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NUMBERS 25–27

Week 9, Day 2

When we left the battle of the soul yesterday it appeared Balaam had won, for he was blessing Israel, just as God had commanded him to do. Now we learn differently, though we don’t get the details until later. What Balaam could not do through cursing he did through his counsel.

He obeyed the letter of God’s command on his life but violated the spirit.

Balaam sensed that the men of Israel could be led astray by the attractiveness of the Moabite women (25:1; 31:16), and Balak followed his counsel. Balaam, not able to curse Israel, found a way for Israel to curse itself. It was a devastating sin, not only for its sexual infidelity but also because it meant violating what was then so important to Israel, ethnic purity. The New Testament Book of Jude will refer to this sin and will correctly identify Balaam’s error: greed (Jude 11).

But there are bright elements in today’s reading. For one, we learn that in spite of Korah’s sin, his sons do not die; indeed, they must have come to some kind of redemption, because later they author a number of psalms. The daughters of Zelophehad (27:1-11) make a notable early instance of establishing women’s legal rights. And provision is now made for a successor to Moses, the man Joshua. He has been Moses’ right-hand aide for years, and—even more important—he is “a man in whom is the spirit” (27:18).

God’s servants go, but the work of God goes on. There will be life after Moses.

PRAYER: Sometimes, Lord, like Balaam I stay within the letter of the law even as my heart goes outside it. Save me, I pray. Amen.

What factors, both natural and spiritual, did Joshua have going for him as he prepared to succeed Moses?