Jimmie
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Parasha: "Balak" (Numbers 22:2-25:9) "How can a pagan seer pronounce blessings?"
Very interesting question. How can a pagan seer pronounce blessings? He can if God tells him to! We have seen in different sections of the Torah how God, in the past, has used pagan kings for his perfect will.
Nebuchadnezzar became a believer after living like a beast for 7 years. He was also the instrument of punishment God used for Israel, yet many of Israel thrived in Babylon.
Cyrus the Great, of Persia, was used by God to let the Israelites return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple (yet only a small percentage returned home). In this Torah study, we see how Balaam, a pagan seer, was used by God to bless Israel.
Many of us, if not all, know the story of how, when the Israelites were camped out at the border of Canaan, put intense fear in the heart of Balak, king of Moab. The news was out that the Israelite army of 600,000 had fought against and won battles even on this side of the Jordan. Now, God had not given the order to fight against Moab, not yet. Could we say that King Balak was paranoid? So paranoid that he would "pay to have Israel cursed" by the famous seer "Bilaam". (devourer of people).
So the plan was put into action. King Balak (one who lays waste) sent for Bilaam and offered him riches to put a curse upon Israel. "Well", he responded, "I'll have to see what God says." God told him, "No." "Israel is blessed, and no one can curse Israel. The reps of Balak return home only to return again. "Come with us, and we will pay you even more." "Well, I'll ask God again" (but God already said no; why ask a second time?"
We can suppose that Balaam already had it set in his heart to make some money out of this deal. God knew this too, so this time he says, "Yes, go with these men, but only say what I tell you to say. (I mean, if you are set on going anyway, make your trip worthwhile.) Yet the next thing we know is that God was 'angry because he went!" So how is that?
The difference is in the Hebrew grammar. Balaam was permitted to "go physically" with the men from Moab, but Balaam "went with evil intentions." Mentally, he planned to perhaps "curse Israel" and make some money. Like: "to go" or "to go along with the idea to curse." Physical permission to go vs mental intentions to go and pronounce evil against...
God even gave Balaam's donkey spiritual insight to see the angel blocking the way of Balaam with a sword. Didn't Balaam think it was something odd that a donkey could talk? He was so into himself that it didn't even faze him. The angel even told Balaam, "Your way is perverse!" He knew what was in the mind of Balaam! How would you react if your cat or dog all of a sudden began speaking English? (Hey, I need to go out to do my business, open the door!) All in all, Balaam finally saw the angel, and the angel reminded him, "Bless and not curse." Now, we come to the blessings; how do they reflect Yeshua?
23:7-10 "How can I curse whom God has not cursed?" "A people who will dwell alone." "Who has counted the dust of Jacob?" "May I die like the righteous"
Just some highlights on the first blessing. Israel is a blessed nation, a blessed people. Who can pronounce a curse? (Yet they Did invite a curse among themselves later on, and through evil counsel of Balaam) A people who dwell separate from the nations, believing in only One God, the true God YHVH, while the other nations were pagan, polytheistic. The "dust" of Jacob, millions, throughout all nations of the world today. "May I die like the righteous." Sorry, Balaam, you died like an evil seer, slain with the edge of the sword!
23: 19-24; "YHVH is not a human who lies, nor the Son of Man, that he repents or changes his mind." YHVH is Spirit and thus should be worshipped in Spirit and in truth, yet he "became" a man, in the person of Yeshua (Son of Man, the Second Adam). Does he change his mind? His demands for holiness do not change, yet he did change his mind as far as destroying Israel, through the intervention of Moses. Yeshua intercedes for us as well; 24-7.
"The people will rise up like a lion," And God DID give them the victory over Canaan. Yeshua will also return as the "Lion of Judah" to rule as King and LORD over all the Earth.
24:3-9: "How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, and your Tabernacle/dwellings, O Israel"
Wow, the opening blessing when we come together on the Sabbath. The "tents" where the families of Israel live, (millions of tents we can imagine) yet here we see "Mishkanotekha" (dwelling place of God), the "Mishkan." So, the blessing is "Blessed be the people who live in tents and YHVH who lives in HIS Tabernacle! All this from the mouth of a pagan seer! "Blessed be those who bless you and cursed those who curse you." A repetition of what was promised to Father Abraham.
24:16-19; "I see him but not now, I behold him but not soon." A star from Jacob, a scepter from Israel. Israel did not see Him then, yet they had faith in a coming Messiah. We did not see Him when he came, yet by faith we believe and trust HIM as LORD and Savior. The Star from Jacob, the Star that shone above "Beit-Lechem," the "House of Bread" where the "Bread of Life" was born. The scepter has been given to Yeshua to rule in the coming future. He came as a servant, a healer, a rabbi, a teacher, a Redeemer, and will return as King and Judge.
Shalom to all. May we look forward to our coming King, and wishing all of you many blessings. God has blessed you, so bless others.
Very interesting question. How can a pagan seer pronounce blessings? He can if God tells him to! We have seen in different sections of the Torah how God, in the past, has used pagan kings for his perfect will.
Nebuchadnezzar became a believer after living like a beast for 7 years. He was also the instrument of punishment God used for Israel, yet many of Israel thrived in Babylon.
Cyrus the Great, of Persia, was used by God to let the Israelites return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple (yet only a small percentage returned home). In this Torah study, we see how Balaam, a pagan seer, was used by God to bless Israel.
Many of us, if not all, know the story of how, when the Israelites were camped out at the border of Canaan, put intense fear in the heart of Balak, king of Moab. The news was out that the Israelite army of 600,000 had fought against and won battles even on this side of the Jordan. Now, God had not given the order to fight against Moab, not yet. Could we say that King Balak was paranoid? So paranoid that he would "pay to have Israel cursed" by the famous seer "Bilaam". (devourer of people).
So the plan was put into action. King Balak (one who lays waste) sent for Bilaam and offered him riches to put a curse upon Israel. "Well", he responded, "I'll have to see what God says." God told him, "No." "Israel is blessed, and no one can curse Israel. The reps of Balak return home only to return again. "Come with us, and we will pay you even more." "Well, I'll ask God again" (but God already said no; why ask a second time?"
We can suppose that Balaam already had it set in his heart to make some money out of this deal. God knew this too, so this time he says, "Yes, go with these men, but only say what I tell you to say. (I mean, if you are set on going anyway, make your trip worthwhile.) Yet the next thing we know is that God was 'angry because he went!" So how is that?
The difference is in the Hebrew grammar. Balaam was permitted to "go physically" with the men from Moab, but Balaam "went with evil intentions." Mentally, he planned to perhaps "curse Israel" and make some money. Like: "to go" or "to go along with the idea to curse." Physical permission to go vs mental intentions to go and pronounce evil against...
God even gave Balaam's donkey spiritual insight to see the angel blocking the way of Balaam with a sword. Didn't Balaam think it was something odd that a donkey could talk? He was so into himself that it didn't even faze him. The angel even told Balaam, "Your way is perverse!" He knew what was in the mind of Balaam! How would you react if your cat or dog all of a sudden began speaking English? (Hey, I need to go out to do my business, open the door!) All in all, Balaam finally saw the angel, and the angel reminded him, "Bless and not curse." Now, we come to the blessings; how do they reflect Yeshua?
23:7-10 "How can I curse whom God has not cursed?" "A people who will dwell alone." "Who has counted the dust of Jacob?" "May I die like the righteous"
Just some highlights on the first blessing. Israel is a blessed nation, a blessed people. Who can pronounce a curse? (Yet they Did invite a curse among themselves later on, and through evil counsel of Balaam) A people who dwell separate from the nations, believing in only One God, the true God YHVH, while the other nations were pagan, polytheistic. The "dust" of Jacob, millions, throughout all nations of the world today. "May I die like the righteous." Sorry, Balaam, you died like an evil seer, slain with the edge of the sword!
23: 19-24; "YHVH is not a human who lies, nor the Son of Man, that he repents or changes his mind." YHVH is Spirit and thus should be worshipped in Spirit and in truth, yet he "became" a man, in the person of Yeshua (Son of Man, the Second Adam). Does he change his mind? His demands for holiness do not change, yet he did change his mind as far as destroying Israel, through the intervention of Moses. Yeshua intercedes for us as well; 24-7.
"The people will rise up like a lion," And God DID give them the victory over Canaan. Yeshua will also return as the "Lion of Judah" to rule as King and LORD over all the Earth.
24:3-9: "How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, and your Tabernacle/dwellings, O Israel"
Wow, the opening blessing when we come together on the Sabbath. The "tents" where the families of Israel live, (millions of tents we can imagine) yet here we see "Mishkanotekha" (dwelling place of God), the "Mishkan." So, the blessing is "Blessed be the people who live in tents and YHVH who lives in HIS Tabernacle! All this from the mouth of a pagan seer! "Blessed be those who bless you and cursed those who curse you." A repetition of what was promised to Father Abraham.
24:16-19; "I see him but not now, I behold him but not soon." A star from Jacob, a scepter from Israel. Israel did not see Him then, yet they had faith in a coming Messiah. We did not see Him when he came, yet by faith we believe and trust HIM as LORD and Savior. The Star from Jacob, the Star that shone above "Beit-Lechem," the "House of Bread" where the "Bread of Life" was born. The scepter has been given to Yeshua to rule in the coming future. He came as a servant, a healer, a rabbi, a teacher, a Redeemer, and will return as King and Judge.
Shalom to all. May we look forward to our coming King, and wishing all of you many blessings. God has blessed you, so bless others.
