February 11, 2025
Where is Jesus in the book of Numbers?
Numbers 23-26
Conner Teaff
Big Book Idea
Even amidst a tragic transition, God still had a plan.
Key Verse | Numbers 24:17
I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the forehead of Moab
and break down all the sons of Sheth.
Numbers 23-26
Chapter 23
Balaam's First Oracle
1 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 2 Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram. 3 And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height, 4 and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” 5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” 6 And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. 7 And Balaam took up his discourse and said,
“From Aram Balak has brought me,
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains:
‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
and come, denounce Israel!’
8
How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?
9
For from the top of the crags I see him,
from the hills I behold him;
behold, a people dwelling alone,
and not counting itself among the nations!
10
Who can count the dust of Jacob
or number the fourth part
1
23:10
Or dust clouds
of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright,
and let my end be like his!”
11 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” 12 And he answered and said, “Must I not take care to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”
Balaam's Second Oracle
13 And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.” 14 And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD over there.” 16 And the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.” 17 And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?” 18 And Balaam took up his discourse and said,
“Rise, Balak, and hear;
give ear to me, O son of Zippor:
19
God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
20
Behold, I received a command to bless:
he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.
21
He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob,
nor has he seen trouble in Israel.
The LORD their God is with them,
and the shout of a king is among them.
22
God brings them out of Egypt
and is for them like the horns of the wild ox.
23
For there is no enchantment against Jacob,
no divination against Israel;
now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel,
‘What has God wrought!’
24
Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up
and as a lion it lifts itself;
it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey
and drunk the blood of the slain.”
25 And Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.” 26 But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the LORD says, that I must do’?” 27 And Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the desert. 2 23:28 Or Jeshimon 29 And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Chapter 24
Balaam's Third Oracle
1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
3
24:3
Or closed, or perfect; also verse 15
4
the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
falling down with his eyes uncovered:
5
How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,
your encampments, O Israel!
6
Like palm groves
4
24:6
Or valleys
that stretch afar,
like gardens beside a river,
like aloes that the LORD has planted,
like cedar trees beside the waters.
7
Water shall flow from his buckets,
and his seed shall be in many waters;
his king shall be higher than Agag,
and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8
God brings him out of Egypt
and is for him like the horns of the wild ox;
he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries,
and shall break their bones in pieces
and pierce them through with his arrows.
9
He crouched, he lay down like a lion
and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?
Blessed are those who bless you,
and cursed are those who curse you.”
10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the LORD has held you back from honor.” 12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the LORD speaks, that will I speak’? 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”
Balaam's Final Oracle
15 And he took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
16
the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
and knows the knowledge of the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
falling down with his eyes uncovered:
17
I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the forehead
5
24:17
Hebrew corners [of the head]
of Moab
and break down all the sons of Sheth.
18
Edom shall be dispossessed;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed.
Israel is doing valiantly.
19
And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion
and destroy the survivors of cities!”
20 Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said,
“Amalek was the first among the nations,
but its end is utter destruction.”
21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said,
“Enduring is your dwelling place,
and your nest is set in the rock.
22
Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned
when Asshur takes you away captive.”
23 And he took up his discourse and said,
“Alas, who shall live when God does this?
24
But ships shall come from Kittim
and shall afflict Asshur and Eber;
and he too shall come to utter destruction.”
25 Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way.
Chapter 25
Baal Worship at Peor
1 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. 4 And the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang 6 25:4 Or impale them in the sun before the LORD, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.” 5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”
6 And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 7 When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand 8 and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped. 9 Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
The Zeal of Phinehas
10 And the LORD said to Moses, 11 “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. 12 Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, 13 and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’”
14 The name of the slain man of Israel, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, chief of a father's house belonging to the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur, who was the tribal head of a father's house in Midian.
16 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “Harass the Midianites and strike them down, 18 for they have harassed you with their wiles, with which they beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the chief of Midian, their sister, who was killed on the day of the plague on account of Peor.”
Chapter 26
Census of the New Generation
1 After the plague, the LORD said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest, 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war.” 3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying, 4 “Take a census of the people, 7 26:4 Take a census of the people is implied (compare verse 2) from twenty years old and upward,” as the LORD commanded Moses. The people of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt were:
5 Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the clan of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the clan of the Palluites; 6 of Hezron, the clan of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the clan of the Carmites. 7 These are the clans of the Reubenites, and those listed were 43,730. 8 And the sons of Pallu: Eliab. 9 The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, chosen from the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the LORD 10 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured 250 men, and they became a warning. 11 But the sons of Korah did not die.
12 The sons of Simeon according to their clans: of Nemuel, the clan of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the clan of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the clan of the Jachinites; 13 of Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the clan of the Shaulites. 14 These are the clans of the Simeonites, 22,200.
15 The sons of Gad according to their clans: of Zephon, the clan of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the clan of the Haggites; of Shuni, the clan of the Shunites; 16 of Ozni, the clan of the Oznites; of Eri, the clan of the Erites; 17 of Arod, the clan of the Arodites; of Areli, the clan of the Arelites. 18 These are the clans of the sons of Gad as they were listed, 40,500.
19 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20 And the sons of Judah according to their clans were: of Shelah, the clan of the Shelanites; of Perez, the clan of the Perezites; of Zerah, the clan of the Zerahites. 21 And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the clan of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the clan of the Hamulites. 22 These are the clans of Judah as they were listed, 76,500.
23 The sons of Issachar according to their clans: of Tola, the clan of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the clan of the Punites; 24 of Jashub, the clan of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the clan of the Shimronites. 25 These are the clans of Issachar as they were listed, 64,300.
26 The sons of Zebulun, according to their clans: of Sered, the clan of the Seredites; of Elon, the clan of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the clan of the Jahleelites. 27 These are the clans of the Zebulunites as they were listed, 60,500.
28 The sons of Joseph according to their clans: Manasseh and Ephraim. 29 The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the clan of the Machirites; and Machir was the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the clan of the Gileadites. 30 These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the clan of the Iezerites; of Helek, the clan of the Helekites; 31 and of Asriel, the clan of the Asrielites; and of Shechem, the clan of the Shechemites; 32 and of Shemida, the clan of the Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the clan of the Hepherites. 33 Now Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters. And the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These are the clans of Manasseh, and those listed were 52,700.
35 These are the sons of Ephraim according to their clans: of Shuthelah, the clan of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the clan of the Becherites; of Tahan, the clan of the Tahanites. 36 And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the clan of the Eranites. 37 These are the clans of the sons of Ephraim as they were listed, 32,500. These are the sons of Joseph according to their clans.
38 The sons of Benjamin according to their clans: of Bela, the clan of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the clan of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the clan of the Ahiramites; 39 of Shephupham, the clan of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the clan of the Huphamites. 40 And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the clan of the Ardites; of Naaman, the clan of the Naamites. 41 These are the sons of Benjamin according to their clans, and those listed were 45,600.
42 These are the sons of Dan according to their clans: of Shuham, the clan of the Shuhamites. These are the clans of Dan according to their clans. 43 All the clans of the Shuhamites, as they were listed, were 64,400.
44 The sons of Asher according to their clans: of Imnah, the clan of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the clan of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the clan of the Beriites. 45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the clan of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the clan of the Malchielites. 46 And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47 These are the clans of the sons of Asher as they were listed, 53,400.
48 The sons of Naphtali according to their clans: of Jahzeel, the clan of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the clan of the Gunites; 49 of Jezer, the clan of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the clan of the Shillemites. 50 These are the clans of Naphtali according to their clans, and those listed were 45,400.
51 This was the list of the people of Israel, 601,730.
52 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 53 “Among these the land shall be divided for inheritance according to the number of names. 54 To a large tribe you shall give a large inheritance, and to a small tribe you shall give a small inheritance; every tribe shall be given its inheritance in proportion to its list. 55 But the land shall be divided by lot. According to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. 56 Their inheritance shall be divided according to lot between the larger and the smaller.”
57 This was the list of the Levites according to their clans: of Gershon, the clan of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the clan of the Kohathites; of Merari, the clan of the Merarites. 58 These are the clans of Levi: the clan of the Libnites, the clan of the Hebronites, the clan of the Mahlites, the clan of the Mushites, the clan of the Korahites. And Kohath was the father of Amram. 59 The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister. 60 And to Aaron were born Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 61 But Nadab and Abihu died when they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD. 62 And those listed were 23,000, every male from a month old and upward. For they were not listed among the people of Israel, because there was no inheritance given to them among the people of Israel.
63 These were those listed by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who listed the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 64 But among these there was not one of those listed by Moses and Aaron the priest, who had listed the people of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the LORD had said of them, “They shall die in the wilderness.” Not one of them was left, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Numbers
Timeline
Author and Date
Moses is the source and primary author of the book of Numbers, which is the fourth volume in the Pentateuch. Its English name comes from the censuses in chs. 1–4 and 26.
Numbers tells of Israel’s journey from Mount Sinai to the borders of the Promised Land, summarizing some 40 years of the nation’s history. With Israel having been freed from slavery in Egypt and then receiving the law (Exodus and Leviticus), the book of Numbers begins with the people’s final preparations to leave Sinai. It then records their triumphal setting out, before a series of events in which the people grumbled about the difficulty of the journey and the impossibility of conquering Canaan. This response leads God to delay their entry to Canaan by 40 years. The closing chapters of the book tell how the people at last set out again and reach the banks of the Jordan, ready to cross into the land promised to their forefathers.
Theme and Purpose
The theme of Numbers is the gradual fulfillment of the promises to Abraham that his descendants would be the people of God and would occupy the land of Canaan. The book shows the reality of God’s presence with Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire over the tabernacle. It also shows how Israel’s unbelief delays the entry into Canaan and costs many lives. Nevertheless, by the end of the book, Israel is ready to enter the land.
Key Themes
There were four elements to God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1–3, and they all play a role in Numbers:
- The land. Numbers describes Israel’s journey toward the Promised Land.
- Descendants. Abraham had been promised that his descendants would be as many as the stars of heaven (Gen. 15:5). Jacob’s family consisted of just 70 persons when he entered Egypt (Gen. 46:27). Now they had increased immensely. The first census (Num. 1:1–46) showed that the fighting men numbered 603,550. That did not include women and children. Surveying their camp from a hilltop, Balaam declared, “Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel?” (23:10). Balaam went on to predict that Israel would become a powerful kingdom in its own right: “a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (24:17).
- Covenant relationship with God. The essence of the covenant was, “You shall be my people, and I will be your God.” The Lord’s presence with Israel is constantly highlighted throughout the book of Numbers.
- Blessing to the nations. This is the aspect of the promises to Abraham that is least apparent in Numbers. To a greater or lesser degree, the nations that Israel encounters are all hostile. Nevertheless Balaam recalls the phrasing of Genesis 12:3 when he says, “Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you” (Num. 24:9). Nations who treat Israel generously by blessing her will themselves be blessed.
Outline
Numbers consists of three major blocks of material describing the events and laws associated with three centers where Israel encamped for a significant time. These centers are Sinai (chs. 1–10), Kadesh (chs. 13–19), and the plains of Moab (chs. 22–36). They are linked by two short travelogues recording what occurred as Israel journeyed from one camp to the next.
- Israel Prepares to Enter the Land (1:1–10:10)
- Marching from Sinai to Kadesh (10:11–12:16)
- Forty Years near Kadesh (13:1–19:22)
- Marching from Kadesh to the Plains of Moab (20:1–21:35)
- Israel in the Plains of Moab (22:1–36:13)
Journeys in the Wilderness
c. 1446 B.C.
The book of Numbers details the Israelites’ experience in the wilderness as they journeyed from Mount Sinai to Canaan. As with the exodus, it is difficult to establish the exact route that the Israelites took, but it is generally believed that they headed east from Mount Sinai until they reached the Red Sea, where they turned northward to the top of the gulf and on to Kadesh-barnea.
Fact: Where do the events in Numbers take place?
Where do the events in Numbers take place? Chapters 1–9 take place near Mount Sinai. In chs. 10–12 the people travel to Kadesh, where they will spend the next 40 years (chs. 13–19). Next they journey toward Canaan (chs. 20–21), and in the final chapters of Numbers (22–36) they camp in the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River from the Promised Land.
Fact: Symbols of holiness
Symbols of holiness are found all throughout Numbers. The tabernacle objects that were farther from the presence of God in the Most Holy Place could be made of ordinary materials like bronze. Within the Most Holy Place, everything was overlaid with pure gold.
Fact: Aram
Aram. The pagan prophet Balaam described himself as being from Aram. Aram was a confederation of small towns in present-day Syria. It was named for Aram, the son of Shem and grandson of Noah. It was in this region that the Aramaic language developed.
Fact: Wild oxen
Wild oxen (24:8) are believed to be the ancestors of domestic cattle. In the OT, the wild ox was a symbol of strength.
Journeys in the Wilderness
c. 1446 B.C.
The book of Numbers details the Israelites’ experience in the wilderness as they journeyed from Mount Sinai to Canaan. As with the exodus, it is difficult to establish the exact route that the Israelites took, but it is generally believed that they headed east from Mount Sinai until they reached the Red Sea, where they turned northward to the top of the gulf and on to Kadesh-barnea.
Parallels between Exodus and Numbers
| Ex. 18:1 | Advice from Moses’ father-in-law | Advice from Moses’ father-in-law | Num. 10:29 |
| Ex. 15:22 | Three-day journey to Sinai | Three-day journey from Sinai | Num. 10:33 |
| Ex. 15:22–26 | Complaint about water | Unspecified complaint | Num. 11:1–3 |
| Exodus 16 | Manna and quail | Manna and quail | Num. 11:4–15, 31–35 |
| Exodus 18 | Leaders appointed to assist Moses | Leaders appointed to assist Moses | Num. 11:16–30 |
| Ex. 15:20–21 | Miriam’s song of praise | Miriam and Aaron rebel | Numbers 12 |
| Ex. 17:8–16 | Israel defeats Amalek | Israel defeated by Amalek | Num. 14:39–45 |
| Ex. 17:1–7 | Water from rock | Water from rock | Num. 20:1–13 |
| Ex. 32:6 | People sacrifice to other gods | People sacrifice to other gods | Num. 25:2 |
| Ex. 32:27 | Killing of apostates demanded | Killing of apostates demanded | Num. 25:5 |
| Ex. 32:28–29 | Levites’ status enhanced | Levites’ (Phinehas’s) status enhanced | Num. 25:6–13 |
| Ex. 32:35 | Plague on the people | Plague on the people | Num. 25:9 |
Num. 23:9 A people dwelling alone shows Israel’s sense of being a chosen people, different from other nations.
Num. 23:10 The dust of Jacob suggests that God’s promise to the patriarchs has been fulfilled (see Gen. 13:16; 28:14). let my end be like his. That is, “Let me be like Jacob, in life and in death.”
Num. 22:41–23:12 In the Bible, a curse was generally promised by one who had the authority to carry it out. It was not a meaningless threat. Aram is the region of Syria, where Balaam came from.
Num. 23:19 God is not man, that he should lie. Balaam is affirming God’s truthfulness in general (compare Titus 1:2). His promises to Israel will come to pass.
Num. 23:21 the shout of a king is among them. The king here is God himself, whose festivals are marked by shouts and trumpet blasts (e.g., 29:1).
Num. 23:23 Because God is with Israel, attempts to attack them with magic will fail.
Num. 23:24 lioness. This is a frightening image of Israel’s military might. It is an indirect warning to Balak not to attack them.
Num. 23:13–30 Balaam observes that God does not change his mind, so the blessing already pronounced cannot be turned into a curse (vv. 19–20). Israel will be free from disaster (v. 21).
Num. 24:5–6 This picture of Israel’s future success in Canaan uses imagery from the garden of Eden (see Gen. 2:9–10).
Num. 24:7 Water shall flow from his buckets. This continues the image of well-watered gardens. his seed shall be in many waters. This may refer to the fertility of the land, or to the growth of Israel’s population. His king shall be higher than Agag seems to be a prediction of Saul’s defeat of Agag (1 Sam. 15:1–9).
Fact: Wild oxen
Wild oxen (24:8) are believed to be the ancestors of domestic cattle. In the OT, the wild ox was a symbol of strength.
Num. 22:41–24:14 The first three attempts to persuade Balaam to curse Israel follow a similar pattern, though there are some significant differences in the third. This pattern shows that Balaam’s words, which are the opposite of what he was hired to say, are inspired by God and therefore must be reliable.
Num. 24:1–14 The mention of the Spirit of God empowering Balaam (v. 2) shows the validity of Balaam’s third blessing. Balaam describes himself as the man . . . who hears the words of God.
Num. 24:17 star . . . scepter. Symbols of kingship (see Gen. 49:10). Sons of Sheth. Probably nomads living in Canaan.
Num. 24:18 Seir is another name for Edom.
Num. 24:15–19 An oracle was a prophet’s verbal statement about what God had shown him in a vision. Balaam’s final oracle begins like the previous one (compare vv. 3–4 with vv. 15–16). But it rapidly becomes a prophecy about the rise of the Davidic dynasty, which conquered the surrounding peoples, including Moab (2 Sam. 8:2–12).
Num. 24:19 This prophecy ends with another prediction of Moab being ruled by the Davidic dynasty.
Num. 24:20 This oracle predicts the defeat of the Amalekites (compare Ex. 17:8–16), probably in the time of David.
Num. 24:21–22 The next oracle predicts the defeat of the Kenites by Asshur. The Kenites were on good terms with Israel (see Judg. 1:16). Asshur is probably a tribe that lived in northern Sinai (Gen. 25:3–6; 2 Sam. 2:9).
Num. 24:23–24 These verses are difficult to interpret. It appears that Balaam predicts the Philistines (Kittim) arriving on the coasts of Canaan. This happened in the twelfth century B.C. They defeated Asshur and Eber before they themselves came to utter destruction at the hands of David. All these prophecies seem to focus on the time of David.
Num. 22:1–24:25 This amusing account makes a serious point: the one true God is on Israel’s side, so no human power can prevail against them (23:21–23). Even a pagan prophet like Balaam can see this. The story presents Balaam as a corrupt person whom God used to deliver his word.
Num. 24:20–25 Balaam adds three short oracles against the nations: Israel’s future will be secure, as other nations are destroyed.
Num. 24:25 Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. This is not the end of the story of Balaam. Later he advised Balak to send women to seduce Israel and lead them away from God (31:16–18; compare Rev. 2:14).
Num. 25:1–2 Whore . . . sacrifices of their gods . . . ate echoes the terms used in Ex. 34:15–16. The people were breaking the first commandment.
Num. 25:3 Baal was the main Canaanite fertility god. Israel was constantly tempted to worship Baal.
Num. 25:4–5 the fierce anger of the LORD. Drastic action was the only way to stop the Baal worship and the prostitution that went with it. hang them in the sun. This most likely refers to the ancient Near Eastern practice of impaling dead bodies on a stick after execution. This was a form of disgrace (rather than burying the bodies) and served as a public warning to all.
Num. 25:7–8 Phinehas, the high priest’s son, executes the chief’s son and the princess. His action stopped the plague that God sent to punish the people. Phinehas was rewarded for this by becoming the head of a permanent priestly dynasty (vv. 10–13).
Num. 25:9 A large number of people died because of the plague. This parallels the plagues at Sinai and Kadesh (Ex. 32:35; Num. 14:37; 16:49).
Num. 25:1–18 Once again, Israel is unfaithful to the Lord. However, unlike earlier times when they were unfaithful—at Sinai (Exodus 25–34) and at Kadesh (Numbers 13–14)—in this case God does not threaten to destroy the whole nation or delay their entry into Canaan. God will fulfill his promises to Israel, in spite of their continuing unfaithfulness (see Deut. 9:5).
Num. 25:16–18 The ongoing struggle with Midian is reported in ch. 31 and Judges 6–8.
Num. 26:1 Eleazar has now taken over from his father, Aaron, as high priest.
Num. 26:9–11 These verses recall the events in ch. 16.
Num. 26:11 But the sons of Korah did not die clarifies a possible misreading of 16:32.
Num. 26:19–21 sons of Judah. See Genesis 38.
Num. 26:1–65 The first census (ch. 1) established the number of fighting men in Israel. This second census establishes the size of each tribe, so that each may receive the appropriate amount of land (26:53–54). The total number of Israelites has changed very little between the censuses, but the people being counted are quite different (vv. 64–65). Only Joshua and Caleb figure in both totals. See note on 1:20–46.
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Listen NowDive Deeper | Numbers 23-26
The journey through the wilderness was not an easy one for Israel. Yet, despite Israel's continued disobedience and faithlessness, God continuously demonstrates His covenant faithfulness to His people and sovereignty over the world. Throughout Numbers 23-26, a Christian's hope can clearly be seen. God, dwelling in the midst of His covenant people, will be faithful to rescue His people not only from the nations but from sin and death.
Throughout these chapters, it is quite notable to see Balak’s persistence in his efforts to curse Israel. Time and time again, he perseveres, despite Balaam's insistence that he can only do what God wills. We expect, then, that temptations to sin often will continue despite first resistance.
If left to ourselves, this would be a disastrous outcome. Yet, as we are reminded in Numbers 24:17, God is sovereign and intimately involved in this world. The One who will crush the forehead of Moab is the One who will bruise the head of the enemy (Genesis 3:15). The scepter of Israel is not One who came to establish an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly one. The star of Judah did not mark a castle, but a manger (Matthew 2:2).
However, for the Christian, not only must God be sovereign, but He must be gracious as well. In Numbers 25, such grace is evident. When confronted with sin, what abates God's wrath? It is Phinehas' atonement. In parallel, just as atonement was made for Israel, we today are spared through Jesus' death. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Throughout these chapters of Numbers, God's sovereignty and covenant faithfulness— manifested through His grace—lead Israel to the edge of the Promised Land (Numbers 26). Thus, for the Christian, we can trust that God will keep His promises because He already has. Through Christ, the believer will persevere by faith to the end, overcoming sin and death, according to His mercy and for His glory. Hallelujah!
This month's memory verse
"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
– Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Discussion Questions
1. How have you seen God's faithfulness in spite of your own fears or failures?
2. Are there areas of your life in which you doubt God's sovereignty?
3. If God is sovereign and faithful, how does that change your daily life?
4. How is Christ the manifestation of God's faithfulness?
5. How can seeing Christ in the Old Testament lead you to love God more?