Parashat Balaq

Balaq means "devastator", which gives us a clue as to who he represents allegorically. But Tzippor means "sparrow"—seemingly a paradoxical name, but a songbird is heard more often than it is seen, and words can be more devastating than anything else. But now, like a bird, he is finding out that there is someone bigger than he. The devastator is terrified by people who have actually been doing what he talks about!

The man Moav (the son of Lot, Avraham's nephew) had been dead for many years, but his descendants acted on his behalf; we too can repent for the deeds of our ancestors, and they will be counted as having repented. Sickening dread: probably complete with headaches and knots in the stomach. It literally means “cut off”—from himself, from his reasoning faculties; we could say he was “beside himself”.

A king: not the king over all the Moavites, but probably over one city-state—a small kingdom with its own government, economy, and army. It had some alliance with the Midyanites. How did he respond to this perceive threat? Notice that he did not say, “Get the army ready! Fortify the water systems! Store up grain! Make sure we have enough weapons!” Sihon had gathered an army against Israel and still did not win (21:23ff); Og had not come out against Israel, since Moshe had said to attack after only scouting out his land. Balaq thought, “We can neither just sit here nor go out to battle against them, so what can we do?” He knows he cannot defeat them militarily. He could have decided to provide Israel with water and grain, because it was the Emoites’ unwillingness to let Israel pass without even taking any grain or water that had precipitated the ruthless response of Israel. But a peaceful solution does not seem to even cross his mind; there are also those today for whom making peace with Israel is simply unthinkable. He is very expressive in his descriptions, as a leader’s should be, but his response is not to act but only to speak. These events take place with no actual contact yet with Israel. There would be times later when Israel would encounter Moavites and Midyanites (ch. 25) and then Bilaam himself (chapter 31), so the story may have been recounted to Israel by some of them. Midyan was the son of Avraham and his later wife Q'turah after Sarah’s death. Moshe married into a Midyanite family. So why is Midyan called upon against Israel? His name means “quarrelsome”. If they can tear apart Israel’s unity, they know we are beaten, because we are no longer too numerous for them. What they fear is all Israel in unity. So they enlist the help of the “quarrelsome” (troublemakers who love to argue and will cause contention). They fool themselves into thinking they are right. This is why everyone cannot be allowed their say, because it often results in strife. An ox surrounds the grass with its long, rough tongue, pulls it into its mouth, and bites it off. Here, the Israel that is mighty is likened to an ox. In Deut. 22:10, we are instructed not to yoke an ox and a donkey together for plowing. In Hoshea 8:9, Efrayim while in his rebellious state is compared to a donkey. So the Israel of YHWH and any in Efrayim who still refuse the Torah as a strange thing are an unequal yoke (see 2 Cor. 6:14, where unbelievers and lawless are shown to be synonymous). We can teach them, but we cannot let our hearts be bound to them.

Bilaam means or "wears down the people" or "failure of the people". He indeed would instigate this. Another son of Be’or referred to in Gen. 36:31 was a king of the land of Edom, descendants of Esau, which is why Bilaam knows YHWH. He preserved a remnant of his unspiritual ancestor’s knowledge. He is not just some grey-bearded guru living on a cliff. Though Edomite royalty, he appears to live elsewhere, possibly because most of his countrymen had turned to idolatry. But these kings still know that to gain an Edomite’s attention, they need to bring physical gain. (v. 7) Edom had already refused the simplest hospitality to Israel, though the latter had identified itself as Edom’s brother. In Jewish tradition, the scepter of Edom passed to Rome, and from there to the Church as the Empire crumbled. So today Edom represents Christians, who are brothers to Israel yet have a problematic relationship since they have sold their birthright (the Torah), being men of the field (which Yahshua says represents the world). Such people are seen as useful to the devastator and the quarrelsome. If Balaq knows who this nation is, he twists the truth to cast them as rogue Egyptians (Chamites) instead of escapees from Egypt, so he can persuade other Semites to help him defeat them. He may even want them to think it is Amaleq coming back out of Egypt to attack them. Like so many trouble-makers, he does not tell the whole truth. Speaking to other Semites, he is insinuating that this people is not part of their family—much like Christianity’s attitude toward Yehudah, long the only ones known as Israel.

Moav means “from the father”, because of its incestuous history. But it can also mean “away from the father”. Those who are away from the father will feel a dread when they see a unified Israel, because they will know that they are undone. Just as Yahshua’s record messes up the “curve” grading scale by showing everyone else’s sin to be even more evil by his example of doing right (Romans 8:3), when the world sees a people actual obeying the Torah that they’ve long considered impossible to keep, they will start to panic, because they will realize they no longer have an excuse. Verse 29 of chapter 21 also gives us a hint at another reason for Moav’s insecurity: They had turned their own sons and daughters over to the Emorites as captives, apparently in exchange for the promise of peace for those who remained. They were not like the Israelites, who fought to rescue their captives, but were willing to give up their own offspring because it did not matter to them whether they lived as Moavites or Emorites, just as long as they were still alive. So now their children were away from their fathers, too. Their covering was gone. And that is no way for a people to continue. Israel, on the other hand, decimated the Emorites for a much smaller offense, and Moav had to also now be smarting from the shame of how little they had even tried to do to get their children back. Tradition also says Balaq’s was a provisional position because he did not really qualify as Moavite royalty; he was probably on some sort of probation, making his position even more tenuous, so he felt he had to create a strong legacy. So rather than learning from these people how to rescue one’s children, they try to destroy the evidence so they can go on living in their illegitimacy, thinking that having no other option will make them legitimate by default—or at least weaken Israel so it no longer has the “moral upper hand”, and that would end up being the only option open to them. They look for an enemy who is powerful with words, who can weaken them, much like the United Nations, which originally spoke modern Israel into existence with its blessing, but now spends most of its time issuing one condemination of her after another. “There is nothing new under the sun.” Even though there was no hint on the part of Israel of hostility toward their distant cousins, and YHWH had no intention of having Israel threaten Moav, as He had deeded their land to them because of their ancestor Lot’s relationship to Avraham (Deut. 2:9), still this nervous people--whose nagging collective psychological need for affirmation was always just beneath the surface—perceived them to be a threat, based on the false premise that Israel intended to conquer everyone around them. The only reason they had destroyed the Emorites was because they stood in the way of Israel’s getting to where YHWH had told them to go. When someone slaps Israel lightly, YHWH hits them back hard. America supported the Jews being removed from their homes in the “settlements”, many of them populated by Jews who turned their backs on the “American dream” and emigrated back Home, and now many Americans have lost their homes through mortgage default if not through hurricanes. But Israel was not after Balaq; he was acting out of an unrealistic fear. It was all in his head. But his ancestor was actually conceived because of fear. (Gen. 19:37) He was a born pessimist, assuming the worst motives of a people who only wanted to pass through, probably because all they had ever seen were people who tried to rob them. They could not even imagine that YHWH might be doing something different—actually bringing about a nation that would repair what was broken in the world. So they were also indirectly assuming the worst about Him. “Whomever you bless is blessed”: To those around him he was known as a sorcerer, who did things for other nations than his own. (His name can also mean “without a people” or “not of a people”, though we are told in v. 5 that he has a people, but he is not from the people of Israel.) But this also hearkens back to YHWH’s promise to Avraham in Gen. 12:3, giving additional evidence that he is a descendant of Avraham as well, though not connected with Israel. He is thus a picture of the leaders of Christianity, who consider themselves Avraham’s children. Kinship is a strong weapon, because one’s family can hurt him more than anyone else, since they know the most about him. He takes advantage of the relationship that modern folks call “Judeo-Christian”. In modern terms, if both the U.N. and Christian denominations condemn Israel, her enemies might be able to defeat her. And what do they use to try to defeat Israel?

Fee for divination: The same word can mean the divination itself, so if one pays someone else to do sorcery, it is as if he did it himself. It is money that they try to use against Israel. They parallel the modern oil-rich countries that say, “If you want cheap oil, all you have to do is condemn Israel.”

I.e., “I’ll pray about it.” Stayed: literally, sat, which is often an idiom for study. He made them his students so they would feel indebted to him no matter what he did. He only seems to be able to hear from YHWH in the darkness. But he does pray to YHWH and not to an idol. Like many Christians, this relative of Israel has a relationship with YHWH, and has His blessing as loing as he stands behind Israel.

He says he will ask YHWH (expecting His compassionate side). He is used to speaking with YHWH, but he is answered by Elohim--the aspect of YHWH that emphasizes His being a judge. The relationship may not be as close as he thinks it is. But He asks a question to allow Bilaam to judge for himself whether he should really be keeping company with such people.

He answers, showing that he does not recognize that YHWH is asking a rhetorical question, being blinded by the money. He thinks a man so important should obviously warrant attention.

12. But Elohim told Bilaam, "You are not to go with them nor curse the people, because it is blessed."

13. So Bilaam got up in the morning and told Balaq's leaders, "Go [back] to your land, because YHWH has refused to permit me to go with you."

Permit: or "appoint/designate". His perspective is, “I’d love to, but my hands are tied.” He was not taking YHWH’s side, though he capitulated to Him, but was making YHWh look like an oppressive dictator. Rather than assuming YHWH’s intentions were beneficent, and that he could learn something from WHY He wanted Israel blessed, he just looked at his short-range goals and the inconvenience of not getting this “big contract”. If he had looked more deeply into it, his perspective could have been elevated.

They saw it as his saying “no”, when it was really YHWH’s “no”. The world thinks that we have choices, but if we choose to travel on YHWH’s road, our other options are then limited.

More important: or honorable; literally, "heavier". He sent people with bigger purses to turn up the pressure, beause they knew what “buttons to push”. Who can say “no” to the celebrities and political leaders of formerly-oppressed peoples who take up the cause of Israel’s enemies and make them seem the underdogs?

Anything: even YHWH. He is obsessed with removing an apparent threat rather than finding out why Israel is blessed and how he could learn from them.

He uses the oldest trick in the book—flattery. Compare this with the temptation of Yahshua in Mat. 4:8ff throughout this passage (especially v. 41).

So many feel lured by money yet restrained by YHWH, rather than seeing His choice as always a blessing. He is insinuating that they have still not offered him enough.

He thinks he may hear differently this time, but the definition of “insanity”, according to some, is “doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”! He is trying to find a loophole, because he wants the wages, though he does not have any wish to curse Israel. He is truly a man of YHWH, but Mammon is his weakness (2 Peter 2:15) --a great example of why Yahshua told us to pray to not be led into temptation.

Nothing more than: a very strong term meaning "strictly indeed". YHWH gives him the liberty to go, but it is clear that this is not His wish. He is not impressed by the celebrities; He is fed up with Bilaam’s asking again when He has already said, “No.” He says, “Okay, go ahead and see where it gets you!” It is not a blessing to be given permission to throw ourselves into the lions’ den. Where we have liberty, not all things are profitable (1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23), especially if they enslave us (see v. 32), and we have to pay the price for our choices. Being loosed to do whatever we choose is a fearful thing, because the consequences will be yours alone to bear.

He did not even wait for them to summon him, as Elohim had said, but proved that he really wanted to go after all. The Hebrew word for a female donkey (used here) is based on the word for “faithful” or “reliable”—something lasting and perennial. Thus she is a picture of the word of YHWH (Yeshayahu 40:8), which lasts forever, and more particularly the Torah. (Mat. 5:18)

Resist: or act as an adversary, the verb form of "Satan", for though he had some favor I YHWH’s eyes, he was now allying himself with YHWH’s enemy. Like the Church that his people represents, he could have remained blessed to some extent if he had not acted against Israel when he knew it was not YHWH’s will. But if YHWH gave Bilaam permission to go, why is He upset? This does not seem fair. But He wanted to teach him to listen to His first answer. He hoped he loved Him enough to choose not to do this to Him. Any messenger of YHWH is always the enemy of our "flesh" when we try to serve two masters. Even if we love YHWH and hate Mammon, Mammon still drains our energy if we serve it.

Turn: or influence. He was like many of “Edom” who try to get YHWH’s word to prove they can go against His will. The donkey (the Torah) tried to save his life by keeping him from being opposed to Yahshua, but he did not see Yahshua, so he tried to diminish the Torah. The Torah will not take us where Yahshua does not want us to go, but if we have a Greek concept of what “Jesus” is like, we will not recognize the true Yahshua when we see him, and we will not expect the Torah to be in agreement with Yahshua. But it is, and he is in agreement with it, for he embodies it. As we learn the Torah, our prayers will not have to be hit or miss “if it be Your will” ones, but like Yahshua, we will be able to pray, “Thy will be done” and know what that will is.

Narrow passages near walls indicates that this was most likely an entrance to a city, for bottlenecks were often built there so an army could not make a wide frontal attack. In that case, he had left his city by the river (later where most synagogues in the diaspora were built), to go the wrong way, to another city. When we walk in the narrow way (Mat. 7:14), we must be prepared to be examined; if we have let go of YHWH’s will, we will get hurt.

26. But the Messenger of YHWH went on ahead [of him] again and stood in a tight spot where there was no way to turn to the right or the left.

27. And the donkey saw the Messenger of YHWH, and she crouched down beneath Bilaam. And Bilaam's anger was ignited, and he beat the donkey with a staff.

Anger was ignited: Now he knew how YHWH felt about his “asinine” actions. A staff represents authority. So he is “beating the Torah with his own authority”—a picture of the pope (the royalty of Edom), one who changed the Sabbath to Sunday (compare Daniel 7:25) simply to prove he had the authority to do so. Bilaam could hear YHWH at night (only in the dark), but could not see His messenger in broad daylight. If he had had any understanding at all, he would never go near anything that would weaken Israel.

Opened the donkey's mouth: possibly restoring her temporarily to the condition all the animals were in before Adam's fall? When the Torah came alive to us again, it shocked many who thought it no longer held a message for us. Hit me: or chastised, punished, attacked, subjugated, or brought judgment. Three times: literally, "three paces" or "feet". The very same phrase is used to describe the three occasions during the year when all able-bodied men are to come up to Yerushalayim for a feast to YHWH. (Ex. 23:14) He would not respect YHWH’s “feet”, so YHWH hurt his foot. Since the Torah allowed him to follow his will just far enough to hurt himself. The Torah refuses to bend to the will of Christianity, resting when YHWH says to rest and not when the pope says, so the Church has “struck” these festivals from its calendar. The world is worried about “holiday sales”, which usually prop up a sagging economy, but they are based on pagan festivities, so this “foot” must be crushed. Will the Church again do like Bilaam and totally miss what YHWH is trying to say through the economic collapse?

Made a fool of me: the men accompanying him would only see the donkey wandering off and Bilaam beating her. He seems to have been so set on his journey and his reputation that he hardly noticed that his donkey was speaking! As a seer he is used to hearing voices, and like Pharaoh’s magicians, he was used to strange occurrences, so the talking donkey does not seem to have surprised him too greatly, but YHWH here shows him that He is indeed able to restrict what Bilaam says just as He can make a donkey speak. (See v. 18) He had his own agenda, barely permitted by YHWH's "grace", but the donkey paused at the three "stations" that YHWH had ordained, and he was upset by it, for he had no power to obliterate what kept him from doing things the way he wanted to do them. That he had no sword may indicate that he was well-respected for the staff—or magic wands—that he carried, but the entourage from the king would have been well-armed, possibly even a small army, and they were probably behind him, so they would see his antics with the donkey, and note that this man with great powers they had been flattering about his greatness was not even able to keep his donkey from becoming unruly!

31. Then YHWH uncovered Bilaam's eyes, and he noticed YHWH's Messenger, who had taken his stand on the path, with his sword in his hand, and he bowed his head and fell on his face.

He was so blinded by the glimmer of the silver that he could not see what was right in front of his face. The donkey was trying to bless him, but he could not understand this until she used words. She had no way of saving her master until she could speak. How powerful words are! The majority of people in the U.S. support Israel, but because only her opponents speak up, it seems otherwise. Now YHWH acts as YHWH, and not just Elohim, and this brings full understanding. Uncovered: or revealed; David asks YHWH to do the same: "Uncover my eyes, that I may give consideration to extraordinary things from Your instruction." (Psalm 119:118)

Reckless: or rash; literally, careening headlong out of control on a slippery slope. Bilaam was beginning to be guided by offers of rewards rather than the principles he had lived by hitherto. (vv. 18, 19) He was going to curse YHWH’s beloved! Alt., "contrary to me", since His ways are not our ways. (Yeshayahu 55:9) In comparison to Me: "in front of Me" or "corresponding to Me"--the term for the counterpart Chavvah was to Adam; Bilaam was doing a poor job of being such a counterpart to YHWH's Messenger. Let us learn from Bilaam's errors. (Micha 6:5; 2 Kefa/ Peter 2:15; Yehudah/Jude 11; Rev. 2:14) As we do, Yahshua will open the eyes of many in the Edomite Church, showing them that He opposes its chosen path—the way that seems right but leads to death.

Bowed to Me: inclined, bent down, or "went out of her way for Me"--the same term for "turned off" in v. 23. Left her alive: YHWH’s Word stands forever; you are replaceable if you do not go where it takes you. He would have destroyed the Body of Messiah already had there not been a remnant who did keep Torah. Having a relationship with YHWH will not save you if you do not bless Israel. If we are making His pleasure and delight ours, we will bless her.

Gone off track: as the Church has opposed Yahshua while thinking it was following Him, because they did not realize that He was really allied with the Torah. If…in Your eyes: He does not confess—that is, say that he sees it as wrong as well. If it will kill him, he will not go—but only if it will kill him. He did not know what YHWH’s will is, and for a prophet—or His spokesman of any sort, which includes us—that is absolutely unacceptable. The Torah makes YHWH’s will very clear, so we must know it inside and out. By now it should have displeased Bilaam to go as well; why doesn’t he see it as wrong? But like so many Christians, he just says, “If it offends you, I won’t do it.”

Now this makes no sense! The messenger came to stop him, and he finally agrees to quit, but no, he is going after all! Since he had come this far, YHWH would go ahead and use him to bring the opposite effect on Israel than Balaq wanted. Not say a word more: literally, "stop with the word that I speak"--make that your final word on the matter.

37. And Balaq said to Bilaam, "Didn't I send urgently to summon you? Why didn't you come to me? Couldn't I indeed promote you to great importance?"

38. But Bilaam told Balaq, "Look, I have come to you. But am I indeed able to promise anything at all? The word that Elohim puts in my mouth [is what] I will pronounce."

He now calls Him Elohim, because he has just experienced Him as judge.

40. and Balaq slaughtered oxen and sheep, and sent [some] to Bilaam and the leaders who were with him.

He had not even arrived yet, but he was eating from Ba’al’s table, and that is tantamount to a covenant.

He thought Bilaam might see from his point of view if he took him to his own worship-site and explained why it was important to his religion to oppose Israel. Compare the "very high mountain" from which Yahshua was offered the temptation to power with which Bilaam was now struggling. But this was a place dedicated to the one YHWH hated most. The “platform” for the curse is now clearly connected to Ba’al. There can be no agreement between Ba’al and YHWH. One can “walk in another’s shoes” and feel sorry for him if we want, but it should not affect our actions any. Only when YHWH rules the earth will pain, suffering, and hunger truly be defeated. So Bilaam should have stayed on his donkey and left, for why would it let him down now? Extremity: or edge, possibly meaning that he could see all the way to the far side of the camp of Israel, or possibly one a fraction of them, for the root word means “cut off”.

CHAPTER 23

This place: the cultic platforms of Ba’al (22:41) to which Israel’s enemy had taken the Edomite king (a picture of the pope) in order to make him see from his own point of view—pagan worship sites, to which “the devastator” had fetched (snatched away, captured) this member of Edom’s royalty, whose scepter, as we have seen, is traditionally seen as having passed to Rome and thereby to the Church. The Church has indeed been co-opted by pagans into seeing Israel from the enemy’s point of view, and has been a participant in slandering Israel’s most obvious contingent, the Jews. But why should people who claim to worship Israel’s Elohim curse Israel? Seven bulls and seven rams: a pattern established by YHWH earlier, in Iyov/Job’s day (Iyov 42:8-10) and seen commonly later in Israel. (1 Chron. 15:26; 2 Chron. 29:21) Seven is an important number in Scripture, representing completion, as exemplified by the seventh-day Sabbath. So this was the right number of animals to bring to YHWH. But there is a flaw in Bilaam’s approach. Rome (Edom) is built on seven hills—the enemy’s substitute for the one hill on which YHWH chose to establish His one altar. (Deut. 12:2-15) How sly! Seven is the “perfect number”. But it is the wrong place. The very same passage says YHWH would not accept worship at pagan sites like this one or in the ways that pagans worshipped Him, and that is the history of Christianity, especially after Constantine. The “way that seems right” to a Greco-Roman mindset is almost always in opposition to the Hebraic patterns YHWH originally taught us.

This may mean one on each of the seven altars (and was taken as such by the LXX and some Aramaic targums), but the actual text only says that seven of each are prepared but only one of each is used. YHWH has chosen the Sabbath as a picture of Yahshua's Kingdom. Any might be chosen, so all had to be ready. Throughout every "day" in history, we have been called to live as closely to the Kingdom principles as we can and be ready in case Yahshua should return, but as the seventh millennium comes upon us, we know this must be the Day (see Psalm 90:4), so there is no excuse for slackness, and will be judged even more strictly. But Edom/Rome chose a different day to “establish” (another meaning for “prepare” in verse 1). The bull was his “Sunday best”, but he had no reason for confidence that YHWH would accept it:

Barren height: suggesting unfruitfulness, but emphasizing that it was a solitary, empty, quiet place, away from the “devastator”, where he could hear from YHWH more clearly without distraction. There were also no pagan groves there like at the cultic platforms of Ba’al. Maybe: YHWH was on a very orderly schedule, but since Bilaam did not understand the pattern, YHWH’s appearances to him had seemed random.

Elohim came to meet: Aram., "the word from Elohim was directed toward..." (throughout the passage). The seven altars: specific ones. Rabbinic writers says he based this on the four altars recorded as being built by Avraham, one by Yitzhaq, and two by Yaaqov. But they were counterfeits because they were in the wrong place—the wrong side of the Yarden, meaning they were not Hebrew altars as the seven built by the patriarchs were.

He was not granted a prophecy until he brought his offering.

7. So he took up his proverbial saying, and said, "From Aram, Balaq [the] king of Moav has had me brought out--from the mountains of the east: ‘Come, put a curse on Yaaqov for me!' and ‘Come, denounce Israel!'

Aram: land of one of the sons of Shem, the ancestor of Yaaqov's father-in-law Lavan. This appears to be where Bilaam was now living. No one mentioned Yaaqov before this; YHWH is now revealing who they are really up against. These are not Egyptians after all! Denounce: or defy, rage against.

Hirsch: "How can I make a hole where El has not punctured?" Denounce: or "affect with wrath". Rashi says Israelites themselves had never been cursed—only their wrath (Gen. 49:6), and Yaaqov himself was blessed when his brother was expected to be the one blessed instead. (Gen. 27:2)

Hirsch interprets the first sentence as "From a high point of view I saw it near; from a lower one it was still far off." Separately: alone, divided out and withdrawn from among everything else, yet together as one group. This is the same way which Levi was not to be counted among the tribes of Israel, though he was one of them; he had a holy task to which he was called to "isolate" himself. If there is a conflict of interest, we are not a "member" of anything but Israel. While it was not beneficial for Adam to be alone, as a whole people, it was beneficial for Israel to be—for they would be “alone together”. Not be considered: or "not reckon itself"; the Sabbath liturgy indeed thanks YHWH for not emplacing us like the other nations. This exempts Israel from Yirmeyahu 30:11, where YHWH says He will make an end of all nations. The word for “considered” also stems from a root meaning "to weave, braid, or interpenetrate", so Israel is not one of the threads in the world's fabric, but is a different entity altogether, even if there seems to be overlap at times. This is actually the beginning of Bilaam’s blessing on Israel, and is precisely the reason Israel’s enemies have cursed her throughout the centuries: we do not think of ourselves as part of the world. Indeed, the reason we were exiled was because we wanted to be like the other nations. The Greeks and Romans exchanged gods with whomever they conquered, but cannot tolerate the “arrogance” of a nation that acknowledges only one Elohim. The “catholic” (all-encompassing) mindset adopted within Christianity could not be satisfied with YHWH being one, and had to invent the doctrine of the trinity in order to facilitate its way of thinking, which stemmed from having many deities but all under the auspices of the name Ba’al (e.g., Ba’al-Peor, as related to v. 28). Though it will mean persecution (Yochanan 15:19, et al.), we should count it a blessing that we are a set-apart people, for having to worry about what is outside would only distract us from the specific responsibilities YHWH has given us. We are also under no obligation to either Christianity’s or global society’s expectations, for we have our orders from a higher authority. Those who are set apart automatically mark the rest as common or ordinary. If we were all the same, as the world wants us to be, nothing at all would be sacred; by analogy, saying that every day is equally holy (so that the Sabbath can be celebrated on a day of one’s own choosing) means that in reality nothing is holy. In particular, YHWH sees Israel as separate from Egypt, though we came out from there (cf. 22:5, 11). Ideally, it would never enter the minds of this generation that they had ever even been part of that land. The nations are to be gathered into Israel, not the other way around. That may seem like putting an elephant in a shoebox, but there will come a time when the nations will understand that they will have to become part of Israel to survive. Today, all too often, Yehudah wants Israel to be seen as one of the nations, which is why they cater to so many other nations’ whims, but YHWH wants us to be a light to the nations. We cannot help others out of the quicksand if we are in the same predicament! If the nations can say that we are just like them, we are not doing our job.

Dust: an idiom for numerous descendants. (Gen. 13:16) A quarter: one of the four camps, one of which Yehudah was the leader of. This may have been the “extremity of the people” which was all he could see in 22:41, and it may be that because of their example that they received more mercy throughout the centuries than the rest of Israel. But four extremities also reminds us of the blue tassels YHWH told us to hang on our outer garments (15:38-39) as a reminder to keep His commandments. Who indeed can count them? Even the more-recognizable Jews often hide their identity, though some of them have done the best at returning to the calling of not considering themselves like other nations; the rest of the tribes have become so lost among the nations (to all but YHWH) that no one else knows who they are. But they are still there and are already beginning to be recalled to the covenant. The upright ones: a special Hebrew nickname for Israel. What was Yaaqov’s final end like? Genesis 49 describes it in detail. He had his entire family around him. He had laid out the path for his heritage and given them prophecies that would empower them to live in unity. He had said all he needed to say and seen his son as a ruler on the earth. He knew he had fulfilled his calling, and that his work was done. His body was then “planted” in the Land of Israel to await the resurrection. But Bilaam’s final end would not be like Yaaqov’s, for he made further wrong decisions. (2 Kefa 2:15; Rev. 2:14; Y’hoshua 13:22)

Fetched: or selected.

13. So Balaq said to him, "Please come with me to another place from which you will see it. You'll [only] see the tail end of it; you won't see them all! Curse it for me from there!"

It: i.e., the nation of Israel. Literally, "him", referring to the entity of Yaaqov as his descendants. He seems to assume that Bilaam's curse would only alight on those he could see. Or he may be saying that he has heard about what else goes on in that camp; not every part of it is as exemplary as the part he had seen. Balaq wants him to get another angle on them. If he sees them from a different angle—sees what they are like on the days other than the Sabbath, he might not have such a problem with cursing them!

Watchmen's Field: Aram.,"lookout point"—a high spot from which one would watch for approaching enemies. Cleft: or "pass"--possibly the Arnon Canyon (cf. Ch. 21) The term (pisgah) can also mean "summit". This is sometimes an alternate name for Mt. Nevo in Jordan (photo at left). LXX: "quarry".

16. And YHWH came to meet Bilaam, and He put a word in Bilaam's mouth and told him, "Return to Balaq, and you shall make such and such a pronouncement."

This time it does not say Elohim came, for His ruling as a judge had already been made.

18. So he took up his proverbial saying, and said, "Arise, O Balaq; listen [and obey]! Give ear as far as me, O [one whom] Tzippor [calls] his son!

19. "El is not a man, that He should let [His word] fail, nor the son of humanity, that He should accommodate Himself [to anyone]. Has He spoken, and will He not follow through, or has He promised, and will He not put it into effect?

El is not…the son of humanity: Heb., Ben Adam, the same name Yahshua so often used of himself, so this Torah prophecy is a nail in the coffin of the doctrine of the Trinity. Let His word fail: disappoint, prove to be in vain or deceitful; LXX, "waver"; Hirsch, "twist". Accommodate Himself: give in to the wishes of someone with money rather than maintaining His standards; LXX, "be threatened". Does Balaq think merely killing bulls and rams will change YHWH’s mind? He does not care which part of Israel Balaq may be looking at. Put it into effect: establish, fulfill His word.

21. "He has not taken into consideration [any] crookedness in Yaaqov, nor has He perceived Israel as worn out. YHWH his Elohim is with him; the [victorious] battle-cry of a king is in him.

Not taken into consideration: Aramaic, carefully scrutinized and not found. Crookedness: Hirsch, "misuse of power". Perceived Israel as worn out: or, seen any trouble in Israel. Some say exactly the opposite, citing the Holocaust as evidence that YHWH is fed up with Israel. And in this context, He has just brought judgment after judgment! Sometimes He would not even dwell with them because of the extent of the trouble in the camp. But even if one had to beat his family into subjection, he would still come to their defense without hesitation in the face of any outside threat, especially from the "accuser of the brethren". Such problems are none of Bilaam’s business; He will not present Israel to outsiders as anything but righteous. He may use an outsider to discipline us, but He forbids them from bringing a curse with it. This is why Paul warns us against taking one another to worldly courthouses. (1 Corinthians 4:3) As Paul again says, "Who can bring any charge against YHWH's chosen?" (Rom. 8:33) The key is the final phrase: The word for "battle-cry" is the same term used for the trumpet blast on Yom T'ruah (Rosh haShanah), which woke them up. Christianity has said this would not work, because otherwise why was the Temple destroyed? But Yom Teruah is when the king, Yahshua, who makes it possible for us to be righteous, will return. This is what makes the difference. The festival just after Yom Teruah is Yom Kippur, on which YHWH covers our sins over. It is not that the sins do not exist, but they are walking in forgiveness. (Christianity clued in on this, and the pope used it as his power base, saying it was available only through him. But this is the forgiveness that YHWH recognizes because of that season--because Aharon has brought the bull, rams, and goats. The Church is selling something they do not own. It was already being given away, but people did not know where to look, because they were taken to Rome’s seven hills for their perspective, and therefore give the wrong impression of what Yahshua’s life was all about.) First Yochanan warns us to never say we are without sin, yet invites us to enjoy the full rights of our calling as Sons of Elohim. (See also Heb. 4:16) YHWH does not take the attitude that there is no longer anything He can do with Israel. Those whom He loves He disciplines. If He had forsaken them, they would not have gone through as much trouble as they had. In fact, after so many years of correction, they are finally getting to the place where they are useful to Him. No theology of replacement can stand up because of this passage. His covenant is eternal. All it took to find our way back to the right hill was to realize that we are not Edomite or part of any other nation, but are Israel.

Led him: Israel did not leave Egypt on their own initiative, as Balaq seemed to imply. YHWH is ready to fight to protect them. Wild ox: This particular species is thought to be extinct.

Enchanting: casting a spell; literally, whispering, for this in itself casts an air of mystery and suspicion, even where it is groundless. Prov. 26:2 tells us that "a curse without a cause will not alight"--if we have the doors closed to it, as Yahshua did. (Yochanan 14:30) No matter how much Balaq pleads, YHWH will not favor another nation over Israel, except temporarily, to bring Israel correction. Alt., There is no divination in Yaaqov-- because in the true Yaaqov, in which YHWH sees nothing amiss, no perversity can exist. Indeed, if anyone is found practicing divination within Israel, it is punishable by death. (Micha 5:12) So why have people been so emphatic about the Messiah being “divine”? That means “having to do with a god.” Hebraically, we cannot thinhk of the unique YHWH as divine, and much less Yahshua. This is a Greek concept; he is a Hebrew, and not so easily defined. We only want him to be so that we can control Him more easily. As always: or "according to the proper season", "as usual", or "as in eternity". What El has accomplished: This quote was chosen by Samuel Morse to be the first message sent by telegraph. Hirsch interprets the first sentence in light of the second as meaning there is no need for omens or magic, since YHWH would inform them of whatever they needed to know.

A people: Hirsch, "as a social union", Israel does not need all these means of foretelling the future, for as long as it fulfills its duty, it will be dauntless. He reiterates Yaaqov’s blessings on his individual children in order to bless all of Israel corporately. We do not literally drink blood; that is forbidden by Torah. But Balaq has asked for the wrong thing; his armies cannot defeat this people! Baal has no power here. These blessings sound very much like Yaaqov’s own words; YHWH put Israel’s own blessings into the mouth of the one seeking to curse them.

“Erase what you said! You don’t have to curse them; just don’t bless them either!” But this is like the woman who approached King Shlomo and wanted to divide the living child so neither of the disputing mothers could have him. It is not acceptable; YHWH cannot just ignore Israel. He does not like things lukewarm. To not bless them is still cursing them. If one calls on YHWH, he must take what YHWH gives, not expect Him to cater to what one wants to hear.

Once the facts are known, one cannot maintain a neutral stance or an “open mind”.

All right: literally, "upright" or "straight", "lawful" or "approved". Back in verse 13 he had ordered him to do so; now he simply hopes it might be permitted. The gods: Balaq uses the (always-plural) term with the article, as undoubtedly he still has little concept of the uniqueness of YHWH.

Gap: Heb., Pe’or, one of the places Ba’al was said to be lord over. (25:3) YHWH tells us to remember those who followed Baal of Peor, because they are no longer with us. (Deut. 4:3) So while Balaq no longer tries to tempt Bilaam with the equivalent of the Roman Catholic Church, he tries to get him to align with one of her “Protestant” daughters who seem more innocuous. But this place still worships Ba’al, so it is no better. YHWH’s covenant, even as renewed through Yahshua, is only with the two houses of Israel. (Yirmeyahu 31:31) Why not just align with the one YHWH has already blessed? Why stay aloof from where the action is? Because he fears he has too much to lose.

30. So Balaq did just as Bilaam said, and [offered] up a bull and a ram on [each] altar.

Balaq is “spitting into the wind”, but still insists on paying more in order to bribe YHWH. He is only wasting his time and resources. Bilaam is eating very well, but is still expecting a different result from the same actions. In Eliyahu’s day, many kept calling on Baal when he did not answer, and bulls were slaughtered there too. (1 Kings 18) But only through the Torah will we get the right results. When Catholicism did not work, people tried Protestantism, then Evangelicalism, and Pentecostalism. But this, too, is really the same thing over and over again. The beauty of the Torah is that doing the same things over and over—year after year—will bring us the same results—only better each time, as we rise up the spiral staircase. When we hear the shofar, we should expect to repent; when we set up a sukkah, we should expect joy. We should not expect YHWH to change. Bilaam is even burning the symbol of Ba’al (the bull). Whether YHWH is patient with him or simply amused, he will not get what he wants.

CHAPTER 24

Appropriate in the eyes: Bilaam has heard from YHWH, but the call of Mammon (wealth) has continued to appeal to him even more than his commitment to what YHWH has established. His struggle between the two sets the context for understanding Yahshua’s use of the related Hebrew idiom “a sound eye” in Mat. 6:22-34. It refers to generosity, and YHWH’s eye is toward Israel in this regard. Mammon is not simply money or physical wealth, but anything we treasure to the extent that it becomes a rival to YHWH for our affections—including even our relatives if it comes to a showdown between the two, though we would hope it never would. Yahshua says that it is Gentiles who seek information about and security in regard to tomorrow, and seeking these ourselves puts us in the position where we are tempted to compromise. Instead, Yahshua says to seek His Kingdom--and His righteousness (a part that is often left out when this verse is quoted). Yahshua’s brother Yaaqov defines righteousness as the proper combination of faith and works (Yaaqov/James 2:20)—that is, not only doing what is right, but doing it for the right reason--and says it is our desires that make us seek other treasures first and thus battle against our doing what blesses Israel. (4:1) When Bilaam saw Israel’s tents, his eyes were on the seeds of the Kingdom, but he is not seeking righteousness. We all have a “right eye” (generous side) and a “left eye” (stingy side). Whichever we seek is what we will serve. That is why Yahshua says some of the light in us can be darkness. Light still reflects off the back of the “left eyeball” and imprints on the brain, but it is not really light when we are generous for the sake of getting others to do what we want. It is for self, not the Kingdom. Bilaam is speaking blessing while seeking to curse; he is trying to serve both YHWH and Mammon. The words may be no different, as the serpent in the garden told a partial truth for the wrong reason. It seemed like a blessing to Chawwah to have her eyes opened, but look how it turned out. Whatever we treasure, we must look at through the “right eye”, for if we are not using it to feed YHWH’s sheep, it is like a stagnant pond which will soon support no life. Fears about tomorrow drive us to treasure other things, but worrying about tomorrow is worshipping Security, and it is the biggest liar, for when we bow down to kiss its feet, it kicks us in the teeth and runs away, as so many are learning today. Only the Kingdom is enduring and therefore real. What we forsake for YHWH’s sake, He paradoxically takes up for us. He says, “Work for Me and I will take care of the rest.” What a relief! Yet the Kingdom is not self-evident, or we would not have to seek it. We will find what we are truly searching for, though it may not turn out to be what we expected. A key to what it means to seek it first is that although its fullness is yet to come, it will not arrive unless we are basing all our choices now on what will move it closer. (2 Kefa/Peter 3:11-12) No matter what your eschatology, the Kingdom will not come without works as well as faith. We lay up treasures in the Kingdom by expending those we have now for its sake. We cannot wait to seek it first when it arrives, for by that time it will be our judge. What energizes Mammon is our fears about the future, when in fact tomorrow never comes. It is nothing but a test of our priorities, for there is never a time when we can say, “Now it is tomorrow.” There is only another “today”, and today is always meant for seeking the Kingdom. (Compare Heb. 3:13.) “Right now vs. tomorrow” is therefore the same as “the Kingdom vs. paganism” and “YHWH vs. Mammon”. Forsaking the things the Gentiles seek does not mean casting them to the dogs, unless we cannot find in them a way of serving YHWH (and the better we know Torah, the better we will be able to find what He wants to teach us in the “mundane”). It just means leaving “tomorrow” in YHWH’s hands and not putting off the things that the Kingdom needs now just because it will take away our “security” for tomorrow. Whenever we do, say, but, eat, or clean anything, we need to try to find the Kingdom profit in it, and if we cannot, we need to move on to something else. This verse defines seeking the Kingdom as being generous to Israel with anything that we treasure, since that is what YHWH Himself does. Seeking the Kingdom is seeking to bless Israel ; we cannot separate the two. Once we give something to YHWH, we need to keep our hands off it. Is it not better provided for in His hands anyway—where “moth and rust” cannot affect it? Take care of Israel, and YHWH will take care of what is outside; it is not our business. Then the whole body—all of Israel encamped together—will be full of light, for “laying up treasures in heaven” means investing our resources now in the Kingdom that will come back to earth with the interest they have earned, during the Sabbath millennium when we will not be able to provide for it. The provision for it must be made now. Investing in selfish pursuits (or simply things useless to the Kingdom) now takes away the resources meant to be stored up for that “retirement”. If we seek “our own lives” (a secure “future” for ourselves), Yahshua says we will lose them.

Lifted up his eyes: often an idiom for seeing prophetically into the latter days, when indeed it appears there will be a camp of Israel in the same area as the united tribes prepare to retake the Land. (Yeshayahu 16) Residing by its tribes: or "remaining in place for its branches". He foresaw that one day Israel would finally live as brothers, and the final outcome is what is the truth in Elohim's eyes. Hirsch says that seeing the arrangement of the tents by tribes, so that each child knew his father, unlike the Gentiles, is what lifted Bilaam's spirit so high in certainty that Israel was worthy of such a glowing report. Anyone who sees Israel as it is meant to be should be affected likewise.

Revelation: utterance, or the pronouncement or declaration of a prophet in an ecstatic state. Whose eyes are open a crack: generally stopped but barely perforated—just beginning to open. Bilaam has had some connection with YHWH’s Spirit, but He has been out of context, so his prophesying has usually been nothing more than sorcery. But now he is beginning to “get it”. He had been a sorcerer for a long time, but like so many today, Bilaam was beginning to realize that YHWH was not finished with Israel. He still has a covenant with Israel, and is restoring the lost tribes to it: that is the true Gospel! All of Scripture is about that covenant. Bilaam has had a personal relationship with YHWH—so personal that He will not even speak to him when anyone else is around. But the people he is viewing has a national relationship with YHWH. He’s had a business relationship with YHWH, but now he is meeting His family! No wonder he is powerless to curse it. He has heard YHWH’s words so well that he takes the initiative to add his own “second witness” to what YHWH has said.

Fallen: though he stumbled on his way, by listening to Elohim, he ended up with a truer knowledge of what is real. This Edomite prophet represents those who were in the Church but recognized that YHWH’s favor and covenant are still with Israel, and that all of Scripture must be interpreted within that context. Once we hear from El—when the veil is taken from our eyes—we cannot help but make the same admission:

Tents: often an idiom for places of religious instruction. This narrows down Noach's prophecy in Gen. 9:27. Dwelling places: the same Hebrew word used for the Tabernacle, but here it is plural. What used to seem foreign to him is now seen for what it is. And we can echo it: this is no longer just some “Jewish thing”. This is Israel—the real thing, which the Jews have indeed preserved, but now it is ours also.

Aloes heal, and being beside a river means a constant source of supply. This is what we worry about when we “seek tomorrow first”. But here we see that by inextricably linking our “tomorrow” to Israel’s way of study and life, we will indirectly put ourselves in the place of YHWH’s constant supply, though that will not be our focus. (“All these things will be added unto you.”)

Great waters: Yaaqov's descendants were indeed scattered like seed across all the oceans--a theme picked up by all the prophets, but especially Hoshea. But Hirsch interprets it as Yaaqov's seed being that which is located where the greatest abundance of the water from YHWH's buckets falls when He waters the field. Agag was the name of a later king of Amaleq (see v. 20), and Israel’s first king did not overflow him. But Velikovsky (in Ages in Chaos) notes that Egyptian writings refer to two different kings of the Hyksos (with whom he identifies Amaleq) with the name Apop, and he believes the transcription system of hieroglyphics allows for this to be read as “Agag”. The word agag means "increasing over the top", i.e. the waters will fill this Kingdom to overflowing. The term for rising higher is the same used for how the waters of the Deluge bore Noach’s ark up from the earth to clear the mountaintops.

Out of Egypt: YHWH clearly does not look on Israel as He does on the rest of the nations, and most specifically does not want them associated with Egypt any longer. “Gnaw” here may also simply mean to break bones, as an ox could; Hirsch has, "render powerless". Oppressor: possibly Moav, who is the aggressor in this context, not Israel; or Agag (Amaleq, the chief of the nations, v. 20). But the typology is the same no matter which it specifically refers to.

Bilaam himself is becoming enraptured, and the blessing pours from his lips. Lions: Compare Micha 5:8. The last sentence is the blessing YHWH gave to Avraham directly, but here He narrows it to Yaaqov indirectly. At the time when someone is trying to curse their descendants, it is reiterated to make it all the more firm. This blessing is the only thing that has preserved the nation which is the seat of Mammon today, when most other Christian nations have turned against Israel. But now that the U.S. is pressuring Israel to take away the homes of many faithful Torah keepers, many Americans are losing their homes as well. Balaq had said those Bilaam blessed are blessed, but this is an entirely different thing. Bilaam realizes he has no right to speak anything but blessing, or he himself will be cursed! Yehudah (most often referred to as a lion) is the one who will, through Yahshua and through its preservation of the Torah, be able to raise up all Israel. (Compare Gen. 49:9) But Balaq probably got his idea for how to seduce Israel from this statement: what do roaring lions want but female lions and meat?

Clapped: Not the same word used in Psalm 2 for the applause on the coronation of the King, but one with a tone of chastisement, as if to say, “Enough, already!”

Here is an echo of the Adversary in Eden, casting doubt on YHWH's noble intentions. Balaq is saying, in essence, “You idiot! I was ready to give you true power! But if you cannot get over this YHWH thing, I guess there will be no authority for you! How will you become rich now?” But if we seek honor from the nations, there is no way we can be doing YHWH’s will anyway. (Yaaqov/James 4:4) And any real authority comes with the responsibility of blessing Israel.

Didn't I tell...? This may be a disclaimer so he can claim his reward money anyway.

14. "So now I am going to my people. Come, I will advise you of what this people will do to your people in the latter days."

For a moment, having seen the incipient Kingdom, he had his eyes off “tomorrow” and on the reality that only awaits the right time to be fulfilled. He sees this gathered, unified Israel (which is the Kingdom) as already existing, but not yet fully manifest. (v. 17) He even becomes bold enough to add insult to injury by letting the king know where the path he has chosen path will take him. After all, what pagans want to know about is tomorrow! It is foolish for them to seek the “future”, because it will spell bad news for them. But they seem unable to help it; it is part of the definition Yahshua gives in Matthew 6 of a Gentile.

16. "the utterance of one who listens to the sayings of El and has become acquainted with the knowledge of the Highest [One], who has beheld as a seer the vision of Shaddai, fallen but with uncovered eyes:

The second phrase is added to the introduction he gave the former time (v. 4). He is learning more about YHWH’s righteousness, which is the result of truly listening to Him more and more.

Not now: It will be quite some time, but it will eventually take place. Star: Assuming this was a messianic prophecy led even someone as wise as Rabbi Akiva to endorse Ben Kosiba as Messiah, assuming that because his name was close enough to "Bar Kochba"--son of the star—he must be the fulfillment of this prophecy. But the result was a terrible fiasco that sent the Jews fully into exile for many centuries. But those who try to apply every prophecy to Yahshua also have to fabricate or force the evidence in some cases. "March" is a strongly militant term, and this "one who came in his own name" (Yochanan 5:43) appeared more militaristic than Yahshua had. Scepter: a symbol of royal authority. We should be cautious about stating dogmatically that this refers to a single person; Daniel shows us that the Messiah of the latter days may refer to Israel as a whole, and especially the House of Yoseyf. Even David, though a great hero and a messiah (anointed one) in his own right, almost always acted with an army and not alone. There will probably be a leader, as YHWH usually works in that way, but we must not assume that none of the responsibility is ours. In fact, although the magen David is really a shield, its shape has led many to call it a “star”, so if we were to consider a single royal figure who deals heavy blows to Moav, we should probably think of David before Yahshua, though some aspects of the subsequent verses have not yet been fulfilled, so “what has been” is likely to be “what will be” in this instance as well. But since David first united the two kingdoms of Israel, the name “David” in itself”is an idiom for reunited Israel, so we should focus on that—a whole people anointed by YHWH to remove the authority and eldership of this people that would oppose Israel though it had no reason to. Part of this is the responsibility of every Israelite. Even Yahshua said, “I am doing some things, but nothing like the things you will accomplish!” What he was, we must now be.

Accomplish it capably: or "do valiantly", "do mightily", "with efficiency". Compare Ovadyah 1:18. Enemies: at this time, their chief enemy was indeed Israel.

City: The Midrash Aggadah says this refers to Edom’s most prominent city, Rome. Ovadyah 18 says Edom will have no suvivrs, while Amos 9 says Israel will possess whatever remains of Edom.

Took up: Though YHWH’s word is always there, one must take on its yoke deliberately. Chief: or first—that is, first to attack Israel as a nation. Gentiles; or simply, "nations". He may be the oppressor mentioned in verse 8 that drives a plurality of nations. To perish: or "eternal destruction", or "unto destruction", reminding us of Yahshua's words that "the first shall be last", and "the broad way leads to destruction". YHWH indeed specifically targeted Amaleq for annihilation as His eternal enemy because of how they treated His people and because their philosophy that all is coincidence gives no credit to YHWH. (Exodus 17:14-16; Deut. 25:19) That he is mentioned here means we still have not finished the job.

Nest: a word play, since the term is qin, similar to "Qeynite".

This was indeed the practice of the Assyrians--to resettle those they conquered rather than destroying them, causing them to lose their sense of being a people tied to a particular place, and thus easier to enslave or convert to their ways of thinking. They did this to part of Israel later, though at the time of this prophecy, Assyria was a minor power militarily.

24. "Ships will even be dispatched from alongside Kittim, and they will weaken Assyria and weaken Ever, but it too will ultimately be lost.

Kittim: a Yavanite (Greek) nation, as per Gen. 10:4; based on Daniel 11:30, Targum Onqelos interprets it as being Rome (Romulus), which is connected with Armilus, a code-name for the Counterfeit Messiah of the last days. Ever: the ancestor of the Hebrews, or simply "one who crosses over", possibly an allusion to some event of that time. It too: Kittim.

Arose: the same term used in Hebrew of resurrection. Left: literally walked, an idiom for following YHWH’s instructions in our daily life. Returned: or, repented. His place: Though the man Bilaam did not ultimately repent and go to the place he clearly had seen was blessed, this is a prophecy that those he represents—some from the Church who do seek YHWH—will not just walk differently from the world, but return to recognizing who they really are: Israel! This may be the “remnant of Edom” spoken of by Amos. Went on his way: or, walked his own road. (Compare Rev. 22:11.) Every day we must choose whom we will serve. What is the word we are to gather today? (Ex. 16:4) If we do not “seize the day”, it will seize us. Will we serve the Kingdom or the Mammon that numbs us to what YHWH is really doing in the world?

CHAPTER 25

After all the battles they had won, Israel might have gotten into too much of a relaxed mode, thinking they had earned some pleasure. They had settled into a place that was not yet the Land, even if they could already see it from there. They let what was holy become common, possibly in the physical sense of letting their sexuality be spread among many instead of concentrated toward their spouses, but in a worse way as well. The term for “playing the prostitute” can also refer to spiritual unfaithfulness to YHWH, and that this took place is much more certain. The order of the statements in Revelation 2:14 tells us that the eating of the meat offered to idols was a greater concern than the fornication, because even if that alone were their sin, they were still committing adultery against YHWH. That verse and verse 16 of chapter 31 below tell us what the context of this passage should already be making us suspect—that Bilaam is the one behind this strategy. He was the one who instigated this sin by, assumedly, telling Balaq that he could not defeat Israel by war, but he could waylay them by playing on their weakness in other ways. He had been looking for a time when YHWH was naturally angry with Israel, so he could take advantage of the timing and curse Israel. When this opening never came, he told Balaq to create an occasion himself. We are told he actually instructed them in how to create a trap for Israel. The other word Yochanan uses connotes that he was throwing something that could cause someone to stumble out into the path without caring where it may fall, or giving something over into another’s care without being certain about the result. And this is exactly what the men of Israel did in response, by not caring where their seed was going. Israelite seed is not meant to be scattered so randomly, among those who will not care for it properly, no matter how attractive they may be. Israel is therefore said to be the ones committing the prostituting. They allowed it to occur, because they were the ones who should have known better. Balaq had no qualms about using this tactic, as Israel would have. Maybe this is because of the Moavites’ strange pedigree; what did they have to lose? To him it was just another of many techniques or methodologies available for winning a war. But the women might have only been instructed to invite the Israelite men over for dinner, for YHWH does not seem to hold them responsible. Bilaam could not curse them in the spirit, but he was still trying to get a payday out of this, so he showed Balaq how to get them to bring a curse on themselves. They know we cannot be defeated if YHWH is on our side, so they aim to turn YHWH against us by doing something that disgusts Him: send them something they will like, but which can also lead them astray. Because of this, Y’hoshua 13:22 reveals that Bilaam was killed along with the Moavites when Israel fought them. And there are many modern analogies. Yehudah in the Land is led astray by continuing to try to please her allies to her own detriment. Israel in exile is drawn away from the Sabbath by the promise of prosperity and wealth. (“Money” sounds uncomfortably close to the Hebrew word for “destiny”—m’ni, which was also the name of a pagan elohim.) Perverted Gospels—“all you have to do is say this prayer”—can also tickle our ears and pull us in among the nations. (The idea of “personal salvation” is a “Moavite woman”!) Many things that seem to be blessings—really anything that appeals to our selfish side--turn out to be curses when we partake of them too heavily, especially if we are not part of a community that watches out for one another. Why should YHWH put up with this? Because He has tied His name to Israel; she is His bride, no matter how wayward, as Hoshea showed so well. He takes His commitment seriously even when we do not. So He provided the antidote before the poison is present. They were among the acaia trees. Exodus chapters 25 through 27 and 31 tell us that the Ark of the Covenant, its poles, the Table of the Bread of the Faces, the planks of which the Tabernacle frame was built, the bronze altar, and the incense altar were all made of acacia wood overlaid with precious metals. But acacia trees do not provide many long, straight planks at all. These had to be assembled (probably tongue-in-groove) of many of the small pieces of wood that could be cut from them. A layer of gold (which represents worthiness for the Kingdom) does not provide much strength; the strength must be in the wood, and indeed, as we see in OSB plywood, there is much more strength in the assembling of many small surfaces put together properly than even in a solid beam. The Hebrew word for “wood” is the same as the word for “trees”, and trees are often used as metaphors for righteous people. This is a picture of the fact that Israel, YHWH’s bride, is made up of many individuals, and that we are to support the Kingdom rather than it supporting us, as is so often taught. Personal salvation cannot bring the Kingdom. We must be joined together. Individual acacia sticks are useless except as firewood. Being among a grove of acacias, Israel should have been thinking of this analogy. But they chose to “sit as [individual] sticks” (another way of translating “tarried among the acacias”). Isolated and fragmented, they were an easy target for temptation. They became fuel for “strange fire” instead of building material. We are commanded not to intermarry with other peoples, unless their daughteyrs are the spoils of war. (Ex. 34:16; Deut. 21:11) In disobeying this, Israel was linked to the ways of the Gentiles:

After YHWH upheld Israel against her enemies, bragging that He saw no flaw in her, this is how we responded. He forced His enemies to bless us instead of cursing, and we let Him down! He had said that we are a people that dwells separately, but the problem was, we were not saying the same thing. And all too commonly we still spend His blessings on our own pleasures. (See Yaaqov/James 4:3) Eating is not just a common everyday act, but particularly an expression of fellowship with whomever we eat with—in this case, these pagans and their deities. This “barbecue party” to which they were invited by beautiful women became a trap, because they had dedicated the meat to their elohim, and by eating of it, Israel was paying homage to it. It is the counterpart to the table of the bread of the Presence, the symbol of our partaking of the twelve tribes in unity. With the first bite, they are already cheating on YHWH. Paul tells us that those who eat of the sacrifices are partakers of the altar, and we cannot simultaneously drinking YHWH’s cup and the cup of demons. (1 Cor. 10) It is not possible to "just go" to pagan feasts like Christmas and Easter without participating in the idolatry (v. 3). We can eat others’ “food” in other ways, too—by partaking of their opinions, being influenced by their ideas, etc. Friendship with the world is evidence of hateful hostility and opposition toward YHWH, whether it feels like it or not. (Yaaqov/James 4:4) Opposing YHWH is about as stupid as one can get. While others want to leave the ways of the Gentiles and become part of Israel, why does Israel so often want to be part of the nations? Partaking of anything that is not part of the Kingdom—whether it be physical pleasure or just security, wealth, or reputation with the world—is unfaithfulness to our marriage to YHWH. The more we learn what it means to be holy, the more of “the world” we are called to be set apart from. The way Paul gives us to flee from idolatry is to seek our neighbors’ well-being—i.e., eating with one’s own people instead of with those with whom we have nothing in common. Join together with other “acacia sticks” and become something useful to YHWH and worthy of being overlaid with His gold.

Ba'al-Peor: "Lord" or "husband of the gap", the local manifestation of Ba’al worshipped with licentious rituals. "Gap" or "opening" denotes a connection with the underworld, for they were making sacrifices to the dead. (Psalm 106:28) Israel had left Egypt, whose preoccupation was with death, and where they were therefore forced to build tombs, whereas the Torah is about life. (Deut. 30:19; 32:47) Images of “Jesus” focus on his death, and he is sold to the masses as a means to prepare for or even cheat death. But it is morbid to make the means of his execution the symbol of all that he stands for; his resurrection is what makes him unique. Certainly he now has the keys to the underworld, but that does not mean he wants us to come there. He came to bring more abundant life! Being so concerned about personal salvation from death often leaves the life (the national salvation of Israel and the work of the Kingdom that is to come on earth) undone. Joined: attached or bound. This sounds much like a wedding ceremony--a clear continuation of the idea of prostituting themselves, as Paul explains (1 Cor. 6:15-16): by simply partaking of food dedicated to it, they became both part of and obligated to this foreign deity, and thus were no longer fulfilling their duty to YHWH, their true "husband". (Yaaqov/James 4:13ff) By fastening themselves to another type of “wood”, they became unfit for His altar. YHWH's anger: This was His wife; He was jealous! It is His words that we are to “bind” on our hands as reminders, much like the wedding “band” of today.

Heads: or chief rulers. If this literally means their heads should be hung up, this is the only time decapitation is ever prescribed in the Torah. In the sun: to open, public view (as examples, LXX). It may have something to do with the fact that anyone who is hung may not be left hanging up after sundown. (Deut. 21:22-23) Take: may mean gather the leaders, and then determine who is to be hung. (Aramaic interpretation)

Likewise, the Torah pronounces the death sentence on one who brings in and presents as an elohim anything or anyone whom our ancestors did not know as an elohim. (Deut. 13:1-11)

He compounds the sin even further—doing it openly and in the worst possible place. The others committed their sin on the cultic platforms of Ba’al, but he brought thMidyan means "strife" or “contending”. The contentious woman here, like Yezevel, was no common prostitute. She was from an important family (v. 15). This is the kind of woman who often disrupts the order YHWH has set up for Israel. Brought near: the same terminology used for an offering to YHWH. In lieu of an animal offering, the Moavite “dinner party” had taught him that by participating in a sexual act in the presence of an elohim would honor Him. This is how it was done in pagan temples. Weeping bitterly: it is not certain whether they were mourning because people were dying, because of their sins. Or a combination of the two. But if they had been doing something about the problem instead of just bemoaning it, this couple might not have gotten so far.

This young priest was next in line to be the high priest. His name comes from a root word meaning “to urge on” or “pressure”. Rose from amid: he was declaring that he was not among this crowd. The sight of what was going wrong elevated him and urged him on to pressure Israel into doing what everyone else was hesitant to do, though they might have known it was the only response strong enough to be a deterrent to repeating this error. He should not have had to do this, for other Levites should have stopped him before he got this far; there were armed guards at the entance to the holy precinct. But someone was about to defile it, and the priests were ultimately responsible. Someone had to stand up and do what needed to be done, rather than just whining about it, so he both judged rightly and acted on it quickly. Both of these are necessary components of justice. He did not even wait to consult with his father when action was required.

Shrine: the same term used in Arabic for the domed structures on the Temple Mount today; possibly a similarly-shaped round or vaulted tent, but it suggests that either the man took the woman into the sanctuary itself to engage in a pagan-style sexual fertility ritual, or that a shrine to Ba'al-Peor had been erected within the area designated for the Tabernacle, to which no one but Levites were to enter except when bringing their offerings to YHWH. Genitalia: that which was being "worshipped" in lieu of YHWH. LXX: "womb". So Pin’has made sure no fruit could come from this union. The word is also very similar to the word for "shrine" above, and appears to stem from the word for a curse. He stood in the “gap” that Ba’al-Peor’s name suggests. As Aharon had exemplified on numerous occasions, it was the high priest’s role to intercede when a plague of judgment comes on the people. But all of Israel is called a “kingdom of priests”, so we must not just leave it to Yahshua to do all the dirty work.