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#89. Numbers 22: - 25:
Balaam and Baal-Poer.
pp. 147 - 153
Throughout the unfolding of the purpose of the ages--whether the whole sweep of
that purpose, as visualized from Gen. 1: to Rev. 22:, whether man himself, from
Paradise lost to Paradise regained, whether Israel, or the Church, or even the individual
life of the believer throughout all times and under all dispensations--Scripture apprizes
us of a series of Satanic attacks, carried out along lines parallel with that purpose,
including, prominently, an attack upon the exclusive worship of God, and a seduction
from the path of moral purity. These attacks are not confined to the beginning of any
new dispensation, but are repeated, with undiminished force, at their close. Rebellion
began in heaven and war will again take place in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting
against the Dragon and his angels. That old Serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, who
deceived our first parents when placed in the garden of Eden, will deceive the nations
once again, just before the garden is restored at the last.
Coming closer to our subject, Israel had been delivered out of Egypt but five months
when we find them ensnared in the matter of the golden calf and its immoral "play", for
they made themselves naked (Exod. 32: 1-6, 25). This terrible breaking of the
covenant of Sinai was visited by a judgment executed by the sons of Levi. And now, as
we are about to read the account of the closing attack upon Israel, just as they are to cross
the Jordan, we find again, in the matter of Baal-Peor, the same idolatry and immorality,
followed by vengeance executed by the javelin of Phinehas.
The book of the Revelation reveals a similar attack at the time of the end, "that woman
Jezebel" teaching the same double evil in the church in Thyatira (Rev. 2: 20). Before the
dreadful fall of Israel in the matter of Baal-Peor, much is recorded concerning Balaam
himself, and considerable space is devoted to his unwilling inspiration and utterance of
the prophetic parables.
Three battles are recorded: against Irad the Canaanite, Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan, but these sanguinary fights are disposed of in a few verses.
The record of the final attack under Balaam, however, occupies more than one hundred
verses. Moreover, the N.T. refers to Balaam three times, and makes allusion to two
points in the story recorded in Numbers:--
"Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of
Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but was rebuked for
his iniquity; the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet"
(II Pet. 2: 15, 16).
"Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the
error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah" (Jude 11).