Drash
Numbers 22:2-4

Blaine Robison, M.A.

Delivered 20 July 2024

The Test of Faithfulness

"2 Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Emori. 3 So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel. 4 Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this horde will eat up all that is around us, as the ox eats up the grass of the field." And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time." (Num 22:2-4 BR)

The text for today begins Parashah Balak, which concludes in chapter 25 [verse 9]. The date is now late in the fortieth year since the Exodus from Egypt. Aaron had died in the fifth month [August] and Moses will begin his D'varim discourses in the eleventh month [February].

Balak, the king of Moab, learned of the crushing defeat of the Emori or Amorites by Israel. He became fearful because the Israelites were "numerous" with well over 600,000 men of fighting age. It's possible there was a memory of the prophecy given to Abraham that one day his descendants would take possession of the land of the Amorites [Gen 15:18-21]. And now they were here.

The problem for King Balak was that he did not have the military power to defeat Israel. His solution was to hire Balaam (Heb. Bil'am), a well-known sorcerer, to curse Israel. By definition a curse is a mechanism for preventing the receipt of God's blessings. In practical terms a curse may result in actual harm, whether to people's bodies, livestock or the land [Deut 28:15-68]. Perhaps Balak had heard about the times that God destroyed Israelites that rebelled at Kadesh [Num 14:36-37; 16:20-23, 49]. So the Israelites could be defeated if God turned against them.

The story of Balak and Balaam is a story of spiritual warfare. Balak's name means "Destroyer" and Balaam's name means "Devourer." They represent various agents of Satan that have tried to destroy Israel throughout biblical history and even into modern history. In fact, both of these names suit the devil because Yeshua described him as one who seeks to steal, kill and destroy [John 10:10] and Kefa described him as a lion seeking someone to devour [1Pet 5:8].

Of course, God prevented Balaam from cursing Israel and instead forced him to give seven speeches that prophesied good things for Israel, one of which included a significant Messianic prediction. When Balak complained that Balaam did not do what he was hired to do Balaam affirmed that God's blessing rested on Israel and even repeated the promise given to Abraham, "Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you" (Num 24:9).

But because of his love for money [cf. 2Pet 2:15; Jude 1:11] Balaam stubbornly persisted in cooperating with Balak, the enemy of Israel, and gave him a suggestion of how to bring about Israel’s destruction. The Israelites were invited to a party at Peor where they were seduced with the lie that they could engage in idolatry and immorality and still enjoy the favor of God. Their sin at Peor resulted in divine judgment and 24,000 dead. It was certainly fitting that God should later order the execution of Balaam for his actions [Num 31:8].

This tragic story is then recounted four more times in the Tanakh as a cautionary tale to warn Israel against presumptuous sins [Josh 24:9-10; Jdg 11:25; Neh 13:2; Mic 6:5]. Then four times first century Messianic congregations were warned about the spiritual danger of Balaam's teaching [1Cor 10:8; 2Pet 2:15; Jude 1:11; Rev 2:14, 20]. Sha'ul especially noted the death toll at Peor when he exhorted members of the Corinthian congregation not to be idolaters or act immorally and then said, "Now these things happened to the Israelites as an example, and they were written for our warning.... 12 Therefore let the one thinking he stands take heed lest he falls" (1Cor 10:11-12 BR).

Three important lessons may be taken from this biblical story.

First, ADONAI made an irrevocable commitment to the descendants of Jacob to be His people forever. There is no power in the universe that can ever cancel this commitment. Yes, many times in biblical history Israelites were unfaithful to God, and God punished them for it. However, the unfaithfulness of some can never change God's favor and faithfulness toward His covenant people.

Second, one of Satan's strongest and most successful weapons against the people of God is the temptation to cultural accommodation by denying the authority of God's moral standards. Seeking to please the world can only bring spiritual death. Yeshua's messengers repeatedly affirmed the authority of the commandments given to Moses for Israel. God called His people to holiness of heart and life. Sinful practices must not characterize those set apart for God.

Third, the security of the great majority of Israelites, numbering at the time over a million, was their refusal to engage in sin at Peor. Their faithfulness insured that they lived to enter the promised land in the first month of the 41st year. Yeshua declared: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matt 7:21). There is no substitute for obeying God and living in faithfulness to Him.

Barukh Hashem.

Drash Numbers 22:2-4

Blaine Robison, M.A.

Drash
Numbers 22:2-4