Chapter 1: The Mystery of the UniverseNumbers 2, 21-24

Introduction

In the middle of the desert wasteland, just north and a fraction east of the Jordan’s1 final stop—its entry into the Dead Sea—there was life. Indeed, here, in the harsh, barren wilderness of the Arabah2, a makeshift megalopolis of over two million people mysteriously thrived. And yet, as remarkable as this unparalleled desert bloom of people was, this was not the mystery. No, for those with eyes to see and hearts to understand, there was a far greater mystery. Indeed, there was a mystery whose revelation is so full that even since most ancient of times no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor mind has conceived of its grandeur.3 Yes, this was, and is, the Mystery of the universe. This is the Mystery that the people of the Most High God throughout all ages have both perceived, and, in the sureness that comes through faith, believed.

1 That is, the Jordan River2 See Deuteronomy 1:1; The Arabah is the (generally) barren desert region that includes the Jordan River valley and continues to the Red Sea.3 Isaiah 64:4 and 1 Corinthians 2:9

The Cloud4

The 15th Century (B.C.) Cross

The Cloud leading the people5 had settled over the plains of Moab6—thus, in this languid limestone land, the people pitched their tents. The Cloud had not asked the land for permission to settle here, nor did the people question the Cloud. And so it came to pass that when the fifteenth century B.C.7 was drawing to a close, the desolate and ordinarily empty land just opposite the Jordan from Jericho8 found itself playing impromptu host to a multitude of people.

As the desert jackals looked upon the vast encampment of people with a confounded curiosity (for such noise and numbers of life in their wilderness was unheard of!), Balak, the Moabite king, had a different reaction: He was overwhelmed with fear. The wide-open land before him, the free reign that he enjoyed, the endless air that he breathed in--all three, in an instant, seemed to be snatched away by this new unpleasing stench in his nostrils. The land he had so intensely fought for (and thus earned the right for!) began to seem small and insignificant. And what he had once considered to be the mighty walls of his city—walls he had once so firmly believed would secure his reign on the throne—seemed now to sway in the wind, on the verge of toppling over. His life had never seemed to be in so much danger. His hope--to live in a way that was right in his eyes, enjoying all of the pleasures of this earth—was being cut off, and Balak’s former sense of peace was gone.

4 http://ajmacdonaldjr.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/cloud-by-day.jpg5 Exodus 13:21-22; Numbers 10:33-34, 14:146 See Deuteronomy 1:5. The descendants of Moab come from Lot’s incestuous relationship with his daughter that resulted in the birth of a son. “Moab” literally means “from (her) father.”7 1 Kings 6:1 tells the date of the Exodus. Solomon likely began his reign in 970 B.C., therefore 480 years prior to the fourth year of his reign gives the date 1447-1446 B.C. (depending what month Solomon began his reign in) for the Exodus from Egypt. Forty additional years of wandering in the desert (see the book of Exodus and Numbers) in the desert brings us to the close of the 15th century B.C.(E.)8 Numbers 22:1

In a shark-feeding frenzy of fear, questions and doubts bombarded Balak with relentless attack. How had this new nation of people, the “Israelites,” he was told, so suddenly and so powerfully struck fear in the hearts of the inhabitants of the entire Near East? Was this nation not led by only one god9? And how had this new nation, a people formerly nothing more than Egyptian slaves, escaped Pharaoh, the ruler of the world’s superpower10?

New picture

Egypt11

Was this “Land of the Nile” not the richest of lands, its storehouses overflowing with grain? To trade with Pharaoh meant that a king had become something, for Pharaoh’s land was unconquerable, a land protected by its mighty army—there were chariots beyond number, led by the fiercest and fastest stallions in the world. It was rumored that the chariot wheels themselves were made of gold. Those who had seen them spoke of their gleaming in the sun, a sight commanding both fear and awe. And the women! Were Egyptian women not envied for their beauty, their beds perfumed with aloes and cinnamon, laden with colored linens of love? 12 But if this was true, and if Egypt’s empire so grand, why had some Egyptians left this land? And furthermore, why had they left all the famed gods of Egypt to follow this new God—a God who led them away from a life of luxury and into a life of dwelling in the desert?

“Fools!” He thought. Yet, the moment this thought entered his mind, he could feel the foundations of his kingdom begin to violently shake.

If what Balak heard was true (oh how he wished it was not!), this God of Israel had not only led His people out of Egypt, the most hostile and powerful of nations, but 9Balak’s people and the all the surrounding nations were polytheistic, having “many gods.”10 KJV Textnote: In the first half of the 14th century B.C.E., Egypt, under the 18th dynasty, was the most powerful nation in the world. 11 http://www.globalresearch.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/125746.jpg12 Proverbs 7:16-17

had also utterly destroyed all of its gods13 in the process. Even their chief deities--the glorified sun god Ra14 and the son15 of Pharaoh16 himself--had not been spared. And, to the dismay of many, the God of the Israelites did not end His judgment with Egypt. Through His people, at present a nation of tent-dwellers, He uprooted the Amorites, only to proceed with similar ease to purge His land of Balak’s neighbor to the north, Og, the king of Bashan. And now they were on the doorstep of his kingdom in Moab17.

Balak looked inward, searching for consolation and reassurance. Was not he, Balak, the “Devastator”18? Was Moab not his land? Was he not the one who struck fear in the hearts of people, seizing what he wanted when he wanted it? Yes, as a ruler of the earth he would take his stand against the God of Israel. He would break His chains and throw off His fetters. Though this God of Israel, the LORD, had installed His King--the King with whom He was well pleased--on His holy hill19, Balak would refuse to bow down. “For I am my own god,” Balak thought. “Do I not determine my own law? Do I not gain honor for myself? “20

Reason rocked Balak back to reality, however, reminding him that he had no chance militarily to withstand the multitudes of Israelites and their powerful God--a God Balak was both unfamiliar with and unwilling to submit to. The Devastator would have to resort to something else--a higher power he was more comfortable with. Thus, with his pride and life on the line, his wealth became expendable. He would summon the best of the best, a sorcerer with international renown,21 one who could communicate with all the gods. If there was anyone who could get the gods to curse this nation of Israel, it was Balaam…

13 For the significance of each plague, see “The Plagues of Egypt” in Appendix D.14 The ninth plague--when Egypt was covered for three days with a darkness so dense that it could be felt--is in view here. “No one could see anyone else or leave is place for three days.” See Exodus 10:21-23. If one has never had this experience, try going deep into a cave and turning off all flashlights. One cannot even see their hand in front of their own face. 15 As the “sun god reincarnated,” Pharaoh was worshiped as god in Egypt.16 Perhaps Pharaoh Thutmose III. Thutmose III was a part of the 18th dynasty of Egypt, believed to have reigned from 1479-1425 B.C. If this is true, the Exodus, which occurred in 1447-1446 B.C. (see 1 Kings 6:1), took place under his reign. 17 http://www.visualbiblealive.com/image_download.php?image_id=29623&type=mm18 Balak (ק ל� ”in Hebrew means “devastator (ב�19 Psalm 2:3-620 Habakkuk 1:7

“So Balak son of Zippor, who was the king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the River22, in his native land. Balak said:

‘A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.’”23

The Fertile Crescent24

And so it came to pass that Balaam the pagan diviner left his home near the Euphrates River to make the journey to Moab along the Fertile Crescent25. After weeks of impatient waiting, Balak—eager to be rid of Israel’s God Who would not leave him alone, Who threatened his mortality—received good news. Balaam had arrived.

Wasting no time, the king ushered the sorcerer to Bamoth26 Baal--the high place of Baal. This would be it…one invocation of the mighty gods from Balaam, and this people who threatened Balak’s livelihood would be gone. As the pagan prophet

21 “One of Balaam’s non-Biblical prophecies is preserved in an Aramaic text from Deir Alla in the Jordan Valley dating to c. 700 B.C.” (NIV Study Bilble Text Note, 1984 version, Numbers 22:5)22 That is, the Euphrates River. 23 Numbers 22:4-624 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/HarranPlains/Images/fertile_crescent_350.jpg25 The Fertile Crescent refers to the region of fertile land along the rare water sources in the otherwise arid land of the Middle East. 26 Bamoth in Hebrew means “high place”

looked upon the Israelites, however, “the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth…Then Balaam uttered his oracle:

‘…How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? From the rocky peaks I see them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations…Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs!’

“Balak said to Balaam. ‘What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!’

He answered, ‘Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?’

Then Balak said to him, ‘Come with me to another place where you can see them…”27

Thus, from the top of Pisgah, the pagan prophet tried again, yet the result was the same. For Balaam, though well versed in communication with the gods (those fallen angels who have seen the glory of God in His fullness and who have known of His love, yet joined in Satan’s rebellion nonetheless) could not overcome the Most High God and what He had ordained for His people.

Balaam and Balak28

Furious at the man he had desperately hired, Balak tried a third and final spot—the most sacred pagan place of worship, altar atop Mount Peor29. From here, not only a part of the Israelites could be seen (as was the case with the previous two vantage points), but their entire camp. Surely this sight that soared over 4,000 feet above the great Salt Sea30 and its plains below, this most sacred of shrines sitting atop the rocky plateau, was the ideal place to utter the crippling curse on God’s people camped down below on the wasteland. The animal sacrifice was prepared. Balaam stepped forward to the edge of the summit. As he looked down

and out at the sight below, he was overwhelmed. For beneath him laid the most beautiful and powerful picture he had ever seen. Its majesty was higher than the snow-capped Mount Hermon he had passed by on his journey to Moab. Its depth was of such a magnitude that he knew he could never fathom it. What Balaam saw

27 Numbers 23:5, 8-1328 http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSYrMTfo0Dca50ITLX7eiC4OLdb_U_uzpKyHYr-LopmxlBqVj1m29 Numbers 23:2830 Another name for the Dead Sea

was a mystery of the highest degree, a mystery that was woven into the fabric of universe, the mystery that made life itself, even his own life, possible. And yet this mystery, Balaam somehow knew, would be “kept hidden for ages and generations.”31 Where did this certainty come from? Balaam felt as though his soul was a ship, and the mightiest of winds had come and filled its sails. He felt at once a perfect peace and yet an overwhelming sense of fear—the reverential awe kind of fear—that prostrates one before the Creator of the Universe. For he was filled with the Holy Spirit, an experience vastly different than his previously accustomed-to prophesying through channeling the other “gods.”32 And thus it came to pass that out of the muddy mouth33 of the pagan prophet flowed the purest of words--words that could only be inspired by the Spirit of God:

“…the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,the oracle of him who hears the words of God,

who sees the vision of the Almighty,falling down with his eyes uncovered:

How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,

31 Colossians 1:2632 As a pagan diviner, Balaam would have communicated with the supernatural. The supernatural realm that he would have communicated with, however, would have been demons, and not a communication with the One True God and His Holy Spirit. “Channeling,” or communication with demons, still is prevalent today in many parts of the world, although in secular, “educated” states, many people remain skeptical of the supernatural. Fortune-tellers and palm readers today are “channels,” that, if authentic, communicate with demons in order to make their short-term “prophesies” come true. God is sovereign over demonic activity, as is clearly demonstrated in this account with Balaam. However, He does allow those who continue to reject Him and therefore want to be deceived to be deceived. A bright friend of mine in medical school told me about his visit a well-known “channel,” who told him about very specific events in his life along with the identification of family members with no prior knowledge. A rejection of the supernatural, while sometimes more “comfortable,” shows both naivety and a lack of knowledge of other parts of the world and religions.33 See Matthew 12:34; Balaam, while used by God for God’s purposes, seems to have never given his heart to God. God warned Balaam not to curse the Israelites on several occasions (see Numbers 22), making it clear that Balaam’s path was a “reckless one before [the LORD].” Yet, despite both God’s warning and divine revelation, Balaam’s heart and motives remained set against the LORD. See Revelation 2:14; 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:11. Balaam’s story shows God’s sovereignty over those who continue to rebel against Him. God is not threatened by the evil one or any of his servants; as God desires, He can speak through whom He wants and when He chooses. Just as Balaam came to a sudden end, Satan--the one who leads the whole world astray--will ultimately be defeated (see Genesis 3:15; Revelation 20). God is patient with the world’s evil because there are yet more people to be saved (see 2 Peter 3:9).

your encampments, O Israel! Like palm groves that stretch afar,

like gardens beside a river,like aloes that the LORD has planted,

like cedar trees beside the waters.Water shall flow from his buckets,

and his seed shall have abundant water;his king shall be higher than Agag,and his kingdom shall be exalted...

May those who bless you be blessedand those who curse you be cursed!”34

What made Israel’s tents so beautiful? What distinguished their encampment from the other caravans of desert-wanderers? How refreshing is this abundant water I see, Balaam thought! Who is this Promised Seed35 that will provide it? Who is this King whose kingdom will be exalted? Who is this King of Glory!?

“I see Him, but not now;I behold Him, but not near.

A Star will come out of Jacob;A Scepter will rise out of Israel.36”

Oh, how Balaam wished he could see this King, the Promised Seed that would come from Jacob, from the tents of Israel37! This was the One Who had caused blessing to come down on God’s people instead of cursing38. This was the Star who would come

34 Numbers 24:3-7, 935 The word “seed” in Numbers 24:7 is singular. See Galatians 3:16.36 Numbers 24:1737 Jacob was one of the patriarchs. His name was changed to Israel after wrestling with God (see Genesis 32), and his 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel.38 Deuteronomy 23:5; Nehemiah 13:2; Ephesians 1:3

from Jacob’s descendants, the star from the Lion’s line, from Judah.39 This was the Star that Wise Men would follow40. This was the Ruler whose kingdom will never be destroyed41, the One Who would come from the nation of Israel. How beautiful were their tents! But why? What did they show? What was it about their arrangement that tugged at his inmost being and knocked on the door of his heart, this Truth that desired to come in and reside with him?

In the barren wasteland below, in the harsh Arabah, Balaam saw life. And though he could not understand the reason for their beauty, the tents of Jacob told why. For there, on the languid limestone plains of Moab—the land of death—was the 15th century B.C. cross42.

The Israelite Tents Encamped Around the Tabernacle43

39 Judah, although the fourth of Jacob’s 12 sons, received the blessing of the Abrahamic covenant due to the forfeiture of the right to lead by the first three sons, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. When Jacob blessed Judah, he referred to Judah as a “lion” (a symbol of sovereignty and courage) and confirmed that the scepter would not depart from his line (see Genesis 49:8-12). David, the beloved King of Israel, came from the tribe of Judah, and when the LORD made His covenant with him (commonly referred to as the Davidic Covenant—see 2 Samuel 7) in response to David’s desire to build the LORD a permanent place (the Temple) in the midst of His people, the LORD guaranteed that the Messiah would come through David’s line. David’s line, the line of Judah, became the kingly line in Israel. In Revelation 5:5, Jesus is referred to as both the Root of David and the Lion of the tribe of Judah. 40 See Appendix on “What the Wise Men Saw” for more information.41 See Daniel 7:1442 The excruciating death penalty of nailing one to a cross--crucifixion--was unique to the Roman Empire, which did not assume its power until the 1st century B.C. In the 8th century B.C., the prophet Isaiah (see Isaiah 52:13-53:12) also told how the coming Messiah would be “pierced for our transgressions,” “assigned a grave with the wicked…” (the death of a criminal on the cross), and “led like a lamb to the slaughter…for our iniquities.” In 1947, the year before Israel became a nation again, a complete scroll of Isaiah was found in a cave in Qumran as a part of one of the greatest archaeological finds of all time--the Dead Sea Scrolls. The “Isaiah Scroll” has been carbon-14 dated, paleographically dated, and scribally dated, all of which suggested that the scroll was written before 100 B.C. The scroll verifies the accuracy of the Hebrew translation of the Bible. Partial fragments from every Old Testament book (except Esther) were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls as well. 43 http://transforminggospel.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/numbers-camp-2.jpg