A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 25 & 31 (Part 3)

Then the attack against the Midianites comes in Numbers 31:1-7—1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 "Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people." 3 So Moses spoke to the people, saying, "Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian. 4 A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war." 5 So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand. 7 And they warred against the Midianites, just as the LORD commanded Moses, and they killed all the males. The zeal that Phinehas had when thrusting his spear through Zimri and Cozbi stirred up the people to attack those who had tempted them into idolatry. Let’s think about how far these people had come. They were once slaves in Egypt, unskilled in war, only in trodding out bricks and erecting monuments to the Egyptian gods. They had been brought through the desert where they grumbled and complained incessantly. Now, some 40+ years later, they defeat the army of Midian. They had overcome their feebleness through the power of the Hand of God. Now, consider yourself. You too were once a slave. A slave to sin. Maybe it was a great sin, maybe not. But you were, nonetheless a slave to it. You were far off from the Kingdom of God. But now, you are a different person, a new creation, reborn in the image of Christ. Ephesians 2:13—But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Romans 6:17-18 (ESV)—17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. (I like the ESV translation of this passage better, as it gives the true translation of the Greek word δοῦλοι (douloi), which means, literally, “slaves”). But now we are kings and priests to God, no longer slaves to sin. Were you a drunkard? You are now a prince. Were you a harlot? You are now a princess. Were you once living in the gutter, your life filled with nothing, only looking for the next day or the next bottle? Forget that, you are now a child of God. Attack the Midianites of your flesh, kill it, and remember who you are now! The Biblical Illustrator says this:

 

It is instructive to compare this warfare of the children of Israel with their earlier battles. There are many points of difference between them. In Egypt, when surrounded by their enemies, they were not called to fight. They were quite unprepared for war; but God fought for them, and they were still, and held their peace. Then again, subsequently they were attacked by the Amalekites. They did not begin the encounter, but only repelled the attacks; whereas on this occasion Moses said unto the people “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the LORD on Midian.” Their earlier encounters were all in self-defence—their later ones were aggressive. Here, then, we cannot but discern a mark of progress in Israel’s history. At first, when they were weak, and without experience of God’s power and unchanging love, they were more passive. Now that they had been formed into a more compact body, and trained to arms, and still more, had experienced the power and faithfulness of God, they were called to be aggressive, to attack and destroy the enemies of God. Now, we think, that this progress in Israel’s history is typical in the Christian life. In the first beginnings of the spiritual life the young Christian’s mind is chiefly passive. God’s work is to show him his own needs and what are his enemies. The very spirit of the gospel is aggressive, not in a worldly sense, nor indeed in the sense in which it was true of Israel, but in a higher and holier sense; for it is a spirit of faith in God-a spirit of holy jealousy for God’s glory—a spirit of deep compassion for perishing souls.

Numbers 31:8—They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword. The man who would not curse Israel, but who led them astray another way, dies at their hands. What a fitting end to the man who led the people of God away from Him and into the degrading sin of sexual immorality mixed with idolatry! The people of God executed the justice of God by running a sword through this wretch. He had seen the goodness of God; he had seen that God would only bless them; he saw how great their numbers were. But instead of joining with them and becoming part of the people of God, He chose the riches of the world instead of the riches of God. Like Haman, who devised ill against the people of Israel and wound up being hanged on his own gallows, so Balaam devised evil against the people of God and was pierced through with a sword, thus bringing an end to his miserable life. Like Sanballat and Tobiah devised evil against Nehemiah and those who were rebuilding Jerusalem, only to see their feeble deeds come to naught, so this man, who sought to bring an end to Israel, saw his plans come to naught. And like our Adversary, who walks about like a roaring lion, seeks to bring down those called by God, he will be brought down to the Bottomless Pit and, finally, to the Lake of Fire. There is no way to defeat God. He cannot be dealt a blow that will not be turned around a hundred times—nay, a thousand or million or more times—harder on the one who tried it. 

Numbers 31:9-18—9 And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods. 10 They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts. 11 And they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast. 12 Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. 13 And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp. 14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle. 15 And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive? 16 Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD. 17 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. 18 But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.” After the slaughter, the people gathered up all the prisoners of war—an action which angered Moses, as these were of the same women who led Israel into idolatry. Why would they keep them alive? But don’t we sometimes do the same thing? We keep some reminder of our past in our possession, some reminder of the good times we had when we were slaves to sin and apart from God. “Oh, what’s it going to hurt?” 1st Corinthians 10:12—Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Do you think Satan needs more than a little sliver of room to worm his way back into our lives? Open the door, even a crack, and he will burst through and make one regret giving him even the slightest foothold. Ephesians 4:27—Nor give place to the devil. The word translated “place” is the Greek τόπος (topos), and means “opportunity, power, occasion for acting.” Paul is warning us to not give the Devil an opportunity, to not give him an occasion for acting in our lives. Jesus warned us in Matthew 12:43-45 (and in Luke 11:24-26)—43 "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first." Do not think you are stronger or smarter than the Devil. He has been around for far too long, and remember he convinced one-third of the angels to follow him in rebelling against God. Knowing that, what do you think your chances are against him? Just ask Eve how trying to outsmart the serpent worked out for her, for Adam, for all mankind. 

“But they killed women? And children? What kind of a God commands that?” The kind of God who wants us to put sin far away from us. When they brought the women and children back, it may have been out of mercy. But they did not think ahead to what might happen if these were allowed to remain with the people of God. The women, we know, would have led more men astray. The boys? They would have grown up bitter, resentful of the men who killed their fathers. You want a villain origin story? Isn’t that how they all begin? “But what about where Moses says in verse 18 ‘But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately’? Isn’t that permitting child marriage and pedophilia?” This is an argument we need to be prepared for, as the enemies of God will use this. So, different translations do render הַטַּף בַּנָּשִׁים (hatap bannashiym) as “young girls” or “women children”. And that is, indeed, the literal translation of this verse. But to claim this gives a green light to pedophilia is not warranted by the text. Nowhere does it say they are to take them as wives or concubines. And with there being a dearth of commentary on this verse, I’m going to give you my take on it, which may or may not be the best. But here goes: The young women—and yes, even young girls—who had not known a man intimately were to be taken in to the congregation, raised as an Israelite, and even used to perform tasks. When they became older they could be married, but nowhere—NOWHERE—does the text say ANYTHING about using these girls for sex. If anything, this was mercy. Their mothers were killed; their fathers were killed; if they had brothers they were put to death. They would have been left to fend for themselves in the desert. Instead, they were brought into the fold of the people of God, and raised in the Covenant of God. 

The rest of the chapter deals with dividing up the spoils of war and the distribution of those spoils and the tribute to God. The only passage we will touch on in Numbers 31 is Numbers 31:48-50—48 Then the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses; 49 and they said to Moses, "Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us is missing. 50 Therefore we have brought an offering for the LORD, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets and signet rings and earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the LORD." Twelve thousand went to war against the Midianites, and twelve thousand returned. God knows how to save His people. The same can be said of those who trust in Christ. Jesus is our Good Shepherd, and none of His sheep will be lost. Does a Good Shepherd let any of His sheep wander off? Or when He sees that sheep wandering, will He not go and bring it back? Yes, He will bring it back. Matthew 18:12-14 (echoed in Luke 15:4-6)—12 "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." Is your will greater than God’s will? Can you stray far enough from Jesus that He will let you go merrily on your way to Hell? Some say “Well, you can walk away from God and lose your salvation that way”. No, my friend! He is The Good Shepherd, and when He sees you going astray, if you are truly His, then He will run to you to bring you back to Himself! He will leave the 99 sheep who are staying to go get the one who is straying (Matthew 18:12-13; Luke 15:4-7). The Father knows all that He has given to His Son, and will not allow any of them to be lost! 

Loving Shepherd of your sheep/all your lambs in safety keep;

Nothing can your power withstand/none can pluck them from your hand.

May they praise you ev'ry day/gladly all your will obey,

Like your blessed ones above/happy in your precious love.

Loving Shepherd, ever near/teach your lambs your voice to hear;

Suffer not their steps to stray/from the straight and narrow way.

Where you lead them may they go/walking in your steps below;

Then, before your Father's throne/Savior, claim them for your own.

(“Loving Shepherd of Thy Sheep” by Jane Leeson) 

Father, help us to always remember Your goodness and Your faithfulness in all our battles, knowing that You will come for us when we stray. Help us to always put to death sin in our mortal bodies, to put to death the old man and to put on the new man. Help us to not cling to those things that would take us back to who we used to be, but help us to remember that we are a new creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works. But in our hatred for sin, let us always remember mercy in our dealings with those who do not know You. 

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 25 & 31 (Part 2)

Numbers 25:6-9—6 Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. So the plague on the sons of Israel was checked. 9 Those who died by the plague were 24,000. So this man of Israel, while all the people were still weeping for the men who were slain due to their idolatry, brings in a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel to further pollute the people with sexual idolatry. Why were the people of Israel told to not intermingle with the people of Midian? Well, for one, although Midian was indeed descended from Abraham he was from Abraham’s second wife Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2). He was not the son of the promise God gave to Abraham, but from when Abraham went beyond what God had given him (it is another warning against polygamy). Second, the people of Midian (and Moab), while worshipping YHVH they also worshipped Ba'al-Peor. So any kind of mingling with them provoked YHVH to anger. Additionally, many of the Middle Eastern pagan religions were rife with sexual rituals as worship of the fertility gods such as Ba'al and Asherah. Bernhard Anderson in “Understanding the Old Testament” (p. 189) says

 

In Canaanite religion, sex was elevated to the realm of the divine. The divine powers, it was believed, were disclosed in the sphere of nature—that is, in the mystery of fertility. The gods were sexual in nature, and were worshipped in sexual rites. 

And even though this man had seen what was done to those who joined themselves to the idolatry of the people with the Moabite women (who themselves had joined with the Midianites against Israel) he still brought this woman in to lie with her. If we were to read on into the book of Joshua, we would see that even then the people had not cleansed themselves of this sin. Phinehas tells the Gadites, the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh in Joshua 22:17—“Is the iniquity of Peor not enough for us, from which we are not cleansed till this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD?” Though the people were delivered from the punishment for their sexual idolatry, that sin obviously still lingered in the hearts of some of the people. 

But how many times do we see this happen? We are warned against sin, we even see the effects of sin on others, but we still plunge headlong into it. When we see this happen we must do what we have to in order to purge this sin from our numbers. Which is what Phinehas does here. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand, 8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. This is not the last time we will see the people of God kill those who worship idols. Ehud straps a sword onto his thigh and slays Eglon, king of Moab in Judges 3:12-31. In 1^st Kings 18, we see the contest between Elijah against the prophets of Ba'al on Mount Carmel. We see Elijah’s sacrifice accepted by God and the sacrifice of the prophets of Ba'al rejected. Elijah even soaked his sacrifice in buckets of water to show that it was not the heat of the desert sun, but rather it was God who sent fire down to consume his sacrifice. And what does the prophet of YHVH command? 1st Kings 18:39-40—39 Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!" [literally, “YHVH is God! YHVH is God!”] 40 And Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!" So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there. 

In 2^nd Kings 10 King Jehu (not to be confused with the prophet Jehu in 1^st Kings) has all the house of Ahab slain, and says in 2nd Kings 10:16-17—16 Then he said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD." So they had him ride in his chariot. 17 And when he came to Samaria, he killed all who remained to Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to Elijah. He calls all the prophets of Ba'al into the temple of Ba'al and has them put on their priestly garments in order to finally rid Israel of all the last vestiges of Ba'al worship. Then in 2nd Kings 10:23-28 (NASB)—23 Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab; and he said to the worshipers of Baal, "Search and see that there is here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but only the worshipers of Baal." 24 Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had stationed for himself eighty men outside, and he had said, "The one who permits any of the men whom I bring into your hands to escape shall give up his life in exchange." 25 Then it came about, as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the royal officers, "Go in, kill them; let none come out." And they killed them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the royal officers threw them out, and went to the inner room of the house of Baal. 26 They brought out the sacred pillars of the house of Baal and burned them. 27 They also broke down the sacred pillar of Baal and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day. 28 Thus Jehu eradicated Baal out of Israel. So yes, he wiped out all vestiges of Ba'al worship, but did so under false pretenses. Was he right to do it like this? Probably not. Was it right for Rebecca to trick Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing under false pretenses? Probably not. But if God has an end in mind, He can use the cunning and trickery of men to make it happen. Doesn’t mean we can go about doing likewise, but it does explain what our Lord meant when He said “Be wise as serpents” (Matthew 10:16). And what did God promise to Jehu for his zeal in removing Ba'al worship from Israel? 2nd Kings 10:30—"Because you have done well in doing what is right in My sight, and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in My heart, your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation." 

Unfortunately, Jehu did not go far enough. While he did indeed wipe out all the priests and prophets of Ba'al, there was one step he didn’t take. It was the step that even some of the better kings in Israel and Judah did not take. 2nd Kings 10:31—But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart; for he did not depart from the sins of Jeroboam, who had made Israel sin. What were the sins of Jeroboam? He divided the kingdom (1st Kings 12:25), set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan (1st Kings 12:28-30), let anyone into the priesthood who wanted to be a priest regardless of whether or not they were of the tribe of Levi (1st Kings 12:31), and he prescribed a feast similar to Passover, except instead of the 14^th day of the seventh month, this was on the 15^th day of the eighth month (1st Kings 12:32). In other words, he directed the people away from the true worship of the true God. And what was the cause of the sins of Jeroboam? That Solomon did the same thing by marrying foreign wives and setting up houses and shrines for them. Instead of thrusting a spear through the heart of sin as Phinehas did, he made a bed and laid down a pillow for it. And this sin carried grievous consequences for the kingdom for years to come. 

Those who died by the plague were 24,000. We don’t see a plague mentioned, but this text tells us that God sent a plague throughout the people and killed 24,000. Paul reckons the number at 23,000 (1st Corinthians 10:8). “Ha! See! There’s a contradiction!” No, it is not a contradiction. Paul was a devout Jew before he met Christ, and would no doubt have known what was written. You must remember that Paul was taught by none other than Christ Himself (Galatians 1:12, 17). He was no doubt given the number of people that died by the plague—the exact number—and reckoned it differently than did Moses. John Wesley supposes that Moses gave the maximum number while Paul gave the minimum. So the number of people who died of the plague was somewhere between 23,000 and 24,000. But let us not lose sight of the warning Paul gives us. Let’s put 1st Corinthians 10:8 in its proper context. 1st Corinthians 10:5-8—5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell.  Here the apostle is linking sexual immorality with idolatry, a practice common in the city of Corinth at that time (as it was in the days of Numbers with Ba'al). He was telling these Gentile believers to not be caught up in the sexual immorality of the pagan temple worship, but to keep themselves pure and worship God alone. These Corinthian believers were, as were the people of Israel, surrounded by those who worshipped other gods and were being tempted to join with them in their idolatry. And the apostle closes this particular section by warning the people in 1st Corinthians 10:11-14—11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. Flee from idolatry. Don’t become fascinated by it, don’t dance close to it, and don’t even consider it even for a moment. FLEE from it. Don’t bring it into the worship of God with you, and if it is brought in by others, get away from it. Gouge out your eye, cut off your hand if you have to. What did God do to the people in Numbers? Why does Paul bring it up? All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition. They happened to them to serve as examples of what would happen to us! 

Numbers 25:10-13—10 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. 12 Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace;  13 and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.'" God commends Phinehas for his zeal in dealing with gross idolatry and wickedness. But in reality, it was not any zeal that Phinehas himself had, but it was God’s zeal which He put upon him. “He was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal.” Just as God put upon the seventy elders of Israel the same spirit that He put on Moses (Numbers 11:24-25). Ger de Koning in his King Comments has this to say:

 

There is a man, an Israelite, who defies the judgment that has been carried out. He ignores God’s judgment and, with incredible hubris, brings a Midianite woman to his brothers. This is not just any sin. It is a frontal attack on the true, high and pure service to God. With his deed he slaps God’s face and he is not interested in anything that he does to his brothers with his deed. His brothers mourn about the situation and he indicates with his deed that they are behaving overly dramatic. So he defies God and despises the crying people. 

God gives us a zeal for the things of God and causes us to finally bow our knee and confess that He is Lord over all. On the other hand, we cannot be zealous for the things of God unless we are given the Spirit of God. 1st Corinthians 2:14—But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God…nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Up to this chapter in Numbers God had destroyed countless people by His own hand, and now He is giving that power over to His people. He had commanded Moses to hang the men who had committed sexual idolatry and now He had given Phinehas the desire to fulfill God’s wrath in slaying these two who were having sex in the man’s tent. They wanted to be joined together—and Phinehas made sure they would stay that way. This is a warning to us, that we should be careful when we join ourselves with another. 1st Corinthians 6:15-16—15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh." When we lie with another we become one flesh with that person. When we take our marriage vows, often the officiant will say “what God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” Phinehas has given us a clear picture of this principle, and has joined this man and this woman together—in death. 

And because of this zeal, God made a covenant with Phinehas that his descendants would be priests to God perpetually. “It shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood.” The priesthood that was initiated with Aaron would continue on through his grandson Phinehas. We see that Phinehas was the chief of the Korahite Levites in 1st Chronicles 9:19-20. (Yes, although God brought Korah himself down to Sheol, yet Korah had sons who survived to the time of the temple, and even served it.) He was also an ancestor of the scribe Ezra (Ezra 7:5). And before we go any further, allow me to clear up a passage that could cause some confusion. Judges 19-21 we read the disastrous account of the Levite and his concubine and the aftermath thereof. We come across a curiosity in Judges 20:27-28—27 So the children of Israel inquired of the LORD (the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days)… The Book of Judges chronicles about 450 years in the history of Israel. So either Phineas lived to be about 500 years old or there is something that needs to be studied more. The events in this section of Judges occurred much earlier than it is written—and this is just a guess—probably sometime around Judges chapter 2 or chapter 3. But it had to have happened sometime within about 20 years after the death of Joshua. 

Numbers 25:14-18—14 Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father's house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a father's house in Midian. 16 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 17 "Harass the Midianites, and attack them; 18 for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor." Because of the heinousness of the indiscretions of the people, brought on by the temptations from the Midianites, God commands Moses to attack the Midianites and wipe them out. Today we do not kill someone because they cause us to sin. Rather, we should be killing the flesh in us that is causing us to sin. In his book “On the Mortification of Sin”, John Owens writes

 

Indwelling sin is compared to a person, a living person, called “the old man.” He has his way of thinking, his tendencies, his wisdom, craft, subtlety, and strength. This old man, says the apostle, must be killed, put to death, mortified. That is, the old man’s power, life, vigor, and strength, his ability to produce effects, must be taken away by the Spirit. In fact, it is to be “crucified with Christ” as a good thing. We, as the “old man,” are said to be “dead” with Christ.  When we are resurrected in Christ and regenerated, a principle contrary to the old man, one designed to destroy him, is planted in our hearts. But the whole process towards perfection (Christ-like behavior) is carried on by degrees all of our life.

We do not look to kill those things or people outside of ourselves that lead us to sin. What we really need to kill is—well, us. As the main verse for the theme of his book, Owens uses Romans 8:13—If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. You could say that the Midianites represented our flesh, the Israelites the spirit. If our spirit is going to live eternally with God, we must put to death our flesh. Is that difficult? Yes. Find anyone in the Bible who did not have a difficult time overcoming the flesh. You won’t find anyone. Even the ones we don’t read much about were fighting battles we couldn’t begin to imagine. Consider the case of Zacchaeus in Luke 19. He was a tax collector, a practice highly criticized among Israelites when Jesus walked the earth. He could not go back and undo all the wrongs he had perpetrated on the people. But he put to death the deeds of his flesh, and recompensed for what he had done. Luke 19:8—"Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." He went forth in the newness of his new life in Christ. As Zacchaeus did, so we too must thrust our spear through that old man, put him to death, lest he raise his head and lead us back to our old ways.

Part 3 next week

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen. 

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 25, 31 (Part 1)

We will group Numbers 25 with Numbers 31, as they both tell of the sins of the people with the Midianites and the battle that followed. 

Numbers 25:1-3—1 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel. The name Acacia Grove is rendered in many other translations as Shittim. And the words Shittim and Acacia are synonymous for a tree that grows in the Middle East. What Balaam was unable to do, the people did themselves. Balak wanted Balaam to curse the people, but they indeed cursed themselves by committing harlotry with the women of Moab and by playing part in the idolatry of Ba'al. And it is a great example of how we should not mingle with the ungodliness of the ungodly lest we get caught up in their ungodliness and turn from God to worshipping idols. Josephus writes of this incident in his “Antiquities of the Jews” (Book 4, chapter 6, paragraph 9):

 

Now the young men were induced by the fondness they had for these women to think they spake very well; so they gave themselves up to what they persuaded them, and transgressed their own laws, and supposing there were many gods, and resolving that they would sacrifice to them according to the laws of that country which ordained them, they both were delighted with their strange food, and went on to do every thing that the women would have them do, though in contradiction to their own laws; so far indeed that this transgression was already gone through the whole army of the young men, and they fell into a sedition that was much worse than the former, and into danger of the entire abolition of their own institutions; for when once the youth had tasted of these strange customs, they went with insatiable inclinations into them; and even where some of the principal men were illustrious on account of the virtues of their fathers, they also were corrupted together with the rest. 

This would become a common theme under the kings of Israel and Judah—that a king would arise who “did evil in the sight of the LORD”. Kings who were supposed to lead the people in righteousness and reserve worship for God and God alone, would turn from Him and worship Ba'al and Asherah, knowing full well that these types of idol worship would lead to ruin for their people. Solomon, the wisest man ever, was drawn away like this. 1st Kings 11:1-4—1 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—2 from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." [Deuteronomy 7:3-4] Solomon clung to these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. “If Solomon was so wise, why did he turn away from the command of God and marry these women that God said not to marry?” That is the power of the flesh. Just as Delilah turned Samson away from God to be strong in his pride, so these women turned Solomon away from God. It is what the Apostle John refers to as “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (1st John 2:16). Ironically, Solomon would write, in Ecclesiastes 10:1—Dead flies putrefy the perfumer's ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor. For all of Solomon’s wisdom, his folly brought about the ruin of his kingdom. 

 A modern-day example of this would be a man I greatly admired, a wise expositor of Scripture, and a man who was even a Dean at John MacArthur’s seminary and a fellow at RC Sproul’s Ligonier Ministries. Steve Lawson confessed to having a five-year affair. In his words it was non-sexual (he referred to it as a “relationship” rather than an “affair”), and until proved otherwise we should believe him. That still does not excuse his behavior, as our Lord told us in Matthew 5:27-28—27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Even if he did not have sex with the woman, he had already committed adultery with her in his heart. Instead of getting away from the tent of Korah (Numbers 16:24) or plucking out his eye that was causing him to sin (Matthew 5:29), he allowed himself to be caught up in a sin that cost him dearly. He had written several books, had been preaching for several years, and had been teaching the word of God rather well. But he allowed himself to get too close with a woman, and for that weakness he has disqualified himself from being an elder. 

“Getting back to Solomon. He had all these wives and concubines. And he was used greatly by God. Doesn’t that mean that polygamy is okay?” No, it does not mean polygamy is okay. If you read on, you will see that God was definitely not pleased with him marrying all these foreign wives. For had they not turned his heart away from God, and turned him to worshipping idols? How does one think God is pleased with that? And we read of God’s displeasure with him the in verses following. 1st Kings 11:9-11—9 So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded. 11 Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.” The kingdom was indeed given to his servant Jeroboam, who caused Israel to sin a grave sin, a sin so grievous that God would attach it to the name of Jeroboam thereafter. The “sin of Jeroboam” is mentioned in 22 verses in the Bible. It was the penalty God placed on the people because of Solomon’s sin. Now, do you see that God did not approve of his polygamy? It is as Job when he said it best. “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). In giving the kingdom to Solomon, God was glorified. In taking the kingdom away from Solomon, God was glorified. Blessed be the name of the LORD! Much of Solomon’s writing is ironic considering this. As he wrote in the verse from Ecclesiastes earlier, so he writes in Proverbs 6:23-29—23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life, 24 to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress. 25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids. 26 For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. 27 Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? 29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.                                                             

Do not think we are immune from falling into the same snare that caught Solomon and that caught Steve Lawson. It is the reason that Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians 6:14-16—14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people." We are human. We are fallen creatures. We can fall into sin just as easily as anybody. And it happens more frequently the closer we are to that sin. It is no trifling thing, even though there are many “pastors” these days who not only will not speak about sin (I’m talking to you, Joel Osteen), but will make excuses for sin and discount its harm. But sin IS harmful. Not only does it harm the person, it harms the name of God and the name of Christ. Look what it did to Solomon. Look what it did to Ahab. Look what it did to Steve Lawson. Do not think for a moment that sin is a harmless thing. And do not see how close you can get to it. Without going over the line because, trust me (no, rather, trust God) you will cross that line. And apart from God’s Holy Spirit, there is no going back. Sin is a terrible cliff to plunge over. John Bunyan wrote “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners” as an autobiography of his spiritual journey through his life. And in on place early on in the book he wrote:

 

Again, when as sometimes I have been about to preach upon some smart and scorching portion of the Word, I have found the tempter suggest, ‘What, will you preach this? this condemns yourself; of this your own soul is guilty; wherefore preach not of it at all; or if you do, yet so mince it as to make way for your own escape; lest instead of awakening others, you lay that guilt upon your own soul, as you will never get from under.’ But, I thank the Lord, I have been kept from consenting to these so horrid suggestions, and have rather, as Samson, bowed myself with all my might, to condemn sin and transgression wherever I found it, yea, though therein also I did bring guilt upon my own conscience!…It is far better that thou do judge thyself, even by preaching plainly to others, than that thou, to save thyself, imprison the truth in unrighteousness; blessed be God for his help also in this. 

This was a man greatly used by God, a man who eschewed sin, who thought of himself as “The Chief of Sinners”! May we all think of ourselves in like manner! 

“So what do I do if I do sin? Am I then cast off from Christ forever?” No, absolutely not! We have an advocate between God and us, and His name is Jesus Christ (1st Timothy 2:5; 1st John 2:1). How many times will God forgive us of our sins? It would not be wise to test His patience, but He will forgive us more times than there are sands in the sea. Are you in Christ? Then for the rest of your earthly life and for all eternity you shall be in Christ. Is Christ less than a perfect Savior? God forbid! Hebrews 10:14—For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Being perfected, can you make yourself unperfected? Can you undo what Christ has done? Can you uncomplete Christ’s complete sacrifice? He did not cry out “TETELESTAI!” for nothing.

 

Lifted up was He to die

“It is finished!” was His cry

Now in Heav’n exalted high

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

(“Man of Sorrows” by Philip P. Bliss) 

Do not think you are worse than the worst sinner. Do not think you are further away from the grace and mercy of God than the man who sought letters to go through Damascus delivering up the saints to their deaths! This same Savior who called that man to be His Apostle is also calling you to follow Him and be saved from your sins! Who can forgive the one who joined the worship of Ba'al in Peor, who bowed down to idols and who previously aroused the anger of God. 

But this mercy was not here shown, as God demanded He be worshipped exclusively. Numbers 25:4-5—4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel." 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor." The killing of those who joined themselves to Ba'al is reminiscent of the command to kill those who did not return to God after the episode with the Golden Calf in Exodus 32:27. God considered this episode so grievous and so heinous that He wanted the people to fully embrace the punishment thereof. Previously He had burned the outskirts of the camp, slain the people Himself while they were eating quail, opened up the earth to swallow Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and sent plagues among them. Now, He wants the people to understand His red hot hatred of sin by executing the punishment themselves. This was no mere complaining about the hot and dry desert and lack of water the people were guilty of. This was full on idolatry with pagans they were guilty of. And the people needed to understand the consequences. The leaders of this rebellion—not a rebellion against Moses as the mouthpiece of God, but against God Himself and His rule—were to be hung up “out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” This is a kind of an illustration of Hell. In the full face of the desert sun, they were to be hanged from a tree to show forth the fiery wrath of God for all to see. 

God expressed a similar sentiment when He told Josiah what He would do to the idolaters in Judah in 2nd Kings 22:17—"Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched."' The wrath of God is always described in terms which imply fire. God said of those who afflict the widows and orphans in Exodus 22:24—“My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.” Hell is the ultimate expression of God’s wrath, a fire which will burn continually and shall destroy all who work iniquity. Many claim that Hell is not real, and if it is that it is not the eternal burning that it is. Progressive “pastor” Rob Bell says

 

“At the heart of this perspective is the belief that, given enough time, everybody will turn to God and find themselves in the joy and peace of God’s presence. The love of God will melt every hard heart, and even the most ‘depraved sinners’ will eventually give up their resistance and turn to God.” (Love Wins, p. 107) 

This thinking goes against the Scriptures that speak of everlasting torment. It also makes Jesus a liar. Matthew 25:41, 46—41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels…46 These will go away into eternal punishment." Mark 9:43-48—43 "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, 44 [where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] 45 "If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, 46 [where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] 47 “If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, 48  where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” 

Some say that Hell is a metaphor and that Gehenna (“hell” in verse 47) was simply taking about a place where garbage and waste were burned. Gehenna (Valley of Hinnom) was indeed a place where the fires were constantly burning because of all the waste dumped there. But how does a burning pile of garbage have power over men’s tongues? James 3:6—And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell [Greek, Gehenna]. James is here not talking of the physical organ, the thing that makes speech possible. He is talking of the desire of the tongue to say things that are not good. And that desire is inflamed by the fires of Gehenna, by Satan and his angels to defile us. And yes, the tongue defiles the entire body. Otherwise Jesus would not have said that it is what comes out of a man that defiles him (Matthew 15:11; Mark 7:20). We need to be careful for every word we speak, lest we defile ourselves and bring shame to Christ.

Part 2 next week

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen. 

A Survey of the Old Testament Law--Numbers 22-24 (Part 3)

 Numbers 23:25-30—25 Then Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!" 26 So Balaam answered and said to Balak, "Did I not tell you, saying, 'All that the LORD speaks, that I must do'?" 27 Then Balak said to Balaam, "Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there." 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that overlooks the wasteland. 29 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams." 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

Then Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!" Still not satisfied and still not convinced that God would not allow Balaam to curse Israel, Balak tells the prophet, in a way, to stay neutral and to not say anything against the people of God. How curious are those who hate the people of God, that they want the people of God to die, and when God does not cause that to pass, they are outraged that God would not destroy His people! Well did David write in Psalm 2:1-3—1 Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 "Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us." The proud boast in their heart that we who have humbled ourselves before the LORD are stupid and weak, that we do not know how to think for ourselves and we blindly follow some Sky Daddy (their term) because we are dumb sheep. Here are some of the things they say about us.

Carl Sagan

You can't convince a believer of anything; for their belief is not based on evidence, it's based on a deep-seated need to believe.

George Carlin

Religion has actually convinced people that there's an invisible man -- living in the sky -- who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time! ..But He loves you... and HE NEEDS MONEY!

Richard Dawkins

The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.

The nations rage! They claim that the people of God are delusional and that we worship nothing. Or that we worship a man in the sky who wants nothing more than to send us to eternal fiery torment because we wear a shirt made of a cotton/polyester blend. They do not want us to be blessed or cursed—they just want us to be quiet. But…

"Did I not tell you, saying, 'All that the LORD speaks, that I must do'?" What were the Apostles told in the Book of Acts? 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name?” (Acts 5:27-28) These Jews were acting more like the Gentiles who opposed God, seeing as how they set themselves up against His Christ. They did not want the Apostles to proclaim the name of Jesus, in direct opposition to the commands they had received from Christ. And what was Peter’s reply? Acts 5:29—But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” The council no longer spoke for God. The Sanhedrin, even before Christ’s death on the cross, believed they were speaking for God. They handed out judgments as if they were doing so in righteousness and for the glory of God. They held this belief even after it was apparent that God accepted Christ’s sacrifice and they were no longer in charge. But that did not stop them from usurping authority over the people in order to reap the financial rewards. Peter’s reply was a dagger in their heart, although they did not think so. He was telling them that they were merely men, and they were not to be obeyed above the obedience that God requires.

Martin Luther answered the Diet of Worms similarly. They had charged him with speaking against the church and the penalty for that was death. Was he speaking against the church? Only the Roman Catholic “church”. But he was not speaking against Christ’s church. He was not speaking against God or His Christ. He was speaking the truth from the Bible, demonstrating to Pope Leo X and Emperor Charles V that any power does not lay in the bosom of Popes and cardinals, but in the One True God. He did not start out to break away from Rome, but rather to correct their blatantly egregious teachings on Indulgences. But Rome didn’t appreciate someone coming between them and the people’s money, so they pushed and they pushed, and eventually they pushed too far and the Protestant Reformation was born. And in his last statement at the Diet he said these famous words:

Since your most serene majesty and your lordships require of me a simple, clear and direct answer, I will give one, and it is this: Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures and by clear reason—for I do not trust in the pope or councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves—I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted. My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.

Who is responsible for the Protestant Reformation? No one but the Roman Catholic system itself! Peter, Martin Luther, Stephen, Jan Hus, and so many others whose blood has become the seed of the church, lived and died by one simple credo: “All that the LORD speaks, that I must do.”

 

28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that overlooks the wasteland. 29 Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams." 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar. Peor is slightly north-northwest of Pisgah, east of the northern end of the Dead Sea. It is better known by the name Ba'al Peor. It is the place where the people will commit a grievous sin in Numbers 25, but we will look at that when we get there. So Balak builds Balaam seven altars (again) and sacrifices on these altars (again), hoping that this time, his wish will come true. Didn’t happen the first time, didn’t happen the second time. But by golly, this will be the one time it happens! But he couldn’t get it through his head that no matter how many times he tries to get Balaam to curse the people of Israel, God will not let him. Just like when your kids keep asking you for something that will do them harm—and you know it will do them harm, but they don’t know that; they think you are just trying to keep them from having a good time. Balak did not understand that if, instead of trying to curse the people of God, he had simply given then permission to pass through the land, things would have been okay. The only reason the people fought and defeated Sihon king of the Amorites and Og of Bashan was because the people were attacked first. Whenever they came to the border of an area, they sent messengers to ask permission and that they would not turn to the right hand or the left. But, alas, Balak kept at it and kept at it and kept at it. But…

Numbers 24:1-9—1 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. 3 Then he took up his oracle and said: "The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened, 4 the utterance of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, with eyes wide open: 5 How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel! 6 Like valleys that stretch out, like gardens by the riverside, like aloes planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters. 7 He shall pour water from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters. His king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 God brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; He shall consume the nations, his enemies; He shall break their bones and pierce them with his arrows. 9 He bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him? Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you."

This song from Balaam almost reads like one of David’s Psalms or the Song of Solomon. Balaam, too, saw that any effort to curse the people of Israel would not succeed, so instead he speaks this beautiful song. He sees that this is not just a great gathering of people; this is a great gathering of God’s people. And when God’s people are gathered together, it is indeed a great thing! When Christians are gathered together, we are celebrating and giving to God what is due to Him. It is as the first of the Old Testament sacrifices ascending up to Heaven, a sweet aroma to God! Songs and hymns are sung, prayers are lifted up, the Word is preached, and the love of the saints toward God is poured forth, downtrodden ones are lifted up. What could be more blessed! Hebrews 10:24—And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works. Galatians 6:2—Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Romans 10:15 (quoting Isaiah 52:7)—How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things! And our gathering together here on Earth is but a shadow of our eternal gathering in the New Jerusalem! We will be gathered with not only those we know, but those we read about who, through the millennia, have put their trust in God and worship Him as God! We will see Abraham and Jacob; Moses and Aaron; David and Solomon; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; Peter and Paul; Polycarp and Anselm; Martin Luther and Jan Hus; John Calvin and Theodore Beza; Jonathan Edwards and Charles Spurgeon; John Wesley and George Whitefield; and so many others! And best of all, we will be in the presence of God Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ. Even those we disagree with on certain matters will be there. George Whitefield and John Wesley were diametrically opposed concerning the issue of predestination versus free will in terms of salvation. When asked if he would see Mr. Wesley in Heaven, Whitefield is quoted as saying (something to the effect of), “No, I won’t. I believe his mansion shall be so close to the throne of God I will not be able to approach it.” May we all be as charitable to those with whom we disagree!

Numbers 24:10-11—10 Then Balak's anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! 11 Now therefore, flee to your place. I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the LORD has kept you back from honor." Again, the thinking of the world, that if one follows God and does not have an abundance of the world’s riches that his life is somehow less than ideal. That is the thinking of all the hucksters on TBN who fleece the people for their money, promising them health and wealth and prosperity if they will send these charlatans their money. It also teaches that if there is sickness in your life or your family’s life, or if you are not wealthy (by the world’s standards), your faith is lacking. That’s right. They teach that if your mother gets cancer, it is your fault. This heresy has been promulgated by men (and women) like Oral Roberts, Kenneth Hagin, Paul and Jan Crouch. And what do these also have in common? They’re all dead. Must be they didn’t have enough faith!

Paul’s teachings are directly opposed to this kind of thinking. 2nd Timothy 3:12—Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Philippians 4:12—I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 1st Timothy 6:6-10—6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. What should we do instead? 1st Timothy 6:11— But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Jesus warned us that as Christians we will not have an easy life. John 16:33—“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation.” When you see Kenneth Copeland or Jesse Duplantis on your TV smiling about how rich they are, remember that it is not God who made them wealthy, but rather the devil. They are rich because they have twisted the word of God to get people to send them the money that has bought their mansions and jet planes.

Numbers 24:12-19—12 So Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13 'If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD, to do good or bad of my own will. What the LORD says, that I must speak'? 14 And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the latter days." 15 So he took up his oracle and said: " The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, and the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened; 16 the utterance of him who hears the words of God, and has the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down, with eyes wide open: 17 ‘I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult. 18 And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession, while Israel does valiantly. 19 Out of Jacob One shall have dominion, and destroy the remains of the city.’" We have spoken of the fates of the Edomites and Moabites HERE and HERE, so let’s move on.

Numbers 24:20-24—20 Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said: "Amalek was first among the nations, but shall be last until he perishes." 21 Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said: " Firm is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in the rock; 22 nevertheless Kain shall be burned. How long until Asshur carries you away captive?" 23 Then he took up his oracle and said: "Alas! Who shall live when God does this? 24 But ships shall come from the coasts of Cyprus, and they shall afflict Asshur and afflict Eber, and so shall Amalek, until he perishes."

Amalek. The first we read about the Amalekites is in Genesis 36:12, where he is listed as a grandson of Esau by his son Eliphaz through his concubine Timna. Which shows that it is not always a good idea to skip the genealogies in the Bible. The Amalekites were the first peoples that the Israelites fought after leaving Egypt. We see them the second time in Exodus 17:8—Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. This was the battle where Joshua and Caleb held up Moses’ arms so that God would give them the victory. God tells the people of Israel to wipe them out completely in Deuteronomy 25:19—Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget. We read that this is going to happen in 1^st Samuel 15, when Saul defeats them once and for all. Unfortunately, Saul makes a bit of a boo-boo in doing so. 1st Samuel 15:1-3—1 Samuel also said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD. 2 Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'" Samuel had anointed Saul as king over Israel. The people have what they were clamoring for—a king, just like the Gentile nations (1st Samuel 8:5). And for this kingly duty he is to wipe out the Amalekites, man woman and child, for their attack against the people of Israel in Exodus 17. Kill all the people, kill all the cattle and all the sheep and all the goats, everything. And most of all kill their king. Wipe them all out for their attack on the people. But…

1st Samuel 15:7-9—7 And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. There is an old saying, that “partial obedience is disobedience”. But Saul didn’t see it that way. He thought he did good by keeping the choice stuff and the king alive, that they could be sacrificed to God. 1st Samuel 15:20-21—20 And Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal." “I obeyed, it was these people that didn’t!” Sounds familiar, doesn't it? "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate" (Genesis 3:12). “They said to me, 'Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him'” (Exodus 32:23). It’s always somebody else’s fault, isn’t it. We can’t take accountability for our own sins, we have to blame someone else.  And that is what Saul does here. It is his own fault and disobedience that the commands of God were not carried out to the fullest, but he blames others, showing that he was a weak-willed and people-pleasing king, instead of the king devoted to God that the people wanted and heeded. John Darby says:

Our excuses, even when true, only condemn us. Saul, not having faith, not looking to God, fears the people more than God. What a slave is the unbeliever! If not the slave of the enemy, he is that of the people whom he appears to govern. Saul, unfaithful to God in the midst of the people, and surrounded by blessings from Jehovah, is at length deprived of the kingdom. No humiliation, no brokenness of heart-he confesses his sin, hoping to avoid its punishment; but, unable to escape it, he entreats Samuel to honour him in spite of it. Samuel does so and then forsakes him. Everything changes now, and David appears on the scene.

And just as Moses was denied entrance into the Promised Land for his disobedience in striking the rock at Meribah-Kadesh (Numbers 20:11-12), so Saul would be removed as king over Israel because of his disobedience here. Obedience to God is no trifling thing. We should not be looking for loopholes when it comes to the things of God, for He is not as one who simply sees the outward things, but sees inside us. Yes it is true, as George Carlin said, that we believe in a God who “who watches everything you do, every minute of every day.” And he would have done well to believe in Him too, for he is now learning that that God is real, that He is not just some “man in the sky” who gives us a wink and a pat on the back when we disbelieve and think of Him as less than who He is. He is finding out that yes, that “man in the sky” will indeed “send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever 'til the end of time.” If one does not show Him the reverence He is due, that person will also learn that hard lesson.

Numbers 24:25—So Balaam rose and departed and returned to his place; Balak also went his way. This is not the last we read of Balaam.  In the next chapter we will see that although he did not pronounce a curse upon Israel, the people were their own worst enemy and fell into idolatry themselves. He did not need to curse them—they could do that themselves, thank you very much. When it says that Balaam rose and departed and returned to his place  it does not mean that Balaam went home. This is better rendered in the International Standard version as Then Balaam got up, returned to his country. For as we will see in Numbers 31, he took some of the Midianites and caused the people of Israel to commit idolatry against God. Keil and Delitzsch say:

It is possible, however, as Hengstenberg imagines, that after Balaam's departure from Balak, he took his way into the camp of the Israelites, and there made known his prophecies to Moses or to the elders of Israel, in the hope of obtaining from them the reward which Balak had withheld, and that it was not till after his failure to obtain full satisfaction to his ambition and covetousness here, that he went to the Midianites, to avenge himself upon the Israelites, by the proposals that he made to them. The objections made by Kurtz to this conjecture are not strong enough to prove that it is inadmissible, though the possibility of the thing does not involve either its probability or its certainty.

We will read more about that when we get there.

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Amen.