Numbers 23-25

Numbers Chapter 23-25, Balaam, Israel is unique, sheep and goat judgment, my people Israel, God

keeps His promises, God never changes, immutable, God does not see sin, omens sorcery enchantments nachash, Spirit of God came upon, latter days, advertise, star from Jacob, Scepter of

Israel, Covenant Of Peace

BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave Kooyers

Valley Bible Fellowship

Box 433

Boonville CA 95415http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers

www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org

(707) 895-2325

God bless you as you examine His Word,

Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge.

Matthew 10:8 …Freely you received, freely give.

Numbers 23

[Rhetorical] Pop Quiz On “Balaam”

• Who is “Balaam”?

• What is 2 Peter 2:15…the way of Balaam…?

• What is NAU Jude 1:11…the error of Balaam…?

• What is NAU Revelation 2:14 …the teaching of Balaam…?

• Was Balaam a true, saved prophet of God, or a false prophet?

• Let’s study Balaam some more and see how we do at the end.

Let’s Open Our Bibles To Numbers 23:1

• We’ll read Numbers 23:1-12

• Let’s watch and see if Balaam does God’s will and is obedient

Numbers 23:5, The LORD Put A Word In Balaam's Mouth

• NAU Numbers 23:5 Then the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus.“

• NAU Numbers 22:31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD…

• NAU Jeremiah 1:9 Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

• NAU Deuteronomy 18:18 'I will raise up a prophet…like you, and I will put My words in his mouth…

Numbers 23:9, Israel Is Unique, Separated, sheep and goat judgment

• NAU Numbers 23:9 "As I see him from the top of the rocks, And I look at him from the hills; Behold, a people who dwells apart, And will not be reckoned among the nations.

• NAU Hosea 11:1 When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.

God Calls Israel My People, My Land

• Joel 3:2 I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.

• Sheep And Goat Judgment;

Sheep And Goat Judgment

• Mt 25:31-33 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

• Mt 25:37"Then the righteous will answer him…

• Mt 25:40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

Numbers 23:10, Who Can Count Jacob

• NAU Numbers 23:10 "Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, And let my end be like his!“

• 2-3 million? Doesn’t sound like a small number.

• Let me die …upright. Repentant?

Numbers 23:10, Who can count the dust of Jacob? ANTS!!!

• Can ants count? It seems so! When a scout ant finds an item of food too big to carry, but especially good, the scout will return to the nest to get help. Scientists have discovered that ants apparently size up the task ahead so that they can return with just sufficient help.

Notes: Photo: Weaver ant in fighting position. Courtesy of PHGCOM. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.

Numbers 23:10, Who can count the dust of Jacob? ANTS!!!

• One scientist cut a dead grasshopper into three pieces. The second piece was twice as big as the first, and the third was twice as big the second. He then left the pieces in different locations where ants could find them. He watched as each was discovered by a scout, inspected, and each scout returned to the nest for help. When the scout returned with help, the scientist counted the number of ants working at each piece of grasshopper. The smallest piece had 28 ants and the piece that was twice its size had 44 ants working on it, almost twice as many as the smallest piece. And how many ants do you think were working on the piece that was twice the size of the second? If you doubled that 44 to 88 you would be within one of being right – yes, there were 89 ants working to return the biggest piece to the nest!

• The ants were carrying out the biblical principal to “count the cost of the project before you begin it.”

Let’s Read Numbers 23:13-26

• Let’s keep watching and see if Balaam does God’s will and is obedient

Numbers 23:16, The LORD Met Balaam

• NAU Numbers 23:16 Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.“

• “the LORD met Balaam”, saved?

• Where else do we find God dealing with lost people like this? Not pharaoh.

• Consider Judas, Cyrus, Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 4, Daniel 5:22 Belshazzar

Numbers 23:19, God Will Do It

• NAU Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

• What God says He will do! it's a done deal.• In the USA, where morality is relative and truth is

subjective, Christians should know God is immutable, He never changes and His promises will be kept. Our eternal security is kept by Him, and He is able. God has not only made great promises to us, His promises are eternal and unalterable., and as certain as He is trustworthy.

• NAU Jeremiah 1:12 Then the LORD said to me, "You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.“

Numbers 23:19, God Will Do It

• NAU Numbers 23:19…has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

• God keeps His promises;

• Please open your Bibles to Psalm 89:20-37;

• God’s promise, Psalm 89:29, 35-36,

• The If/Then; Psalm 89:30, Psalm 89:32

• The “But;” Psalm 89:33-34,

• Good question; Psalm 89:46 How long, O LORD?...

• Answer=; At least 7 more years from Nov. 2014

• For further study read Romans 9:1-11:36

Numbers 23:19, God Will Do It

• Romans 11:1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!... 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery-- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation-- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” 27 "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." 28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Numbers 23:19, God Never Changes

• Numbers 23:19 …Has He said, and will He not do it?...

• God never changes and His standards never change

• James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

• Romans 11:29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Numbers 23:21, Not Observed Misfortune In Jacob

• NAU Numbers 23:21 …not observed …• Is in verb “perfect” tense [I have not observed]• NAU Habakkuk 1:13 Your eyes are too pure to approve evil,

And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?

• NAU Job 14:4 "Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one! Job 25:4 "How then can a man be just with God? Or how can he be clean who is born of woman?

• NAU Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

Numbers 23:21, Not Observed Misfortune In Jacob

• NAU Numbers 23:21 "He has not observed misfortune in Jacob; Nor has He seen trouble in Israel; The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.

• The next question would be “Has God been watching these 38 years? How can God say that?

• The exact way He can say it about us. By grace, through faith God sees the sinless perfection of Christ.

• NAU Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.“

• NAU Psalm 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. 13 Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Numbers 23:21, Not Observed Misfortune In Jacob

• NAU Psalm 32:2 How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

• NAU Isaiah 45:25 "In the LORD all the offspring of Israel Will be justified and will glory.“

• NAU Luke 18:14 "I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.“

• NAU Romans 3:24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Numbers 23:21, Not Observed Misfortune In Jacob

• NAU Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.

Numbers 24

Numbers 24:1, No Sorcery

• NAU Numbers 24:1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness.

• Repentance?

• We see a change of behavior. True repentance is a change of thought or mind.

Numbers 24:1, Omens

• NAS Numbers 24:1 …to seek omens but …

• ַנַחׁש( <05173> nachash( )638d(

• Meaning: divination, enchantment

• ….Usage: omen(1), omens(1).

• NET ESV CSB NET NAS NAU... omens

• NKJ ... sorcery...

• YLT KJV ... enchantments...

Numbers 24:2, God Came Upon Him

• NAU Numbers 24:2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

• Not “in him” like us, not permanently “sealed”.• Pretty much every commentator I saw, says he’s

lost, and a false prophet.• NAU Numbers 24:3 He took up his discourse and

said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened;

• That sounds like “confession,” -his testimony.

Numbers 24:4, He Hears The Words Of God

• NAU Numbers 24:4 The oracle of him who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered,

• How does faith come?

• NKJ Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

• If God can save Jacob, He can save anybody

Numbers 24:5, Blessing Or Cursing?

• NAU Numbers 24:5 How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!

• NAU Genesis 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse…

• Is God going to bless or curse Balaam?

• NAU Numbers 24:9 "He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you."

Numbers 24:13, A House Full Of Gold

• NAU Numbers 24:13 'Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the LORD, either good or bad, of my own accord. What the LORD speaks, that I will speak '?

• It ain’t about the money buster.

• Yes, he was covetous, but it looks like he’s serving God. [Numbers 22:18]

Numbers 24:14,The Latter End Of The Days

• NAU Numbers 24:14 "And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.“

• NAS NAU ... days to come."

• NKJ ESV KJV ...the latter days.

• NET CSB ... in the future."

• YLT ...the latter end of the days.'

Numbers 24:14,The Latter End Of The Days

• NAU Numbers 24:14 …in the days to come.“

• This 4th. Prophesy has not happened yet, but will yet future

• YLT ...the latter end of the days.‘

• LXX has in the Greek;

• 2078 ἔσχατος eschatos {es'-khat-os}

• Meaning: 1) extreme 1a) last in time or in place 1b) last in a series of places 1c) last in a temporal succession 2) the last 2a) last, referring to time 2b) of space, the uttermost part, the end, of the earth…

Num 24:14, It Pays To Advertise, KJV’ism

• KJV Numbers 24:14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

• Dungeness crabs usually mate in the summer with the million plus fertilized eggs hatching out four months later.

• "The codfish lays 1000 eggs the homely hen but one. • The codfish never cackles to tell about what she's

done. And so we scorn the codfish and the humble hen we prize, which only goes to show you

• That it pays to advertise.• KJV Ruth 4:4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying,

Buy it before the inhabitants…

Numbers 24:17, A Star From Jacob

• Numbers 24:17 "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.

Numbers 24:17, A Star From Jacob

• Numbers 24:17…A star shall come forth from Jacob…

• 2 Peter 1:19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

• Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son…• Matthew 2:2 "Where is He who has been born

King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."

Numbers 24:17, A Scepter Shall Rise From Israel

• NAU Numbers 24:17 "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.

• Not at the first coming;• NAU John 18:36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of

this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.“

• Yes, this will be at His 2nd Coming; NAU Psalm 45:6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. [Hebrews 1:8, Micah 7:14, Psalm 2:8-12, Revelation 2:27, 12:5, 19:15]

Numbers 24:24, Chittim, Kittim, or Cyprus

• NAU Numbers 24:24 "But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim [Chittim, Kittim, or Cyprus], And they shall afflict Asshur and will afflict Eber; So they also will come to destruction.“

• Dr Radmacher says, “The Hebrew word translated Cyprus was used later in reference to Rome(Dan. 11:30).” Pg 272

• BGT Daniel 11:30 καὶ ἥξουσι Ῥωμαῖοι… [Roman]

Numbers 25

Let’s Read Chapter 25

Numbers 25:1, Shittim, Acacia Grove

• NAU Numbers 25:1 While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.

• NKJ Numbers 25:1 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab.

• CSB …Acacia Grove…

• In the Nelson Study Bible, Dr Radmacher says, “Acacia Grove is another name for the staging area of Israel across the Jordan from Jericho.”

• Deuteronomy 4:3–4; Psalm 106:26–29; Hosea 9:10

Numbers 25:9 QUESTION FOR THE DAY

• Dear Compass, I realize you want to take the Bible literally, without one single mistake, but there is a glaring mistake that you must admit exists. In Numbers 25:9, the plague that followed Israel's worship of Baal and Peor killed 24,000. Yet in 1 Corinthians 10:8 Paul said only 23,000 died.

•ANSWER: No, Paul said there were 23,000 killed IN ONE DAY! The account in Numbers obviously included the total number who were killed and counted by the judges in the days following. But don't miss the point of all those deaths: Worship God and God only!

Numbers 25:11, Turned My Wrath

• NAU Numbers 25:11 "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the sons of Israel …

• Even one person can make a huge difference. Even you.• Matthew 14:3For when Herod had John arrested, he bound

him and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. 4 For John had been saying to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."

• God may use us to transform the USA. Here, God stopped the plague that killed 24,000 Israelis because of one righteous man.

• NAU Leviticus 19:32…you shall revere your God; I am the LORD.

Numbers 25:12, Covenant Of Peace

• NAU Numbers 25:12 "Therefore say, 'Behold, I give him My covenant of peace;

• How would you like to have God give you a perpetual covenant of peace?

• NAU John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

• NAU Colossians 1:20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Numbers 25:12, Covenant Of Peace

• Numbers 25:12…My covenant of peace;• NAU Psalm 106:28-31, …And it was reckoned to

him for righteousness, To all generations forever.• Judges 6:24 Then Gideon built an altar there to

the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace…• Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep,

For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.

• The world is “…superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' But there is no peace. (Jeremiah 6:14)

Pop Quiz On “Balaam”

• Who is “Balaam”?

• What is 2 Peter 2:15…the way of Balaam…?

• What is NAU Jude 1:11…the error of Balaam…?

• What is NAU Revelation 2:14 …the teaching of Balaam…?

• Was Balaam a true, saved prophet of God, or a false prophet?

The Way Of Balaam

• The way of Balaam= Covetousness• NAU 2 Peter 2:15 forsaking the right way, they

have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

• His love of money caused him to greedily desire to go the way God had not indicated to go. His greed would be like that of many televangelists today.

• John MacArthur says “The “right way” is an OT metaphor for obedience to God (cf. Acts 13:10).”

The Error Of Balaam

• The error of Balaam= greed and rebellion

• NKJ Jude 1:11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

• NAS NAU ... for pay..., YLT KJV ... for reward..., NKJ

CSB ...for profit..., ESV ... for the sake of gain..., NET ...because of greed ...

The Teaching of Balaam

• What is NAU Revelation 2:14 …the teaching of Balaam…? • ESV Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against you:

you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 'So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

• Nicotine’s? (tobacco companies?)• In the USA now, many push and promote the idea that

every form of entertainment, greed, covetousness, immorality, and sexuality should be exalted, but just don’t bring up God, sin, righteousness, or the judgment to come.

Was Balaam a true, saved prophet of God?

• Was Balaam a false prophet?• Every commentary I saw, if they chose, they said “false

prophet”.2 Peter 2:15, Jude 1:11, Revelation 2:14, Numbers 24:11, 22:33, 31:7-8, 31:16

• Was Balaam a true, saved prophet of God?• His prophecy about Messiah was true; NAU Numbers 24:17

"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel…

• Numbers 23:3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 20, 26, 27, 24:1, 2, 13, 15, 16• I’ll let you study Balaam some more and you can decide for

yourself.

• NAU Numbers 22:28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam…

• Making a jackass speak was a miracle

• But not as big a miracle as when God created one out of nothing.

• It’s a miracle now when a jackass does not speak.

THE END• Trusting One We

Do Not Understand, by Ken Boa

• Lord in heaven, I confess that You are high and lifted up and that Your purposes are past finding out. I also confess that I often want You to be more understandable and comprehensible so that I might behold more than just the fringe of Your ways…”

Isaiah 16:14 Psalm 139:18 Job 38:37 Numbers 23:10 Luke 14:28-30, Count

The Cost, Counting• TODAY'S CREATION MOMENT• ANT MATHEMATICS• inAnimals• Listen• Luke 14:28-30• “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after

he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.”

• Can ants count? It seems so! When a scout ant finds an item of food too big to carry, but especially good, the scout will return to the nest to get help. Scientists have discovered that ants apparently size up the task ahead so that they can return with just sufficient help.

• One scientist cut a dead grasshopper into three pieces. The second piece was twice as big as the first, and the third was twice as big the second. He then left the pieces in different locations where ants could find them. He watched as each was discovered by a scout, inspected, and each scout returned to the nest for help. When the scout returned with help, the scientist counted the number of ants working at each piece of grasshopper. The smallest piece had 28 ants and the piece that was twice its size had 44 ants working on it, almost twice as many as the smallest piece. And how many ants do you think were working on the piece that was twice the size of the second? If you doubled that 44 to 88 you would be within one of being right – yes, there were 89 ants working to return the biggest piece to the nest!

• The ants were carrying out the biblical principal to “count the cost of the project before you begin it.”• Prayer:• Dear Lord Jesus Christ, You spared nothing for my salvation, even though it cost You terrible suffering and death. As Yours, give me wisdom to plan

well in the things of the world, but no desire to withhold anything from You because of the cost. Amen.• Notes:• Photo: Weaver ant in fighting position. Courtesy of PHGCOM. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.