Today I gained a better understanding who Balaam the son of Beor was from the story beginning in chapter 22 and concluding chapters 23 and 24. It was easy to look at Balaam as a good man similar to Melchizedek because Balaam was speaking of God but in Numbers 31 verse 8 we are told that Balaam was killed by the Israelites when they attacked Midian. I had compared Melchizedek to Balaam but they are each very different? Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God where Balaam was an oracle who God used. Melchizedek was given offerings by the Israelites. Balaam lived among the people who worshiped Baal and these same people are the ones who Israel played the harlot with. There is no comparison to these men as I thought because one worship God, Melchizedek, and Balaam didn’t worship God. This story of Balaam being killed is contained with in the Israelites attacking the Midianites because of how they had caused the people of Israel to stumble and fall away from following God while playing the harlot. In the end only women who were virgins were allowed to live. All traces of the immorality of the Midianites needed to be destroyed by the Israelites. If they had left people alive who were worshiping Baal the children of Israel would again have played the harlot. It is just like how it is absolutely necessary to remove anything in my life today that will cause me to stumble and desire to sin. It can seem radicle when looking at it with respect to peoples lives but in the end the Israelites lives were at stake and only their faithfulness to God could protect them. What ways of your life do you need to be radical as you approach your faith in God? Are there idols and practices that attempt to pry your focus away from God?
Numbers 32 we see the sons of Ruben and Gad desired to not enter the promised land but stay in the land they just conquered. This was a point where these sons of Israel were faithful to God where their forefathers were not and wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The men of war of the sons of Ruben and Gad followed Moses’ command and they would fight with the other tribes of Israel until the promised land was conquered. If this vow theses men made to God and Moses’ was not carried out God said, “[they] have sinned against the Lord, and be sure [their]sin will find you out.” Was this vow that was made similar to the vows talked about in chapter 30? I would never take a vow before God lightly. I am excited to continue the story to see if the sons of Ruben and Gad were faithful to their vow.
