Our reading picks up today in the middle of the Balak and Balaam sequence – just after one talking ass leaves the stage and before another has a chance to speak. Remember the questions I left you with yesterday: Is Balaam a mercenary or a righteous man trying to do right? Will the LORD allow him to complete his paying mission to curse the Israelites, or will he truly be able to speak only what the LORD wants him to?

As with many things in this story, the Balak and Balaam interaction has three acts. In the first two, seven altars are erected and sacrifices made. Balaam steps away to do his divining stuff and it says the LORD “met him, and put a word in his mouth.” Balaam returns, before Balak and the princes of Moab, and declares blessing, not curse, over the Israelites. “Did I not tell you,” he protests to the enraged King of Moab, “All the LORD says, I must do?”

The story turns to a conclusion at the beginning of chapter 24. “when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness…and the Spirit of God came upon him…” Listen as the promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob of land and blessing are re-proclaimed in the mouth of this foreign prophet.

But as we turn the page to chapter 25, you’ll find that the children of Israel have not used their time well on the plains of Moab. The text boldly strikes at those who not only chased after the Moabite women, but bowed down to their gods. We get our first introduction here to Baal, the Canaanite fertility god – which will be such a snare to Israel in coming centuries. The author again uses singular language to describe both how “Israel yoked himself to the Baal of Peor” and how the LORD’s anger kindled against him.

Moses, along with Aaron’s grandson, Phinehas, again must take up the sword against his own people in order to turn away the LORD’s wrath. Consider the LORD’s use of the word “jealousy” as He commends Phinehas for his actions.

Our verse for this week is 1 Corinthians 10:4: “And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

Numbers chapters 23 through 25. Now let’s read it!

Day 52 Guided Podcast