Aaron’s sons, the priests, will make an offering of the blood by splashing it against all sides of the Altar that stands at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Next, skin the Whole-Burnt-Offering and cut it up. Aaron’s sons, the priests, will prepare a fire on the Altar, carefully laying out the wood, and then arrange the body parts, including the head and the suet, on the wood prepared for the fire on the Altar. Scrub the entrails and legs clean. The priest will burn it all on the Altar: a Whole-Burnt-Offering, a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God.”

The Book of Leviticus is full of descriptions about blood sacrifices and the various times and fashions in which they are to be presented. I am only including this one description as an example. Why include this description? It’s great to speak generally about blood sacrifices as if they were some kind of sanitized ritual, but the truth is that they were anything but sanitized! When God decreed the regulations for the Aaronic priesthood, only men between 25-50 years of age could actively serve as priests because making those sacrifices demanded a great deal of strength. Hacking animals apart and splashing blood all over was not for weaklings. The priests had special clothes they were to wear to offer sacrifices, but it was understood that after they finished, they would bathe and change clothes.

If you continue to read in Leviticus, it describes other animal sacrifices for those too poor to afford a bull. Blood sacrifices are to be offered at several various times of the year as described in Matthew 27: But the principles are still the same: perfect animal or bird, handled respectfully and in a precise manner. Compare those sacrifices with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross in Matthew 27:

35-40 After they had finished nailing him to the cross and were waiting for him to die, they killed time by throwing dice for his clothes. Above his head they had posted the criminal charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the Jews. Along with him, they also crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: “You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you’re really God’s Son, come down from that cross!”

41-44 The high priests, along with the religion scholars and leaders, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: “He saved others—he can’t save himself! King of Israel, is he? Then let him get down from that cross. We’ll all become believers then! He was so sure of God—well, let him rescue his ‘Son’ now—if he wants him! He did claim to be God’s Son, didn’t he?” Even the two criminals crucified next to him joined in the mockery.

Jesus has already begun shedding blood, for the Roman soldiers have whipped him with a flagrum. We learn “the flagrum is a type of whip that typically has multiple thongs or lashes, usually with shards of pottery and pieces of bone tied in the ends to do the maximum amount of damage. The use of the flagrum was part of the Roman practice of scourging, which was a common method of punishment before crucifixion.” The Romans wanted tidy crucifixions in which victims would die within a few hours, so scourging helped shorten the survival time.

Note that although the priests are ordered to offer the blood sacrifices carefully and respectfully, Jesus endures satanic mocking, including scorn from the various religious leaders who should have been recognizing him as Messiah. The Romans drag Jesus to Calvary, “the place of the skull,” where they nail his harms and legs to a cross and set him between two thieves who are also being crucified.

45-46 From noon to three, the whole earth was dark. Around mid-afternoon Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

47-49 Some bystanders who heard him said, “He’s calling for Elijah.” One of them ran and got a sponge soaked in sour wine and lifted it on a stick so he could drink. The others joked, “Don’t be in such a hurry. Let’s see if Elijah comes and saves him.” 50 But Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.

That “sponge soaked in sour wine?” Turns out, the Roman soldiers carried sponges with them to wipe their buttocks after defecating. That’s the kind of sponge the guy offered Jesus. Jesus died without tasting any wine on the cross, just as he had promised his disciples at the Last Supper.

By now, you might be so revolted that you are ready to stop reading and scroll to something more uplifting. You might also be asking why God allowed His own Son to be put to death in such a shameful manner while for centuries, the priests had been treating their sacrificial animals with respect. But those animals were only a stop-gap measure to secure forgiveness from sin while Jesus’ death purchased forgiveness for all who would believe for eternity.

When Mary gave birth to Jesus, she already knew that he was going to be “Immanuel,” meaning “God with us.” The Jesus originates from the Hebrew Yeshua, a shortened form of Yehoshua (Joshua), which combines “Yah” (the shortened form of Yahweh) with “shua,” meaning “to save.” Thus, the name Jesus literally translates to “The Lord saves” or “Yahweh is salvation.” This meaning is significant as it encapsulates the mission and purpose of Jesus’ life and ministry. https://faithandformulas.com/the-amazing-biblical-meaning-of-the-name-jesus/

When John the Baptist saw Jesus for the first time, he cried out, “Here he is, God’s Passover Lamb! He forgives the sins of the world!” (John 1:29) Jesus suffered far more than any animal sacrifice ever suffered, for those animals were killed swiftly and mercifully while Jesus endured mocking and scourging before being crucified. There’s an old hymn that says,

“But the pains which He endured, alleluia! our salvation have procured; alleluia!
now above the sky He’s King, alleluia! where the angels ever sing: alleluia!“

As we are preparing our hearts for Christmas, let’s remember that Jesus wasn’t born just so that we could have celebrations and eat delicious food and exchange presents. Jesus came to give mankind the greatest gift of all: eternal life to all those who would believe in his Name.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, thank You for sending Jesus to die for our sins. We accept the sacrifice that Jesus has made, and we promise to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Exodus 13:13-16 “Redeem every firstborn child among your sons. When the time comes and your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you tell him, ‘God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That’s why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.’ The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand.”

It’s a sad mistake when we look at the Bible and say, “Well, God threw out everything that happened in the Old Testament once Jesus came.” WRONG!!!! God doesn’t make mistakes and God isn’t sitting in heaven, whacking His forehead, and exclaiming, “Oy! Why didn’t I just send Jesus in the first place?” The New Testament builds on the Old Testament, and everything in the Old Testament is necessary. The Exodus story is a perfect example.

Whenever we see God doing something, we must remember that he’s likely accomplishing seven or eight more things that have yet to be revealed. We are incredibly arrogant, so sure that we understand the Will of God that we totally ignore miracles happening right in front of us. It’s easy to read the story of the first Passover and mouth sanctified nonsense –“Oh, what a wonderful deliverance! Oh, what great miracles!” But the story of God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt applies equally to us.

Forget all the programs glorifying the ancient Egyptians you might have watched on TV. Yes, the Egyptians were brilliant in many respects, producing magnificent temples and incredible artifacts that have been found in tombs; however, they worshiped a pantheon of more than 2,000 gods and were obsessed with death. Society was organized in a strict hierarchy, with the pharaoh at the top, followed by priests, nobles, and commoners. Slaves ranked below commoners, and once a slave, always a slave. Joseph’s elevation to becoming the second most powerful man in Egypt was an anomaly born from the warnings God sent Pharoah in dreams.  

Once the Israelites were reduced to the level of slaves, they were condemned to remain slaves forever. The King James version mentions “a Pharoah who knew not Joseph…” In other words, once enough time had passed, Joseph was ancient history and the Egyptians didn’t care. Besides, the pharoahs wanted big construction projects and slave labor was cheap.

Why re-examine the situation of the ancient Israelites? John 8:34 tells us,“Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave can’t come and go at will.”  No matter how virtuous we might think we are, all of us are slaves to sin. Just like those ancient Israelites in Egypt, we are trapped with no way out. We need a Savior, someone from outside who can come and do what we cannot possibly do for ourselves.

In the NALC Church in which I grew up, this is the Confession of Sin: “Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart, and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching him, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to grant us forgiveness.

Almighty God, our Maker and Redeemer, we poor sinners confess unto you that we are by nature sinful and unclean, and that we have sinned against you by thought, word, and deed. Wherefore, we flee for refuge to your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring your grace. For the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

O most merciful God, who has given your only begotten Son to die for us, have mercy on us, and for His sake grant us forgiveness of all our sins: and by your Holy Spirit increase in us true knowledge of you and of your will, and true obedience to your word, to the end that by your grace we may come to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The pastor then assures the congregation: Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, has had mercy upon us, and has given His Only Son to die for us, and for His sake forgives us all our sins. TO those who believe on His Name, He gives power to become the sons of God, and bestows upon them His Holy Spirit. Whoever believes and is baptized, shall be saved. Grant this, O Lord, unto us all. Amen.”

If you have read this closely, you might be agitated. “What happens if someone cannot be baptized? Will they go to hell even if they believe in Jesus?” Absolutely not! Luke tells the story in Luke 23:39-43 “One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him: “Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!”

But the other one made him shut up: “Have you no fear of God? You’re getting the same as him. We deserve this, but not him—he did nothing to deserve this.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom.”

He said, “Don’t worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise.”

Baptism is a sign of faith in Jesus Christ; however, just like that criminal on the cross, sometimes baptism isn’t possible. What’s most important is faith in what Jesus has done for us.

These days, there’s a series of short stories on Facebook in which heroic grizzled veterans belonging to motorcycle clubs rescue women and children from horrible situations. No matter how independent you might think you are, such stories are appealing, for each of us can find ourselves in untenable situations from which we cannot escape. When we celebrate Christmas, we aren’t merely celebrating the birth of a cute little baby; we celebrate the birth of the Savior Hero who can deliver us from our slavery to sin.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are slaves to sin and desperately need a Savior. Thank You for sending Jesus to live as a sinless man and to die for our sins. We accept that blood sacrifice and beg You to help us follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Centuries ago, Charles Wesley wrote a wonderful hymn that clearly expresses that deliverance:

1. Come, thou long expected Jesus,                               2. Born thy people to deliver,
born to set thy people free;                                              born a child and yet a King,
from our fears and sins release us,                                 born to reign in us forever
let us find our rest in thee.                                               now thy gracious kingdom bring.
Israel’s strength and consolation,                                   By thine own eternal spirit
hope of all the earth thou art;                                         rule in all our hearts alone;
dear desire of every nation,                                              by thine all sufficient merit,
joy of every longing heart.                                               raise us to thy glorious throne.

Exodus 13:13 1-2 God spoke to Moses, saying, “Set apart every firstborn to me—the first one to come from the womb among the Israelites, whether person or animal, is mine.”

3 Moses said to the people, “Always remember this day. This is the day when you came out of Egypt from a house of slavery. God brought you out of here with a powerful hand. Don’t eat any raised bread.

4-5 “You are leaving in the spring month of Abib. When God brings you into the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he promised to your fathers to give you, a land lavish with milk and honey, you are to observe this service during this month:

6 “You are to eat unraised bread for seven days; on the seventh day there is a festival celebration to God.

7 “Only unraised bread is to be eaten for seven days. There is not to be a trace of anything fermented—no yeast anywhere.

8 “Tell your child on that day: ‘This is because of what God did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

9-10 “The day of observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and the teaching of God in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that God brought you out of Egypt. Follow these instructions at the set time, year after year after year.4

God is continuing to lay out the rules for observing Passover. Why are these rules so important? God knows that His people will spend 40 years in the wilderness before they reach the Promised Land and that they will adapt the pagan religions of the tribes there. Furthermore, God knows that many of His people will be carried off as exiles and that His people will eventually find their way into every country and every kingdom. God is ordaining Passover so that no matter where the Israelites/Jews are, they will continue to observe it. The observance of Passover and the other feasts God will order will help the Jews retain their cultural identity wherever they are throughout the centuries. Jewish children will continue to praise God for the miraculous deliverance from Egyptian slavery forever.  

11-13 “When God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and turns it over to you, you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to God. Every first birth from your livestock belongs to God. You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck.

First-born animals are to be dedicated to the Lord. Donkeys can be redeemed because they are not generally sacrificed; however, a lamb must be sacrificed as a blood offering to redeem a first-born donkey. If someone fails to redeem a first-born donkey, they must kill it by breaking its neck.

13-16 “Redeem every firstborn child among your sons. When the time comes and your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you tell him, ‘God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That’s why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.’ The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand.”

Once more, God is laying out practices that will help the Israelites remember and celebrate their escape from losing their firstborn children. Interestingly, there is no mention of blood sacrifices being necessary to redeem firstborn daughters, only firstborn sons. Perhaps a blood sacrifice for a daughter is unnecessary because women menstruate, shedding their own blood monthly for many years. And women giving birth also shed blood.

It is wrong to assume that God thinks less of women than He does of men; after all, God sent the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary first. God only informed Joseph in a dream after Mary had consented for the Holy Spirit to impregnate her. Throughout both the Old Testament and the New Testament, there are stories of godly women such as Rahab, Ruth, and Deborah.

The need for blood sacrifices stopped the day Jesus Christ was crucified. In Herod’s temple in Jerusalem, there was an enormous curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple. As Jesus was dying, that curtain was torn in two from top to bottom, indicating that God was tearing open the way to the holiest place because of the blood Jesus was shedding. Now we don’t need to sacrifice lambs; instead, we come to belief in Jesus and what he has done for us. When we confess our sins and call on God to forgive us and to clean us up, Jesus’ blood sacrifice takes care of our sins.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, thank You for sending your Lamb, Jesus Christ, to live a sinless life and to die for our sins. We confess that we are sinners and that we cannot free ourselves. We praise You for giving us the way of salvation through Jesus’ blood sacrifice. It’s in the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus that we pray. Amen.