“And Balak [the King of Moab] son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.” (Num 22:2)
The Amorites were warlike mountaineers who inhabited both the northern sections of territory now known as Syria. Some also lived in the southern mountains of Judea on the east side of the Jordan that was known as the hill country of the Amorites.
During the time of Moses, the Amorite king (Og) is described as the “last of the remnant of the giants” (Deut 3:11). This identifies them as a hybrid people who the 12 spies encountered when they reported about the Anakim (giants) and Nephalim (fallen ones).
Scripture describes the Amorites as rebels and babblers. Their rebellion was expressed by the manner they would slander others in an attempt to turn others against their enemies. Their manner of behaviour has not changed to this day. One of their tactics against Israel is through social media to turn nations against them through their ‘babbling’/slander or fake news and lies.
This same lying spirit is being used throughout the world against Israel and more generally against all ungodliness. In Isaiah 5:20, the prophet warned, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
And this is all the more alarming as we see it permeating the church under the banner of political correctness – a veneer used by the radical left to attack certain groups, in particular Jews, Christians and anyone else who upholds godly values.
In 1Tim4:1 Paul wrote, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, and in 2Tim. 4:3-4, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
We are clearly seeing things are spiralling downhill and not improving. Nations are being destabilised and deceived by demonic entities in preparation for the appearance of the Anti-Christ who will be unveiled heralding in in the time of the great Tribulation.
The Israelites were surrounded by pagan nations who trembled at the mention of their name because they knew that whoever came against them would be defeated because God was with them.
And this same principle is true when we walk in fellowship and covenant relationship with the living God; no-one can stand against us and the enemy watches from afar but never too close because he knows who stands behind us! We stand firm and resolute against every manifestation of evil, but which person can stand against the wrath and judgement of the living God?
Even as the Amorites were defeated when they came up against God’s covenant people, the Moabites now panicked as the Israelites approached their territory: “The Israelites journeyed and encamped in the plains of Moab, on the east side of the Jordan [River] at Jericho. 2 And Balak [the king of Moab] son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was terrified at the people and full of dread, because they were many. Moab was distressed and overcome with fear because of the Israelites.”
The Moabites were descended from one of Lot’s sons who was born following incest with his daughters (Gen 19:37-38) that today is represented by modern-day Jordan (the Hashemite tribe from Saudi Arabia who were granted the tract of land in 1921 which they named Jordan). In biblical times when the kingdoms of Israel and Judah controlled the land of Canaan, what is now Jordan was where the kingdoms of Moab, (North) Ammon (Centre) and Edom (South) ruled.
As pagan nations, they were steeped in the occult and satanic worship and today the same thing manifests under a different guise called Islam holding the same agenda as in biblical times – to annihilate God’s people and set up a kingdom that is counterfeit God’s.
The Moabites knew that they were powerless against the Israelites militarily because of the God factor, so they desperately resorted to a different tactic and approached Balaam the hireling and false prophet: “Now come, I beg of you, curse this people for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” (22:6)
It’s interesting that when the muslim nations could not defeat Israel militarily in 1948, 56, 67, and 73, they used the same tactics as here, which has been to curse (delegitimise) Israel through the media and political channels (eg. UN, UNESCO , BDS, bribery)
Ba’al-am can mean, “Lord of the People” who came from a ruling Moabite family in Pet-hor, a city in Mesopotamia. In Deut.23:3-5, we read something that provides two reasons why the Moabites could not enter the congregation of the Israelites:
“An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation their descendants shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord forever, 4 Because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came forth out of Egypt, and because they hired Balaam son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia against you to curse you. 5 Nevertheless, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, (i.e., refused to permit his curse to take effect) but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing to you, because the Lord your God loves you.”
What is also important for us to understand is that this ruling only applied to the Moabite men not the women, as with the case of Ruth, a Moabite woman who married Boaz an Israelite from whom Yeshua was descended.
Balaam can also mean (‘Bli-Am’-‘Without a people’) which would describe his character perfectly. He was someone with an orphan spirit, a loner who separated himself from others and showed no loyalty to anyone and simply offered his ‘services’ to the highest bidder. He was a ‘mercenary’ ‘without a people’ whose life was characterised by emptiness and greed. In addition, Scripture reveals in Josh. 13:22 something deeper about Balaam’s character: “The Israelites also killed Balaam the son of Beor, who had been a fortuneteller (Black, magic, fortune teller).
God will not allow word curses to take root in our lives (and there are those, such as satanists and those steeped in the occult who do not lack in trying) unless we permit Satan entrance through unrepented sin or other entrances.
And so we read in this Torah portion that Balak, (to lay waste) the king of Moab, paid Balaam, the mercenary prophet, to pronounce a curse on the Israelites. It is interesting that Balaam at first refused, maybe because he knew that if he failed, his reputation and livelihood would be ruined. But with greater offers of enticement Balaam’s greed got the better of him.
The place where Balaam chose to curse Israel is as significant as the words he spoke. Balaam spoke from a high place, a mountain top where pagan sacrifices were offered, including human sacrifces to Molech. High places are linked to the rebellion of Lucifer where he boasted: “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Isa. 14:12-16
But, God permitted Balaam only to speak blessings over the Israelites however hard Balaam attempted to do otherwise. We see this with the overall history of Israel, something which has vexed the nations. However hard they attempt to destroy the Jewish people the greater God blesses them and the curses rebound upon them instead.
Amid these things, God demonstrated His love and mercy towards Balaam in an episode that is one of the best known in the OT. On his journey to meet with Balak, Balaam crossed the path where an angel of the Lord stood to destroy him because of his folly. He was completely unaware of it and his life was spared only by the intervention of a donkey. These were the lengths God went to warn Balaam of the grave folly of his actions. It is a profound picture of grace and mercy.
Sadly, Balaam failed to do this before he died, leaving behind all the accumulated wealth to others. Num 31:7-8: “The Israelites fought with Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and slew every male, including the five kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba; also Balaam son of Peor they slew with the sword.”
What was Balaam’s error? Each time Balaam opened his mouth to curse the Israelites, he found himself instead uttering words of blessing. It was when he discovered that he could not curse the Israelites through a direct approach, he used a different tact by luring them into immorality and for this he paid with his life.
Balaam’s notoriety is given much coverage in the NT as a warning against greed and deception. In Rev 2 the angel of the Lord rebukes the believers at Pergamum: “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.” (Rev 2:14)
In 1Cor.10:8 “ We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.”
And in 2Pet, the apostle describes those with the spirit of Balaam who “…left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness (who) … are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.” (2:15–18)
“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.” – Jude 1:11
Micah 6:
5 “My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered.
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you, To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
God gives nations and individuals opportunity to repent before judgment. 2 Pet 3:9. “9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
The Amorite nation had plenty of time to turn from their idolatry, as with Balaam too, but they despised God’s goodness and long-suffering and refused to repent (Rom 2:4). The Lord’s judgment was severe, and anyone who imitates their rebellion will likewise pay the price (…rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft).
Raphael ben Levi
