Lesson date: 03/07/5857AA

Before I started on this study guide I went back to the first study guide I printed for the qahal and it was this chapter. I began comparing what I wanted to say to what I had already written and thought, “Not too shabby”. The study guide was completed about Aviv 20, 5854AA. It’s been 3 years and roughly 2 months since I began writing study guides. I don’t know how to “judge” that. Is it an accomplishment? It is obvious I will not win an award for the most chapters of Torah read in a single year. On thinking back to where we were then and comparing that to where we are now I remembered 2016’s Sabbatical Year. I never felt prouder of being with any group of people in the world than I was with you guys at Sukkot that year, standing and sitting, on the Main Street corner and reading Torah to the whole town. We received a wide range of reactions, shock, dismay, curiousity, acceptance, yelling and rebuke to name just a few. We are now just 2 years away from the next Sabbatical year and I am looking forward to it. The world is changing so fast I have to ask, “Where will we be in 2 years?” “Will we still be able to openly read Scripture?” Next time it my gets us shot, stoned or arrested. No joke.

You are probably wondering what any of this has to do with Bemidbar 23, I’ll get to that but now, I just want to tell you how much I love you and have enjoyed this time we share together.

Some of the parts I will cut and paste from the previous study guide and place an * in front of it so, please ear with me.

*Last week we saw how the Torah was represented as a steadfast reliable and dependable in the guise of the donkey. In chapter 23, we see 3 times how Bilʽam instructs Balaq to build 7 slaughter places and offer up 7 bulls and 7 rams, from 3 different locations. What is interesting to note here is how Bilʽam tells Balaq in verse 1 to build the slaughter places for him (that is for Bilʽam) and not for יהוה ! As we have said that this is a Ba’al worship site and while we do see a pattern of 7 bulls and rams being offered up in Scripture we see some differences here: Iyoḇ/Job 42:8 “And now, take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Iyoḇ, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And let My servant Iyoḇ pray for you – for I accept him – lest I punish you; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as did My servant Iyoḇ.”

Diḇre haYamim Aleph/1 Chronicles 15:26 “And it came to be, when Elohim helped the Lěwites who bore the ark of the covenant of יהוה , that they offered seven bulls and seven rams.”

Diḇre haYamim Bět/2 Chronicles 29:21 “And they brought seven bulls, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the reign, for the set-apart place, and for Yehuḏah. And he said to the priests, the sons of Aharon, to offer them on the altar of יהוה .”

*In each of the above we see that they are done in times of restoration and making right with  יהוה.

Notice that we see Bil’am instruct Balaq to build 7 (for total completeness) altars and to sacrifice 7 bulls and rams and he does 3 (Complete but not total) different times. This is what Hasatan does. What is being said sounds good and is close enough to be deceptive. Seven for total completeness, i.e. 7 days in the week, 7 musical notes, 7 primary colors, 7 types of crystal formations, and even the periodic table of elements is arranged in 7’s.

And to add to that very religious sounding instruction we see the number 3 being added to it and one would have to ask, “How could this not be acceptable to YHVH?” Easy, each place the altars were built was a high place of Ba’al and it is an abomination to mix the worship of YHVH with anything pagan. Bil’am might has suggested adding Christmas lights to the altars in today’s world. How many times have I heard people complain about churches having Halloween parties or alternatives to Halloween celebrated at churches but no one ever complains about the Christmas tree in the sanctuary or the Christmas lights on or in the church or Easter egg hunts at church. These are just as abominable as what Bil’am did slaughtering at altars on high places of Ba’al.

Verse 9 – Now, here is where you guys, my family come in: Num 23:9b Look, a people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations.

A people dwelling alone, even in the midst of our own families. Am I an American? I was born here. I served 8 years in the military and was deployed three times but for no good purpose. I was a super patriot and proud to call myself an American. That was then. Now I realize I am not an American but a born-again believer in the Messiah and it is to Him, His Father and his Father’s Kingdom that I swear allegiance. The values of the United States is in direct opposition to YHVH, His Name, His Kingdom and His Word(His Son). We are not citizen’s of this nation or any nation of this world: Eph 2:11 Therefore remember that you, once nations in the flesh, who are called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called ‘the circumcision’ made in the flesh by hands,

Eph 2:12 that at that time you were without Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Yisra’ěl and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no expectation and without Elohim in the world.

Eph 2:13 But now in Messiah יהושע you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.

Notice how Balaq tries to change the blessing from the curse by moving Bil’am from one high place to another, more or less to change the perspective. This time he brings Bil’am to Tsophim – H6839 – “watchers”. This may have implied that in ancient times the Watchers used this mountain high place or it may simply imply that this was a type of lookout post for spies to spy on others’ armies. Notice the first time Bil’am inquired of YHVH Balaq did not ask what was said but this time he does, “What did YHVH say?”

In the blessing we see YHVH make the analogy of bringing the Children of Yisra’el out of Mitsrayim like the horns of a wild ox.

El = la in paleo-Hebrew: Exo 32:4 And he took this from their hand, and he formed it with an engraving tool, and made a moulded calf. And they said, “This is your mighty one, O Yisra’ěl, that brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim!”

Exo 32:5 And Aharon saw and built a slaughter-place before it. And Aharon called out and said, “Tomorrow is a festival to יהוה.”

You can’t mix the worship of YHVH with paganism no matter who you are.

Verse 23 – *Now, there is an interesting thing that takes place in 23:23: “For there is no sorcery against Yaʽaqob, nor is there any divination against Yisra’ĕl. Now it is said to Yaʽaqob and to Yisra’ĕl, ‘What has Ěl done!’  The word being used for ‘sorcery’ is   נחשׁ  nachash H5173. This is nearly identical, same consonants as the word found in Gen. 3:1 for ‘serpent’ H5175. Both words come from the same root H5172.

Verse 28 – We know by the name of the location that it was also a pagan site, Pe’or = Ba’al-Pe’or. It is almost as though Balaq is “shopping” for the right church, congregation hoping to find one that believes like he wants them to. To hear the word that he wants to hear rather than search for the truth. Remember we look at the phrase If…only. If only you will look from here then you will see what I see.

Ahavah vberakhot

---

Last week we saw how the Torah was represented as steadfast reliable and dependable in the guise of the donkey. In chapter 23, we see 3 times how Bilʽam instructs Balaq to build 7 slaughter places and offer up 7 bulls and 7 rams, from 3 different locations. What is interesting to note here is how Bilʽam tells Balaq in verse 1 to build the slaughter places for him (that is for Bilʽam) and not for יהוה ! As we have said that this is a Ba’al worship site and while we do see a pattern of 7 bulls and rams being offered up in Scripture we see some differences here:

Iyoḇ/Job 42:8 “And now, take seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Iyoḇ, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And let My servant Iyoḇ pray for you – for I accept him – lest I punish you; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as did My servant Iyoḇ.”

Diḇre haYamim Aleph/1 Chronicles 15:26 “And it came to be, when Elohim helped the Lěwites who bore the ark of the covenant of יהוה , that they offered seven bulls and seven rams.”

Diḇre haYamim Bět/2 Chronicles 29:21 “And they brought seven bulls, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven male goats for a sin offering for the reign, for the set-apart place, and for Yehuḏah. And he said to the priests, the sons of Aharon, to offer them on the altar of יהוה .”

In each of the above we see that they are done in times of restoration and making right with  יהוה . However, in each of the examples it is done 7 times not 3. Also, look at Deuteronomy 12:1-8 Deu 12:1  “These are the laws and right-rulings which you guard to do in the land which יהוה Elohim of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days that you live on the soil.

Deu 12:2  “Completely destroy all the places where the nations which you are dispossessing served their mighty ones, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.

Deu 12:3  “And you shall break down their altars, and smash their pillars, and burn their Ashĕrim with fire. And you shall cut down the carved images of their mighty ones and shall destroy their name out of that place.

Deu 12:4  “Do not do so to יהוה your Elohim,

Deu 12:5  but seek the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His Name there, for His Dwelling Place, and there you shall enter.

Deu 12:6  “And there you shall take your burnt offerings, and your offerings, and your tithes, and the contributions of your hand, and your vowed offerings, and your voluntary offerings, and the firstlings of your herd and of your flock.

Deu 12:7  “And there you shall eat before יהוה your Elohim, and shall rejoice in all that you put your hand to, you and your households, in which יהוה your Elohim has blessed you.

Deu 12:8  “Do not do as we are doing here today – each one doing whatever is right in his own eyes1.”

Go back to Numbers 22:41 and see where they are still used for Ba’al worship. So, the name of Ba’al was still present and there alters are as well.

Verse 7 (Num. 23) is the key. “Come, curse Ya’aqob for me, and rage out at Yisrael.”

This goes counter to Genesis 12:2-3  “And I shall make you a great nation, and bless you and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing!

Gen 12:3  “And I shall bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you. And in you all the clans of the earth shall be blessed.”

But is this what is really being said. NO! Once again we see a nuance, not quite an idiom being employed in Hebrew this is usually overlooked.  יהוה promises Abraham that, “everyone who curses him” מְקַלֶּלְךָ  (mekalelcha) H7043 will be in turn “be cursed” אָאֹר (aor) H779. The strength of this promise, however, is lost in translation. The first word for “curses” – מְקַלֶּלְךָ  (mekalelcha) comes from a root that literally means “to make light of something heavy.” The second word for “curse,” אָאֹר  (aor) actually comes from a completely different root that means something like “to utterly destroy.” And, to make matters worse the KJV+ reverses the order of appearance of these two verbs because they are reflexive. This probably why this nuance was lost in translation.

We see another nuance in verse 22. “Ěl who brought them out of Mitsrayim, is for them like the horns of a wild ox.

Now look at El’s name in pictographic Hebrew

The sign of the young bull represents El and that is why Aaron built the golden calf and called it YHVH.

Now, there is an interesting thing that takes place in 23:23: “For there is no sorcery against Yaʽaqoḇ, nor is there any divination against Yisra’ĕl. Now it is said to Yaʽaqoḇ and to Yisra’ĕl, ‘What has Ěl done!’  The word being used for ‘sorcery’ is   נחשׁ  nachash H5173. This is nearly identical, same consonants as the word found in Gen. 3:1 for ‘serpent’ H5175. Both words come from the same root H5172.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 15:8 “The slaughtering of the wrong ones Is an abomination to יהוה , but the prayer of the straight is His delight.”

With 7 being a unique number it is here how we see just how crafty the enemy is, in trying to make their attempts at sacrifice seem right and you also have to think about how they built the slaughter places. Was it with cut stone, which was forbidden and why 7 slaughter places? We see this as a picture of going over the top, just like many churches today do when they have a worship conference and they will pull out all the bells and whistles (literally) and make a big show of their ‘slaughterings’, when יהוה says that to obey is better than sacrifice, for when you obey you will do the necessary sacrifices that He calls for and no more!

Shemuʼěl Aleph/1 Samuel 15:22 “Then Shemuʼěl said, “Does יהוה delight in burnt offerings and slaughterings, as in obeying the voice of יהוה ? Look, to obey is better than an offering, to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

Ahavah vberakhot