Page 94 - Pentateuch

Chapter 13: Pentateuch Part V:
The Plains of Moab – The Prophet of God: Numbers 20:1-36:13

Connect…

Israel has made it once again to Kadesh (20:1). Several chapters and almost forty years earlier, they were in
the same area (13:26). The older generation is almost all dead, but they have a few more opportunities to
complain about God’s treatment of them before they pass from the face of the earth. Their “song” has not
changed much. “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs,
grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink” (20:3).

The Lesson ...

The Plains of Moab

The unceasing criticism has affected Moses and Aaron. God instructs them to speak to a rock in the sight of
the people, and it would pour out the water. This is something that has happened before (Exodus 17:1-4),
and Moses should be familiar with the pattern. Instead of obedience, Moses says to the people, “Listen,
you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock (20:10). Now Moses and Aaron join the rest of their
generation under the judgment of God. “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the
sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them” (20:12).

In short order, Aaron dies, his place in the community taken over by his son Eleazar (20:22-29). God begins
to defeat nations along the way (21:1-3 10-35), but the grumblers continue. “Why have you brought us up
out of Egypt to die in the wilderness” (21:5)? God continues to judge them (21:6-9).

Now the narrative shifts. All the material so far has focused on Israel from Israel’s point of view. In the next
several chapters, the focus is on Israel from the point of view of one of the nations God intends to destroy.
King Balak and his Moabite nation are terrified. Israel has started to defeat other nations in the area. He
hires a prophet all the way from ancient Babylon to come and curse Israel. Balaam must have been well-
known. The distance is great, and the offer of money is significant.

Balaam seems to know the God of Israel. He talks to Yahweh using his personal name. We do not know how
God’s reputation came to Balaam. Perhaps he is like Melchizedek (Gen. 14) or Abimelech (Gen. 20), who
had a memory of God outside of the promise to Abraham handed down from one of the other sons of
Noah. Perhaps he has also heard about God’s promised blessing on Israel as they have exited Egypt. 108 He
asks for permission to go with Balak. God does not permit him, and Balaam refuses (22:12, 13). The
negotiations continue, and eventually, Balaam is allowed to go but is given a strict warning not to say
anything but what YHWH tells him to say (22:20). God is not just dealing with Israel. He has purposes for
Balaam and for Moab. On the journey, God reinforces his warning to be careful of his words, using a
donkey’s words and those of the angel of the Lord. “Speak only what I tell you” (22:35).

108 George Bush, Notes on Numbers (Minneapolis: James & Clock, 1976), 344.

92