Readings
- Numbers 22:2–25:9
- Micah 5:6–6:8
- Romans 11:25–32
Key points in Balak
- Tale of two kings
- A line of Pharaoh who didn’t know Yosef or the LORD Who saved Mitzraim (Egypt) had to be humbled to acknowledge this:
- The LORD is supreme to the so-called elohim (gods) of Mitzraim.
- Israel belonged to the LORD and not to Pharaoh.
- Balak of Moab, a nation that acknowledged the Holy One via Abraham’s nephew Lot, had to be humbled to accept this:
- The LORD is supreme over all so-called elohim.
- The LORD has chosen Israel to be Heaven’s agent on Earth.
- A line of Pharaoh who didn’t know Yosef or the LORD Who saved Mitzraim (Egypt) had to be humbled to acknowledge this:
- It is of great importance for the people of Heaven in preparing ourselves and the world for the Day of the LORD.
- Bilam (Balaam) is mentioned elsewhere in the Bible.
- Midian is destroyed along with Bilam (Numbers 31)
- Bilam is killed (Josh. 13:22)
- Recounting the Balak-Bilam plot: “I would not listen to him” (Josh. 24:9-10)
- After hearing of the treachery of Bilam, returned Israel banned foreigners (Neh. 13:1-3)
- Bilam’s oracle helped show the power of God (Micah 6:5)
- Way of Cain, error of Bilam, rebellion of Korach (Jude 11)
Hebrew hints
בִּלְעָם Bilam (H1109): Thought to be a combination of “בֶּלַע and עָם ‘destruction of people’ which accords with his reputation as a charmer and conjurer.” (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)
- בָּלַע bala’ (H1104): “swallow down, swallow up, engulf (idea of quickness, suddenness)” (Brown Driver Briggs lexicon)
- עַם, עָם ‘am (H5971, 5993): “people” (BDB)
- “Some have suggested that Nikolaos ‘conquerors of the people’ in Rev. 2:6, 15 is a translation of this name.” (TWOT)
מָשָׁל mashal (H4912): “Proverb, parable, allegory, byword, taunt, discourse.” (TWOT)
“To translate מָשָׁל simply as “proverb” misses the wide sweep of the word, suggested by the many suggested translations. We are accustomed to think of a proverb as a short, pithy, epigrammatic saying which assumes the status of gnomic truth. In the Old Testament, however, the word מָשָׁל may be synonymous with an extended parable (and hence the frequent LXX translation παραβολή) (Ezek 17:2 and vv. 2–24; 20:49 [H 21:5] and vv. 45–49 [H 21:1–5]; 24:3 and vv. 3–14). It may refer to an extended didactic discourse (Prov 1:8–19 for example). A person (Saul, 1 Sam 10:12; Job, 17:6) or a group of persons (Israel, Ps 44:14 [H 15]), may function as a מָשָׁל .”1
“… note passages which translate מָשָׁל as “byword”: Ps 44:14 [Hebrew verse 15~]; 69:11 [ H 12]; Jer 24:9; Ezek 14:8; Deut 28:37; 1 Kgs 9:7; 2 Chr 7:20; Job 17:6. In each of these verses some kind of doom has, or will, come upon Israel or an individual. The result? God has made Israel a מָשָׁל among the nations. Job has become a מָשָׁל to his counselors and acquaintances. What can this mean? Much more is involved than simply scorn or derision. The point is that God has made Israel/Job a public example, an object lesson to their respective contemporaries.”2
Resources for kids
Hallel Fellowship has curated a list of Yeshua-friendly coloring page sites that can help you help your children grasp Torah studies at their own pace in an entertaining, yet respectful way.
Studies
Listen to recorded discussions and read notes from studies by Hallel Fellowship teachers.
From soothsayer to Savior: Balaam’s prophetic foreshadowing of the Messiah (Numbers 22–24)
The story of Bilam (Balaam) and his donkey in the Torah reading בָּלָק Balak (Numbers 22:2–25:9) reveals striking parallels to Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus). In this study, we’ll see that like the donkey, the Messiah was a humble Servant who faithfully followed God’s instructions, even when it led to a dangerous path. Both Balaam and the Messiah were tasked with blessing or cursing, but the Messiah’s blessings ultimately proved more powerful. The donkey’s ability to perceive danger and change course foreshadows the Messiah’s wisdom and discernment. Just as the donkey’s eyes were opened to reveal the angel, the Messiah’s…
How Messiah makes the best-laid plans of snake and men go oft awry (Numbers 19–24)
In the Torah readings of חֻקַּת Chukat (“statute of,” Numbers 19:1–22:1) and בָּלָק Balak (Numbers 22:2-25:9), we see the mysterious instructions for the red heifer, Israel’s apostasy; judgment by “fiery” snakes then the brass serpent; and also a talking donkey. One may wonder why all of these are coming together.
One thread through it all is the downhill slide of the first generation of Israel post-Exodus as they are dying off and the second generation are ascending into leadership. Chukat and Balak cover nearly 40 years of time in the history of Israel between the Exodus from Mitzraim (Egypt) and…
How you can recognize the Antichrist (Numbers 22–24)
The prophet Bilam (Balaam), described in the Torah reading בָּלָק Balak (Numbers 22:2–25:9), was a gentile prophet from the ancient country of Aram. We see that even though Bilam was a Gentile, he was a prophet of God.
God did not only send prophets to Israel. God, in His mercy, sent prophets to all the nations of the world.
Unfortunately, we meet with Bilam, not in his early years when God first called him to prophetic office, when his heart was open to God. Instead, we are meeting Bilam at the point when his evil inclination has overtaken the good in him….
Marginal prophet: Balaam reveals Heaven’s future for Israel and the cause of his fall (Numbers 22–24)
The account of the talking donkey is one of the best known parts of Torah reading בָּלָק Balak (Numbers 22:2–25:9), but it’s only part of the critically important warning for the people of God looking for the coming of the messianic era.
Pagan king Balak and proto-televangelist Bilam (Balaam) tried to marshal higher powers to push back on Israel. Their offering of seven rams and seven bulls did not help them win points with the Holy One of Israel. Bilam had some favor with God — until his intentions and actions turned to evil.
So you say you want a revolution? Better watch where it’s headed (Numbers 19:1–25:9)
It’s apt that the double Torah reading חֻקַּת Chukat and בָּלָק Balak (Numbers 19:1–25:9) this year includes Shabbat on July 4, when we here in the United States celebrate the Declaration of Independence and what it states about the intent for where this nation was going to go.
Ancient Israel was at a spiritual and literal crossroads. Would it embrace its destiny as the people beyond number (Genesis 15 and 22) and as a nation of priests (Exodus 19), taking the nations closer to the Creator?
Similarly, we in the U.S. can ask ourselves if we’re going to follow the God-led legacy of freedom…
Numbers 23–24: Balaam’s 4-fold warning for the end-times generation
The New Testament has multiple warnings about the “error of Balaam” (Jude 11) and “teaching of Balaam” (Rev. 2:12–17), specifically for the Body of Messiah at the apocalyptic time around the Day of the LORD.
But what does the amazing account in Torah reading בָּלָק Balak (Numbers 22:2–25:9) of a talking donkey and double-agent prophet have to teach us today? In short, remember who we are as “treasures” of the Kingdom of Heaven, why that’s special, and whether we are being transformed into people who have the character and heart of the Messiah.
Numbers 22–24: Beware of self-loving, double-speaking prophets
It’s important to respect yourself as one who bears the image of God, but when does self-love cross over into conceit? And when that conceit is in the heart of a prophet that practices deceit, it’s a sobering warning. The lesson of Balaam told in Torah reading בָּלָק Balak (Numbers 22:2-25:9) and expanded upon in Micah 5:6–6:8 and Jude 3-16 is a warning and a contrast between a true prophet of God, namely Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus), and a false prophet.
Numbers 22:1-25:9: God sent emissaries to the Gentiles too
The prophet Bilam (Balaam) is not an isolated individual, an anomaly in Scripture. He was not the first or last emissary to the Gentiles. God did not leave them without guidance. Bilam is a foreshadowing of the ministry of Saul of Tarsus, aka the apostle Paul, whose experience on the road to Damascus echoes the account in the Torah reading בָּלָק Balak of Bilam’s experience with a “recalcitrant” she-donkey.
Numbers 22:1–25:9: Stubborn as a donkey about true prophecy
Everyone loves a story about talking animals, especially smart ones. But the account in the Torah reading בָּלָק Balak isn’t just fodder for a fun animated kids’ movie. It’s an important lesson that God wants us to recognize false prophets and not follow them.
Luke 19:29-40, part 2: Donkeys in Scripture point to Messiah’s entry to Yerushalayim
There is so much emphasis in Luke 19:29-40 about Yeshua’s riding into Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) on a donkey that had never carried a burden and about the proclamation, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.” That donkey’s first burden was a profound burden, and we see throughout Scripture a number of donkeys carrying important burdens that prophetically point toward that triumphal entry.
Numbers 23-24: The unintended prophesy of Balaam, part 2
Bilam (Balaam) is not a member of God’s covenant and was a foreigner to them, although he was from the land of Aram, the ancestral homeland of Abraham. Yet, God saw fit to give him His words, His visions and to Bilam and use Bilam as God’s instrument among the people.
Numbers 22: The unintended prophesy of Balaam, part 1
Skeptics like to poke fun at this story because of the talking donkey. Yet sometimes, our way is so set upon evil that a talking donkey doesn’t even phase us and give us pause to turn away from our direction.
Balaam wasn’t ignorant of the identity of the Creator God. He knew YHWH by name, and Balak, the king of Moab knew of Him too. If he knew that, then he knew that God had the power to make a donkey talk. Balaam didn’t fully understand the error of his way until one of the most powerful angels in God’s hosts,…
Numbers 24: Balaam’s Vision of Israel’s Future Glory
The cryptic lines of Balaam’s reluctant blessing of Israel contains pictures of what Israel should expect in its Messiah.
Numbers 23: Balaam prophesies of Israel and Messiah
Though he was reluctant to pass it along, Balaam’s prophecy would stretch long into the future of Israel and foretell actions of the Messiah.
- Hamilton, Victor P. Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke, eds. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Accordance electronic edition, version 2.8. Chicago: Moody Press, 1980. Paragraph 10480. ↩︎
- Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, paragraph 10482. ↩︎
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