Lecture 21.docx

Okay, gentlemen, let's come back and take a look at chapters 22 to 24. This is a significant part of the Torah. As we've seen with the structure of the Torah, this is on a par with the words of Jacob in Genesis chapter 49 and on a par with the words of Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 31 and 32. So thes...

Okay, gentlemen, let's come back and take a look at chapters 22 to 24. This is a significant part of the Torah. As we've seen with the structure of the Torah, this is on a par with the words of Jacob in Genesis chapter 49 and on a par with the words of Moses in Deuteronomy chapter 31 and 32. So these are important chapters within the thrust of the Torah as a whole, and they come from a very, very unlikely source. The words of chapters 23 and 24, the Balaam oracles come through this mysterious individual by the name of Balaam. Now, as you can see from your notes, the first thing that exegetes wrestle with is how do we understand Balaam? Is Balaam a prophet of the Lord? Well, he claimed to be able to speak on Yahweh's behalf. Makes it very, very clear in 22, 8. I will bring word back to you as Yahweh may speak to me. And in verse 18, he even speaks of Yahweh being his God. I could not do anything, even small or great, contrary to the command of Yahweh, my God. So he claims a relationship with Yahweh. He claims that he can speak for Yahweh. And in the text, he will speak for Yahweh in chapters 23 and 24. And so on that basis, some say we have to accept the claim of face value that is given to us, that by the words of Balaam repeated in the biblical text, that he was a prophet of Yahweh. The problem is that's not how the rest of scripture portrays him. In fact, by the time we get to the New Testament, it is very, very evidence that Balaam was regarded as a false prophet, a false teacher. Hey, why don't we get ready for the conference next week, take a look at 2 Peter, chapter 2. In the context, verse 1, Peter says, So just as the Old Testament in particular, we're going to see this in the latter prophets, just as the true prophets at times were opposed by false prophets, we see the reality of false prophets in the Old Testament in the Old Testament. And those false prophets correspond to false teachers who now come into the Church of Jesus Christ, seeking to bring destructive heresies among the believers in the Church. And so within this concept, we see that the false prophets are the false teachers among the believers in the Church. And so within this context, it is talking about the false prophets who were in the Old Testament, anticipatory of the false teachers in the Church, that as he starts to characterize and describe these false teachers, he speaks about in verse 14 of chapter 2, these false teachers having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children, forsaking the right way they have gone astray. This point is describing the false teachers that he anticipated and warned would come among these Christian believers and these false teachers having followed, verse 15, the way of Balaam, son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. But he received a rebuke for his own transgression. A dumb donkey, Numbers 22, speaking with the voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet. You can't hear Peter's words and say that he is portraying Balaam as anything other than a false prophet who had to be restrained by Yahweh. And that Balaam as a false prophet was an illustration, was an anticipation of the false teachers who would follow his ways. And that Peter is warning the believers of. So as you hear the strange fire and strange teachers, these teachers you are bringing this unbiblical teaching into the contemporary church that they follow in the way of Balaam. And therefore the majority of the commentators, I would assume too, based upon not just 2 Peter 2, 15 and 16, but also Jude 11, Revelation 2, 14, it is very, very clear that the New Testament apostolic testimony looked back at Balaam as a false prophet. Now the question comes, is there anything in the text that leads to that conclusion? And I'm going to answer that yes, there is. Certainly this is better than Ashley's statement that Balaam's character is incidental to the narrative. His character is very vital to the narrative. Because the Lord is going to use what is going to begin as a prophet who seeks to curse Israel and through him is going to pronounce great blessing. Blessing past, present and future. And of course we'll see that blessing is based upon the Abrahamic, not the Mosaic covenant. I mean at this point we are looking at Israel coming to the climax, as we've already seen, of the revelation of the first generation of Israel, a generation that has been rebellious against the Lord. Based upon the covenant made at Sinai, there is no way they are under God's blessing, they are under God's curse. And yet Balaam at this point can pronounce a blessing and that blessing then echoes into the second generation. Not a perfect generation, but one that will experience God's blessing as they go in to take the land. Well let's take a look at Balaam. We've already seen the context. Israel has come now and has the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho, anticipating going in to the land. In 22.3, Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous. So verse 4, Moab joins an alliance with Midian. So the Moabites and the Midianites, though it is the king of Moab that leads this attack against the Israelites. Now, he knows militarily he can't take Israel on. And so the king of Moab determines in verse 6, to hire Balaam to come and curse the people. And if they are under a curse, perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. Now why Balaam? Well the end of verse 6, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed and he whom you curse is cursed. So if you'll come and curse them, they'll be cursed. And if they're under God's curse, then I can't defeat them. I can't defeat them militarily. So verse 7, the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and repeated Balaam's words to him. Now interestingly, we've already seen verse 8, Balaam's response, spend the night here, I will bring back word to you, as Yahweh may speak to me. Now Yahweh did speak to Balaam. But notice the Holy Spirit makes it very, very clear, verse 9, then God came to Balaam. Now at this point, Balaam can speak of Yahweh and only will speak of Yahweh as his God. But Yahweh shows very clearly that he does not have a relationship with Balaam. This will become clear with the donkey episode. So yes, Balaam is speaking to Yahweh, he's speaking to Israel's God, but God generic answers him back. And so God speaks in verse 9. God speaks again in verse 12. And of course, Balaam understands this as truly it was, the word of Yahweh. Yahweh is that God that's communicated to him. But again, Moses, directed by the Holy Spirit, is very clear to show that it's not Yahweh in relationship to Balaam who is speaking to Balaam, but God, creator God who is speaking to Balaam. So Balaam has no special relationship with Yahweh at this point. But he does respond to Yahweh's words and refuses to go. Well, this did not deter Balaam king of the Moabites. He sends more people, more money, begging Balaam to come. Verse 18, Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balaam, though Balaam were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything either small or great contrary to the command of Yahweh my God, who's already spoken to him. He knows exactly what Yahweh's commandment was, what his word to Balaam was. Don't go with them. But that doesn't deter Balaam. Please, stay here tonight. I will find out what else Yahweh may speak to me. Let me go back and see if he's changed his mind. And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them, but only the word which I speak to you shall you do. So Balaam arose, sailed his donkey, went with the leaders of Moab. But notice verse 22, God was angry because he was going. Why is he angry? Because, some people ask you, didn't God just say you can go? Now he's angry that he went? Yes. Because God allows him to go, even directs him to go. But Yahweh had already made his will clear. God had spoken to Balaam and said, No. Balaam hears there's even more money, more riches, more prominence, more leaders have come. Yahweh, you must have another idea. So Yahweh had every right to be angry because Balaam, he gave in to the desire of Balaam's heart to go. But he was angry. Now he said, Only the word which I speak to you shall do. But Balaam needs to have the fear of Yahweh put within his heart. He's already been shown, you know, by his actions that he's untrustworthy. The Lord can give him a word and he doesn't, he's willing to try to negotiate that word. So Yahweh was angry and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was on his donkey with two servants. Interestingly, the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way and the donkey turned off the way and went into the field. Balaam strikes him, gets him back on the way. The angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall so he struck her again. The angel of the Lord went further, stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn the right hand to the left. So now the donkey seeing the angel of the Lord does the only thing left for her to do, which is to just sat down. So Balaam was angry. Now, the interesting thing is he hasn't seen the angel of the Lord, the donkey has. The donkey, the donkey sees the angel Balaam doesn't. What an illustration. And so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with a stick and Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you that you struck me these three times? Now someone says you believe the miracle of the donkey talking, of course, what is a greater miracle is that Balaam answered the donkey back. Because you made a mockery of me. If I had a sword in my hand I would have killed you. And the donkey said to Balaam, Am I not your donkey on which you've ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you? And he said no. Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam. He saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed and prostrated himself to his face. Now the angel confronts him, Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold I come out as an adversary because your way was contrary to me. But the donkey saw me turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me I would surely have killed you just now and let her live. The donkey saved your life. She saved your life you would deliver because she recognized, she saw, she recognized and responded in obedience to the angel of the Lord which represents the Lord himself. Only now is Balaam's eyes open. Now he can talk face to face with Yahweh which he does. Balaam now responds, verse 34, I have sinned for I did not know you were standing in the way. Now then if it's displeasing you I will turn back. So he confesses his sin and is willing to repent to return. But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, Go with the men but you shall speak only the word which I tell you. Now Balaam is an instrument that Yahweh can use. He is repentance. He is fearing Yahweh. Yahweh says now go speak only what I'm going to tell you and Balaam is at least for this moment going to be a willing obedient vessel. And even though Balak is a little upset that he didn't come the first time, he's happy finally to have him. But Balaam says, verse 38, I'm able to speak anything at all. The word that God puts in my mouth that I shall speak. Interestingly he has had a face to face confrontation. His eyes have been open. He has seen the angel of the Lord. Yahweh has spoken to him. It is interesting. It's not the word that Yahweh puts in my mouth. It's the word that God puts in my mouth. He now realizes that he does not have, did not have a relationship with Yahweh. But the creator God, the God Almighty, he now is in awe of him and I will speak what God has said. Now certainly he is going to recognize that God of creation as Yahweh. And he will speak of Yahweh. But again, I think this verse is Moses' reminder in the direction of the Holy Spirit that even though he will be Yahweh's instrument, he is not Yahweh's man. And there's a difference between the two. So he tells Balak, I can only say what God tells me to say. And so in chapter 23 and 24 we have the oracles of Balaam. Each one is similar. There's a narrative introduction that leads into the words of Balaam. 23, 24 God met Balaam and he said to him, I have set up seven altars. I have offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Then Yahweh put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, return to Balak and you shall speak thus. So Balaam brings his offerings. Balaam speaks to Yahweh. And Yahweh says, now go speak what I tell you. And so he returned and behold he was standing beside his burnt offering, he and all the leaders of Moab. And he took up his discourse and said. And basically what he says in the discourse is the blessing to Israel is irrevocable. He speaks how Balaam had hired him to come curse Jacob, verse 7. Rhetorical question, verse 8. How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? How shall I denounce whom Yahweh has not denounced? I can't bring a curse, rather. All I can do is look at him and see one blust of Yahweh. He asked rhetorically, well in verse 9 he states, Behold the people who dwells apart and shall not be reckoned among the nations. Rhetorically, who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Here is an echo of the Abrahamic covenant. He is a unique South part nation. Numerous. And so go back to Genesis. This is the nation that God has built from Abraham and now multiplied. Let me die the death of the upright, let my end be like his. Now that's not going to be true of Balaam, but he here speaks because he speaks about himself. He can't curse, he can only bless. And ultimately God is going to bless Israel. And verses 11 and 12, the postlude, Balaam said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, behold you have actually blessed them. And he answered and said, Must I not be careful to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth? So Balaam says, Well let's get another view, maybe another view, you can curse them. So this is the narrative that introduces the second discourse in verses 18 to 24. And in the second discourse, Balaam affirms that Israel's blessing is found in her unique relationship with Yahweh. He speaks about the uniqueness of Yahweh. And Yahweh, verse 21, has not observed misfortune, iniquity in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. Yahweh is God is with him and the shout of a king is among them. God brings them out of Egypt, he's for them like the horns of a wild ox. For there is no omen against Jacob, there is no divination against Israel. And at the proper time it shall be done to Jacob and to Israel what God has done. Behold, people rises like a lioness and as a lion that lifts itself it shall not lie down until it devours the prey and drinks the blood of the slain. The God has done to Egypt what ultimately through a king he is going to do to all the nations. That his victory over Pharaoh is only indicative of his ultimate victories over all the peoples. And notice he uses the imagery of the lioness, the lion, who is going to devour its prey. Here are the echoes of Genesis chapter 49, verses 8 and 9. The king that he speaks about, a king is among them. Obviously Yahweh is that king but the expression of his kingship is only going to come through the one in the line of Judah. And as Balaam, it's very interesting because he is linking back now what he is saying to that oracle of Jacob in Genesis 49. The intimate connection between what Jacob has said and now what Balaam is saying. And Balaam starts to fill in details. In fact he fills in more details in his third and fourth discourses in chapter 24. Again the post-Lew verse 25 and 26 of chapter 23, Balaam is beside himself. Balaam again says, I have to say what the Lord said and tells me to say. Alright, let's try another place. Introduces the next discourse. 24.1 when Balaam saw that it pleased Yahweh to bless Israel, he did not go as at the other times to see goldmans, but he set his face toward the wilderness and Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. Now notice explicitly, and the Spirit of God came upon him. Now this should be reminded, the Spirit of God coming upon someone is not salvific because Balaam was never saved. So Balaam knows better than to go through all of his routine and offerings and etc. Now seeking omens from Yahweh, now interestingly he realizes the Lord is going to speak and now the Spirit came upon him. And once again he takes up his oracle. And this third oracle speaks about the beauty and the strength, particularly of the king who is greater than Agag the Amalekite. And how the victory that Israel won over Agag once again is a foreshadowing of his ultimate victory over all of the nations, all of his adversaries. So just as he brought Israel out of Egypt as indicative of God's power, ultimately deliver Israel which is going to take place, and Israel being victorious even as they came out of Egypt and Fort Agag, Exodus chapter 17, that too is a foreshadowing indicative of the greater victory that Israel is going to win once again through a king. He speaks about again the beauty, the greatness of both God and Israel, the glory of the land to which they are going, the place where the seed of Israel is going to be established, verse 7. And his king, Israel's king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. God brings him out of Egypt, he is for him like the horns of a wild ox. He shall devour the nations, his adversaries, crush their bones in pieces and shadow his arrows. And again, echoing Genesis 49, he crouches, he lies down as a lion, as a lion who dares rouse him. Blessed is everyone who blesses you and cursed is everyone who curses you. Blessing for those who bless, cursing for those who disdain. What does that sound like? Abrahamic covenant. Now what Balaam is showing is, is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant. Is bound up with this king, with this one whom has been revealed in Genesis chapter 49. Notice again, and you hear as he crushes their bones, shadows his arrows, those of his enemies. Again using imagery of chapter 49, verses 8 and 9, and again the lion. The lioness, echoing what is in Genesis chapter 49. And so the beauty and strength of the land of Israel, and the people in that land are going to have a greater king, with a greater prominence, a greater position than the Amalekites. That represents Exodus 17, their victory over the Amalekites, the victory of Israel, over all the peoples of the land, and ultimately over all of the nations. Genesis 49. Well, postlude again, Balak is really angry. Balaamagedd said to Balak, verse 12, Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent me, saying, Though Balak was to give me everything, I cannot speak anything contrary to what God has told me, the Lord has told me. And now, behold, I'm going to my people. Come, I will advise you what these people will do to you in the days to come. Very words of Jacob in chapter 49. Come, I will tell you what's going to take place in the days to come. And in verses 15 to 19, he gives his final of these lengthy discourses, and speaks about the coming king of Israel and his ultimate dominion. Now he's looked back and spoken about how God has shown his supremacy over the Egyptians, the Amalekites, but here he looks ahead to this king who is going to come, this star that's going to come out of Jacob, the sceptre that shall rise from Israel, and he shall crush through the forehead of Moab. Now who hired him, the king of Moab? So when he comes, your history, Edom shall be a possession, Seir, its enemies also shall be a possession. While Israel performs valiantly, one from Jacob shall have dominion and shall destroy the remnant of the city. So ultimately when this king comes, who's going to be victorious against those who disdain Israel to curse them, who's disdained Israel to curse them within this context? The king of Moab and the Moabites. When he comes, can I use the imagery here, there's going to be a smashing victory, and you're going to be the smash-ee, the Moabites, along with others in that general facility as well. And he looked at Amalek, all the Amalekites had not yet been defeated, and notice in verses 20 through 24 we have now three short oracles which bring the oracles of Balaam to a conclusion. Yes, we have the four major oracles. Now basically Balaam is out of the scene, Moabites are going to be smashed in the future. But that doesn't stop Balaam from still looking ahead, taking up his discourse, verse 20. Amalek was the first of the nations and his end to destruction. He was the first to attack Israel on the way, which means in the end he too is going to be destroyed. That means there's going to be continual battles against the Amalekites, remember that when we get to 1 Samuel 15. And also when we get to the book of Esther, at the very end, the battle against the Amalekites, but ultimately the Amalekites will be destroyed. Even though they were the first to seek to defeat, destroy Israel, they will be destroyed. And then verses 21 and 22 he takes up a sixth discourse. He looked at the Kenites. Your dwelling place is enduring, your nest is set in the cliff. Nevertheless, cane shall be consumed. How long shall Assyria keep you captive? The Kenites, also the wilderness dwellers who had opposed Israel will ultimately be taken to Assyria. But even the Assyrians and Babylonians will ultimately be dealt with, verses 23 and 24. The seventh and culminating discourse, he took up his discourse and said, alas, who can live except God has ordained it? And within this context is basically the nations. Ships from the coast of Khitim, they shall afflict Asher, they shall afflict Eber. So they also shall come to destruction. And ultimately the destruction of the nations, including the Assyrians, and this people who will come to afflict the Assyrians will also afflict Eber, possibly here Israel itself. Yet ultimately they also will come to destruction. And by the way, this all prepares us for the ships from Khitim that are going to be referred to in Daniel chapter 11. And the ultimate world empire, Rome, that God will use to put down the other nations, the other empires, so that when that one is destroyed, God himself is going to establish his kingdom. Basically, what Balaam has done, has begun with the Abrahamic blessing in the first oracle, looked at Egypt in the second oracle, looked at the Haggag in particular, the Amalekites in the third oracle. He's looked at Moab in particular in the fourth oracle. He's looked ahead to the Canites being judged in the fifth oracle, and the Amalekites in the fifth, has looked ahead to the Canites in the sixth oracle, and the seventh oracle takes a look at Assyria, and the empires are going to follow, looks ahead all the way to the ships that are going to come from the coast of Khitim, from the west, that are ultimately going to be used to bring destruction, that God is only going to destroy them, so that the enemies of God are destroyed, and the king whom God has promised, Israel, is going to rule and reign. And he arose and departed and returned to his place, and Belek also went his way. Now it's only when you get to chapter 31 you find out the end of Balaam. Now the end of chapter 24 makes it seem like Belek was so mad. He's done with Balaam, Balaam's done with him, Balaam goes home, on his donkey, without any riches, any proclamations, any greatness, nothing. But fill in some details, because in chapter 31 God calls Israel to take vengeance upon the Midianites. Now what have the Midianites done? They had joined with the Moabites in seeking to curse Israel. So why the battle against the Midianites and not the Moabites? Because the Moabites were, remember, kind of coward. I mean, they weren't going to take Israel on unless Israel was cursed. Balaam has come and instead of cursing Israel he has blessed Israel. Hey, the Moabites aren't going to attack, but the Midianites, well, before they can attack, as they have shown their hostility toward Israel, so Moses calls upon them to attack the Midianites, to execute the Lord's vengeance on Midian. This is also an outwork in the Abrahamic covenant. They have disdained Israel, therefore they are under the curse of God. And as they attack the Midianites, it's very interesting who is among those who die. They killed the kings of Midian, verse 8. They also killed Balaam, the son of Beor with a sword. So guess who's fighting with the Midianites? Balaam. The gentleman who said, may I be blessed with Israel? Well, if you want to be blessed with Israel, I mean, if your heart is really changed, these aren't mere words because God has told you to say it, if you really have a change of heart, that my end might be with him, what's your end doing being with the Midianites? Well, it's showing that he spoke Yahweh's words, but his heart was not changed even by what he said. He dies with the Midianites. Oh, and by the way, before he left, chapter 31, verse 16, they already told you this. Balaam was the one who gave Balaam, actually gave counsel to the Moabites. Look, I can't curse Israel, Yahweh won't let me. But you want to know how to weaken Israel? Through adultery, get him in snare and idolatry. I can't curse him, but that will bring Yahweh's curse against him. And it was the counsel of Balaam. So he just didn't quietly leave at the end of chapter 24. He gave counsel to Balaam. This is the way you can snare him. And that's why he dies in the way that he does. Because he was the one who gave that counsel and shows at his end that he was never changed. So he was a false prophet from beginning to end. He was one who did not know Yahweh in a personal relationship. He was a false teacher, but Yahweh sovereignly used him from outside of Israel in that one moment in history. To be the one who would convey the Gentile nations, not that God cursed Israel, but that God had blessed Israel and was blessing Israel and would bless Israel in the future. Based upon the promise that he had made to Abraham, which will ultimately culminate in the King, promised in Genesis 49 reiterated about four times in what Balaam says in his oracles in Numbers 23 and 24. And so Israel, under the blessing of God, because of the covenant with Abraham, the second generation now is going to go in and take the land. So this culminates, as it were, the end of the first generation. It prepares us then for the rest of the Torah, which you've already seen is the anticipation of the second generation going into Conquer the Land. The Balaam oracles are a reminder God is certainly going to give them the land because he is with them. But ultimately, Yahweh will fulfill his promises to Israel when the King prophesied in Genesis 49 comes and establishes a kingdom here upon the earth. And that's not going to happen until the end of the days. Reiterated by Balaam. And of course, it's going to be reiterated by Moses in Deuteronomy 31 and 32. Well, any questions about Balaam? He is a false prophet. Every time he is mentioned, even in the Old Testament, it's always within the context that he stands with the opponents of Israel. Judges 11, Nehemiah 13, Micah 6. And of course, then the New Testament makes it very, very clear. He is not to be viewed as a true prophet, he is to be viewed as a false prophet. Alright, any questions about our friend Balaam? I would probably say our adversary Balaam. It almost seems like he is kind of like a pluralist or postmodernist where he goes to whatever tribe and by hires. That's right. I can make contact with any god. Who do you want it to be? They are all the same. And postmodernism is not new. This kind of pluralistic spirit is also within the ancient Near East as well. So yeah, he is an all purpose prophet. Just tell me you are god, I can make contact with him, I can tell you what they have to say. And in this case, Yahweh brought it to reality because he had something he wanted to say through Balaam. Now at this point in Israel's history, why Balaam? They are culminating the first generation. The first generation is under God's curse because of their failure under the Mosaic covenant. But they are still blessed because they are the seed of Abraham and the Abrahamic covenant. But why does this come outside of Israel instead of God raising someone up inside of Israel? Is it Moses, the true prophet? Well, yes. And he is obviously going to be the prophet who is going to speak in chapter 31 and 32 of Deuteronomy. But I think it is just indicative of two things. Number one, that Israel at this point, we have seen their failure and of course chapter 25 is their culminating failure. The culminating failure of the first generation. Idolatry, a restatement of chapter 32 of Exodus, of Leviticus chapter 17. This is a continuing problem in Israel. And so God uses a voice from outside. And it is also the voice of the nations. Notice who is hearing the words of Balaam in Numbers. It is not Israel, but the Moabites, the Mideonites. It is these Gentile nations. But the interesting thing is that this does not move Balaam himself, nor Moab, nor Mideon to do what? To repent. And embrace Yahweh as their singular God. Their God among gods, their one and only God. And so they too remain under God's curse. Indicative of the fact that God ultimately is going to, you know, bring a curse and destroy all of those who are opposed. To his actions through Israel and notice that their actions, I mean against Abraham. And their actions, disdaining Abraham, are seen in their actions and attitudes toward Israel. The Balaam is willing to join with Mideon to fight against Israel. And the Moabites do not embrace Yahweh, that even though they do not attack, they continue to be anti-Israel. And I'm sure it cheered when Israel finally got the go ahead to go over the Jordan out of our air. But don't worry, they're going to return and smash your forehead. I mean, that's the prophecy that's given by Balaam that is going to come to pass. All of this is said, we're going to read the latter prophecy of 502. At times they're going to, you know, the prophets are going to speak toward the nations and give them the same words that they heard through Balaam. You know, judgment is coming, judgment is coming. God is not going to hold you unaccountable for your deeds, for your actions. And particularly your actions against Israel. So this becomes very, very vital as far as the Old Testament itself is concerned. Alright, any further questions about Balaam? These are important chapters. Regarding how you brought up how Balaam was the one who instructed Balaam to cause the sense of Israel, is Revelation 2.14 the passage that supports that? Well, no, actually it's Numbers chapter 31. It states it very, very clearly. But it was through this means that Balaam got paid off. So it's 31.16. It makes it very, very clear that he was the one. So we have to wait all the way to Revelation to fill in the detail of what happened between the end of Numbers 24 and Numbers 25 historically. Very quickly Moses fills that detail in, in chapter 31. That before he left he gave this counsel. And so he left a rich man. Now, certainly in Revelation chapter 2, he does talk about Balaam who kept teaching Balaam to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel. To eat things, sacrifice to idols, and to commit acts of immorality. So yeah, he was he was the one who, and by the way, stayed in Revelation maybe more than just on this one occasion, gave that that advice, that counsel to to Balak. I can't curse them, but I can tell you I can tell you how the how Israel itself can can stumble before Yahweh. So all Revelation 2, 14 is reiterating what's in Numbers chapter 31, verse 16.