Mat. 2: The Star Prophecy--Balak and Balaam (Num. 22-25)
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5 Important issues with regard to the Exodus stage of God’s dealings with Israel.
—The Grace for Israel resident in God’s Jehovah Name.
—the Outline of Israel’s History under the Law System.
—God announces to Satan and his Gentile nations that nothing will thwart His plan and purpose for Israel, not even Israel’s own stubborness, hardness of heart and rebelliousness.
—God makes an unconditional grace covenant with Israel for the possession of the Promised Land.
—Moses’ last acts for Israel, witnessing against her rebelliousness and appealing to her to return to the grace resident in His Jehovah Name.
God is getting them ready to enter into the land. He takes a census (a “numbering”) of Israel for military service in preparation for war. The Abrahamic Covenant called for Israel to be a great nation with whom and through whom all the nations of the world would be blessed. In this Kingdom of God/Heaven on earth, Israel would be His Holy Nation, a nation of priests carrying out His will on earth—His Righteousness reigning and ruling on earth. Satan usurped this plan when He when Adam sinned in Eden and became the earth’s ruler. Through Abraham and his multiplied seed the Nation of Israel, Satan’s kingdom, reign and rule, will be destroyed and restored to man in accord with God’s Will.
The Promised Land at this time is occupied by Satan’s nations, and he will do whatever it takes to maintain his dominion over the earth. Here Satan’s nations meet God’s one nation. God is taking the battle for the re-possession of the earth right to Satan himself in that very land. God is preparing Israel by amassing her army, which will go into the land and destroy the enemy, Satan’s nations.
And then…Israel rebelled and refused to go into the land because of unbelief so they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of their disobedience, destroying that generation.
—Now we are near the end of that 40 years of wandering. God begins to prepare them for the big war by giving them practice in fighting against some Gentile nations and the necessity of relying on His Jehovah Name along the way to the land: the Canaanites (); Amorites (21:21-24); Bashon (21:32-35). The battle for God’s re-possession of the earth is beginning. Then he comes to Moab.
is an interlude placed between the numbering of the Israelites for war that occurs between God and Satan. The Balak, the king of Moab, thought that he was about to be made the next in Israel’s growing list of conquests. He wants to stop Israel’s advance. So he puts together a plan to unique plan to oppose God’s use of Israel. The kings of Bashan tried but their plan didn’t work. The Amorites tried but theirs didn’t work either. Balak comes up with a plan that draws in the Satanic realm by summoning Balaam, the renowned false prophet, set up by Satan in the East—what would later be the Assyrian Kingdom. His had the capacity to get the “gods”/demons behind the gentile nations to work together. He was active in the same area as Abraham. His job is to get the evil spirits behind the physical gentile nations to work together to thwart the Abrahamic Covenant. Balak’s goal is to get Balaam to curse Israel by amassing all the gods of the nations around there into a confederacy against Israel. Amalek was the first nation to battle against Israel. Moab was the first to bring a confederacy of Gentile nations against Israel. This is the first major advancement against Satan’s Policy of Evil against Israel to prevent God from implementing His rule on earth through her. The height of this confederacy attack on Israel will occur in the Tribulation Period.
God turns Balak’s and Satan’s plan on its head. Israel is pitched on the planes of Moab on the east side of the Jordan by Jericho for the reason of rehearsing the Law with this new generation. They have paused for a second hearing of the Law, which is given in Deut. While this is going on, Balak the King of Moab is up in the hills conspiring against them by trying to bring the ruling gods of the nations in Satan’s empire in a confederacy against the Israelites. He goes to the Midianites and sends for a renowned false prophet from the area around Assyria. Balak sees that Israel will not just conquer him but all the Gentile nations will be licked up (22:4). Balaam is Satan’s chief prophet among the nations at this time. He is the one Satan is using to counterfeit what God is doing in the land with and through Abraham (22:6). Balaam comes from Pethor/Harran area counterfeiting God’s promise to Abraham.
The four prophecies of Balaam:
: Curse all of Israel: Israel is God’s unique creation, His distinct people. No curse by the nations will stand. God will never change His mind about Israel. His plan and purpose for Israel will stand. Balaam sought enchantments and divinations and familiar spirits with the spiritual realm of demons, offering idolatrous sacrifices, in idol temples on high hills—Balaam is trying to function his normal way, but it is not working. It is all for nothing. God just keeps on putting His words into his mouth—like He did Balaam’s donkey. He is God’s pawn. Will Barak respond positively and instead of cursing Israel in accord with Satan’s policy of evil bless her in accord with God’s policy with Abraham?
: If you can’t curse all of Israel, curse a part of her: God is certain to accomplish His plan and purpose for Israel. Balak responds negatively. Stand Up Balak! (v. 18). God will bless Israel, He won’t change His mind and all the Satanic enchantments in the world won’t change that situation. The LORD is her King and He shouts in the victory over His enemies through Israel and her kingdom. He even subdued the Egyptian armies. He won’t rest until this is completed. And He is even doing this in spite of Israel’s iniquity and rebellion. Even Israel’s rebellion and sin against Him won’t change this. It is through Abraham and the grace resident in the covenant He made with him that God displays His Righteousness in saving His friends by destroying His enemies by faith. This must be by faith because it is that faith that also brings them into spiritual salvation unto eternal life, which is not made known until the grace resident in the revelation God gave to Paul was revealed, through which He displays His Righteousness in saving ungodly sinners on enemy status before Him by faith. Now will Barak respond positively?
: God gives a prophetic picture of Israel in her Kingdom in the future. With this prophecy through a gentile false prophet to the gentile nations, God was inviting Balak of Moab and any other gentile nations to participate in Israel’s future kingdom and its glory. In her Kingdom, Israel’s waters will water the whole world. Israel’s King will rule over all other kings—Agags. Barak is being given the opportunity to participate in God’s provision for Israel through the Abrahamic Covenant—bless the God and His nation Israel and be blessed. Curse God and His nation Israel and be cursed. But Balak responds negatively again in anger viewing them as his enemy. He will not bless them. He wants to curse them.
: What happens when you refuse the provision for Gentiles in the Abrahamic Covenant and continue to curse Israel? A Day of Wrath involving not only Moab but all the children of Sheth—tumultuous people—those in opposition to God’s plan for Israel. ADVERTISE (v.14) this—put this up as a warning. This knowledge comes from the Most High God—possessor of the earth and heaven—in contrast with Satan’s desire to destroy them. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Most High God and when His star is seen (His first coming) and His Scepter is established (2nd coming) He will be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords on earth ruling through His nation Israel on DAvid’s throne in Jerusalem. Amalek was the first nation began to teach this through His Name—jehovah-nissi—God is Israel’s Victorious Banner. Balaam wanted to put a confederacy together against Israel made up of Ashur, the Kenites, Moabites, Edom, Amalek, Ashur (Balaam’s own people), Eber, etc. But it failed then though it will be repeated on a grander scale in the future and will just as assuredly fail then as well.
: Before Israel enters into the 5th Course of Punishment, God is going to plead the controversy He has with her. They still have an opportunity to change their mind, return to God, be relieved from the curses of the Law and not enter into the 5th course of punishment. All of these punishments have fallen on Israel. Why? Has God done something wrong to make you respond like this? As long as they don’t acknowledge they have done something wrong, they cannot repent. If they haven’t done anything wrong, then God must be doing something wrong. Then He goes on to list all the gracious things He has done for them—Exodus, leaders, —all my acts are righteous. I have been true to My word. I have protected you from enemies and proclaimed truths about you to the world.
: Paul picks up on the Balak/Balaam prophecies.
: Israel is God’s separated people distinct unto Himself. He hasn’t cast them away permanently. This is what Balak wanted God to do. To cast Israel away and treat them like the other nations.
: God does not repent or lie with regard to Israel. God’s gifts to and calling of Israel are without repentance. This is what Balak wanted Balaam to do—get God to change His mind about Israel.
: Israel’s fullness and the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant with its blessings to those who bless God and Israel are absolutely certain. Their fulness is yet to come. They have temporarily fallen and are now on the same level as the Gentiles but it is only temporary. Their blessings will be infinitely more in their fulness when God’s Righteousness and Knowledge will flow over the whole earth.