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001

Numbers

Chapter 22

{Note: Chapter 22 ties in with Revelation Chapter 2 Verse 14}

1~~Then the sons/citizens of Israel journeyed
and camped in the plains of Moab beyond Jordan opposite Jericho.

2~~And Balak
  {king of both the Moab and the Middinites}
the son of Zippor
saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

{Note: Balak is seeing the biggest bivouac he has ever seen! The Amorites drove out the Moabs and then Israel beat up on the Moabs! So Balak is 'not happy'!}

3~~And Moab was in great fear because of the people . . .
because they were numerous . . .
and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.

4~~ And Moab said unto the elders of Midian {these are Arab Princes},
"Now this assembly will lick up all who are round about us,
as the ox licks up the grass of the field
  {idiom for the Israelites will defeat them}".

And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

5~~ So, he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor . . .
which is near the river
  {Euphrates in Northern Syria}
in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying,
"Behold, the people came out from Egypt {Jewish Exodus}.

Behold, they cover the surface of the land . . .
they are living opposite me."

{Note: 'Balaam' means 'destroyer of the people'. Beor means the one who destroys by burning them up. The area of Pethor was the center of the Babylonian Magi at this time - where Daniel would be from later. Many races of people were here. Balaam had a business - "we curse people, cities or nations" and was the best and very rich! But Balaam was a believer and somewhat followed His will.}

6~~"Therefore, please come, curse this people for me . . .
for they are too mighty for me.

Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land.

For I know that he whom you bless is blessed,
and he whom you curse is cursed."

7~~So the elders and princes of Moab and the princes of Midian
departed with the fees for divination in their hand;
and they came unto Balaam, and repeated Balak's words to him.

8~~And he said to them, "Spend the night here,
and I will bring word back to you,
as Jehovah/God may speak to me."

And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.

{Will of God verses 9-11}
9~~And God came to Balaam, and said,
"What men are these with you"?
  {He knows very well . . . He wants Balaam to explain.}

{Note: Three principles on the will of God to Balaam here:
  1. Directive Will of God - 'you will not go'.

  2. Permissive Will of God - God can not/refuses to coerce
  human volition (His Integrity - but he does discipline any
  disobedience to his will).

  3. Overruling Will of God - Balaam will never be permitted to
  curse Israel.}

10-11~~Then Balaam said to God,
"Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab,
has sent word to me saying, 11~~
"Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt,
which covers the face of the earth.

Come now, curse me them.

Perhaps I may be able to overcome them, and drive them out."

12~~And God said to Balaam,
"Do not go with them.

You will not curse these people . . .
for they are blessed."
  {Directive Will of God - at this time, the only one to curse Israel
  was God himself. Principal - there is no way an outside force can
  defeat the client nation to God. They can ONLY destroy
  themselves from within - lack of a pivot of believers.}

13~~So Balaam rose up in the morning,
and said unto the princes of Balak,
"Go back to your land,
for Jehovah/God has refused for me to go with you."
  {Balaam fulfilling the will of God - he had enough doctrine to know
  he could not get away with defying God.}

14~~And the princes of Moab arose,
and they went unto Balak, and reported,
"Balaam has refused to come with us."

15~~Then Balak sent again princes,
more numerous and more distinguished than the former ones."

16-17~~And they came to Balaam, and said to him,
"Thus said Balak the son of Zippor,
Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me, 17~~
for I will indeed honor you richly
  {i.e. doubled the fee!}
and I will do what ever you say to me
  {power added to the wealth!} . . .
please come then, curse this people for me."

18~~And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak,
"Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold,
I could not do anything either small or great contrary
to the command of Jehovah/God my 'Elohiym/Godhead."
  {a believer under restraint}
 
19~~"Now also, please, you also stay here tonight,
that I will find out what else Jehovah/God will speak to me."
  {Let me try to work out a way! He could pass on just money,
  but add to twice the money . . . power and, in this case,
  lots of sex, sex and sex (Phallic cult people)
  and that was too much for Balaam to ignore!}

20~~And God came to Balaam at night, and said unto him,
"If the men come to call you, rise up, and go with them . . .
but only the word which I will speak to you, will you do."
  {Permissive will of God}

{Verses 21-35 Balaam gets 3 warnings. God, from His Love,
  warns all of us in the cosmic system FIRST if we are headed
  for the sin unto death}
21~~And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass/donkey,
and went with the princes of Moab.
  {Divorcing himself from reality}

22~~And God's anger {anthropopathism} because he was going.

And the angel of Jehovah/God {Jesus Christ}
stood in the way as an enemy against him.

Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

{Note: An anthropopathism is ascribing to God 'human characteristics' in order to explain to the limited mentality of man the divine attitude - God does not 'get angry'.}

{Note: Jesus used the form of an angel in the Old Testament to reveal himself - a Theophany.}

23~~And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah/God standing in the way,
with a drawn sword in His hand.

And the ass backed off from the way, and went into the field.

But Balaam struck the ass, to turn her back into the way.
  {Balaam's first warning - his favorite ass is trying to protect him
  but he ignores his good animal.}

24~~Then the angel of Jehovah/God stood in the narrow path of the vineyards . . .
with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.
25~~And when the ass saw the angel of Jehovah/God,
she pressed herself against the wall,
and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall
so he struck her again.
  {second warning}

26~~And the angel of Jehovah/God went further,
and stood in a narrow place,
where was no way to turn to the right hand or to the left.

27~~And when the ass saw the angel of Jehovah/God,
she laid down under Balaam.

And Balaam was angry and struck the ass with a stick.

28~~And Jehovah/God opened the mouth of the ass,
and she said unto Balaam,
"What have I done to you,
that you have struck me down these three times?"

{Note: Even an 'ASS' can preach a sermon! And in times of cosmic degeneracy, people will only listen to an ass! Ha ha ha!}

29~~And Balaam said to the ass,
"Because you have make mockery of me.

If there had been a sword in my hand I would have killed you by now!"

30~~ And the ass said unto Balaam,
"Am not I your ass, on which you have ridden all your life to this day?

Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you before?"

And he said, "No."

31~~Then Jehovah/God opened the eyes of Balaam,
and he saw the angel of Jehovah/God standing in the way . . .
with His drawn sword in His hand.

And he bowed flat to the ground his head, and fell flat on his face.

32~~And the angel of Jehovah/God said unto him,
"Why have you struck your ass these three times?

BEHOLD, I have come out as your enemy,
because your way is against Me."

33~~"But the ass saw Me,
and turned aside from Me these three times . . .
if she had not turned aside from Me,
I would have surely killed you just now and let her live."
  {Your faithful animal saved your life three times!}

{Rebound verse- back in fellowship}
34~~ And Balaam said to the angel of Jehovah/God {Jesus Christ},
I have sinned {rebound} . . .
for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me.

Now then if it is pleasing to You, I will turn back."
  {back in fellowship - wants to do the will of Jehovah/God}

35~~But the angel of Jehovah/God said to Balaam,
"Go with the men, but you will speak only the word
that I will tell you to speak."

So Balaam went along with the princes of Balak.

{Note: Permissive will of God used to advance the Will of God.}

36~~When Balak heard that Balaam was coming,
he went out to meet him at the city of Moab,
which is on the border of Arnon,
which is at the extreme end of the border.

37~~Then Balak said to Balaam,
"Did I not earnestly send to you to call you?

Why did you not come to me?

Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?"

{Note: Arrogance - why bring this up! He is there now!}

38~~And Balaam said to Balak,
"Behold, I am come to you now.

Am I able to speak anything at all?

The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak."

{Note: Cosmic believer - if all goes well HE gets the credit. If it fails it is God's fault!}

39~~And Balaam went with Balak,
and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth.

40~~And Balak offered oxen and sheep,
and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.

41~~ And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam,
and brought him up into the high places of Baal
  {where they worship Baal as part of the Phallic Cult},
that there he might see the utmost part of the people
  {the Israelites}.

{Note: Baal is the same as 'Curios' it means Jehovah/God. Baal was the chief god of the Caninites (sp). His is the son of 'El' the Father of the Gods and comparable to Zeus or Jupiter - the Satanic counterfeit for the Father and the Son. From this viewpoint, Balaam would only see the 'rear guard' of the Israelites - a shrewd move on Balak's part so Balaam would not be scared away!}