Numbers 24:10a Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam….
Balak wanted to curse the Israelites because he was afraid they would take over his land. Because he was afraid, he sought to control the situation, so he hired Balaam to curse the Israelites. At this point in Numbers 24, he had gone to tremendous expense (21 bulls and 21 rams) with nothing to show for his efforts. He knew the LORD was with the Israelites, he knew his efforts were defeated, and he “went on his way.”
Numbers 24:10b …He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them three times.”
These are definitely uncertain times in which we are living. There is much confusion and fear. The lesson I want to take from Balak and Balaam, from this section of Numbers, is NOT to allow my fear to make me try to take matters into my own hands in a vain attempt to exert control over a situation that brings me fear. These two have shown that doesn’t end well, and I know without a doubt Who is in control.
Numbers 24:11 “Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the LORD has kept you from being rewarded.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for lessons that are timely and directly applicable to my life. Thank You that You are loving and merciful, sovereign and in control. You are still on Your throne, Lord. Help me to trust You, to seek You, and not to be afraid. Draw me closer. Amen.
Numbers 24:25 Then Balaam got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.
Have a blessed day.
Observations and insights…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 23:3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet with me….
I wish I had wonderful words of wisdom on Numbers 23, but I don’t. I was thinking, “Even though Balaam was acting out of self-interest, God still spoke through him,” but commentary reminded me that God spoke through a donkey in Numbers 22. So in light of my utter inability to speak eloquently on Numbers 23, let me offer some observations instead.
Numbers 23:4-5 God met with him…. The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
1. This section of Numbers offers a shift in perspective. We were seeing how God was working in and through (and dealing with) the Israelites. Now we are looking at how He is dealing with outside forces against them. 2. He knows Balaam’s heart is not right. He could have reduced him to a pillar of salt. And yet, He chooses to speak to Balak through him. 3. Balaam was paid to curse the Israelites, but God will only let him bless them.
Numbers 23:11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the ability to make connections and gain insight from Your word, even when I don’t feel I have any earth-shattering revelations to add. Thank You that even when humans intend harm, You use it for good (Gen 50:20). Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 23:12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”
Have a blessed day.
Not My will…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 22:12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”
I was confused when I read this chapter initially. It seemed like God gave Balaam permission to do something and then got mad when he did, which made no sense, as God is not fickle nor irrational. Commentary helped me make sense of what I was reading. Balaam asked. God said no. Balaam was offered more money and REALLY wanted to say yes, so he asked again, and God said no. Again. But more money was offered, so Balaam asked a third time. God said, “Go but only say what I tell you.” His answer every time was very clear, yet Balaam kept asking, so He allowed Balaam to go, testing his faithfulness.
Numbers 22:16-17 They came to Balaam and said: “…Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, because I will reward you handsomely….”
I am reminded very clearly of Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Balaam is essentially advocating for the exact opposite: “I hear You tell me no, but I’m going to keep asking in hopes you’ll see things my way.”
Numbers 22:20 That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for these comparisons. Thank You for showing us the humble heart of Your servant Jesus, a heart worth emulating. Thank You also for showing us Balaam’s heart, which is selfish and self-serving. Help us to root out that side of ourselves and humble ourselves before You. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 22:21-22 Balaam… saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him.
Have a blessed day.
Removing barriers…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 21:4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to get to Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;
I have been dealing with pain and swelling in my foot for the past two months. Doctors are still trying to figure out what’s going on. It’s not the worse pain of my life, but it is a constant, dull pain, and after two months with no permanent relief, it’s definitely making me impatient.
Numbers 21:5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
God is certainly using the Israelites behavior to humble me at present. As quickly as I roll my eyes and heave a sigh at their whining yet again, I recognize that my behavior of late isn’t much different. I am frustrated and impatient, too. Help me, Jesus.
Numbers 21:6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for an honest look at my own behavior. Thank You that You are loving and merciful, that You would rather have my heart than vengeance for my whining and ungratefulness. Thank You for a clear look at what I need to address within myself to remove a barrier between us. Give me strength and grace to get over myself and draw closer to You. Amen.
Numbers 21:7 The people….said, “We have sinned against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away….”
Have a blessed day.
An honest look at personal flaws…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 20:7-8 The LORD said to Moses, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water….”
Skip down to verse 12 below. That one caught me off guard as I read Numbers 20. How was Moses disobedient? How did he show distrust? Where was the lack of honor? As usual, commentary helped me significantly.
Numbers 20:10 He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring water out of this rock?”
Moses approached the crowd with anger. Instead of a righteous anger, it was a self-righteousness, a “how dare you question me again?” anger. God told him to speak to the rock and it would put forth water. Moses DID speak to the rock. And then he struck it. Twice. Again, he let his anger get the better of him. That pride that he had been falsely accused of finally showed its face. And I’m guilty of similar transgressions. Just this week.
Numbers 20:11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this honest look at personal flaws. I know that anger and pride are issues for me. Help me not to let them cause me to be disobedient or disrespectful to You. I don’t want anything to come between us, Lord, especially my flaws. Draw me closer. Amen.
Numbers 20:12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in Me enough to honor Me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
Have a blessed day.
Seeking to come clean…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 19:1-2 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: “This is a requirement of the law that the LORD has commanded….”
In Numbers 19 as in others chapters, commentary talks about the public health nature of many of the cleanliness guidelines in the Bible. With concern over the coronavirus at a fevered pitch, I can certainly appreciate the public health aspect of Numbers 19 in an entirely different way.
Numbers 19:9 “A man who is clean shall gather up the ashes….They are to be kept…for use in the water of cleansing….”
But these measures are not just about public health concerns. They are also about approaching the meeting place of God in such a way that respects who He is. He is God. When we go to His house, we wouldn’t dream of showing up caked in mud, but we should also have a heart that seeks Him and seeks to come clean with Him.
Numbers 19:11 “Whoever touches a human corpse will be unclean for seven days.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that You are sovereign and holy and that the spirit in which we approach You is critical. Help us to come clean with You, to be honest with You, in all areas of our lives. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 19:20 “But if those who are unclean do not purify themselves, they must be cut off from the community, because they have defiled the sanctuary of the LORD….
Have a blessed day.
Everything I have is yours…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 18:7 …I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift….
In Numbers 18, God shows the priests and Levites that the priesthood is a gift. By virtue of their office and service to God, God gives them access to the gifts given to Him. Much is asked of them, but He gives them much in return.
Numbers 18:9 You are to have the part of the most holy offerings that is kept from the fire…
Numbers 18 puts me in mind of the story of the prodigal son. When the prodigal returns, the father kills the fattened calf to celebrate, and the older son, the one who remained faithful, is jealous. But the father says, “My son…you are always with me, and everything I have is yours” (Luke 15:31). Being in God’s presence is a gift and allows us access to Him—His love, mercy, grace—for longer than just a single celebration.
Numbers 18:12 “I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the LORD as the first fruits of their harvest.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that to be in a loving relationship with You is a precious gift, which grants us access to Your throne, Your presence, Your mercy. Help us to live as children of the One True King. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 18:14 “Everything in Israel that is devoted to the LORD is yours.”
Have a blessed day.
Nothing is too hard…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 17:1-2 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and get twelve staffs from them, one from the leader of each of their ancestral tribes.”
The Lord not only made dead wood bud in this chapter, a feat in and of itself, but he took a staff, dead wood, and made it sprout, bud, blossom, AND produce almonds. He brought forth life from death. This chapter brought to mind Jeremiah 32:17 “Ah, Sovereign LORD, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You.”
Numbers 17:5 “The staff belonging to the man I choose will sprout, and I will rid myself of this constant grumbling against you by the Israelites.”
“Nothing is too hard for You.” I say it. I see it. But do I really live that belief? When I think about all that I am praying about, praying for, worrying about, do I put the trust in God that I profess? Do I leave my burdens at His feet, in His care, not worrying about the outcome because I know without a doubt that NOTHING is too hard for Him?
Numbers 17:7 Moses placed the staffs before the LORD in the tent of the covenant law.
Precious Savior, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder of Your sovereignty. You know my heart, Lord. You know that I trust You, that I believe You, that I believe IN You. I don’t know why I struggle so to leave my burdens at Your feet but I KNOW I can trust You with them. “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Amen.
Numbers 17:8 The next day Moses entered the tent and saw that Aaron’s staff, which represented the tribe of Levi, had not only sprouted but had budded, blossomed and produced almonds.
Have a blessed day.
The example of Moses…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 16:4 When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.
Moses is being attacked again. Once again he is being accused of pride, of assuming a position of authority that isn’t his to claim. Once again, he takes it to God, falling facedown in prayer at the accusation. Prayer is an excellent response to such situations.
Numbers 16:20-21 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Separate yourselves from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.”
But Moses, who has come so far in being a godly man, doesn’t stop there. Once again, even when God makes it clear that He is with Moses, Moses prays for those who are persecuting him. Moses not only recognizes that he is a deeply loved child of God, but he is living the security of that love by praying, in the middle of his persecution, for those who are persecuting him.
Numbers 16:22 But Moses and Aaron fell facedown and cried out, “O God, the God who gives breath to all living things, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the example of Moses. Thank You for Your deep, fierce love of Your children, and for the fact that, when we accept and live out that status of beloved child, we can pray for others on an entirely different level. Help us, Lord. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 16:44-45 …the LORD said to Moses, “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown.
Have a blessed day.
A way to move forward…. (devo reflection)
Numbers 15:1-2 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘After you enter the land I am giving you as a home….’”
Numbers 15, to me, seems to be about forgiveness. God was so angry with the Israelites and their whining and disobedience in Numbers 14 that He was ready to wipe them all out and start over with Moses. So Numbers 15 seems to be a way to move forward.
Numbers 15:17-18 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land to which I am taking you….’”
In both of the passages above, God reminds the Israelites that they WILL see the Promised Land as a people. He hasn’t cut them off completely, though not all will be allowed into the Promised Land. He hasn’t turned His back on them and left them to their own devices. In the passage below, He reminds them that He will continue to be with them “Throughout the generations to come.” Thank You, Lord.
Numbers 15:37-38 The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: Throughout the generations to come….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Your forgiveness. Thank You for not turning Your back on Your people. Thank You for Your fierce love and fathomless mercy. Draw us closer. Amen.
Numbers 15:41 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.
Have a blessed day.