by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
The Israel-Hezbollah 60-day ceasefire since November 27, 2024 is now towards ending some 3 weeks from now. The world awaits Hezbollah’s full retreat north of the Litani River and Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon. For the Israelis who were forced to evacuate to safety while their kibbutzim (villages) were destroyed by Hezbollah rocket fire in northern Israel nearest to the border with southern Lebanon, the big questions remain: Will the ceasefire hold and will there be peace so that will it be safe to return to their homes and rebuild their lives?
The status quo remains with Israel literally on the high ground in the buffer zone between Syria and Israel in the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon. The Golan Heights and Mount Hermon were actually part of Biblical Israel allotted by Moses to the half-tribe of Manasseh. It was part of Bashan which was then ruled by king Og, whom the Israelites defeated.
The Houthis of north-western Yemen continue to fire ballistic missiles or drones targeting central Israel; usually at the rate of one (1)/day, usually in the morning. Even if the rockets are destroyed by Israel’s Iron Dome, the alarms sounded still send a million Israelis into bomb shelters. The US and UK continue to employ airstrikes to hit military targets in Sanaa and other territories of the Houthis.
Negotiations for an Israel-Hamas hostage-prisoner exchange with a limited ceasefire seem to have broken down again due to Hamas not releasing the list of names of live hostages despite earlier promises. Their 15th month of captivity in Gaza is approaching.
Pray for the release of all the remaining Israeli hostages (alive or dead) and for a just end to the wars against the Jewish nation. Let us continue to stand with Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-9).
Numbers 22 starts off with the Israelites heading southward and camping in the plains of Moab, within view of the land promised. The Israelites of the new generation were victorious against Arad, the Canaanite king; Sihon, king of the Amorites; and Og, king of Bashan and now possessed their lands east of the Jordan River (Transjordan). At this point, an episode involving an ancient, internationally acknowledged seer and prophet-for-hire, Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor (in Aram, Mesopotamia), inserts itself to momentarily break the travelogue into the land promised. According to the ESV Study Bible there is direct archaeological proof of Balaam. An 8th century BC inscription found in Jordan states “Inscription of Balaam the son of Beor, the man who was seer of the gods.” Likewise, The Jewish Study Bible states that Balaam is attested in an inscription from a temple at Deir ‛Alla in Transjordan.
As Numbers chapters 22-24 narrate, Balak king of Moab and the Midianite tribes (who lived in Moab) decided to avail of the “professional services” of Balaam to curse the Israelites while they camped across the Jordan in the plains of Moab. However, the LORD would not allow Balaam to curse his people. At first, Balaam would not even want to come to Moab even with the substantial divination fee Balak’s representatives had brought to him. On the 2nd attempt, presumably with an even larger offer, Balaam then went with the Moabites to meet with Balak.
Part of the episode is the unique conversation between Balaam and his donkey (Numbers 22:22-35) while on their way. Apparently, aside from being a seer and prophet, Balaam also had the capability to understand his donkey talk! Even with the fable-like overcoat, the underlying conflict between the LORD and the pagan gods of Balaam and Balak shows itself. In the end, narrative of chapters 22-24 clearly point out that the LORD prevails against the adversaries of his people. They will not be hindered from entering the land promised to them by the LORD himself. It is like a mini-continuation of the LORD’s struggle through Moses with the gods of Pharaoh of Egypt.
Balaam first made three (3) oracles in poetic form where instead of curses against the chosen people, the LORD instructed him to bless them. Indeed, in his 1st oracle found in Numbers 23:8 Balaam poetically asks (in the ESV) “How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?” The JPS renders this same verse this way: “How can I damn whom God has not damned, How doom when the LORD has not doomed?”
Even while Balak was understandably upset over Balaam’s oracle, he again asked the seer to curse the Israelites. In his 2nd oracle, Balaam once again could not curse the Israelites. The ESV translates Numbers 23:20 thus: “Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.” The JPS puts he same verse this way: “My message was to bless: When He blesses, I cannot reverse it.” Furthermore, Balaam tells Balak that the LORD is truthful and trustworthy and not like a mere man who changes his mind. The LORD has promised to bring his people out of Egypt and to bring them to the land. And the LORD is sovereign; all his promises would be fulfilled.
For the 3rd time, Balak implores Balaam to curse the Israelites. Numbers 24:3-9 contain Balaam’s 3rd oracle. Again, Balaam could not and did not curse the LORD’S people and blessed them instead. Balaam prophesied that Israel would be prosperous and triumphant over the nations, its adversaries. Part of verse 9 is a reiteration and reaffirmation of Genesis 12:3, part of the original call of the LORD to Abram. The ESV renders it this way: “Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you.” Here is the JPS version: “Blessed are they who bless you, Accursed they who curse you!”
By this time, Balak was visibly angry and ordered Balaam to go back to where he came from. Balaam did go but not before making his 4th and last oracle that even prophesied what would happen to Moab, among other nations arrayed against Israel. Numbers 24:15-24 lays out again in poetic form this 4th oracle. It is perhaps the most well-known of Balaam’s oracles as it contains some very notable verses about someone (a messiah, the Messiah?) from Jacob in the future rising as a star and a scepter out of Israel being triumphant, crushing Moab (who wanted to crush Israel), and all other nations who would come against it.
Given the current situation in modern-day Israel, perhaps it behooves its enemies to take these ancient oracles from even a pagan seer, a bit more seriously.
We will continue next time.
God bless us all.