Numbers 21-22

Numbers Chapter 21-22, Fiery serpents, salvation is simple, intercessors, God tests our faith, Balaam, divination, materialism,

the angel of the LORD, a thousand eleph, high places bamah, duplicity of heart, Hormah

Shelf Cloud Over Timisoara

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Of Joshua and Jesus, Remarkable New Discoveries at Ai, Bible And Spade, Fall 2014, by Bryant G. Wood, photos by Michael C. Luddeni

•"Initial research indicates that the scarab was made in Egypt in the reign of Amenhotep II (1455–1418 BC), thus confirming the late 15th century BC date for the destruction of Maqatir based on the pottery.… Because of the significance of the scarab in supporting the identification of Maqatir as Ai, it was named by Christianity Today as the number one find in biblical archaeology in 2013."

• "Left, the scarab found in 2013 depicting a falcon – headed sphinx with ankh (life) sign in front and a neter (god) sign above. Right, the scarab found in 2014 featuring eight sets of three concentric circles, and the ankh (life)and nb (lord) signs in the center

Numbers 21

Let’s read Numbers 21:1-3

Numbers 21:3, Hormah

• NAU Numbers 21:3 The LORD heard the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites; then they utterly destroyed them and their cities. Thus the name of the place was called Hormah.

• Hormel ham?

Let’s read Numbers 21:4-9

Numbers 21:4, Mount Hor to Edom

Numbers 21:4 Then they set out from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the people became impatient because of the journey.

Numbers 21:6, Fiery Serpents

• NAU Numbers 21:6 The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

Numbers 21:6, Fiery Serpents

• This account of the “fiery serpents” appears in some very important places in Scripture;

• NAU 1 Corinthians 10:9 Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.

• NAU John 3:14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;

• NAU 2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.

• Deuteronomy 8:15, John 8:28, 12:32,

Numbers 21:6, Fiery Serpents

• NAU Numbers 21:6 The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.

• The LORD sent them• The LORD didn’t remove them• The LORD sent a remedy by grace through

faith• Look to the tree

Numbers 21:6-9, Salvation Is Simple

• Compass.org says, “God doesn't make it difficult for us to be saved. This is one of the clearest and most succinct verses in the Bible describing the way of salvation. It's not by works, not by law-keeping, not by church membership, not by being good, but simply by believing by faith that Jesus paid for your sins on the cross…. When someone was bitten, all they had to do was "look" at the pole with the snake and they would not die. In the same way, anyone who sees that they are sinful (snake bite) and by faith looks to Jesus for salvation from his/her sin, will be saved.”

• John 6:47 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.

Numbers 21:7, Intercessors

• NAU Numbers 21:7 So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people.

• There is only 1 “Intercessor,” but we are “intercessors”• Gen 40:8…Then Joseph said to them, "Do not

interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams." • He didn’t say, “Pray and fast and maybe God will explain.”• Joseph held himself out as an intercessor• We should too, “I’ll pray for you”

Numbers 21:8, “fiery serpent”• NAU Numbers 21:8 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery

serpent [saraph], and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live.”

• The word saraph is used of saraphim pl., Isa 6, it means “to burn.” MacAurthur says, “So called because these snake bites inflicted a fiery inflammation.” I say, “Brass reminds me of judgment, it was to be made of brass cast in the fire, and the context implies serpent.”

• Wanna’ know why God prohibits idols/images?• NAU 2 Kings 18:4 He removed the high places and broke down the

sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.

Numbers 21:9, God Tests Our Faith

• NAU John 9:7 and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam " (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.

• NAU Matthew 11:30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

• NAU Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.

• NAU 2 Kings 5:14 So he [Naaman] went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean.

Numbers 21:16, Continued To Beer

• NAU Numbers 21:16 From there they continued to Beer, that is the well where the LORD said to Moses, "Assemble the people, that I may give them water.“

• My brother in law also “continued to Beer.”• ��א�ר <0876> )Beer )91d ב• Meaning: 'well,' a place in the desert, also

one in Pal.

Let’s read Numbers 21:23-25

Numbers 21:23 But Sihon?

• Numbers 21:23 But Sihon…• Why did God deal so differently with Sihon and the

Amorites, than He did with Edom in Numbers 20:14-21?

• With Edom they turned and walked away, yet with the Amorites they wiped them out.

• NAU Genesis 25:26 Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

Numbers 22

Bible in Five

• One of the reasons I think our “Bible in Five” study is important is for us to become more familiar with all of the Old Testament accounts that are mentioned in the New Testament .

• So let’s see how we’re doing with a pop quiz…

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…? • Let’s study Numbers and Balaam and see how

we do at the end.

Balaam

• We begin the “Balaam Chapters” 47 of the 61 NAS uses are in Numbers.

• J. Vernon McGee says the Bible says more about Balaam than about Mary the mother of Jesus, or 10 of the apostles.

• Balaam is used in 8 NAS books, God repeatedly spoke directly to him and through him

• Yet many think he’s not saved

Let’s read Numbers 22:1-13

Numbers 22:5, Near The River

• People swim and swing from ring to ring in the Russian River in California, August 1938.PHOTOGRAPH BY B. ANTHONY STEWART, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

NAU Numbers 22:5 So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River…

Hearing God: Motives, By Richard Tow

• Richard Tow says, “So Balak comes up with a plan. He will hire a prophet to pronounce a curse on these people and then he can defeat them in battle.

• He sends messengers to a man who is perfect for the job. The prophet's name is Balaam. Balaam's home town is probably in Northern Syria [6] about four hundred miles from Moab.[7] So this man obviously has quite a reputation as a prophet.[8] He's not just a local want-a-be prophet. He is widely recognized as a man who can operate powerfully in the spiritual realm. At the end of verse 6 Balak has said to Balaam, "For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.” One thing about Balaam is certain-he is very spiritual. He hears God speak to him…

• There are interesting paradoxes in this man and some have tried to deal with them by simply labeling him as an evil "baru"-a pagan diviner.”

“Bible Says” Newsletter

Numbers 22:7, Fees For Divination

• NAU Numbers 22:7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and repeated Balak's words to him.

• )qesem )890c ק�ס�ם <07081>• Meaning: divination…• Usage: divination(10), divine decision(1).

Hearing God: Motives, By Richard Tow

• “But now watch how he begins to get confused about what God wants him to do. The next morning he gets up and tells Balak's princes to "Go back to your own country..." Now hear his reason "for the LORD has refused to let me go with you." He has just left the door open for temptation and confusion. He should have told them that these people are blessed of God and they need to abandon their efforts to curse them and he would have nothing to do with it. Instead he sounds like a spoiled teenager who wants to go somewhere with his friends but Dad & Mom won't let him-for the LORD has refused to let me go with you. What happens next? Verse 15 when Balak hears his answer he does not hear an unequivocal no. He hears "I want to" but God won't let me. So he sends a greater temptation: more numerous and more distinguished princes and the promise of a handsome reward for coming.”

Let’s read Numbers 22:14-20

Numbers 22:18, Materialism?

• NAU Numbers 22:18 Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD my God.

• Many charge Balaam with materialism based on this verse and…

• 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 '

• Seems like obedience rather than materialism, but is it reluctant? Is the main thing on his mind wealth?

Numbers 22:18, Materialism?• NAU Numbers 22:18 …give me his house full of silver and gold…• Materialism has been the downfall of many…• NAU Joshua 7:20 So Achan answered Joshua… 21 when I saw among

the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them…

• NAS Judges 9:1…Abimelech …4 And they gave him seventy pieces of silver… 5 Then he went to his father's house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone.

• Judas in NAU Zechariah 11:13…"Throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them." So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD. [Matthew 27:9-10, 2 Kings 5:21 So Gehazi ]

Numbers 22:20, OK, Go Then

• NAU Numbers 22:20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.“

• NAU Numbers 22:12 God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” 13 So Balaam …said to Balak's leaders…the LORD has refused to let me go with you."

• NAU Psalm 106:15 So He gave them their request, But sent a wasting disease among them.

• Just because God gives us what we want, it doesn’t rule out a lesson or discipline.

Numbers 22:20, OK, Go Then

• NAU Num 22:20…rise up and go with them…• Jesus told us to pray “Thy kingdom come Thy

will be done..." Surrendering and submitting to God’s will and yielding ours to His. Not like Balaam. Not badgering God to get our way. He kept coming to God until God gave him what he wanted. A trip with these gentiles and a lesson that almost took his life.

2 Peter 2:15, the way of Balaam

• 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, 16 but he received a rebuke for his own transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet. 17 These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved.

Let’s read Numbers 22:21-31

Numbers 22:22, God Was Angry

• NAU Numbers 22:22 But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.

• God was angry, but had given him permission.• Just because God didn’t strike you dead doesn’t

mean you’re doing His will.• Just because you think you got away with it doesn’t

rule out consequences.

Numbers 22:24, The Narrow Path

• NAU Numbers 22:24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

• The LORD guards “the narrow path”• NAU Matthew 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the

gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.

• NAU Luke 13:24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

Numbers 22:24, “the angel of the LORD “

• NAU Numbers 22:24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

“the angel of the Lord” Review

• Ex 3:2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush…. 4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush…

• Ge 16:11, 13-14 She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."

• Gen 22:15-18 The angel of the Lord …said, "I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you…

• Jdg 6:11-23 The angel of the Lord came …Gideon…I …bring my offering and set it before you.“ And the Lord said, "I will wait until you return.“…

“the angel of the Lord” Review

• Jdg 13:18-23…Manoah took a …offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the Lord…the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame…Manoah realized that it was the angel of the Lord. 22 "We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen God!"

• NAU Genesis 32:24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak…. 30 So Jacob …said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved.“

• NAU Genesis 35:1 Then God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.“

• Genesis 48:15-16, Hosea 12:3-5, and many others, more after “THE END” slide

• Zech 12:8 On that day the Lord will shield those who live in Jerusalem, so that the feeblest among them will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the Angel of the Lord going before them.

• You will often hear me or others refer to the angel of the LORD as “Jesus”, or a “Christophany.” However this is not technically correct. It is an appearance of God, Deity, the Eternal Son of God, the Word (John1:1), the Messiah, and the Christ.

• KJV 1 Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

• NIV John 12:41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

“the angel of the Lord” Review

Let’s read Numbers 22:32-41

Numbers 22:41, The High Places Of Baal

• NAU Numbers 22:41 Then it came about in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, and he saw from there a portion of the people.

• There are some good scholars who question the large numbers of people in the exodus, based on the Hebrew word translated “thousand”. But we can see here that the number was pretty big if they gained the “high ground” and couldn’t see them all.

• eleph )48d(, Meaning: a thousand א�ל�ף <0505>• ��מ�ה <01116> ,bamah )119a(…, Meaning: a high place ב

Usage: heights(3), high place(19)• http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2009/04/16/The-Number-of-Israelites-in-the-Exodus.aspx#Article

Duplicity Of Heart, Hearing God: Motives, By Richard Tow

• “Duplicity of heart-James calls it double mindedness.[4] On the one hand, I want God and His blessings. I certainly don't want to spend eternity in hell. But beyond that I want God to bless my life in the here and now. On the other hand, I want my own way and sometimes I can be stubborn about having it. Here is the paramount danger we face: that we would be asking God to tell us what to do; but at the same time deep down insisting upon certain things we are unwilling to surrender to God. "God, give me a ministry. Use me for your glory." God lays something before and that's not what we want to do. So we keep praying and praying and praying even though the answer has come. We just didn't like the answer He gave so we are in reality trying to get Him to give us another answer. And when we are in that position the heavens can become very silent. Did you do the last thing God told you to do? Are you willing to hear and obey any answer He may give?”

THE END

• People swim and swing from ring to ring in the Russian River in California, August 1938.PHOTOGRAPH BY B. ANTHONY STEWART, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

So, Go out and rejoice in

the LORD

• Hearing God: Motives• • By Richard Tow

Numbers 22:1-35 • http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/hearing-god-motives-richard-tow-sermon-on-knowing-gods-will-90096.asp• • What does God want me to do? Have you ever wrestled with that question? Most of us have. Most of us will at some time in the future. It's not always easy to know God's will in a particular situation.• • Last week we talked about hearing God. In that message we identified three dynamics that should be considered when determining God's will for a given situation. Can you remember what those three factors were? (1) the subjective leading of the Holy Spirit. It might be a dream or a vision but usually it is that intuitive prompting of the Lord in your spirit (2) the word of God-principles already revealed in Scripture about the will of God for our lives-revelations about the character of God, His purposes, and His

ways (3) circumstances-God in His providence going before us and preparing the way so that He sets before us an open door. There is safety in considering all three as we endeavor to hear God about a decision in life.[2]• • This morning we want to continue the subject: Hearing God. Today I want to talk about something even more fundamental than those three dynamics. What is the most basic issue in my ability to hear God's voice? When I'm confused and don't know what to do I cannot afford to ignore this one issue. The most crucial issue any of us face in hearing God is the motive of our own hearts. We can know our Bible backwards and forwards. We can be so spiritual that we speak with the tongues of men and angels.

But if the primary pursuit of our hearts is not right we will have trouble hearing the voice of God. We will have trouble getting clear direction for our lives. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God."[3] I don't believe that promise is just for heaven. I believe that when our hearts are pure we are in a position to see what God is doing-where He is going in our lives and follow Him.

• Duplicity of heart-James calls it double mindedness.[4] On the one hand, I want God and His blessings. I certainly don't want to spend eternity in hell. But beyond that I want God to bless my life in the here and now. On the other hand, I want my own way and sometimes I can be stubborn about having it. Here is the paramount danger we face: that we would be asking God to tell us what to do; but at the same time deep down insisting upon certain things we are unwilling to surrender to God. "God, give me a ministry. Use me for your glory." God lays something before and that's not what we want to do. So we keep praying and praying and praying even though the answer has come. We just didn't like the answer He gave so we are in reality trying to get Him to give us another answer. And when we are in that position the heavens can become very silent. Did you do the last thing God told you to do? Are you willing to hear and obey any answer He may give?

• • One of the best examples of this problem is found in Numbers 22.

• Israel has journeyed toward Canaan land and come to the plains of Moab. Balak, the king of Moab is concerned about the situation. He wants rid of these people but he has also heard how they have been defeating those who rose up against them. In fact, the Amorites had just tried to take them on and got wiped out.[5] So Balak comes up with a plan. He will hire a prophet to pronounce a curse on these people and then he can defeat them in battle.• • He sends messengers to a man who is perfect for the job. The prophet's name is Balaam. Balaam's home town is probably in Northern Syria [6] about four hundred miles from Moab.[7] So this man obviously has quite a reputation as a prophet.[8] He's not just a local want-a-be prophet. He is widely recognized as a man who can operate powerfully in the spiritual realm. At the end of verse 6 Balak has said to Balaam, "For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed."• • One thing about Balaam is certain-he is very spiritual. He hears God speak to him. He has dreams and visions. His problem is not a lack of spirituality. He uses the name Yahweh, which is a strong indication that he knows the true God of Israel. There are interesting paradoxes in this man and some have tried to deal with them by simply labeling him as an evil "baru"-a pagan diviner. But the flow of the story tells us it's not that simple.[9] In fact, when we do that we miss a significant message about guidance.

Balaam hears God speak to him. He gives some of the most powerful prophecies in all the Bible. We see his moral struggles in Chapters 22-25 and then in Chapter 31 and comments in the New Testament we see his ultimate choice.• • Now let's watch Balaam as he seeks to know God's will in this situation. Follow with me as we read Numbers 22:7-13.

"The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said." (Notice the Moabites and Midianites have joined together in this endeavor. Midian was one of the children Abraham had with his second wife Keturah.[10] "And Moab was the child Lot had by his oldest daughter."[11] Notice they brought with them the fee for divination. This plays prominently in the story.)

• • 8 "Spend the night here," Balaam said to them, "and I will bring you back the answer the LORD gives me." So the Moabite princes stayed with him. 9 God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men with you?" 10 Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: 11'A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.'" 12 But God said to Balaam, "Do not go

with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed." 13 The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak's princes, "Go back to your own country, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you."• • Balaam seems to get off to a good start here in verse 8. He knows enough to seek God for direction. Sometimes we fail to get guidance simply because we don't ask for it. One of the big mistakes Joshua made as a leader was to make a treaty with the Gibeonites without going to God in prayer about the matter. As it turned out the Gibeonites were not being totally honest and Joshua and the leaders in Israel. Leaning on his own understanding Joshua got deceived and missed God.[12] But Balaam does not make

that mistake. He insists upon asking God before he gives them an answer. And notice that it is Yahweh (the true God of Israel) that he is going to in prayer.[13]• • The answer God gives him is loud and clear. "Do not go with them." That's simple enough. That's not hard to understand. "You must not put a curse on those people..." What part of "no" do you not understand, Balaam? God even goes a step further and tells him why-"because they are blessed." At that point Balaam has clear guidance from the Lord.• • But now watch how he begins to get confused about what God wants him to do. The next morning he gets up and tells Balak's princes to "Go back to your own country..." Now hear his reason "for the LORD has refused to let me go with you." He has just left the door open for temptation and confusion. He should have told them that these people are blessed of God and they need to abandon their efforts to curse them and he would have nothing to do with it. Instead he sounds like a spoiled teenager who

wants to go somewhere with his friends but Dad & Mom won't let him-for the LORD has refused to let me go with you.• • What happens next? Verse 15 when Balak hears his answer he does not hear an unequivocal no. He hears "I want to" but God won't let me. So he sends a greater temptation: more numerous and more distinguished princes and the promise of a handsome reward for coming.• • In verse 18 he seems to make a good stand. But he makes his next mistake in verse 19 when he asks them to stay while he seeks guidance from the LORD. He does not need to seek guidance from the LORD. He already has guidance. All he needs to do is obey it. Look at his last comment in verse 19 "I will find out what else the LORD will tell me." Now we are getting indications that Balaam's prayers for guidance may have ulterior motives. I suspect at this point his prayer is more an effort to persuade God to see

it his way than to simply hear and obey.• • What is motivating this man? Is his one motivation to do the will of the Father?[14] No, if that were the case he would simply do it.• • Peter comments on this issue of motivation in his epistle. 2 Peter2:15-16• • "They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey-a beast without speech-who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness." The way of Balaam-he loved the wages of wickedness. Balaam wanted the money and prestige. Balaam wanted God to say one thing. When God said something different then he just kept coming back hoping to get the answer he

wanted.• • And to our amazement (at least to some degree) he gets that! In verse 20 God tells him that he can go with them. This is why Jesus taught us to pray "Your kingdom come Your will be done..." We should pray with an attitude that is upfront submitted to the will of the Father. But that's not Balaam's attitude. He has prayed and prayed until he got what he wanted. He wants to go with these guys and God lets him. Now what has he done to himself. He has put himself in the arena of temptation. Had he just

obeyed God from the beginning he could have avoided the temptations that Balak is going to throw at him. And we know he ultimately succumbs to those temptations.• • When we are insisting on having our own way sometimes God corrects us by letting us have what we've demanded.[15] While in the wilderness Israel had complained about the manna God was miraculously providing for them. They were asking and asking for meat instead. Listen to what God says to them in Numbers 18b-20a "Now the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat it. 19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month--until it comes out of your

nostrils and you loathe it-"• • What is it about our nature that leans in this direction-wanting to have what we can not have? "The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence" they say. This is a big trap when it comes to guidance. If I am insisting on the desires of my flesh-coveting things God is not giving me-thinking that by praying long enough and hard enough I can persuade God to see it my way-if that is what's going on in my heart I am going to have all kinds of problems hearing God.[16] Why-because even when He does

speak to me I'm not satisfied with that. I am only satisfied when He tells me what I want to hear.[17]• • We read verses 21-35 at the beginning of the service. Here is Balaam proceeding with what he has determined to be God's will for the situation. No doubt he is excited about the guidance he has gotten from God. He wants to go to Balak and God has said that he could. He has prayed and gotten an answer from God-finally, the one he wanted to hear. He is up the next morning and on his way. But then everything starts to go wrong.[18] His good old reliable Toyota-I mean donkey-gives all kind of trouble. He

gets so mad he beats the donkey and then has a very strange conversation with the beast. In verse 31 Balaam's spiritual eyes are opened and he sees what the donkey has been seeing-the angel of the LORD obstructing his path. What had blinded Balaam to the will of God? His own carnal desires-his pursuit of his own will caused him to not be able to clearly discern God's will. He says lots of fine, religious things. He is even used by God to speak blessing on Israel and prophesy her future. By the end of chapter 24 we might think he somehow came out alight after all.

• • But that is not the end of the story. Balaam wanted that money. His basic motivation was covered somewhat by a religious veneer. But chapter 25 tells how Israel was seduced into sexual immorality and idolatry which did bring a curse upon them. A plague broke out that killed 24,000 Israelites. Do you know who hatched that plan? Jesus made reference to it in Rev 2:14 "Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the

Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality."[19]• • Balaam got what he wanted after all. He used his spiritual knowledge in a diabolical way. Only one thing could bring judgment on Israel-sin. Even though Balaam could not get his money by speaking a curse on Israel he could get it by showing Balak how to lead them into sin.• • Here is an extremely spiritual man who prophesies of the coming Messiah and says wonderful things by the Spirit in his oracles-yet he misses the will of God for his life. At times he seems to be repentant; but the repentance proves to be superficial and he reverts back to pursuing his own lust.[20] In Numbers 23:10 he says "Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs!" We know that is not what happened. Numbers

31:8 tells us he was killed as part of the judgment on Midian.•

How do we Deal with this aspect of guidance in our lives?• • As I reflect back over my life I am certain that motive has been the most important factor in hearing God-in knowing and doing the will of God. The times I missed it big were the times that I was pursuing something my flesh wanted rather than sincerely seeking to do the will of the Father whatever it might be. At other times when my motive was right I may have not heard all that perfectly; but God got me where I needed to be. Prov 4:23 "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."• • Back in the mid-80's I was discussing the possibility of coming on staff at a church that ran four or five thousand people. It looked like an exciting opportunity. But I was having a hard time hearing God on the matter. While praying about the decision I was reading from the book of Jeremiah in my devotions. And I came across these words in Jer 45:5 "And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them..." (NKJV) God used that to awaken me to why I wanted the job.[21] He used it to show me that below

all my nice religious talk I was really pursuing this for my own self-promotion. By exposing my motive He gave me my answer.• • There are powerful examples in Scripture of people who did not allow their own desires to derail God's will for their lives. Think about Abraham in Genesis 22. God tells him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. I'm quite sure that was not what Abraham wanted to hear. Yet he immediately begins to obey. It would have been very easy to rationalize away that directive. He could have even decided that it was contrary to the promises of God in his life and rejected the message. What enabled Abraham to overcome his own

emotions and obey? Faith in God-he trusted God to make a way even if it meant resurrecting Isaac from the dead.[22]• • The best example is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. There he is facing the unthinkable-bearing the sins of the world. His struggle was not the fear of death. His struggle was the awful thought of carrying the sins of the world-the pure, spotless Lamb of God bearing your sin and my sin-bearing the punishment we all deserved. How does he deal with the struggle? Matt 26:39 "Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet

not as I will, but as you will.'" It is quite alight to make your petitions unto God ("if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me"). But that must always be tempered with an absolute commitment to the will of the Father ("Yet not as I will, but as you will.") There is a time to be insistent in prayer. But that insistence is in executing the known will of God not in somehow getting your own way in prayer.• • If you're having trouble hearing God-if there's confusion about what the will of God is for a matter-take time to deal with the motives of your own heart.[23] We need the help of the Holy Spirit in doing that-but He has come as the Divine Helper and He will help us.[24] "It is God who works in you both to will and do His good pleasure."[25] If you're not sure that you're willing, then just be honest about that and ask God to make you willing-ask Him to change your heart so that His will becomes what is

important. I close with this precious promise from Ps 25:9 "He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way." Hear His voice this morning. If you have never surrendered your life to Christ-now is the time to do that. He opens His arms and calls you to come to Him today.

Proverbs14:12 Jeremiah 29:13 Numbers 22:24-26 Luke 9:23-24, 13:24 Matthew 7:13, Narrow Gate

• Question: "Will more people go to heaven or to hell?"

Answer: The question of whether there are more people in heaven or hell is answered by Jesus Himself in one succinct passage: “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14).

This passage tells us that only those who receive Jesus Christ and who believe in Him are given the right to become children of God (John 1:12). As such, the gift of eternal life comes only through Jesus Christ to all those who believe. He said “I am the way, and the truth, and the life . No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). It’s not through Islam, Buddha, or other false gods of man’s making. It’s not for those wanting a cheap and easy way to heaven while continuing to live their own selfish and worldly lives on earth. Jesus only saves those who fully trust in Him as Savior (Acts 4:12).

So, what are these two gates in Matthew 7:13-14? They are the entrance to two different “ways.” The wide gate leads to the broad way, or road. The small narrow gate leads to the way that is narrow. The narrow way is the way of the godly, and the broad way is the way of the ungodly. The broad way is the easy way. It is attractive and self-indulgent. It is permissive. It’s the inclusive way of the world, with few rules, few restrictions, and fewer requirements. Tolerance of sin is the norm where God's Word is not studied and His standards not followed. This way requires no spiritual maturity, no moral character, no commitment, and no sacrifice. It is the easy way of salvation following “the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). It is that broad way that “seems right to a man, but end is the way to death” (Proverbs14:12).

Those who preach a gospel of inclusiveness where “all ways lead to heaven” preach an utterly different gospel than the one Jesus preached. The gate of self-centeredness, self-absorption, and a proud, holier-than-thou mindset is the wide gate of the world that leads to hell, not the narrow gate which leads to eternal life. As a result, most people spend their lives following the masses who are on the broad road, doing what everyone else does and believing what everyone else believes.

The narrow way is the hard way, the demanding way. It is the way of recognizing that you cannot save yourself and must depend on Jesus Christ alone to save you. It’s the way of self-denial and the cross. The fact that few find God’s way implies that it is to be sought diligently. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). The point is this that no one will stumble into the kingdom or wander through the narrow gate by accident. Someone asked Jesus: "Lord, will those who are saved be few?” He replied, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:23-24).

Many will seek to enter that narrow door, the door of salvation, but “will not be able.” They are unwilling to trust/rely on Jesus alone. They are unwilling to pay the price. It costs too much for them to give up the world. God’s gate is a gate through which one cannot carry the baggage of sin and self-will, nor can one carry the accoutrements of materialism. The way of Christ is the way of the cross, and the way of the cross is the way of self-denial. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:23-24).

Jesus knows that many will choose the wide gate and the broad way which leads to destruction and hell. Correspondingly, He said that only a few will choose the narrow gate. According to Matthew 7:13-14, there is no doubt that more will go to hell than to heaven. The question for you is, then, on which road are you?

Recommended Resources: Logos Bible Software and Jesus Among Other gods by Ravi Zacharias .

Pop Quiz On “Balaam”

• We’re going to have to come back next week to see the rest of Balaam’ s story.

• 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…? • Let’s study Numbers and Balaam and see how

we do at the end.

1 Corinthians 10:13 2 Kings 5:14 Joshua 6 Hebrews 11:30 Numbers 21:9 John 3:14, 9:7, God Tests

Our Faith• Today is August 19, 2013, Verse of the Day -- John 9:7 And (Jesus) said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam." And so

he went away and washed, and came back seeing.THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

• Sometimes God tests our faith.• MINI BIBLE STUDY FOR THE DAY• In the case of the blind man in the above verse, it was not going to the pool of Siloam and washing that restored his

sight. Rather, it was his faith in following the instruction. God could have cured his blindness without making him wash his face, but to test his faith, He required obedience to a simple test.

• God says His yoke is easy, and His load is light.• For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. —Matthew 11:30He never demands that we climb a mountain or swim

across the ocean. He only asks us to do easy things like:Look His way.And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. —Numbers 21:9As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up —John 3:14

• Walk around a wall seven times. (Joshua 6)By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.—Hebrews 11:30

• Or wash in a pool.So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean. —2 Kings 5:14

• In fact, even in temptation, the Bible promises that God will never allow us to be tempted beyond that which we can bear.No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. —1 Corinthians 10:13Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you fail the test? —2 Corinthians 13:5

Ex 3:1-6, The Angel Of The Lord

• Ex 3:2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight — why the bush does not burn up."

• 4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"

• And Moses said, "Here I am." 5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Gen 16:7, The Angel Of The Lord

• Ge 16:7….The angel of the Lord found Hagar…• Ge 16:11 The angel of the Lord also said to

her…• Ge 16:13-14 She gave this name to the Lord

who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."

Gen 22:15-18 The Angel Of The Lord

• Ge 22:15-18 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, "I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

The Angel Of The Lord

• Jdg 6:11-12 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior."

• Jdg 6:18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.“ And the Lord said, "I will wait until you return."

• Jdg 6:23 But the Lord said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die."

The Angel Of The Lord• Jdg 13:18-23 He replied, "Why do you ask my name? It is beyond

understanding." 19 Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the Lord. And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: 20 As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. 21 When the angel of the Lord did not show himself again to Manoah and his wife, Manoah realized that it was the angel of the Lord. 22 "We are doomed to die!" he said to his wife. "We have seen God!" 23 But…

• Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them. [omnipresence?]

The Angel Of The Lord

• Ge 32:24-30 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak.“ But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." 27 The man asked him, "What is your name?“ "Jacob," he answered. 28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." 29 Jacob said, "Please tell me your name.“ But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.“

The Angel Of The Lord

• Ge 35:1 Then God said to Jacob, "Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau."

The Angel of the Lord is God• Hosea 12:3-5 In the womb he grasped his

brother's heel; as a man he struggled with God.

• 4 He struggled with the angel and overcame him;

• he wept and begged for his favor.• He found him at Bethel• and talked with him there— • 5 the Lord God Almighty,• the Lord is his name of renown!

Gen 48:15-16, Angel of the Lord

• Gen 48:15-16 "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, 16 the Angel who has delivered me from all harm…

• Israel/Holy Spirit just equated God and The Angel of the Lord

• Judg 2:1 The angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you

• Judg 6:8 "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

The Angel Of The Lord

The Number of Israelites in the Exodus• EXPLORE• Related Articles• The Biblical Date for the Exodus is 1446 BC: A Response to James HoffmeierThe date of the Biblical Exodus-Conquest is clear. 1 Kgs 6:1 and 1 Chr 6:33–37 converge on a date of...

New Evidence from Egypt on the Location of the Exodus Sea Crossing: Part IIIf the Reed Sea can be located somewhere along the marshy lake district of the Isthmus of Suez, whic...Recent Research on the Date and Setting of the ExodusSadly, most contemporary Biblical scholars deny the historicity of God’s miraculous deliverance of I...

• Tags• exoduseleph• SUPPORT• Like this artice?• Our Ministry relies on the generosity of people like you. Every small donation helps us develop and publish great articles.• Please support ABR!• • Recently, ABR received the following question about the number of Israelites that left Egypt in the Exodus. Dr. Bryant Wood replies. • Dear ABR,• In several places, the Bible seems to suggest that the Israelites involved in the Exodus and Conquest numbered more than two million people (e.g., Ex. 12:37; Num. 1: 46; Num. 26: 51).• This figure seems extraordinarily large and skeptics often cite it as proof of the biblical account's inaccuracy. I know that various solutions have been offered, by James Hoffmeier amongst others, but there

appears to be insurmountable difficulties with taking the texts at anything other than face value.• Is there archaeological evidence that the Promised Land received such a large influx of people during the period under discussion?• I would appreciate any perspective you might give me on this problem.• Thank you for the question: “Is there archaeological evidence that the Promised Land received such a large influx of people during the period under discussion?”• The number of Israelites who left Egypt at the time of the Exodus is a vexed problem. It is possible, however, to make a rough estimate. Following the Conquest, 1406–1400 B.C., in the subsequent Late

Bronze II period (14th and 13th centuries), the urban population in the highlands where the Israelites settled remained approximately the same as it was prior to the Conquest (Gonen 1984: Table 4). Based on highland burials, however, which includes both urbanites and non-urbanites, the population seems to have increased from the pre-Conquest period to the post-Conquest period (Gonen 1992: Table 5). The overall population is difficult to access. We do not have estimates for the Late Bronze I and II periods, but an estimate of the highland population for the previous Middle Bronze II period is ca. 65,000 (Broshi and Gophna 1986: Tables 1, 2, 6, 7,10, 11). Another possible way to estimate the number of Israelites who left Egypt is by means of the number of captives the Egyptians acquired in Canaan four years after the Exodus, which amounted to ca. 100,000 (Wood 2008:105–106).

• At the heart of the issue is the meaning of the Hebrew word eleph. It is usually translated “thousand,” but has a complex semantic history. The word is etymologically connected with “head of cattle,” like the letter aleph, implying that the term was originally applied to the village or population unit in a pastoral-agricultural society. From that it came to mean the quota supplied by one village or “clan” (Hebrew Mišpāhā ) for the military muster (Malamat 1967: 135). Originally the contingent was quite small, five to fourteen men in the quota lists of Numbers 1 and 26, as shown by Mendenhall (1958). Finally the word became a technical term for a military unit of considerable size, which together with the use of the same word for the number 1,000 has tended to obscure its broader semantic range. See also Humphreys 1998 and 2000, and Hoffmeier 2005: 153–59.

• I hope this helps.• Sincerely yours,• Bryant G. Wood• Editorial note: It should be emphasized that the number of elephs recorded in the Bible that departed from Egypt is without error and infallible. The issue is not whether the Bible is wrong. The issue is

determining what the original Hebrew text means and translating those figures into English in a way that most accurately reflects the original meaning.• http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2009/04/16/The-Number-of-Israelites-in-the-Exodus.aspx#Article