50 The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, 51 “Tell the Israelites: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you, destroy all their stone images and cast images, and demolish all their high places. 53 You are to take possession of the land and settle in it because I have given you the land to possess. (Numbers 33:50-53) The previous chapter of Numbers lists all the stops the Israelites made after leaving Egypt. The first 12 verses of chapter 34 outline the borders of the land they were to possess. Recall Israel was divided into !2 Tribes – descendants of Jacob’s 12 sons. Each tribe was divided into clans, and each clan was made up of families related by marriage or blood. The head of each family was led by an elder.  Instructions (50-52): The Lord gave Moses three commands to give to the people: 1. Drive out the inhabitants; In Exodus 34:11 the Lord said “I’m going to drive out the inhabitants.”. The Book of Joshua clearly indicates that the Lord orchestrated the removal of the inhabitants, but through his people. 2. They were to destroy the Canaanite carved idols and molten images. 3. They were to demolish the high places, places of pagan worship on mountain tops. If the Isrsaelites failed to drive out the Canaanites they would be a distraction from obedience to the statutes and ordinances, lead to pagan practices, and intermarriage. History reveals that they failed to completely remove the Canaanites and suffered down through the ages for it. Have Given (53): The Lord said, “I have given you the land to possess.” Past tense – it was already theirs. They were to move forward believing it was theirs. Challenge: Our idols today include material possessions, position, power, hobbies and so on. What do you worship in terms time and resources that will be burned up in the end-times (2 Perter 3:10)? “Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God, your functional savior.” Martin Luther

32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you, because I consider what you are doing to be evil. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would have killed you by now and let her live.” 34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the path to confront me. And now, if it is evil in your sight, I will go back.” 35 Then the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you are to say only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials. (Numbers 22:32-35)  The Challenge (32-33): The angel challenged Balaam by asking the same question the donkey asked: why have you beaten your donkey? Further, the angel said he was there to oppose Balaam as one opposes an adversary. He was there to ensure Balaam could not proceed with his evil plans. Moreover, had Balaam proceeded, the angel would have killed him. Interestingly, it was the donkey, by its obstinance, that saved Balaam. The Confession (34-35): Balaam’s excuse for beating the donkey was that he did not see the angel. He makes the conditional statement: “Now if it is evil in your sight” In other words, his actions were evil only if the angel said they were. Obviously, Balaam did not realize his intentions were evil. The angel repeated what the Lord said earlier; go with the men but say only what I tell you to say. The angel gave Balaam strict orders, and he understood the consequence if he did not follow them. Challenge: Do you ask the Lord to show you your sins? Do you confess your sins in general terms, or do you know your sins? It does not spoil your happiness to confess your sin. The unhappiness is in not making the confession. Charles Spurgeon

28 Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she asked Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” 29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You made me look like a fool. If I had a sword in my hand, I’d kill you now!” 30 But the donkey said, “Am I not the donkey you’ve ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?” “No,” he replied. 31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the path with a drawn sword in his hand. Balaam knelt low and bowed in worship on his face. (numbers 22:28-31) Balaam’s conversation with his donkey (28-30): Balaam was a medium or diviner – one who sees things others cannot see, particularly the future, or the correct path to take, a decision. He was smarter than his donkey Here we have a donkey that could see what Balaam could not see, the angel. And then God opened the donkey’s mouth so it could speak. Balaam was so angry he had no idea what was really going on. We get insight into Balaam’s state of mind and his spiritual condition. He was out of control. What would the accompanying dignitaries report to Balak on their return. Clearly, the donkey that Balaak had ridden all his life understood what Balaam wanted and, for a third time, disrespected his owners direction. Balaam was controlled by his emotions and the donkey communicated with logic. (31) At this point the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes. God was there. And Balaam saw the angel with the sword. And Balaam knew he was standing before the Lord and fell face down in worship.  Challenge: Have you ever let your emotions control your actions? When that happens, who is in control? It is not because the truth is too difficult to see that we make mistakes... we make mistakes because the easiest and most comfortable course for us is to seek insight where it accords with our emotions - especially selfish ones. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

22 But God was incensed that Balaam was going, and the angel of the Lord took his stand on the path to oppose him. Balaam was riding his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing on the path with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the path and went into the field. So Balaam hit her to return her to the path. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow passage between the vineyards, with a stone wall on either side. 25 The donkey saw the angel of the Lord and pressed herself against the wall, squeezing Balaam’s foot against it. So he hit her once again. 26 The angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn to the right or the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she crouched down under Balaam. So he became furious and beat the donkey with his stick. (Numbers 22:22-27) Balak, the king of Moab, alarmed by what Israel had done to the Amorites and the great number of Israelites headed his way, sought out Balaam, a medium, to put a curse them so that he could defeat them. Balak’s emissaries went to Balaam. Then Lord told Balaam he was not to go. The emissaries returned with a better offer. The Lord came to Balaam and told him he could go to Balak but only do what he told him. Against God’s Direction (22): The Lord instructed Balaam not to Go to Balak. The implication in verses 19-21 is that Balaam was interested in what Balak was offering him in the way of money and honor. Thus, he went to God the second time for “clarification” As a result, God became angry with him. The Lord sent an Angel to block Balaam. But the donkey saw the angel and apparently, Balaam did not. He was blinded to the truth. Again, the donkey saw the angel and pressed Balaam against the wall in a narrow passage to get by the angel. Balaam was confused. Blinded (26-27): The language indicates that the donkey came to a deep furrow and could not go either right or left, so, it crouched down. Balaam became very angry and hit the donkey with perhaps his divining rod. If Balaam could not control his donkey, how could he influence a multitude of people. Challenge: Do you press on when the Lord says “stop?” Are you determined to do things your way? Do you plead with the Lord after he said “no?”  “When the Lord makes it clear you're to follow Him in this new direction, focus fully on Him and refuse to be distracted by comparisons with others.” ― Charles Swindoll

9 So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence just as he had commanded him. 10 Moses and Aaron summoned the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring water out of this rock for you?” 11 Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that abundant water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. 12 But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.” 13 These are the Waters of Meribah, , where the Israelites quarreled with the Lord, and he demonstrated his holiness to them. (Numbers 20:9-13) Focus on Moses (9-11): Moses gathered the people, calling them rebels or those who defied God, and struck the rock (as he had done at Rephidim). When he said “Must we bring water from the rock?” he was taking it on himself and not pointing out that it was God who would bring the water. Lack of Trust (12-13): God did not punish the people because of Moses’ disobedience. By their actions, Moses and Aaron deprived the people seeing God in action and be strengthened their faith and trust. (We get amen from the Hebrew word for trust: It means to cause to confirm” or “cause to be sure.”) Moses and Aaron’s punishment for bringing glory to themselves was that they would not enter the promised land. God demonstrated his holiness here in two ways: (1) his faithfulness to his people and he punished Moses and Aaron and demonstrated he expects obedience and trust from us regardless of position. Challenge: When God works through us one way do we assume he will do it the same way again? “Relying on God has to begin all over again everyday as if nothing had yet been done.” C.S. Lewis

6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the doorway of the tent of meeting. They fell facedown, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. 7 The Lord spoke to Moses, 8 “Take the staff and assemble the community. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will yield its water. You will bring out water for them from the rock and provide drink for the community and their livestock.” (Numbers 20:6-8) Rebellion (6): This is the seventh rebellion or complaint since leaving the Red Sea. In response to the people’s complaint, Moses and Aaron left the people and fell face down at the entrance of the tabernacle – a posture of desperation and anguish. More important it was an act of humility. Strike the Rock (7-8): “The Lord spoke to Moses (a phrase repeated thirty-two times in the book of Numbers) and instructed him to take the staff (either his or Aaron’s) and Speak to the rock. This was to be done in the presence of the people. Previously, when God instructed him to strike the rock at Rephidim (Exodus 17:6), only the elders of Israel were present. Challenge: Have you ever been face down before the Lord, literally or figuratively? Does God give you instructions? How does he do that? If you have trouble hearing God speak, you are in trouble at the very heart of your Christian experience. Henry Blackaby 

2 There was no water for the community, so they assembled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord. 4 Why have you brought the Lord’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? 5 Why have you led us up from Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It’s not a place of grain, figs, vines, and pomegranates, and there is no water to drink!” (Numbers 20:2-5) The Israelites refused to enter the promised land, so the Lord punished them by having them wander in the wilderness for forty years (until the rebellious generation had passed away). No Water (2-3): The Israelites were still at Kadesh Barnea began complaining because they had run out of water. This was the second time they complained about the lack of water. The text implies that the people gathered to complained or verbally assault Moses and Aaron because of a lack of water. Moreover, they grumbled about having left Egypt. Further they would have preferred death like their brothers during Korah’s rebellion against Moses (Numbers 16). Challenging Moses’ Leadership (4-6): the language of their complaint indicates they were accusing Moses have having led them into this situation. They challenged Moses’ leadership. Clearly, they had forgotten about the hard life they had left behind (slavery). They did not remember the Lord demonstrating his power over nature at the Red Sea, his directing them with the cloud, or providing water previously. They were rewriting history. Challenge: When the going gets tough, do you have a faulty memory? If so, where is your focus? Where is your trust? Does your trust go beyond salvation? Our complaining is a kind of atheism. Spurgeon

20 The Lord responded, “I have pardoned them as you requested. 21 Yet as I live and as the whole earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tested me these ten times and did not obey me, 23 will ever see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have despised me will see it. 24 But since my servant Caleb has a different spirit and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it. (Numbers 14:20-23) God forgave the people and then laid out the consequences. He said that the people had tested him repeatedly. The reference to ten times could mean completion – that this is the last time he would forgive them. He was fed up with their behavior. Moreover, his forgiveness showed his glory. The Lord would not permit those over the age of 20 (the rebellious generation) to enter the promised land. They would wander in the wilderness for forty years. He repeated the word despise in v 23. Despising is an emotion, a feeling, a heart condition. Their behavior grew out of the condition of their hearts. But Caleb, remained faithful. Like Noah in his generation stood out from the crowd, from evil. The lord called Caleb his servant as he did Abraham, Moses, and later, David. Further, he describes Calib as having a different spirit, that is he was set apart from his generation. He remained loyal to God. He and Joshua were vocal in their trust in the Lord despite the belief of everyone else. Yet, both Joshua and Calib suffered the consequences of the rebellious generation – they, too wandered in the wilderness for forty years. However, they entered the promised land. Challenge: Have you suffered the consequences of failure to obey the Lord? have you asked for forgiveness? Did the consequences of your behavior affect others? Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a person sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. (Galatians 6:7-8)

Numbers: Moses’ Appeal 17 “So now, may my Lord’s power be magnified just as you have spoken: 18 The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation. 19 Please pardon the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of your faithful love, just as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now.” (Numbers 14:17-19) Moses continued by appealing to God to demonstrate his power by carrying out his promise to the people, his covenant. He reminded God that he was slow to anger and abounding in faithful love to those called to be faithful to him. His appeal is for God to forgive the sins of the nation. He recognized that the people had sinned and needed forgiveness. Moses interceded for the people asking God to show mercy and forgiveness, just as he had a Mt. Sinai (the golden calf). Moses was praying back God's promise to him. Challenge: Do you intercede on behalf of your family, friends, the nation and it’s leaders? How do you intercede? We never know how God will answer our prayers, but we can expect that He will get us involved in His plan for the answer. If we are true intercessors, we must be ready to take part in God’s work on behalf of the people for whom we pray. Corrie Ten Boom