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"Balak"
This week’s
Torah portion is called “Balak”, after the king
of Moab. Fearing that the God of Israel was empowering
the Jewish people to defeat their enemies, the
nations of Moab and Midian forged an anti-Israel
alliance. Knowing that there were spiritual powers
at work, Balak sent a delegation to Bilam, a non-Jewish
prophet, to hire him to curse the Jewish people.
Moses tells us that God Himself came to Bilam,
and instructed him not to go, and not to curse
the blessed people. So, Bilam refused to go with
the delegation. But Balak didn’t give up. He sent
another delegation to hire Bilam, and this time
the prophet returned with them. But the Lord was
displeased with the prophet for going, and on
the way, an angel stood in the way, and almost
killed the erring prophet. Bilam’s donkey was
able to see the angel, and avoided the angel,
so that Bilam’s life was spared. Three times this
happened, but each time Bilam was humiliated by
the donkey in the presence of this important delegation,
who must have been thinking, “if this man can’t
ride a donkey, how can he solve this major international
crisis?” Bilam was so mad at his donkey, that
he struck her each time he was humiliated. After
the third time, the Lord enabled the donkey to
speak to the prophet, and corrected the prophet.
When the
prophet arrived, the king took Bilam to a high
place overlooking part of the Jewish people, who
were very numerous - probably two to three million
people. Bilam instructed King Balak to build seven
altars and sacrifice seven bulls and seven rams
- seven being the number of fulness and completion,
as sacrifices to the Lord. The Lord then spoke
to Bilam (sacrifice enables us to draw near to
God, and hear Him communicating with us).
But, instead
of cursing Israel, Bilam blessed us! Under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Bilam said that
we are not cursed, but blessed. We are a people
who live apart, and are not to be reckoned among
the nations, but maintain a separate, distinct
identity as befits the holy people. We are not
to assimilate or lose our distinct God-given identity.
We will have a good and successful ending, and
reach the goal which God has for us.
Balak
took Balam to another location on another high
place to curse us. After building another seven
altars and sacrificing seven more bulls and seven
more rams, again the Lord spoke to Bilam: God
is with Israel. God saved this nation out of Egypt.
God intends to be a powerful ally for the Jewish
people. Israel will be blessed by God. No curse
will work against us. Israel will be victorious
and successful against our adversaries.
For the
third time, Balak took Bilam to yet another location
on another high place to curse us. After building
another seven altars and sacrificing seven bulls
and seven rams, and the Spirit of God came on
Bilam, who said: “How beautiful are your tents
O Jacob, and your dwellings, O Israel.” In the
Almighty’s eyes, Israel is beautiful, like a beautiful
valley, watered gardens, beautiful aloe plants
and cedars trees. The Jewish people will be successful
and prosperous.
Then Bilam
added other prophecies, including one of the clearest
Messianic prophecies in the entire Torah. The
Messiah, the Savior of humanity, will come from
the Jewish people. He is like a star. He comes
from Heaven. He is high and pure, and radiates
light in the vast darkness of the universe. Messiah
is like a scepter. He is destined to rule over
Israel, and crush all the nations that oppose
the will of the God of Israel.
Bilam
prophesied that the Moabites, the Edomites, the
Amalekites, the Kenites and the Assyrians will
all be defeated.
Before
Bilam left, knowing that he couldn't curse Israel,
and still wanting to get that money that was promised
to him, Bilam instructed Balak to set a trap for
the Jewish people. If we could be corrupted by
engaging in sexual immorality and idolatry, then
God Himself would judge us. So, Bilam devised
a plan whereby the women of Moab and Midian would
seduce our Jewish men, and then lead us to sacrifice
to other gods (see Numbers 31:16 and Revelation
2:15).
Sure enough,
the plan worked, and God's judgement fell on Israel
because many of us engaged in sexual immorality
and idolatry. 24,000 were killed by a plague,
and the leaders who engaged in this were executed.
Pinchas, the son of Eliezar the High Priest, was
particularly zealous, and took a spear, and killed
a Jewish man and a Midianite woman, for which
he was commended.
The next
time we read about Bilam, he will be killed by
Israel in a battle against the Midianites. The
man who was greedy and wanted so much, wound up
with nothing, losing even his life!
In conclusion,
don’t be like king Balak. He used his money to
try and buy something he shouldn’t. He gave in
order to receive something that the Lord didn’t
want. He reminds me of those who give money to
corrupt men of God in the hope of receiving things
that the Lord doesn’t intend for them to have
- more money and more material things.
Don’t
be like Bilam. As Simon Peter reminds us, Bilam
is also a warning to all of us, but especially
to those of us in full-time ministry: don’t abandon
the right way, and follow the way of Bilam (2
Peter 2:15). Bilam loved money and earthly success
and was willing to pursue them more than being
faithful to God. He preached and prophesied for
profit. He was a prophet for hire. He was willing
to bless God’s Chosen and Holy people or curse
us, as long as the money was right. As Judah,
the brother of the Lord reminds, us, don’t make
the same error that he did! Don’t let the love
of money or the desire for earthly success corrupt
your message or your ministry (Jude 1:11).
Don’t
try to get around the will of God. Don’t undermine
what God supports. Don’t curse what God blesses.
Don’t dislike what God likes. Bless what God blesses!
Support what He supports! Love what He loves!
Don’t appear before your Creator on the day of
judgment, telling the Lord that you prophesied,
only to hear Him tell you that you may have prophesied,
but you also rejected His will and violated His
commands. Finally, avoid greed, sexual immorality
and false religion! They are dangerous and deadly!
Stay true to God, and remain on the path of righteousness!
Shalom,
Rabbi Loren
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