Old Testament - Numbers 22-23 - May 12, 2022

 5/12/2022 – Numbers 22 & 23

Numbers 22

The Israelites continue to travel. “They have now come close to the land of Moab. Balak, king of Moab, saw them and was quite fearful for his country. He knew that two mighty kings of the Amorites had been defeated by the number and power of the Israelites. The Moabites were filled with such alarm that Balak sought assistance, not from his own god, Baal, but from Israel’s own God whose power had been so marvelously manifested.” So Balak sent a message to a prophet, Balaam, saying “there is a people come out from Egypt; behold they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.” Balak knew that, as a prophet, “whom thou blesses is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.” (v 6) Balak was prepared to offer Balaam great rewards. (v7) Balaam asked them to wait while he consulted with the Lord. His answer from the Lord was “thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed” (v12) Balak sent his princes back to Balaam, promising that “I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.” (v 17) Balaam’s answer was that he could not “go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.” But then Balaam asked them to stay while he went to the Lord once again, and this time the Lord told him to go with the princes. The JST tells us that the Lord’s answer to Balaam was for Balaam to make up his own mind. The Lord had answered Balaam already. Balaam had been promised much by the king, and his answer was that he would go with the princes. He saddled his ass and took his 2 servants with him. But after traveling some way, his ass stopped and would not go on. V 23 tells us that “the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field.” Balaam began hitting the ass, and the ass continue to refuse to go forward, finally running into a wall and hurting Balaam’s foot, and Balaam hit the ass even more. That’s when “the Lord opened the mouth of the ass” (v 28) who explained what was happening that Balaam was not seeing. When we drift from the Lord, we take ourselves further away from His influence, and we lose the ability to hear Him. It’s as if our hearing aides have stopped working, and we hear nothing.

At last, the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, who then realized that he had sinned, “for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way”. Balaam immediately said he would go right back to his home. But the angel said to continue on, but to do only as the angel prompted him.


Numbers 23

Balaam arrived and told the king to build seven alters, and they offered an oxen and a ram on each one. Balaam then spoke to the king: “How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy whom the Lord hath not defied?”  The king continued to pressure Balaam with great offers, but once again Balaam refused to do as the king had asked, and instead of cursing the Israelites, he blessed the them. “Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and He hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it” (v 20) Balaam then continued to speak of the Israelites and to tell the king the great things that would happen to the Israelites. 

The king was persistent and continued to press Balaam to curse them, but Balaam answered “Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do.” But it doesn’t stop here!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pearl of Great Price - Moses 6:24-52 - January 19, 2022

 1/19/2022 – Moses 6:24-52 The Old Testament tells us just a little about Enoch, but the Book of Moses greatly increases our understanding of his life, his ministry and his teachings. Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam. In those seven generations, many had left the teachings of the Lord. It was when Enoch “journeyed in the land among the people” (v 26) that “He heard a voice from heaven, saying, Enoch, my son, prophesy unto this people, and say unto them—Repent, for thus saith the Lord: I am angry with this people, and my fierce anger is kindled against them; for their hearts have waxed hard, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes cannot see afar off.” (v 27). I read this and I feel the warning to us that we are not to rely only on our ‘earthly vision’. The Lords rewards are not always immediate. But if we keep the commandments, keeping our eyes focused on the ultimate reward that the Lord holds in store for us, THEN we will be able to “see afar off”.  In v...
Read more

Pearl of Great Price - Moses 7:16-47 - January 29, 2022

  1/29/2022 - Moses 7:16-47 I didn’t realize I was repeating Moses 6 until I was finished with it the 2nd time. But what was beautiful to me is that studying the same scriptures a second time simply brought more thoughts and understanding and desires to be sure to return to my Father in Heaven….to finish my earthly life with the same goals that I started it. I LOVE studying the scriptures! There were now so many people on earth who had chosen not to follow the ways of the Lord. V 16: And from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed among them; but the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness.”  V 18: “And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.” V 19: “And Enoch continued his preaching in righteousness unto the people of God. And it came to pass in his days that he built a city that was called the City of Holiness, even Zion.”  Zion was est...
Read more

Pearl of Great Price - Moses 6:40-56 - January 27, 2022

 1/27/2022 – Moses 6:40-59 [I’m still in Moses 6—haven’t figure out I’m reading this again) Enoch has seen and spoken with the Lord, and he follows the Lord’s instructions no matter what they entail.  President Monson once said: “It’s not enough to wish, it’s not enough to dream, it’s not enough to promise. We must do.”  And that’s just what Enoch did! He is going into areas where there is much evil. When the people there ask about him, he tells simply and honestly: “I came out of the land of Cainan, the land of my fathers, a land of righteousness unto this day. And my father taught me all the ways of God.” (v 41) Enoch answers their questions, he teaches them many things about God, but he keeps the profound spiritual things the Lord has revealed unto him to himself. The people he is teaching, are not ready to receive a higher law or standard. In v 46 Enoch tells them that his people keep a “book of remembrance” that they have written, according to the pattern given by th...
Read more