Balaam A Question of Character

The people of Israel reject the opportunity of blessing & suffer the consequences of their sin; but Joshua & Caleb remain faithful. Numbers 13-14

Scene 1/ We are given many opportunities to trust God’s promises.

Throughout Scripture there is a constant call to relationship, to walk closely with God.

There is this constant promise that he will be with us.

There may be blessing, there may be persecution.

Whatever your circumstances there will always be God’s presence if we will just trust him.

Hebrews 1:1-4 & 2:1-4 gives us this incredible promise of Christ.

That we will be cleansed from sin and dwell in the presence of God.

That the power of the Holy Spirit will be experienced through signs, wonders, miracles and gifts.

Hebrews 1:1–4 NLT

1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. 3 The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. 4 This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.

Hebrews 2:1–4 NLT

1 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? 4 And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

The testimony of saints throughout the ages is that this promise is true.

God will never actually leave you; He will walk beside you in good times & bad.

Scene 2/ The people of Israel were given an incredible opportunity to trust God’s promises and see his mighty hand at work when they stood at the borders of the promised land. Numbers 13:1-27

The whole story for centuries before was about the covenant promise.

“I will give you this land” was the promise to Abraham, to Isaac & to Jacob.

It was the promise that had given birth to the nation of Israel.

And now they stood at the edge of the promised land.

Twelve men were sent out to investigate the land.

They were given the task of reconnaissance.

To simply have a look, to find out about the people, the towns, the land, the crops.

They did so with the knowledge of all that had happened before.

The incredible work of God in bringing them out of Egypt.

His power displayed in the miracles of judgement against Pharaoh.

His miracles of crossing the Reed Sea.

His miraculous provision in the wilderness of food & water.

His awesome presence on the mountain when he appeared to Moses and gave the law to the people.

The constant reminder in the cloud & the fire of his presence.

The splendour of the tabernacle.

Twelve men were chosen from amongst the tribal leaders of Israel.

The twelve men listed in Numbers 13:4-16 are not the same leaders as those listed in Numbers 1:5.

It is reasonable to assume that there was a small group of leaders from each tribe and you would choose according to what the task was.

For recording a census as occurred in Numbers 1 you would choose the administrators, to carry out reconnaissance of the land you would choose the warriors.

Men who would cope with a long journey and time out in the fields, men of boldness and courage.

Their mission was simple start in the south & travel all the way to the north of the land.

Numbers 13:21 gives us these boundaries.

The wilderness of Zin in the South and Rehob in the north near Lebohamath.

Today we identify this as present day Israel, Lebanon and most of southern Syria.

It is the same area known to Abraham and is referred to in the el-Amarna letters of the 14th century bc.

And Numbers 13:22-23 gives us the route.

They started in the Negeb the dry area, unsuitable for cultivation, that runs southwards from Beersheba

Then they travelled into the Hill country which runs the length of modern Israel up to the lake of Galilee.[2]

They visited Hebron, a place of enormous significance as it was where Abraham and his descendents were buried.

Numbers tells us that Hebron was built seven years before Zoan.

Zoan was the capital of the Hyksos the foreigners who ruled Egypt before the time of Israel.[3]

Psalm 78:12 & 43 tells us that this was the area in which the miracles of the Exodus were performed.

Which places the events of the Exodus in the area of San el-Ḥagar near the Southern shore of Lake Menzaleh in the Nile Delta[4]

They stopped on their way back at the valley called Eshcol, which means ‘cluster’.

Its location is uncertain, but it is assumed it must be near Hebron, which is still a centre for growing grapes.

Even today the grapes of this region are much larger than what we commonly understand grapes to be

The account of the cluster of grapes gives us the season of the year.

In the northern hemisphere this means it was late July and verse 25 tells us they spent 40 days on the journey which gives us a return in mid September. [5]

There may be an important reason that the narrative focuses on Hebron and the area around it.

This is where God promised Abraham that he would inherit the land in Genesis 13:14-18.

It was from the region of Hebron that Abraham set out to defeat the coalition of kings in Genesis 14:13.

And it was in Hebron that Abraham brought the only piece of land that he owned as a burial plot for his wife Sarah in Genesis 23 and for the rest of the Patriarchs of Israel.[6]

In that time the land was lush and green.

The coastal plains were well watered and fertile.

The hills covered in woodlands.

There were meadows with grasses and wildflowers in the mountains.

It was a land ideally suited for an agricultural people.

The commentator Lawrence Richards makes the point that, “The land was rich and beautiful, ready, waiting for its occupation by the people of God.”[7]

Scene 3/ But Israel rejected the covenant of promise & refused to trust God. Numbers 13:27-14:9

There is a subtle shift in the words used to describe the land.

In verse 27 instead of referring to the land as that which God promised us, the men refer to it as the land you sent us to explore.

There is something very important going on here.

They have lost sight of God’s promise.

Their focus is on the physical things before them.

It is indeed a rich land BUT.

“We can’t do it, we can’t take it!”

“There are giants there!”

Do you see the problem?

God had promised to give it to them, but they thought they had to take it and it was all too scary.

They had forgotten about the power of the Lord who had brought judgment upon the land of the Egyptians and destroyed Pharaohs’ army in the sea.

Instead they focussed on the fortifications and the size of some of the people.

Verse 28 gives us some details about the people in the land.

The descendants of Anak are specifically mentioned in verses 22 and 28.

The descendants of Anak are generally considered “giants” (v. 33; Deut 2:10–11; 2 Sam 21:18–22), though the description “gigantic” may be more appropriate.

Interestingly the Hebrew word translated ANAK primarily refers to a long neck or neck chain.

Perhaps in a similar sense that some African tribal groups have long necks, which have been forced to grow using lots of neck rings.

An Egyptian Papyrus letter from the 13thCentury BC describes fierce warriors in Canaan that are seven to nine feet tall. (Papyrus Anastasi I). [8]

These men were so focused on what was physically in front of them that they lost all sight of reason; they even went so far as to associate these tall warriors with the Nephilim of pre-flood times.

Now do you see the problem with this?

The Nephilim, whoever they were and I prefer the idea that they were huge men renowned as warriors.

The Nephilim died in the flood.

So the Anakites of Hebron were descendents of Noah like everyone else! [9]

Just to put this into perspective.

If you see an Australian soldier next to an East Timorese soldier you see a giant next to a grasshopper.

So clearly these men had lost sight of who God was.

The people of Israel next to the army of Pharaoh were like bugs waiting to be squashed by tanks.

But God dealt with that and he had promised them this land.[10]

Sadly we read in Numbers 14:1-4

Numbers 14:1–4 NLT

1 Then the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night. 2 Their voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained. 3 “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle? Our wives and our little ones will be carried off as plunder! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return to Egypt?” 4 Then they plotted among themselves, “Let’s choose a new leader and go back to Egypt!”

Turning to Numbers 14: 6-9 you see the correct perspective of Caleb & Joshua.

“These people have no protection, but the Lord is with us!”

This is the same issue we face; will we believe God’s word?

When we look at Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 we find that we are asked the same questions

Hebrews 3:12–15 NLT

12 Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. 14 For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. 15 Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.”

Scene 4/ When we fail to believe God’s word we lose the blessings he has in store; just as the people of Israel had to face the consequences of their sin, a generation of delay & defeat in battle.

This event is a turning point in the journey of Israel out of Egypt.

They have rejected the covenant promise.

The Lord promised them this land and they have rejected the promise.

Listen to this judgement in Numbers 14:26-36

Numbers 14:26–36 NLT

26 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 27 “How long must I put up with this wicked community and its complaints about me? Yes, I have heard the complaints the Israelites are making against me. 28 Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say. 29 You will all drop dead in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, every one of you who is twenty years old or older and was included in the registration will die. 30 You will not enter and occupy the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 “ ‘You said your children would be carried off as plunder. Well, I will bring them safely into the land, and they will enjoy what you have despised. 32 But as for you, you will drop dead in this wilderness. 33 And your children will be like shepherds, wandering in the wilderness for forty years. In this way, they will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness. 34 “ ‘Because your men explored the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years—a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins. Then you will discover what it is like to have me for an enemy.’ 35 I, the Lord, have spoken! I will certainly do these things to every member of the community who has conspired against me. They will be destroyed here in this wilderness, and here they will die!” 36 The ten men Moses had sent to explore the land—the ones who incited rebellion against the Lord with their bad report—

Under ancient oriental law those who made false accusations were punished by receiving the sentence those they accused would have received if convicted (Deut. 19:16–19).[11]

Ten of the spies had said the land would devour them, that they would all die.

So the Lord judges them against this standard.

We read in Numbers 14:37 that those ten died immediately and that every person older than 20 years would die during 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

Their failure had nothing to do with noting the obstacles.

Faith is not stupid optimism that refuses to acknowledge the challenges.

Faith sees the challenges and believes God’s promise anyway.

Faith says we can’t but God will

Caleb and the other spies possessed the same facts about Canaan and its inhabitants.

But their perspective was different.

An old chorus sums up the difference. “Others saw the giants. Caleb saw the Lord.”

We should face difficulties realistically.

But most of all we need to remain aware of God, and share Caleb’s confidence that “we can certainly do it” with His help.[12]

Scene 5/ So how do we walk in obedience to God’s word when we face challenges?

Very simply it comes down to relationship.

Joshua was Moses’ personal assistant & his name meant the Lord is Salvation.

When Moses went into the mountains to talk with God, Exodus 24:13 tells us he took Joshua with him

When Moses left the tabernacle to return to the camp, Joshua would stay behind at the Tabernacle.

Moses led Israel out of Egypt; Joshua was given the job 40 years later of leading them into Canaan.

Joshua was obedient when others weren’t because he spent time with God.

Caleb was possibly related to the master craftsmen who built the tabernacle.

Every time he is mentioned in the Scriptures he is described as a man who followed the Lord wholeheartedly.

Caleb was obedient when others weren’t because he was passionate about the Lord.

Do you see the key here?

Time spent in passionate pursuit of God brings results.

Disobedience through unbelief results in consequences we don’t like.

Pretty simple really.

Passionately pursue God and be blessed, even in the midst of difficult times, disobey and suffer the consequences of your sin.

[1]Wenham, G. J. (1981). Numbers: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 4, pp. 130–131). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. [2] Wenham, G. J. (1981). Numbers: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 4, pp. 131–132). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. [3] Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 182). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press. [4] Kitchen, K. A. (1996). Zoan. New Bible dictionary (3rd ed., p. 1271). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. [5] Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 182). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press. [6]Wenham, G. J. (1981). Numbers: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 4, pp. 132–133). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. [7] Richards, L. O. (1991). The Bible reader’s companion (electronic ed., p. 100). Wheaton: Victor Books. [8] Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament (electronic ed., Nu 13:22). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. [9] MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (pp. 181–182). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. [10] MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (pp. 181–182). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. [11]Wenham, G. J. (1981). Numbers: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 4, pp. 133–135). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. [12] Richards, L. O. (1991). The Bible reader’s companion (electronic ed., p. 100). Wheaton: Victor Books.