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Bible
Doctrine
Study Guides
Numbers
Chapter
23
1~~Then
Balaam said to Balak,
"Build
me here seven altars,
and
prepare me here seven oxen/bulls and seven rams."
{a front - designed to impress!}
2~~And
Balak did just as Balaam had spoken.
{The King did just as Balaam said - Balaam is feeling his power!}
And
Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3~~
And Balaam said to Balak,
"You
stand by your burnt offering,
and
I will go perhaps Jehovah/God will come to meet me
and
whatsoever He shows me I will tell you."
And
he went to a bare hill
{a sub-hill from the place where the offerings were made}.
4~~Now
God met Balaam and he said unto Him
{mouth opened - should be EARS open!},
"I
have prepared seven altars,
and
I have offered up a bull and a ram on each alter."
5~~And
Jehovah/God put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said,
"Return
to Balak, and this is what you will speak."
6~~And
he returned unto him, and, behold,
he
stood by his burnt sacrifice,
he,
and all the princes of Moab.
7~~And
he took up his discourse {actually gave a simile},
and
he said,
"From
Aram {Syria} Balak has brought me.
Moab's
king, from the mountains of the east.
'Come,
curse . . . Jacob for me.
And
come . . . denounce Israel.' "
{Note:
In the original this simile is a 'rhythm rhyme' piece of poetry.
Jacob - Jews out of fellowship. Israel - Jews in fellowship.}
{Overruling
Will of God}
8~~"How
shall I curse, whom God has not cursed?
How
can I denounce, whom Jehovah/God has not denounced?"
9~~
"As I see him {Israel} from the top of the rocks and I see Him
from the hills . . .
BEHOLD
a people who dwell apart {first client nation to God}
and
shall not be reckoned among the {Gentile} nations."
10~~"Who
can count the dust of Jacob
or
number of the fourth part of Israel?
Let
me die the death of the upright/righteous,
and
let my end be like this!"
{Note:
God had him say this because where Balak took Balaam he could only
see a fourth of the people - shocks Balak! The last part says 'and
let me be numbered with them in their righteousness - God is still
having Balaam say this.}
{Overruling
will of God - Verses 11-12}
11~~Then
Balak said to Balaam,
"What
have you done to me?
I
took you to curse mine enemies, but, behold,
you
have actually blessed them."
12~~
And he {Balaam} answered and said,
"Must
I be careful to speak what Jehovah/God puts in my mouth?"
{Note:
Second mountain Pisgah (where Moses will later check off) Verse 13-27}
13~~And
Balak said unto him,
"Please
come with me to another place, from where you may see them.
You
will see but the utmost part of them, and will not see them all.
And
you curse them for me from there."
14~~
And he took him into the field of Zophim {high plateau},
to
the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars,
and
offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15~~
And he said unto Balak,
"You
stand here by your burnt offering,
while
I myself go and meet Jehovah/God yonder."
16~~
And Jehovah/God met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said,
"Go
again unto Balak, and you will speak as mandated!"
17~~
And when he came to him, behold,
he
stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him.
And
Balak said unto him, "What has Jehovah/God spoken?"
18~~And
he took up his simile, and said,
"Arise,
oh Balak, and hear;
Give
ear to me oh son of Zippor."
{Note:
More of the poem from earlier}
19~~"God
is NOT a man . . . that He should lie!
Nor
the son of man, that He should change His mind!
He
has said {made a promise},
and
he will do it! Has he spoken?
And
will He not make it good? "
20~~"
Behold, I have received a command to bless.
When
He has blessed, I cannot reverse it."
21~~"He
has not observed misfortune/iniquity in Jacob,
nor
has He seen trouble in Israel.
{Nothing to spank them for at the moment}.
Jehovah/God
His God is with him {Israel},
and
the shout of a king is among them."
{At this time they recognize GOD as KING -
Jehovah/God of Israel!}
22~~"God
brings them out of Egypt {His faithfulness}.
He
is for them like the horns of a "cape buffalo" (sp)
{one of the most dangerous of all Game}."
23~~"For
there is no omen against Jacob
{I can not curse them!},
nor
is there any divination against Israel
{enchantments etc.}.
At
the proper time, it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel,
what
God has done!
{even the Jews of the day did not know
all that God had done for them.}
24~~"Behold,
the people rises like lioness {the female lion},
and
it shall not lie down until it devours the prey,
and
drinks the blood of the slain."
{Note:
The lioness is an analogy for the Jewish Military. She does all the
hard work. She provides the food and does the work. The male lion is
lazy and just goes over and eats what SHE provides!}
25~~
And Balak said unto Balaam,
"Do
not curse them at all, nor bless them at all!
{STOP STOP STOP!}."
26~~But
Balaam answered and said to Balak,
"Did
I not tell you, saying,
'All
that Jehovah/God speaks,
that
I must do?' "
{Next
try!}
27~~Then
Balak said to Balaam,
"Please
come, I will take you to another place,
perhaps
it will be agreeable to God
that
you may curse them for me from there."
28~~So
Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor,
which
over looks the entire area
{desert - from here Balaam can see ALL of Israel -
plain of Moab below.}.
29~~And
Balaam said to Balak,
"Build
me seven altars,
and
prepare me seven bulls and seven rams."
30~~And
Balak did as Balaam had said,
and
offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
{Note:
Again this is all ritual without reality and none of it is 'pleasing
to God'.}
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