Numbers 1-8
Numbers 9-12
Numbers 13-14
Numbers 15-17
Numbers 18-21
Numbers 22-24
Numbers 25-27
Numbers 28-31
Numbers 32-36

(Please read the scripture that accompanies this study.  In this on-line Bible study, we cover bits and pieces of information contained in the scripture, but there are so many topics that are not covered.  Don’t miss a blessing, read God’s word! )

Mom and Dad:  “Hey, let’s go to the state park today!”
Kids:  “Yippee!!! Let’s go!”
Mom and Dad:  “First, we need to get ready for the trip!  We’ll need to pack a picnic lunch and take lots of water.  We’ll need our bathing suits, towels and sunscreen.  And don’t forget to pack your walking shoes for the trails!  Oh, and bring the camera.  We don’t want to miss a photo opportunity at the state park!”

Oh, the fun of preparing for a trip.  It’s always so much more fun packing for the trip than it is unpacking when you return home, isn’t it.  I have a friend that I love to travel with – she prepares for the trip weeks in advance, not missing a single detail. Then she prepares for the return home, making sure that all of the clothes are clean and packed in suitcases so that when she gets home, everyone can unpack their own bags and it’s over and done.  She knows how to prepare for a trip!

In the book of Numbers, we read about the preparation of the Israelites to enter the Promised Land, Canaan.  Canaan is what is known today as Israel.  Moses wrote the book of Numbers for the time period covering around 1444-1406 B.C.  Canaan was the land that God gave to Abraham in Genesis 17:8,  “The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you, and I will be their God.”   In Genesis 42, when Joseph was in charge of the food stores in Egypt, a famine struck the land.  Joseph’s father, Jacob (Israel), and his family left Canaan and moved to Egypt in order to have food.   God promised to one day return the Israelites to the land of Canaan, and to honor the covenant He had made with Abraham in Genesis 17.  The preparation to enter the Promised Land was actually the Israelite’s return trip home, approximately 400 years later.

As the book of Numbers began, the Israelites were in the Sinai desert, making preparations to enter the Promised Land (Canaan).  They had celebrated their one-year anniversary of freedom from slavery in Egypt; they had received God’s law and standards for living and worshipping, and now God was going to lead them into Canaan.

Moses was a planner and did as the Lord told him.  The first order of preparation was to take a census of the people, so that the people could be counted and ordered.  The census helped Moses determine the number of fighting men available for their military strength and the amount of land each tribe would need for their families when they reached the Promised Land.

There were twelve tribes of Israel, each one representing one of the twelve children of Israel (Jacob).  Moses was to count and record the number of men age 20 and above within each tribe.  The census results were as follows:

After the census was taken, it was determined that there were 603,550 men age 20 and above.  This did not include the Levites, women or children.  The total population must have been more than two million Israelites.

The Levites were not included in the census because their duties were to care for the tabernacle of the Testimony, not to fight in the military.  *At the time of the first Passover, God instructed every Israelite family to dedicate its firstborn son to Him.  They were set apart to assist Moses and Aaron in ministering to the people.  This was only a temporary measure.  In Numbers, God chose all the men from the tribe of Levi to replace the firstborn sons from every Israelite tribe.  The Levites were set apart to care for the tabernacle and minister to the people. 

Preparations were also made regarding the arrangement of the tribal camps, the role of the Levites in caring for the tabernacle, and the purity of the camp.  I imagine that when you travel with an excess of two million people, you have to be organized and clear about the responsibilities of each individual and each family. 

God knew the Israelites from the inside out, so He gave them guidelines for dealing with problems and difficult situations and for consecrating themselves to Him.  He instituted the Nazirite vow for people who wanted to devote some time exclusively to serving Him.  *This vow could be taken for as little as 30 days or as long as a lifetime.  It was voluntary, with one exception – parents could take the vow for their young children, making them Nazirites for life.  The vow included three restrictions:  1) he must abstain from wine and fermented drink; 2) his hair could not be cut and his beard could not be shaved; 3) touching a dead body was prohibited. 

The purpose of the Nazirite vow was to raise up a group of leaders devoted completely to God.  In our future reading, we will read about several men who were Nazirites from birth:  Samson, Samuel and John the Baptist.

I will close with this blessing for you, found in Numbers 6:24-26. This is a blessing that you can say out loud for your family and friends:

Mom and Dad:  “Okay kids.  Let’s get in the car and head for the state park.  Oh, I think I forgot to mention – the state park we’re going to visit is several hours away.  Just sit back and enjoy the ride, and  I don’t want to hear any grumbling!”

(*Zondervan Life Application Study Bible).
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In our study of Numbers 1-8, the Israelites began preparing for their journey into the Promised Land (Canaan).  Their journey took place before roadmaps were invented.  They counted on God day in and day out to direct their path and show them the way into the Promised Land.  In a spiritual sense, we still look to God in the same way – to provide direction for us in life’s journey, step by step, until we enter our Promised Land, which is Heaven.  The Lord provided direction for the Israelites as described in Numbers 9:17, 23, “When the cloud lifted from above the Tent of the Testimony, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped … At the Lord’s command they encamped and at the Lord’s command, they set out.”  The Lord was their Roadmap and Guide; their Provider and Protector.

Kids: “Are we there yet?  How much longer?  This is boring!  We don’t have anything to do!  I’m hungry.  I’m thirsty.  I hate cars!  I hate riding for hours!”

Mom: “We’ve only been on the road for ten minutes.  Why don’t you sit back and read one of the books you brought?  We’ll stop and have a break in about an hour.”

Now that the Israelites had begun their journey to the Promised Land, they began to complain like a carload of spoiled children.  They complained to each other about their hardships, they complained because all they had to eat was bread and they wanted meat.  They complained to each other, thus stirring up more and more negativity among the people.  Have you ever noticed that negativity produces negativity?  Misery loves company, and the more you complain, the deeper you go into your pit of despair dragging others in with you.  Even grown adults can act like spoiled children when disappointed or inconvenienced!  That was true during the time of Moses and today.

My sister has a cockatiel (bird) named Mokey.  At night, she takes Mokey out of his cage and he perches on her finger.  Vicki rubs the feathers on top of Mokey’s head and says, “spoiled baby” and Mokey repeats it, “spoiled baby, spoiled baby”.  I laugh every time I think of Mokey calling himself a  ‘spoiled baby’.  At times in my life when disappointments or hardships have come and I have wanted to withdraw from God, I hear Mokey’s words echo in my ear, calling me a “spoiled baby, spoiled baby”, and I remind myself that when hardships come, I need to CLING to God, not withdraw from Him.  When God takes us through the journey of life, He doesn’t promise that things will always be smooth sailing nor does He promise that we will always have things our way.  He does promise to always be with us, and He tells us that if we will allow, He will refine us as pure gold (“I will refine them like silver, and test them like gold." Zechariah 13:9).  When we don’t understand why our path has taken a particular turn, we need to lean on God and allow Him to use those experiences to draw us closer to Him and to make us like Him. 

His path for the Israelites was to lead them into a land where they would produce a nation of people dependent on Him, who worshipped and loved Him, and who showed the world that He was worthy of praise and worship – they would be a testimony that He is the One true and living God.  That’s what He wants with us today – true worship and praise, so that others can see Him living in us and know that He is the true and living God!

The Israelites complained to Moses, and Moses took the matter directly to God.   God responded positively to Moses’ request by giving quail to the people.  God responded negatively to the Israelites by bringing a plague upon the people who complained; not because they complained, but because their desire for meat turned into greed.  The Israelites felt that it was their right to have meat, and that desire consumed them.   They became preoccupied with their wants and desires and lost sight of what God had already provided for them and what He had promised them in the days to come.  Rather than thanking God for His provision of freedom, food and safety, they complained because His provision wasn’t what they wanted at the time.

We really aren’t any different from those stiff-necked Israelites.  Sometimes the things that God has given us just don’t seem like enough and waiting on His timing seems to take too long.  Rather than saying ‘thank you’ for the things that He has given us and waiting on His timing for other things, we turn to self-pity because we don’t have all of the things that we want and feel that we deserve.  The cycle seems to go like this, ‘seeing, wanting, getting and regretting’.  We may see something that we want yet know it’s not in God’s timing.  Rather than wait, we become preoccupied to the point of being distracted from godly living.  We become greedy and self absorbed; we concoct ways to get what we want, turning our backs on the plan God has for us and taking matters into our own hands.  But once this “thing” is acquired and we turn back to God for guidance, we find that we regret all the time, attention and effort we put into getting the “thing”; we regret letting our self-centeredness get in the way of our spiritual growth and dependence on God.  In hindsight, it doesn’t appear that the effort was worth the prize because we put our relationship with God on the back burner until we made things happen our way.  God says that we are to “seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all things will be added.”  That is His order … God first.   Beware of the “seeing, wanting, getting and regretting” trap.  Allow God to work in your life in His timing … He has a way of putting life’s puzzle together in a way that is both humbling and delightful.  Why not learn from the mistakes of the Israelites?

Kids:  Mom, he’s calling me names!
Mom:  Children, if you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.  I don’t want to hear anymore bad talking!   We’re almost there! 

The potential for bad talking and gossip is pretty high when you have two million people traveling and living together. Moses’ brother and sister, Aaron and Miriam, began to talk against Moses.  They were envious of the relationship between God and Moses.  And the Lord went to the defense of Moses.  “When I speak to Moses, I speak to him face to face…why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”   Miriam’s attitude was wrong – she was jealous of the authority God had given to Moses.  When God selects someone to do a work for Him, we should lift that person in prayer, not be critical of his or her actions or envious that God has called them to that specific task.  God has a plan for each of our lives and will reveal that plan to each us in His timing. 

Dad:  “Kids, we’re here.  I’m going to run inside and grab a couple of brochures for us so we can check out the trails and the picnic areas!”
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Dad:  Family, we have to make a decision.  We can go into the park and possibly put ourselves in extreme danger, or we can turn around and come back once the grounds have cleared inside the park.  We must decide what to do.

Do we continue the journey when the going gets tough?  You’ve heard the slogan, ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’.   The slogan doesn’t say whether the tough go forward or backward.  In our reading this week, the Israelites are at a crossroads-a time of decision.  Do they trust in God and keep moving ahead, or do they turn and run back to their old lives?

Moses and the Israelites had made their long journey to Canaan and were ready to go into the land.  Moses selected twelve men to go into Canaan for 40 days to explore the land and it’s people.  When the spies returned, they brought the following report:

Assignment #1: Determine what the land, soil and trees are like.
The spies reported that the land flowed with milk and honey, rich with food and water supply.  It had fertile soil and lush trees of fig, date and nuts. 

Assignment #2:  Bring back a sampling of the fruit of the land.
They brought back a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes.  It took two men to carry the grapes on a pole between them.

Assignment #3:  Determine what the towns and people are like.
The cities were strong, surrounded by walls that were at least 20 feet thick and 25 feet tall.  The people were very powerful. Anakites lived there (Anakites were people that were considered giants because they were 7-9 feet tall). 

Ten of the spies felt that the Israelites would be defeated if they tried to take the land, and their reports struck fear in the hearts of the people.   The other two spies, Caleb and Joshua, told the Israelites, “the Lord will lead us into the land and give it to us.  Do not rebel against the Lord.   The Lord is with us, do not be afraid.”  They trusted God to give the victory and spoke boldly about their belief in God’s protection and guidance.

That night after the people had a chance to hear both reports, they raised their voices and wept aloud, grumbling against Moses saying, “if only we had died in the desert.”  They had chosen to accept the bad report given by the ten spies, thus choosing to turn from the promise God had given them that He would bring them into the land.  They chose the report of man rather than the promise of God.  That sounds shallow, doesn’t it.  How could they?  They had accepted the miracles and provision that God had given them during their journey to Canaan, but now that they were at the border of the land and ‘the going was getting tougher’, they turned their backs on God and desired to either return to their lives of slavery in Egypt, or to die in the desert.  They even talked about stoning Moses and Aaron for leading them into this situation.   Their attitude angered the Lord, and He was ready to destroy them.  But Moses, full of compassion for the people, prayed to God, “In accordance with your great love, forgive these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.”

The Lord said, “I have forgiven them.” But the people had to be punished for their sin, so the Lord spoke to the people,  “As surely as I live I will do to you the very things that you asked for – In the desert your bodies will fall.  Not one of you 20 years of age and over who grumbled against me will enter the land except for Caleb and Joshua.  Your children will enjoy the land you rejected.  You will wander the desert for 40 years – one year for each day the spies explored the land.”

The Israelites didn’t like this punishment so they changed their minds about entering the land and decided to fight their enemy, taking matters into their own hands.  They admitted, “we have sinned”, but their attitudes were not remorseful.  They admitted sin because they didn’t want to go back into the desert, not because they were sorry for turning their backs on God again. 

This reminds me of two brothers I grew up with.  They were always getting into trouble for fighting with each other.  When one would get hurt, the other would whine, “I’m sorry, please don’t tell on me.  I’ll do whatever you want me to do, but don’t tell on me.”  The whining brother wasn’t really sorry; he just didn’t want to get into trouble with his parents.  That’s the way the Israelites were – they were not sorry that they had turned their backs on God – they just didn’t want the punishment God had given them.  They said what they thought He wanted to hear, “I’m sorry”.  God knows our hearts; He doesn’t just hear our words when we pray, He sees our hearts and the attitudes hidden within.  There’s no way we can deceive Him with our words.

As the Israelites took matters into their own hands, they went into the hill country to fight, thus disobeying God again.  They were defeated. 

Following God is not an easy journey, nor is it the popular choice.  When we follow God, it is a walk of faith.  He will lead us a step at the time, and we won’t always know what lies ahead.  We may encounter unpleasant experiences, fear, defeat and disappointment, but we must continue ahead, knowing that He will bless us for our obedience.  We may come to a point in our spiritual journey where obeying God seems harder and more challenging than our lives were before we chose to be obedient.  What we decide at this point of our journey speaks volumes about our faith. Turning around and going backward should not be an option in our Christian walk.  We need to continue to trust in God; growing spiritually; following Him no matter the cost – because if we turn back, we will wander aimlessly as the Israelites did, until we are ready to allow God to lead us again.  The apostle Paul said it best in Philippians 3:12-14:  “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me . . . one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
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Even though the Israelites were disobedient to God, He still provided for them, loved them and taught them about worship and living together as one nation during their desert wanderings.  I am amazed at the rebellious and self-centered people they were.  Because God is just, He must punish sin.  Some of the punishment in our reading seems rather harsh, but the people continued to deliberately sin against God, and He had to continue teaching them, at times with extreme punishment.

Have you ever seen a child deliberately disobey his parent, knowing that his actions were wrong?  We might say that the child  ‘tested the parent’ to see if the parent would punish him or let the offense slide.  In our reading, we see the Israelites deliberately disobey God, as if they wanted to see if He would punish them one more time.

Koreh, Dathan and Abiram gathered 250 men together and determined to overtake Moses and Aaron.  The tribe of Levi (Levites) had been appointed by God to care for the Ark of the Covenant, the Tent of the Meeting, and to be the priests of the people.  However, these men wanted more – they wanted to be in the position of Aaron as High Priest.

When we see what other people have – their positions, possessions, relationships – we should be happy for them; not covet what they have.  When these men saw how God had appointed Moses and Aaron over the Israelite community, their hearts were full of jealousy and envy.  The Levite priests were to be paid and cared for by the community; perhaps these men thought that the position Aaron held would bring great wealth.  Not only did they have hatred in their hearts toward Moses and Aaron, but they also had contempt in their hearts toward God.  Through all the miracles God had performed before them, they still believed in their hearts that they could order God around and have what they wanted.

In our attempt to have things our way, are we guilty of the same thing?  Do we try to manipulate people and events and even God so that we can get the things we want or pass on the blame for punishment?  In your prayer time, do you spend more time ‘making deals’ with God than you do asking Him to guide your life?  God cannot be manipulated; but we can convince ourselves that He can be; this is a result of pride.  Ask God to purify your heart so that you don’t fall into the trap of always blaming someone for your sin.

In all of the assembly, Moses and Aaron, Joshua and Caleb may have been the only people that saw the big picture.  God’s purpose was pure – to create a nation that would know Him, love and trust Him, that all other nations could see and know that He is God.  The Israelites rebelled against this all the way.  When trusting and obeying God would have filled their lives with contentment, they chose to fight Him every step of the way.  When His commands were more than they wanted to hear, they rose up against His appointed leaders, Moses and Aaron.  They went after the messengers of God’s word.

Numerous times from Egypt to Cannan, the Israelites disobeyed God; finally their disobedience caused them to be condemned to desert wanderings for 40 years, and they continued to rebel.  Moses continued to weep for them, to ask for God’s mercy on them, and to lead them.  God continued to forgive and lead the people.

Why was God so harsh toward the people?  So that He could teach them and help them understand His ways.  Perhaps the Israelites forgot about God’s provision for them and focused on the negative aspects of their journey.  Here are a few examples of their negative actions versus God’s provision:

Israelites Negativity	God’s Provision
Lacking trust at the crossing of the Red Sea; they were terrified and said “Let us serve the Egyptians.”  (Ex. 14:11-12)	God parted the Red Sea and they crossed safely on dry land.
Complaining over bitter water at Marah (Ex. 15:24)	The Lord made the water sweet and said; "I am the Lord who heals you."
Complaining in the Desert of Sin because they were hungry  (Ex. 16:3)	The Lord provided manna from heaven every day.
Complaining over lack of water at Rephidim (Ex. 17:2-3)	The Lord brought water from a rock.
Engaging in idolatry with a golden calf (Ex. 32:7-10)	The Lord forgave their wickedness.
Complaining over lack of food. (Num. 11:4)	He provided quail for them to eat; He punished their disobedience.
Failing to trust God and enter the Promised Land (Num. 14:1-4)	He sentenced them to 40 years of wandering in the desert but He was with them.

A few years ago, I was in a bad habit of criticizing everything!  A friend suggested that I find ten things daily that I was thankful for and to write them in a journal each night. The first week I was really stretching to come up with ten good things, but after a while, I began to notice things during the day and couldn’t wait until evening to journal them. This exercise helped turn my critical state to a state of anticipation.  I began looking for things that I could journal at night; things I was thankful for.  Try it – you just may be surprised.  When we focus on the negative, we will see negative.  When we look for the positive, we will find positive!  The Israelites needed a good dose of positive thinking!  But since they couldn’t figure it out on their own, God gave Moses a plan to rid the Israelites of their constant grumbling against the leadership of Moses and Aaron.

Each tribe (there were 12 tribes) was to present a staff (like a walking stick) from the leader of their tribe.  The leaders’ name was to be written on the staff.  Aaron’s staff was included, from the tribe of Levi.  (Remember the 12 tribes were from the 12 sons of Jacob.)  The 12 staffs were placed before the Lord in the Tent of the Testimony.  The Lord said, “The staff belonging to the man I choose as leader will sprout.”  The next day, Aaron’s staff had not only sprouted, but it had also budded, blossomed, and produced almonds.  Point made.

Aaron’s staff was placed in the Ark of the Covenant, to be kept as a sign to the rebellious people, that he was God’s appointed High Priest.  The Ark also contained the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them, and a container of manna to remind the people how God provided for them in the desert.  (Ex. 16:33-34)

Don’t get caught in the trap of deliberately disobeying God and then blaming others for your actions.  Pride and ego will close our eyes to spiritual sight, but when we kneel and pray, we drop our pride and put our faith in God.  If you haven’t experienced the power of prayer from a kneeling position, try it this week.  It is a humbling experience!
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When the Israelites entered Canaan, each tribe except for the Levites would be given a tract of land for farming, raising families, etc.  The Lord set the Levites apart to be priests, to care for the Tent of the Meeting, and to minister to the people.  Because the Levites would be in full-time service to God, He would provide for all of their needs.  The Lord taught the Israelites about tithing (giving a tenth of what they had back to the Lord). He provided for the Levites through these tithes so that they could concentrate on their service to God.   Even the Levite priests were to tithe a tenth of their portion to the Lord.  In our lives, we depend on others to care for our churches, to teach us spiritual truths, to lead us in our spiritual journey.  God’s system of tithing is still in place so that the needs of those devoted to His service can be met. 

The new generation of Israelites was preparing to enter Canaan, and on their journey, they camped at Kadesh.  This was the sight of the first spy mission that had ended in disobedience about 37 years earlier.  The Lord had promised the Israelites that none of them who had disobeyed Him in Kadesh would enter Canaan; at this juncture of their trip, a majority of the old generation had died in the desert and the new generation was preparing to take possession of Canaan.  On their return to Kadesh, Miriam (the sister of Moses) died and was buried.

As the Israelites were encamped in Kadesh, they began to complain because there was not enough water.  Perhaps they learned how to complain from the older generation.  The Lord told Moses, “Speak to that rock and it will pour out water.”  Moses said to the Israelites, “Must we bring you water out of this rock?”  Moses struck the rock twice and water gushed out.  Disobedience can hide itself in words, actions and attitudes.  Moses was the spiritual leader and role model of the Israelites.  The Lord had used him to perform many miracles.  When Moses addressed the people, he took partial credit for bringing water from the rock when he asked, “Must WE?”.  When the Lord told Moses to speak to the rock, Moses struck the rock twice with his staff - the Lord said speak, not strike.     Both of these were in direct disobedience to God. 

Because of their disobedience, Moses and Aaron were also forbidden to enter the Promised Land.  Moses disobeyed God when he brought water from the rock; Aaron disobeyed God in making an idol (golden calf) for the people to worship (Exodus 32), and in talking badly about Moses (Numbers 12).  After leading the Israelites for forty years with heart and soul, this punishment seems severe.  Remember, Moses was the leader and role model for the entire nation.  They looked to Moses for guidance and followed his example.  Direct disobedience from Moses toward God had to be dealt with in such a way that the Israelites understood that even Moses was punished for disobeying the Lord’s command.  No one, no matter how closely they walk with God, will go unpunished for directly disobeying or dishonoring Him. 

As the Israelites continued their journey to Canaan, they sought permission to travel through Edom on the main road, (the Edomites were descendants of Esau, the brother of Israel).  But the king of Edom denied their request, fearing that the two million Israelites would destroy their crops, vineyards and wells while traveling through the region.  So Moses led them by a different route and traveled to Mount Hor at the border of Edom.  As God had promised, Aaron was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.  When they arrived at Mt. Hor, the Lord instructed Moses, Aaron and Aaron’s son, Eleazar, to go up Mt. Hor.  On the mountain, Aaron presented his priestly garments to Eleazar.  Aaron died on the top of the mountain.  God honored Aaron by allowing his son, Eleazar, to become the next High Priest of Israel to lead the new generation.

Eleazar had been chosen to be the next High Priest of Israel because his heart was obedient to the Lord.  God had prepared him for the job; Eleazar had learned the duties of being High Priest from his father.  He had been trained and prepared for the task.  God always prepares us for what lies ahead.  In the case of Eleazar, he had served as priest under his father.  In the case of Moses, God sent him to Midian for forty years to learn how to be a shepherd and leader of sheep.  These skills would later be used in leading people.  Our Lord has a wonderful way of preparing us for His work.  The assignments He gives us today may seem small, but if we are obedient to Him in the small assignments, He will teach and prepare us for larger assignments.  He will continue to increase our assignments over time, thus building our skills and faith toward what lies ahead.  (See the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.)  Never smirk at the small tasks that God asks you to perform, because with each task, He is preparing you for something greater.  Our faith in Him grows in each assignment as we learn to recognize and obey His voice.

As the Israelites neared Canaan, the Canaanites of Negev determined to battle them.  With the Lord on their side, the Israelites completely destroyed the Canaanites and towns of the Negev region.  “The Lord was with them.”  As they continued their journey toward Canaan, various regions opposed them, but the Lord was with them and gave them success in battle. 
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Today our reading takes us away from the Israelites and introduces us to two very interesting characters: Balaam, a sorcerer and prophet who believed in many gods, and his donkey.

The new generation of Israelites was traveling toward the Promised Land, readying to enter Canaan.  On their journey, they traveled to the plains of Moab.  Balak, the king of Moab, was terrified of the Israelites because they numbered in excess of two million people.  The Moabites were descendants of Lot’s son, Moab, and had caused problems for the Israelites before. 

Balak believed the only way to stop the Israelites from destroying their land was to have a curse put on them.  Balak and the Moabites worshipped idols and practiced sorcery.  A sorcerer was one who was called upon to place curses on others.  A sorcerer used omens and signs to tell the future; sorcery was a crime against God Himself, because it invoked evil powers.  Sorcery was condemned in the Bible because it was rebellion against God and His authority.  In essence, it was teaming up with Satan instead of with God (see Exodus 22:18). 

*At this time, there was a sorcerer named Balaam who was well known for his effective curses and blessings.  Balak sent an urgent request to Balaam to come and put a curse on the Israelites so that he could defeat them and drive them away.   He wanted Balaam to use his powers to place a curse on Israel – hoping that, by magic, God would turn against his people.  Neither Balaam nor Balak had any idea whom they were dealing with! (* NIV Life Application Study Bible)

It is interesting to note that, while the Israelites did not know what was taking place between Balaam and Balak, God knew; He intervened in this situation and protected the Israelites from receiving curses from a sorcerer.  As He promised Moses over and over again, He would send his angels ahead of the Israelites to prepare the way for them.  This is an example of how He protected the Israelites.  He still protects us today.

Let’s look at some of the characteristics of Balaam.  He was willing to acknowledge that the Lord was a powerful God, though he believed in more than one god, and followed material possessions.  He was outwardly spiritual, though in his heart, he sought fame and fortune.  He would be obedient to the God of Israel as long as he would profit from that obedience.  However, his obedience went toward the most profitable assignment.  In verse 18, he learns that he will be rewarded handsomely if he will put a curse on the Israelites, and this starts to play in his mind.  Even though he answered, “even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold …”, he was setting the stage for Balak to reward him handsomely in future events.

In our first meeting with Balaam in Chapter 22, He inquired of the Lord what he should do; Balak wanted him to curse the Israelites but the Lord told him not to meet with Balak and not to curse the Israelites.  Why did God speak through a sorcerer named Balaam when God said sorcery was wrong?  God wanted to give a message to the Moabites, and they had already chosen to employ Balaam, so Balaam was available for God to use.  This lesson teaches us that God can use anything or anyone to accomplish his plans.  By using a sorcerer, God showed his ultimate sovereignty over good and evil. 

The Lord did allow Balaam to meet with Balak.  Balaam began his journey of nearly 400 miles to meet with Balak.  Why was the Lord angry with Balaam even though he allowed him to travel to meet with Balak?  Because the Lord could see the heart of Balaam and knew that greed ruled his heart.  Our treasure is where our heart is.  Balaam’s treasure was in material possessions. 

In order to get the attention of Balaam, an angel of the Lord stood in the path of Balaam’s donkey.  The donkey could see the angel; Balaam could not.  The donkey pressed close to the wall that lined the path, crushing Balaam’s foot.  Balaam beat the donkey.  Three times, Balaam beat the donkey – until finally the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the path with his sword drawn.  The angel of the Lord told Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.”  So Balaam continued on his journey, knowing the strength and power of the Lord, understanding that he was to speak only what the Lord told him to say.

Has God sent someone in your path to help you turn your attention toward Him?  We don’t all get talking donkeys to set us straight.  Sometimes it’s a friend that sets us straight; sometimes we get correction from reading devotional books or the Bible.  Ask God to open your eyes, as He opened the eyes of Balaam, so that you can see what He is trying to show you.

As Balaam met with Balak, he looked out over the valley and saw the Israelites.  He then inquired of the Lord what he should say to Balak; Balaam blessed the Israelites rather than cursing them. Balak said, “What have you done?  I asked you to curse my enemies and you have blessed them.”

So Balak took Balaam to another place to see the Israelites from a different angle, and asked him to curse them.  Balak thought that by changing locations, he could change the mind of Balaam.  But changing locations would not change the mind of God.  Balaam inquired of the Lord what he should say to Balak; again, Balaam blessed the Israelites.  When Balak became frustrated, he decided to try a third location, saying “Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.”  It is apparent that Balak did not know the God of Israel.  Balak thought that God could be manipulated. 

Because Balaam was a sorcerer, he would look for omens or signs to help him tell the future.  In this third oracle, however, it was clear that God himself was speaking and so Balaam needed no other signs, real or imagined.  The blessing that came from Balaam the third time was directed by the Spirit of God and was the most beautiful blessing of all. 

Balak was angry with Balaam and they departed, each returning to their own home.  What came of Balak’s attempt to put a curse on the Israelites?  Rather than curses, Balaam gave them blessings.  God can take any situation that looks dismal and turn it around for you, if your heart is open to Him and you are willing to trust and obey Him.  Cry out to Him and allow Him to begin giving you the blessings He has in store for you.

We will meet Balaam again in future reading.  He’s not out of the picture yet, as he is determined to earn the fee promised by King Balak.

What can we learn from a talking donkey and a sorcerer?  We learn that God can use many things to get our attention.  To gain the attention of Balaam, He used a talking donkey.  To backfire the plan of Balak, He spoke through Balaam, a sorcerer. To speak to me, He has used dragonflies, trees, friends, songs, and the list goes on and on.  We need to look for God in all of the events of our lives and if we cannot understand what He is trying to teach us, we can ask Him to open our eyes, as He opened the eyes of Balaam. Some of the lessons are tough ones; but all of the lessons are things that we need to learn in order to walk closer with God.
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In our reading this week, Balaam the sorcerer reappears.  If we skip ahead to Numbers 31:16, we discover that Balaam was responsible for turning the Israelites away from the Lord in the land of Peor.  At one point, Balaam had been used of the Lord to bless the Israelites; in our reading this week, we learn that Balaam used his influence to turn the Israelites away from God and toward idol worship.

Desire for pleasure coupled with lust led the Israelites into the Moabite camp; they stumbled when they started socializing with the Moabite women, and they fell flat on their faces when they decided to participate in idol sacrifices to Baal.  Baal was the most popular god in Canaan, represented by a bull, and symbolizing strength and fertility. The worship of Baal included prostitution.  The physical desires of the Israelites were stronger than their spiritual foundation and they gave into temptation, bowing down and worshipping the Baal of Peor. 

The first commandment the Lord gave the Israelites was, “You shall have no other gods before me.”  (Exodus 20:3).  Time after time, God repeated this commandment to the Israelites, and time and again, they stumbled and fell into the sin of worshipping false gods.  God was angered that the Israelites had again fallen into idol worship; their focus was no longer on Him, but on selfish desires.  They seemed to succumb to every temptation, perhaps because they were spiritually immature, not yet grounded in their faith in God. 

Our walk with God is very similar.  When we first become “God-followers”, we are spiritually immature and need to surround ourselves with Christian people whose lives are Christ like. We need to model the behavior of respected Christians as we begin our new journey with Christ.   If we continue our lives as before we accepted Christ, we will be tempted to fall back into our old lifestyle.  Temptations come and temptations go.  How we stand during the time of temptation says a lot about our character and faith.  Can we stand firm against the storm of temptation or do we stumble and fall right back into sin?  The Bible teaches us to renew our minds daily so that we stay focused on Christ.  We are to put scripture in our minds so we can meditate on it day and night.  When temptation comes our way, we can stand strong on the scripture; we can repeat the scripture in our minds to help us ward away the temptation; we can keep our trust in God to carry us through.  To be able to overcome temptation, we must be grounded firmly in our faith.  We must stand firm with Christ.  (For an example of a modern day foundation in Christ, read Standing Firm.)

In our reading, we meet a man firmly grounded in the Lord; we meet Phineas, the son of Eleazar.  Eleazar was the son of the High Priest Aaron.  Eleazar had taken over as High Priest when Aaron died, and his son, Phineas, was also serving as Priest to the Israelites. Phineas was zealous for the Lord.  When an Israelite blatantly disregarded God in front of Moses and the entire Israelite assembly, Phineas defended his Lord.  What a testimony of Aaron, that three generations loved the Lord their God and served Him with all their heart and soul. 

As the Israelites prepared to enter Canaan, a second census had to be taken of all men 20 years old and over who were able to serve in the army of Israel.

                   CENSUS TABLE
 Tribe     First Census   Second Census

Reuben	46,500	43,730
Simeon	59.300	22.200
Levi	22,000	23,000
Gad	45,650	40,500
Judah	74,600	76,500
Issachar	54,400	64,300
Zebulun	57,400	60,500
Joseph	72,700	85,200
Benjamin	35,400	45,600
Dan	62,700	64,400
Asher	41,500	53,400
Naphtali	53,400	45,400

The first census was taken as the Israelites left Mt. Sinai; the second census was taken forty years later before entering the Promised Land.  *The tribe of Levi was not included in the totals – they were appointed to be in charge of the tabernacle, responsible for the care and moving of the tabernacle.  They were not included in the number that was able to serve in the army.

Not one of the men counted in the census was among those counted by Moses and Aaron in the first census, except for Caleb and Joshua. Every Israelite man and woman over 20 years of age except for Moses, Caleb and Joshua had died in the desert, as the Lord had promised.

When the tribes conquered Canaan, a piece of the new land was to be allocated to each tribe, according to the numbers taken in the census.  The larger tribes would be allotted the larger tracts of land.  If a man died without sons, his inheritance went to his daughters.  In this way, each ancestral tribe was kept intact.  No inherited land was to pass from tribe to tribe, so any daughter that inherited her fathers land was required to marry from within her own tribal clan so that the inherited land would not pass into the hands of another tribe.

After the census was taken, the Lord took Moses up the mountain to see the land that the Israelites would be given.  Moses understood that he would not be allowed to enter the land.  His main concern was that the Israelites be left with a strong leader – Moses knew that the days ahead would be hard days and that his people would face many battles and temptations.  He expressed his concern to the Lord, asking that a strong leader be appointed to take his place.

The Lord’s answer was found in the man Joshua, who was to be anointed the new leader.  I am sure that Moses was very confident and comfortable in leaving the Israelites in the hands of Joshua.  God had prepared Joshua for the task over a period of forty years.  Let’s take a quick look at the qualifications of Joshua:
1. Joshua had been Moses’ assistant since the Israelites left Egypt.
2. Joshua had witnessed miracles, trials, sin, and the glory of God.
3. Joshua showed his faith in God after the first spy mission in Canaan.
4. Joshua had been the field general of Israel’s army.
5. Joshua was the only person allowed to go with Moses partway up the mountain when Moses was given the Ten Commandments.
6. Joshua modeled his faith and behavior by Moses’ example.

The Lord’s work would continue after the death of Moses.  God had already made preparations.  The duties of the High Priest were handed down from Aaron to his son, Eleazar.  Just as the Lord prepared Eleazar to be the next High Priest, he also prepared Joshua to be the next leader of Israel.  God prepared Joshua to take over at the death of Moses.  These leaders learned from their forefathers, as we can learn from ours. 

Moses stood firm.  Joshua stood firm.  Phineas stood firm.  While others were falling, these men of God stood firm, and brought God’s people back to Him.  God can use us, if we are willing to stand firm in Him.  “Stand firm in the Lord.  If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."  Isaiah 7:9
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After the episode with Balaam and the Moabites, the Lord gave Moses instructions regarding offerings; we learned about most of these in Leviticus 23.  With these new instructions, the Lord implemented daily offerings to be made in the morning and in the evening.  The preparation for the daily offerings took time and attention, which taught the Israelites to turn their hearts and attention toward the Lord in the morning as they began their day, and in the evening as they ended their day. 

In Psalm 5:3, the psalmist writes, “In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”   When we give God the first part of our day by spending time with Him, we set our hearts and minds on Him.  Spending time with the Lord each day is a need in each of our lives.  Just as the Israelites made daily sacrifices to the Lord, we need to have daily communion with Him through prayer.

The daily offerings that were made to the Lord were “an aroma pleasing to Him”.  This means that God accepted the sacrifice because of the people’s attitude.  God sees the hearts of man – He looks at us from the perspective of who we are underneath the skin – our hearts, motives and attitudes.   In teaching the Israelites about offerings, He taught them how to prepare their hearts for worship.  When we come before God with hearts ready to worship Him, He is pleased.

In the days of the Israelites, it was customary to sacrifice animals to idols and pagan gods.  The Israelites had been surrounded by and accustomed to this practice since Egypt, and during that time it was not a custom that was neither cruel nor barbaric.  God met the Israelites where they were – He used customs and activities that were already instituted to teach the Israelites about Him.  We no longer sacrifice animals in worship – in today’s culture, that would be considered cruel and barbaric.  In our day, however, He teaches us to worship Him by making Himself known to us in life’s circumstances, a day at a time. 

In your daily prayer time, ask Him to renew your mind and prepare you for worship so that your heart and mind are your morning and evening offerings to Him.  Your sincere desire to meet Him will be an aroma pleasing to Him, and He will meet you where you are.  If you don’t have a sincere desire to meet Him, but you want that desire, then ask the Lord to plant that desire in your heart, and then watch it grow. 

This week, we also read about the importance of keeping vows and promises.  “When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.”  Whether made to the Lord, family or friends, we should make it a priority to keep our vows and promises.

In Numbers 31, the Israelites went to battle against the Midianites.  Moses gathered 12,000 men to go into battle, and also sent Phineas, the son of Eleazar the priest, along with the men.  (HISTORY:  The Israelites were descendants of Abraham and his wife, Sarah.  The Midianites were descendants of Abraham and his second wife, Keturah.  The Midianites were nomads or shepherds that wandered from place to place.  The Israelites and Midianites were always enemies.) 

The Israelites fought against the Midianites and won the battle, killing every Midianite man, including the five kings of Midian as well as Balaam the sorcerer.  The officers of the Israelite army brought the Midianite women, children and animals back to the Israelite camp. This angered Moses because the Midianite women had led the Israelites into sin because of their Baal worship and free lifestyle.  All of the women who were not virgins were killed and all young boys were killed, because they posed a future threat to the Israelites. 

In a recent Bible study, a friend shared that she finds it hard to understand why God allowed so much killing during the Old Testament days.  It is hard to accept and understand.   We didn’t live during the time of Moses and we cannot understand how perverse and evil the people of that time were, nor how their influence could consistently turn the Israelites from God.  A friend recently suggested this exercise:

Write down 100 examples in the Bible of when God was harsh.  After that exercise is complete, write down 100 examples in the Bible of God’s grace.  It is much easier to find God’s grace in the Bible than to find the harshness.  God loved the Israelites and He was grooming them to be the one nation on earth that worshipped Him.  The other nations had turned to idol worship and lived as they pleased.  God consistently showed and taught the Israelites how to live as one nation, to focus on Him, to live rightly among themselves.  His ways may seem harsh as we read through the history of the Israelites, but He met them where they were.  He taught them by using the customs and experiences of their time.  Today, He teaches us by using things that are familiar to us.  He still meets us where we are.

Thank You, Lord, for meeting me where I am.  Thank You for speaking to me in the morning, noon and evening.  Create in me a desire to walk daily with You.  Teach me to look to You each morning for my daily dose of strength and encouragement and to look to You throughout the day to renew my mind and my thoughts.
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As the Israelites neared the Jordan River, the tribe of Reubenites, Gadites and half tribe of Manesseh asked for land to be given to them on the east of the river.  In the most recent census, the men age 21 and over for these tribes totaled 136,930.  When you add in the wives and children of each of these men, you can estimate the total to be in excess of 300,000.

This land had already been conquered and was suitable for all the livestock owned by these tribes.  The Lord gave the land to these tribes, but the men of the tribes were required to accompany the Israelites into battle to conquer the rest of Canaan.  They could not return home until each tribe had received their ‘promised’ land. 

The Lord directed the Israelites, “When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you.  Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish their high places.  If you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides.”  Exodus 33:50-55.

The Lord directed the Israelites to destroy the people living in Canaan because, “Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshipping their gods and you will sin against the Lord your God.”  Deuteronomy 20:18.  The people of Canaan were evil and wicked; they worshipped idols and practiced human sacrifice and prostitution during their idol worship.  The Lord didn’t want the Israelites to fall into this way of life nor to compromise their belief in Him in any way. 

The Israelites didn’t fully understand God’s reasons and they did not completely carry out His command, which led to their future corruption and compromise.

When the Lord set the Levites aside to be priests in the book of Leviticus, He promised to supply all their needs.  In Numbers 35, He was faithful to His promise in giving the Levites land, pastures, cattle, flocks and livestock.  They were to care for the spiritual needs of the Israelites.  The Levites were to be given 48 towns – the towns would be located within each of the areas given to the twelve tribes.  A portion of the land given to each of the twelve tribes would belong to the Levites.  This way, each tribe would have priests living within their territories so that their spiritual needs would be met.  Within these Levite areas, six cities were to be set aside as Cities of Refuge.

A City of Refuge was a place where someone could flee if they accidentally killed someone.  “This is the rule concerning the man who kills another and flees there to save his life – one who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought.  For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him.  That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life.  Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought.”  Deuteronomy 19:5-6.

Ancient customs of justice called for revenge in the death of a relative.  In the cities of refuge, the Levites would conduct a hearing outside the city gates.  If the killing was judged accidental, the person would stay in the city until the death of the high priest.  Then the accused would be allowed to go free and start a new life without the threat of avengers.   The avenger of blood was the nearest male relative to the person killed who acted as the family protector.

Consider the parallel between running to a city of refuge in times of trouble, and running to the Lord in times of trouble.

In Old Testament times, a person who had accidentally killed someone yet his heart was pure and innocent could follow the path to the City of Refuge.  As he entered the city, he could find a place of quiet rest, free from danger.  He would meet the Priest, explain his circumstances and be given an umbrella of protection.  In Old Testament days, the Priest represented God, and met with God on behalf of the Israelites.

Today when we are in trouble, we seek God’s forgiveness for any wrong we have committed, physically or in our thoughts and attitudes.  By confessing our sins, we are able to walk a clear path to God, with a heart that is pure and innocent.  We go to God, our ‘city of refuge’ in prayer and ask for comfort, strength and protection.  God will provide for all of our needs.  He is our spiritual protector – our city of refuge –We can hide our inmost thoughts and feelings in Him and He will protect us.

In Him,
Mary