Video teaching coming soon
There is no online teaching for this study yet, but the written notes and any available study resources are still below.
These are the original teaching notes from this passage.
Review…
- Numbers 1-12 – Organize the Children of Israel to travel / Journey to the Promised Land…
- Numbers 13-16 – Refusing to enter the Promised Land / Rebellion of Korah…
- Numbers 17-19 – Rod of Aaron / The role of the Priests-Levites / Red heifer…
- Numbers 20-21 – The 40th year…
- Israel arrived at Kadesh – the same place where they had sent out the 12 spies!
- Only the first 3 years of the wandering are recorded for us in chapters 15-19…
- Between the end of chapter 19 and the start of chapter 20 ~ 37 years elapsed…
- It is now the 40th year – most who were over 20 had died – including Miriam Moses sister…
- There was no water – so God commanded Moses to speak to the Rock…
- Instead Moses struck the Rock – misrepresenting God to the people…
- Because of this one mistake – Moses was forbidden to enter into the Promised Land…
- Aaron also was not allowed to enter – died there on the border – Eliezar became High Priest
- Rejected by their relatives the Edomites – Israel had to travel the long way around…
- There was no food or water – Israel complained – God sent deadly serpents…
- Israel repented – Moses set up a bronze serpent – if they looked to it they would live
- Israel arrived at the Eastern border of the Land…
- They conquered and wiped out King Sihon of Amorites and King Og of Bashan
- Possessing the Land east of the Jordan from the Dead Sea – to Mt. Hermon!
- Israel arrived at Kadesh – the same place where they had sent out the 12 spies!
Obedient to the Lord… (4 things)
- 1st – The fear of Moab… vs. 1-4 Read Numbers 22:1-21
- The children of Israel were camped opposite from Jericho – on the plains of Moab…
- This is the final camp of Israel before crossing over into the Promised Land…
- Their next stop would be to cross the Jordan River and attack the city of Jericho…
- But it would be several months before they were ready to begin the conquest…
- Moses still had to recite the Law to them for a 2nd time – Deuteronomy (the 2nd telling)…
- Then Moses would climb up Mt. Nebo and die – Joshua would lead Israel into the Land!
- The Moabites…
- The Moabites were close relatives to the Children of Israel…
- Lot was the nephew of Abraham – compromised and moved to the city of Sodom…
- When God rained down fire and brimstone on the wicked city – Genesis 19
- Lot and his two youngest daughters hid from the devastation in the mountains…
- The daughters apparently believed that everyone had perished in the destruction
- Morally corrupted by living in Sodom – their solution was to get pregnant by their father
- On two different nights they got Lot drunk – he did not know what happened…
- The younger gave birth to a son/brother – Ben-Ammi – father of the Ammonites
- The older gave birth to a son/brother – Moab – father of the Moabites
- Now over 400 years later they had lost all knowledge of the God…
- A consequence of living for the world – sacrificing our kids to the world…
- Perhaps not as bluntly as Lot – but as we live in the world our children watch…
- If we are living for the world – then they will follow our example…
- Do our kids see us always caught up in the care of this world…
- Do they see us living our lives for Jesus – just on Sunday – or every day
- The Moabites were sick with fear…
- They saw the millions of Israel filling their plain – a vast and powerful army…
- They saw what Israel did to King Sihon and King Og (nations mightier than Moab)…
- They had heard what the God of Israel had done to the Egyptians…
- The 10 plagues that had brought the world’s first super power to their knees…
- The greatest powers of man – were nothing compared to the power of the Lord…
- * Psalms 20:7 – “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”
- We tend to look to man for help – money / resources / answers to our problems…
- It’s easer to trust in someone we can touch and see – then to trust in God…
- The problem is men are limited – and can’t always help…
- Men have limited abilities and resources – only God has limitless!
- Moab knew they were next…
- Israel will eat us up just as easily as a cow chews the grass of the field…
- In other words – Israel was going to ‘mo them down’ – they did not stand a chance!
- They united with Midian (the same tribe Moses had married into) against Israel…
- But they did not try to come at Israel militarily – they knew they were no match…
- Greater nations than them had already fallen to the strength of these former slaves…
- Instead they wanted to curse Israel – get God to turn His back on His people…
- God will never turn His back on us – He will always be there to fight for us!
- And with God on our side there is nothing that can come against us – Romans 8:31
- But satan is smart – he knows he cannot directly come against God’s people…
- Instead he tries to get us to compromise our walk with the Lord…
- If satan can trip us up with sin – he can get us to turn our back on the Lord!
- 2nd – Balaam son of Beor… vs. 5-21
- A prophet of God… vs. 5-6
- The king of Moab – Balak (devastator) – sent messengers to the prophet Balaam…
- Apparently Balaam had the ‘power’ to bless or curse people…
- If Balaam could curse Israel – Balak might be able to militarily defeat them!
- A non-Jewish prophet…
- Balaam is one of only a handful of non-Jewish prophets in the Old Testament…
- Also included are Job / Enoch / and Noah (all who lived before Abraham – 1st Jew)…
- But there is no doubt Balaam both knew the Lord – and that the Lord spoke to him…
- Balaam even referred to God by his true name – vs. 8 – Yahweh!
- The Old Testament focuses solely on the history of Israel – no the whole world…
- The reason is because Jesus came from the Jews – and the Bible is about Jesus!
- That does not mean God was not working in other nations – Balaam is an example…
- God does not want anyone to perish – from the beginning loved the whole world!
- John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…”
- The 1st answer of Balaam… vs. 7-14
- The messengers from Balak came and offered Balaam a diviner’s fee (bribe)…
- Balaam had them spend the night so he could inquire from the Lord…
- God told Balaam – ‘you will not go with these men – curse Israel – they are blessed!’
- So Balaam sent the men back to Balak – obeying the command of the Lord…
- I have met people who live in fear of curses – look for people to bless them…
- Yet the blessing in life don’t come from a person – they come from knowing the Lord…
- And when we know the Lord – we have nothing to fear from the curses of men!
- The 2nd answer of Balaam… vs. 15-21
- Balak sent back more prominent officials (he went from mayors to congressmen)…
- Offering much more money – much more honor – anything if Balaam would come…
- Balaam wisely answered – ‘you could offer me a house full of silver and gold’…
- ‘I could not go beyond the Word of Lord – to do more or less’…
- Satan does not waste his efforts – if he can get us to reject God for 20 pesos he will…
- But if we refuse to compromise – he will put grander temptations before us…
- Bembem was praying about helping – jobs offers came rolling…
- Satan is always looking to see if we have a price – what will we sell out for…
- But in truth there is nothing in this world worth more than our salvation!
- Mark 8:36 – “How do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul…”
- Balaam had them spend the night – so he could ‘re-inquire’ of the Lord…
- One has to question why Balaam needed to re-inquire – God doesn’t change His mind
- More likely Balaam was thinking about the ‘reward’ he had been offered…
- Hoping maybe – just maybe – God might reconsider and let him go…
- And God did let Balaam go – but be careful to say only what God told him!
- When I was a kid – I learned quickly if I did not like an answer Dad gave – ask Mom…
- Trying to manipulate my parents to get the answer that I wanted…
- I did not understand they were far wiser than I was – had a good reason to say no
- When God gives us an answer we don’t like – we might want to ask again…
- Thinking maybe if we ask on a different day / with different words – He’ll say yes…
- What we miss is God is a whole lot wiser than we are – and says no for good reasons!
- I knew a man who asked God to give him a beautiful woman he knew as his wife…
- God said no – and the man was VERY disappointed – kept asking to no avail…
- Many years later (married to a different woman) he met the woman again…
- The moment he saw her – THANK YOU JESUS – she was no longer a beautiful woman!
- God will never keep anything from us that would be a blessing to us…
- But He will keep us from things we want – that He knows will harm us!
- 3rd – A talking donkey… vs. 22-35 Read Numbers 22:22-35
- The anger of the Lord… vs. 22…
- No sooner had Balaam set out for Moab – than God’s anger kindled against Balaam…
- God sent an Angel of the Lord to kill Balaam along the road!
- This might seem like a contradiction – God said Balaam could go…
- But God only allowed Balaam to do what he wanted – and there were consequences…
- God is a gentleman – He will never force us to do anything – He gives us free will…
- If we insist we want to disobey the Lord – He will let us…
- We must not mistake our freedom – as God’s approval of our choices…
- When we disobey the Lord – we open ourselves up to the consequences of our sin!
- God can use a donkey – three close calls…. vs. 23-30
- Balaam’s donkey saw the Angel on the road (Balaam could not see the Angel)…
- So the donkey swerved into a field to avoid the Angel – Balaam beat the donkey…
- The Angel came again – stood at a narrow point between two vineyards…
- The donkey pressed up against a wall to squeeze by – Balaam beat the donkey…
- The Angel came a 3rd time – positioned himself so there was no way around…
- The donkey saw the Angel – sat down refusing to move – Balaam beat the donkey…
- The Lord opened the mouth of the Donkey…
- The donkey asked – ‘What have I done to you so that you beat me these 3 times?’
- Balaam yelled back – ‘If I had a sword in my hand I would kill you!’
- The donkey answered – ‘Have I not always been a good donkey to you?’
- Balaam acknowledged he had been a good donkey – then God opened his eyes…
- What is most amazing is not that a donkey talked – it’s that Balaam argued back!
- So often we limit what God does in our lives…
- We look at our abilities – our gifts – and think how could God use us…
- If God can use a stubborn donkey – He can use any of us for His work…
- If God can open the mouth of a donkey to speak – He can speak through us!
- Speak ONLY the word I speak to you… vs. 31-35
- Balaam saw the Angel with sword drawn ready to strike him on the road…
- He was sent because Balaam had perverted/twisted the Lord’s word…
- Balaam had twisted his mind to convince himself he was ‘obeying the Lord’…
- But in reality he was only following his greedy selfish desires…
- We can justify anything in life – any choice we make – if we want to…
- I was not gossiping – I was letting them know so they could pray…
- I was not steeling – I was just borrowing and will return it soon…
- We are not forgiven by our twisted justification – we will be judged by God’s Word!
- If it displeases you – I will go back…
- There should have been no question the Lord was not happen with Balaam…
- He had just tried to kill him three times with an Angel from the Lord!
- Yet Balaam was so determined to get his ‘reward’ he still wanted to go…
- So he was told again to go with them men – but only say what God told him to say…
- If we insist on going forward in the sin in our lives – He will let us…
- If you hit your head against a wall – it hurts / but some of us don’t learn the 1st time…
- We have to hit our head against the wall of sin many times before we learn…
- The Lord is very patient with us – hoping eventually we will learn our lesson…
- 4th – I have no power of my own… vs. 36-38
- Balak the King of Moab came out to meet Balaam…
- Balak questioned why Balaam had hesitated to come – was the reward not good enough
- The world around us will always be quick to question our choices…
- Why would you listen to the Lord – don’t know you how much the world has to offer…
- When Jen was serving at an orphanage – many told her she was wasting her life…
- But the world can only offer us a cheep imitation of the riches God has planned for us!
- Balaam told the King – ‘I have not power to bless or curse’…
- All Balaam could do was repeat what the Lord had told him to say…
- So Balak took him up to the high places of Baal – pagan god of the Moabites…
- From there they could see the whole camp of Israel…