Numbers 22

E. FROM KADESH TO THE PLAINS OF MOAB (chapters 20-25).

The New Beginning.

After the gap for the wilderness wanderings and the return to Kadesh, there now follows a series of historical events which bring Israel to the plains of Moab, and point to a new beginning. History has become important again because Yahweh’s purposes were now going forward. The first section (Numbers 20:1 to Numbers 21:20) deals with the view that was to be taken of the future. It was to be a move from dearth to abundance, from death to life. The old was being put to one side, so that the new could take over, although only under Yahweh.

· It commences with the arrival at Kadesh (qdsh - the holy place) to find little water there, followed by the death of Miriam, the prophetess, who would have been greatly influential among those who had come out of Egypt. All is death. But at the same time it promises that the resulting seeming dearth will be followed by abundant water (Numbers 20:1-11), although even that at the cost of death for it goes on to reveal that neither Aaron nor Moses will enter the land. They will die in God’s time and be replaced by new leaders (Numbers 20:12-13).

· It warns against seeing the future simply in terms of aggression and spoliation. When Edom resist their advance they must not show aggression and seize their land but must go another way. For Edom’s land belongs to Edom and has been given to them by God (this is implicit in Numbers and explicit in Deuteronomy 2:0), just as shortly their land will belong to them (Numbers 20:14-21). Israel is only to offer death to those who deserve death.

· It tells of the death of Aaron and his replacement as ‘the Priest’ by his son, Eleazar, a member of the new generation, which will lead on to greater blessing (Numbers 20:22-29). Out of death comes life.

· It describes the first defeat of the Canaanites, a further indication of the new beginning and a firstfruit of what was to come. They are at last ready to take the land (Numbers 21:1-3).

· It then warns of what the result will be for those of the new generation who rebel against God, in the judgment of the fiery serpents which were a flashback to and reminder of the old wilderness days (Deuteronomy 8:15). Let them remember the wilderness, for that is what awaits those who rebel against Yahweh, as it had awaited their fathers (Numbers 21:4-10).

And it finally describes the arrival at a place of abundance of water sufficient to cause them to sing with joy and praise, a symbol of the new beginning, a symbol of life (Numbers 21:11-20 compare Numbers 22:5-8).

The second section (Numbers 21:21 to Numbers 25:18) will go on to deal with victory in the Wars of Yahweh including the defeat of the Amorites who had once defeated them (Numbers 21:21 to Numbers 22:1 compare Deuteronomy 1:44), the ‘battle’ with Balaam (Numbers 22:1 to Numbers 24:25), and their establishment in the plains of Moab having received their first instalment of Yahweh’s inheritance (Numbers 25:1 a) which results in the sin of Peor and deliverance by the hand of Phinehas, son of Eleazar (Numbers 25:1-18).

Battles Against Evil Influence (Numbers 22:2 to Numbers 25:18 ).

Having defeated the Amorites and being in process of possessing their land Israel are now faced with a more subtle threat. This commences with the approach of the Aramean prophet Balaam, and continues with the results of his later evil plan.

3). The Defeat of the Evil Influence of Balaam (Numbers 22:2 to Numbers 24:25 ).

The follow-up war against the Amorites in Bashan may still have been in progress under different generals while what follows was going on. ("They possessed his land" - Numbers 21:35, and that would take time. See Numbers 32:39-42). But meanwhile Moab, watching Israel from behind their frontiers, wondered what they were going to do next, and decided to take their own initiative.

In those days warfare was conducted on a number of levels. The most obvious was the clash of armies. But behind the clash of armies could be a variety of other activities. These could include interchange of correspondence enforcing their case by citing the power of their gods (see Judges 11:12-28), both encouraging their own troops and dismaying the enemy. Preliminary ‘battles’ taking place between champions in order to determine whose god was the most powerful (see 1 Samuel 17:0). And so on. But nothing was more important than ensuring that the gods were on your side. And that was where certain men seen as possessing awesome powers came in. Such men, ‘prophets’, ‘soothsayers’ and ‘diviners’ were seen as having special influence with the gods, and operated through dreams, visions, trances, omens, enchantments and the occult. We can compare the execration texts from Egypt, written on pottery against Egypt’s enemies, pottery which was then broken in order to apply the curse. (Amalek probably saw Moses with his hands held up in the same light - Exodus 17:11). One such ‘diviner’ in those days was the mighty Bala‘-‘am (‘the nation swallower’), held in awe throughout the Ancient Near East. It was to him that Moab were to turn.

Thus in these chapters we have revealed in the tactics of Balak, king of Moab, a different approach to the challenging of Israel from those before him. For while Israel had made no attempt to interfere with Moab, Balak was afraid. Here was a large and seemingly belligerent army on his frontiers and he wanted to get rid of them. But he seemingly did not feel up to taking them on in battle. Having probably heard of what Yahweh had done previously, and having seen them destroy the enemy that he himself had been unable to defeat, he decided that he needed ‘similar’ powers on his side, and he needed somehow to influence Yahweh.

So he sent for Bala‘am (the ‘nation-swallower’), the famous prophet-diviner, requesting that he come to him so that he might curse Israel. Balaam, the prophet-diviner, was a man of great reputation who apparently lived in northern Syria. Such people professed to be able to influence events by use of various occult methods. They would often enter into drug induced trances in which they could see and hear almost anything. They hired themselves out for gold, and their fees were high. The subsequent story in fact reveals what an enigmatic figure he was. For while he was certainly wanting to oblige Balak by bringing divine powers to his rescue, at the same time he openly acknowledged that they were not fully under his control. He acknowledged that unless the ‘gods’ were cooperative he could not achieve his ends. Indeed in seeking to exercise his gifts with Yahweh he was revealed as being limited in what he could achieve right from the beginning, by the response that came when he commenced his sorceries.

However, while not approving of his methods, the account does suggest a certain genuineness in what he sought to do, so much so that God was willing to have dealings with him and reveal things to him on behalf of His own people. Yet it is quite obvious that Balaam involved himself in the occult. He clearly considered that he did get in touch with other world beings, and did expect to receive messages from them. He was thus seen as engaging in spiritism and divination. Using Moses’ terms, he contacted devils (Deuteronomy 32:17). But as with the medium of Endor later (1 Samuel 28:6-25), where confronted with such, God was willing to use them in order to bring home His own message.

Bala‘am was not a worshipper of Yahweh, but that he was willing to listen to Him and respond to Him the account makes clear. It would seem that at first he mistakenly thought that he could treat Yahweh like any of his other other-world ‘contacts’. But he soon learned that he was dealing with something outside his previous experience. What harm he could actually have done to Israel we do not know, but certainly at the time everyone thought that he could do great harm.

The account is clearly a unity for it is based on a number of sections which follow a basically chiastic pattern in four installments, Numbers 22:2-14; Numbers 22:15-38; Numbers 22:39 to Numbers 24:13; Numbers 24:14-25. But they also inter-relate. Balaam is the man whose eyes are open in Numbers 24:3; Numbers 24:15. In Numbers 24:4; Numbers 24:16 he is the one who has ‘heard the words of God and saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance (or ‘falling down’) but having his eyes open’. (This certainly sounds like drug use). He ‘took up his parable (incantation)’ five times in Numbers 24:3; Numbers 24:15; Numbers 24:20-21; Numbers 24:23. His extra prophecies are fourfold (Numbers 24:15-24) which with his threefold prophecies/blessings in Numbers 23:7-10; Numbers 23:18-24; Numbers 24:3-9 make up a sevenfold series of prophecies.

The whole account is also notable for the emphasis put on threefold action. The ass avoided the angel of Yahweh three times (Numbers 22:28; Numbers 22:32; see Numbers 22:23; Numbers 22:25; Numbers 22:27). Balaam had three major encounters with Yahweh (Numbers 22:9-12; Numbers 22:20; Numbers 22:32-35). Balaam offered three sets of sacrifices (Numbers 22:39 to Numbers 24:13). Yahweh gives His word to Balaam three times (Numbers 23:5; Numbers 23:16; Numbers 24:2 compare Numbers 22:38). Three times things happen ‘in the morning’ (Numbers 22:13; Numbers 22:21; Numbers 22:41). We can note also that to Yahweh the messengers are but ‘men’ (’anoshim) three times (Numbers 22:9; Numbers 22:20; Numbers 22:35).

But we may ask, ‘why is so much space given in Scripture to this rather strange history when seemingly larger affairs are dealt with in a few sentences?’ The answer lies mainly in the words which God put in Balaam’s mouth. Three times he spoke, followed by further prophecy, and in doing so he confirmed the promises of God to His people. That they were spoken by a non-Israelite prophet of the status of Balaam made them even more significant. The words of such a man as Balaam would be a major encouragement as Israel prepared to enter the land in order to take possession, for they would be seen as coming from an external prophetic source. It was only human nature among the weaker of them that while they might have some doubts about what Yahweh promised, the promises seemed much more certain when spoken by such a man as Balaam. And God graciously allowed it to be so for their sakes.

In his first prophecy Balaam would speak of Israel as being like the dust of the earth (compare Genesis 13:16), and as being innumerable (Numbers 23:10 compare Genesis 12:2; Genesis 13:16), both recognised signs of blessing as promised by Yahweh. He would also describe them as a nation dwelling alone, different from all other nations (Numbers 23:9), a holy nation (compare Exodus 19:5-6), thus further confirming the promises and revealing that they were blessed by their God.

In the second he would speak of their deliverance from Egypt and their being firmly established, with God among them as their King with, metaphorically speaking, the strength and horns of the wild ox (Numbers 23:21), a fearsome Opponent indeed, who could dispense lions with the toss of his head. While Israel themselves were depicted as being, along with their God, dangerous and victorious like a pride of lions (Numbers 23:24). In other words Israel had become a powerful people, with the even more powerful Yahweh living among them as their King and God.

In the third he saw them as being in a land of fruitfulness, with plenteous waters available to them (see Numbers 21:14-18), and spreading that fruitfulness around the world, with their God still being powerful and they still being like a victorious pride of lions.

And finally he saw the coming to them of a future ruler who would be victorious over all around him (compare Genesis 17:6). This remarkable series of prophecies, revealing the rise and triumph of Israel from early beginnings to its final triumph, will be considered in more detail in the commentary. But it explains the importance laid on these prophecies.

Then, secondly, God’s control of Balaam was probably seen as an example of the greatness of Yahweh. The mighty Balaam was feared throughout the Ancient Near East, but he was nothing before Yahweh. He was seen as subject to Yahweh’s will. The thought would be that if Yahweh could defeat Balaam, He could defeat anyone. For that Balaam was an awesome figure comes out in that his name has been found in an Aramaic text written on wall plaster at Tell Deir ‘Alla in the Jordan valley dating from around 700 BC in which he is seen as involved with a number of gods and goddesses whose will he conveys to a disobedient people. His reputation as a powerful contact person between men and the gods had passed into history, it had been immortalised.

The Threefold Activity of Balaam In Moab (22:41-24:13).

In what follows we now have a triad of attempts by Balak to curse Israel which all follow the same pattern. These are sandwiched between Balaam going with Balak (Numbers 22:41) and Balaam being bidden to return home (Numbers 24:12-13). This parallels the triad of encounters with the Angel of Yahweh in the first passage. The reader is intended to see Balaam’s activity in terms of the noble ass, just as Israel were to be seen metaphorically as like a lion or a lioness (Numbers 23:24; Numbers 24:9) and Yahweh as a large horned wild-ox (Numbers 23:22; Numbers 24:8).

This comes out in that there are significant parallels and contrasts with the first account. Here Balak is seen as driving on a reluctant Balaam in the same way as Balaam drove on his reluctant ass. As the noble ass was really controlled, not by his rider but by the angel of Yahweh, so was Balaam to be seen as really controlled, not by Balak, but by Yahweh. Furthermore this happened because Balaam could see what Balak could not see, just as the noble ass could see what Balaam could not see. So Balaam has now replaced the ass as the ‘instrument’ of Yahweh. And as Balaam was angry with his ass three times, so Balak was angry with Balaam three times. As God finally spoke through the ass, so finally did the Spirit of Yahweh come on Balaam (Numbers 24:2) who was now ‘the man whose eyes are open’ (Numbers 24:3; Numbers 24:15), and speak through him. This does not represent Balaam as ‘an ass’ in any derogatory sense, it depicts him as an unwilling instrument of Yahweh, as the noble ass was, but whose eyes were now open as they had not been previously. Thus the incident of the ass illuminates all that follows. Balaam was seen to be as much in subjection to Yahweh as his ass had been to him.

Analysis.

a Balaam goes with Balak (Numbers 22:41)

b Balaam builds seven altars and offers sacrifices (Numbers 23:1-3)

c Yahweh speaks to Balaam and he prophesies favourably to Israel num (23:4-10)

d Balak is angry and asks him to try again (Numbers 23:11-13).

b Seven more altars and seven more sacrifices (Numbers 23:14-15).

c Yahweh speaks to Balaam and he again prophesies favourably (Numbers 23:16-24)

d Balak requests that Balaam ceases either blessing or cursing and asks that he try again (Numbers 23:25-26).

b Seven more altars and seven more sacrifices (Numbers 23:27-30)

c Balaam blesses Israel (Numbers 24:1-9).

d Balak is angry with Balaam (Numbers 24:10-11).

a Balaam castigates Balak (Numbers 24:12-13)