Confessional Lutheran Ministerium

Numbers 32:25-42 NKJV

²⁵ And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke to Moses, saying: “Your servants will do as my lord commands. ²⁶ Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead; ²⁷ but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, before the Lord to battle, just as my lord says.”

²⁸ So Moses gave command concerning them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua the son of Nun, and to the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel. ²⁹ And Moses said to them: “If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben cross over the Jordan with you, every man armed for battle before the Lord, and the land is subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilead as a possession. ³⁰ But if they do not cross over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.”

³¹ Then the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying: “As the Lord has said to your servants, so we will do. ³² We will cross over armed before the Lord into the land of Canaan, but the possession of our inheritance shall remain with us on this side of the Jordan.”

³³ So Moses gave to the children of Gad, to the children of Reuben, and to half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land with its cities within the borders, the cities of the surrounding country. ³⁴ And the children of Gad built Dibon and Ataroth and Aroer, ³⁵ Atroth and Shophan and Jazer and Jogbehah, ³⁶ Beth Nimrah and Beth Haran, fortified cities, and folds for sheep. ³⁷ And the children of Reuben built Heshbon and Elealeh and Kirjathaim, ³⁸ Nebo and Baal Meon (their names being changed) and Shibmah; and they gave other names to the cities which they built.

³⁹ And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it. ⁴⁰ So Moses gave Gilead to Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt in it. ⁴¹ Also Jair the son of Manasseh went and took its small towns, and called them Havoth Jair. ⁴² Then Nobah went and took Kenath and its villages, and he called it Nobah, after his own name.

The tribes of Reuben and Gad gave their word to Moses. They would cross the Jordan armed and ready. They would fight alongside their brothers until the Lord gave all His people rest. Then, and only then, would they return to the land they had chosen east of the river. Their promise was clear: “Whatever the Lord has said to your servants, we will do.”

Faithfulness is not just a matter of good intentions. It’s the keeping of a word, even when it costs something. These tribes would be away from their homes, apart from their families, in the thick of battles that were not directly for their own land. But the unity of God’s people mattered more than personal gain or immediate comfort. Their inheritance could wait. Obedience could not.

When the battles were over, they kept their word. They returned east and settled the towns they had pledged to rebuild. The cities are listed by name—towns once destroyed or abandoned, now made whole again. And each one tells a quiet story of restoration and responsibility. These were not grand monuments of pride, but shelters for families, places for herds, and signs that promises kept still matter to God.

We live in a time when vows are often broken and words are easily discarded. But God is not like that. He keeps His promises—every one of them. He sent His Son, not because we were faithful, but because He is. Jesus went all the way to the cross to secure an inheritance for us—not in this life, but in the life to come. And while we wait, He calls us to live as His people: steady, trustworthy, and committed to one another.

Our words should mean something. Our faith should be visible not just in what we say, but in what we finish. The land of promise lies ahead. There is still work to do. But as we go, we go together—not for our own comfort, but for the good of all the Lord has called.

Let us pray: Faithful God, make us people who keep our word, who serve with joy, and who finish the work You’ve given us to do. Amen.

Numbers 32:1-24 NKJV 32 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of livestock; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that indeed the region was a place for livestock, ² the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying, ³ “Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Shebam, Nebo, and Beon, ⁴ the country which the Lord defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.” ⁵ Therefore they said, “If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.”

⁶ And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here? ⁷ Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord has given them? ⁸ Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Kadesh Barnea to see the land. ⁹ For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, so that they did not go into the land which the Lord had given them. ¹⁰ So the Lord’s anger was aroused on that day, and He swore an oath, saying, ¹¹ ‘Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, ¹² except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord.’ ¹³ So the Lord’s anger was aroused against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was gone. ¹⁴ And look! You have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. ¹⁵ For if you turn away from following Him, He will once again leave them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.”

¹⁶ Then they came near to him and said: “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, ¹⁷ but we ourselves will be armed, ready to go before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place; and our little ones will dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. ¹⁸ We will not return to our homes until every one of the children of Israel has received his inheritance. ¹⁹ For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Jordan.”

²⁰ Then Moses said to them: “If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before the Lord for the war, ²¹ and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies from before Him, ²² and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return and be blameless before the Lord and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the Lord. ²³ But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out. ²⁴ Build cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do what has proceeded out of your mouth.

The land east of the Jordan was rich and wide, perfect for livestock. The tribes of Reuben and Gad saw it and asked to settle there instead of crossing the river into Canaan. On the surface, it seemed like a practical request. But Moses heard something deeper—a risk of history repeating itself.

Years earlier, Israel had refused to enter the promised land because of fear and unbelief. That rebellion led to forty years of wandering. Now, as they stood on the threshold again, Moses saw the danger of delay and division. “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here?” he asked. Comfort and convenience were no excuse to abandon the mission God had given to the whole people.

To their credit, the tribes responded with a vow. They would not forsake their brothers. They would build pens for their flocks and cities for their families—but they would also cross the Jordan, armed for battle, ready to help secure the land for all of Israel. Only after the Lord had given rest to the others would they return to their own inheritance.

This account is more than a lesson in military cooperation. It speaks to the heart of Christian life: we are not saved into isolation. We are called into a body, and no part of the body can say to another, “I have no need of you.” When some are struggling, others must stand with them. When some are weary, others must carry the load. Faith does not retreat into personal comfort while others strive and suffer.

There are times when God gives a season of rest or a place of blessing—but these are never meant to become excuses for detachment. The question Moses asked still matters: “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here?” The Christian life is not a private pasture. It’s a pilgrimage—and a battle—shared with others. As the men of Reuben and Gad kept their promise, may we also be found faithful—ready to serve, ready to walk alongside, and willing to bear the burdens of others, even when our own needs feel met. Let us pray: Lord, keep us from selfish rest when others are still striving. Make us faithful in our promises and strong to serve where You lead. Amen.

Numbers 31:1-24 NKJV

31 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ² “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”

³ So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the Lord on Midian. ⁴ A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”

⁵ So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. ⁶ Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand. ⁷ And they warred against the Midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed all the males. ⁸ They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.

⁹ And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods. ¹⁰ They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts. ¹¹ And they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast.

¹² Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. ¹³ And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp. ¹⁴ But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.

¹⁵ And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive? ¹⁶ Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. ¹⁷ Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately. ¹⁸ But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately. ¹⁹ And as for you, remain outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day. ²⁰ Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”

²¹ Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle, “This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses: ²² Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, ²³ everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water. ²⁴ And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”

In one of the final events of Moses’ leadership, the Lord commanded a battle against Midian, a nation that had led Israel into sin through deceit and idolatry. What followed was not only a military campaign, but a spiritual reckoning. Israel’s warriors returned victorious, but they brought back reminders of a past failure—a compromise with evil that had once drawn God’s fierce anger. Moses was not pleased. Neither was the Lord. The point of this confrontation was not just to win a battle, but to remove the temptation and pollution that Midian had introduced. The people were being called back to holiness, back to a life set apart. And even in the aftermath, there was still a need for cleansing—not just in body, but in purpose.

So the men were instructed to remain outside the camp for seven days. Every garment, every item of leather, every object of goat hair or wood, and every person who had come into contact with the dead had to be purified. God’s camp was holy. His presence dwelled among His people. And nothing unclean could remain.

This cleansing was not merely about hygiene or ritual. It was about identity. God’s people were not to look like the nations around them. They were not to carry sin lightly or forget the damage it does. Their victories were not their own, and their strength was not the point. Obedience was. Faithfulness was. Holiness was.

We are not under the same purification laws today, but we are called to the same God. His holiness has not changed. He still desires His people to be clean—not outwardly, but inwardly, washed by the blood of Jesus and renewed by the Holy Spirit. Victory over sin, when granted, is not a time to boast, but a time to give thanks and stay watchful. The Christian life is not a trophy room. It’s a walk through a world that still tempts and stains. And so we keep returning to the cleansing water of God’s Word, and the mercy of Christ, who makes us fit for His presence.

Let us pray: Cleanse us, O Lord, from all that defiles, and keep us faithful in heart and life, that we may walk in Your holy presence each day. Amen.

Psalm 116:15-19 NKJV

¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His saints.

¹⁶ O Lord, truly I am Your servant;
I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant;
You have loosed my bonds.
¹⁷ I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the Lord.

¹⁸ I will pay my vows to the Lord
Now in the presence of all His people,
¹⁹ In the courts of the Lord’s house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.

God does not treat the death of His people as ordinary. To Him, it is precious.

“Precious in the sight of the Lord

Is the death of His saints.

O Lord, truly I am Your servant;

I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant;

You have loosed my bonds.” (Ps 116:15-16)

The world tends to avoid the subject of death altogether—treating it as a failure, a tragedy, or something to fear. But the Lord, who knows the names of His people and numbers the hairs on their heads, does not flinch at death. He does not forget His saints when they fall asleep. Instead, He calls it precious.

That is not because death itself is beautiful. It’s not. Death is an enemy, the wages of sin, and a thief of breath and strength. But in Christ, death has lost its sting. The grave cannot hold the Lord’s redeemed. When a believer dies, it is not a defeat—it is a homecoming. The Shepherd who walked with them through every shadow now carries them through the valley and brings them to rest. The Lord sees the end of their earthly life as the beginning of their eternal joy.

That’s why the psalmist responds not with despair, but with thanksgiving. God had delivered him from bondage. He had heard his cries and saved his life. And even if death were still ahead, the psalmist’s heart was set on giving thanks in God’s house and calling on His name. His words echo into every sanctuary and every funeral service where God’s people gather: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”

The Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life and rose again, so that those who trust in Him might die in peace and rise in glory. Their lives are precious to Him. Their deaths are not forgotten. And their voices will join with all the redeemed in the courts of the Lord, forever. Let us pray: Lord, teach us to trust You in life and in death, and to give thanks in all things, knowing that we are Yours forever. Amen.

Psalm 109:17-31 NKJV

¹⁷ As he loved cursing, so let it come to him;
As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.
¹⁸ As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
So let it enter his body like water,
And like oil into his bones.
¹⁹ Let it be to him like the garment which covers him,
And for a belt with which he girds himself continually.
²⁰ Let this be the Lord’s reward to my accusers,
And to those who speak evil against my person.

²¹ But You, O God the Lord,
Deal with me for Your name’s sake;
Because Your mercy is good, deliver me.
²² For I am poor and needy,
And my heart is wounded within me.
²³ I am gone like a shadow when it lengthens;
I am shaken off like a locust.
²⁴ My knees are weak through fasting,
And my flesh is feeble from lack of fatness.
²⁵ I also have become a reproach to them;
When they look at me, they shake their heads.

²⁶ Help me, O Lord my God!
Oh, save me according to Your mercy,
²⁷ That they may know that this is Your hand—
That You, Lord, have done it!
²⁸ Let them curse, but You bless;
When they arise, let them be ashamed,
But let Your servant rejoice.
²⁹ Let my accusers be clothed with shame,
And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle.

³⁰ I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth;
Yes, I will praise Him among the multitude.
³¹ For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor,
To save him from those who condemn him.

Today we finish the imprecatory Psalm with a prayer for deliverance and with a confession of hope in the Lord.

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matt. 7:1-2). David, the author of Psalm 109, had been judged falsely and harshly by his enemies. He is praying in this Psalm that the Lord would do the very thing Jesus said the Lord would do: that He would measure back to the wicked the same wickedness they had displayed toward David.

But after seeking the Lord’s vengeance against his accusers, David then seeks the Lord’s deliverance for himself, not because he deserves it, but only because the Lord is good and merciful. Instead of wallowing in his anger toward the wicked, David pours out his wounded heart to the Lord. He recounts the evils he has suffered, knowing that the Lord will hear with compassion.

As in the first half of this Psalm, it is ultimately the Messiah Himself who prays this prayer from the cross. The Father allowed His Son to suffer for a while at the hands of wicked men. But the Father also heard His Son’s prayer for deliverance. His death was not defeat. His enemies hadn’t won. The Christ would be raised victorious over those who had accused and condemned Him. And so the Lord Jesus suffered in hope, knowing that God would not abandon Him or allow His impenitent accusers to go unpunished.

So let people curse you! God’s blessing means far more than their cursing. Let people accuse you falsely! Yes, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt. 5:11-12). As for you, hope in the Lord and praise Him, too, “For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those who condemn him” (v.31).

Let us pray: I will greatly praise You, O Lord, with my mouth. Yes, I will praise You among the multitude, for when men condemn me, I know that You will save me. Amen.

Numbers 30:1-16 NKJV

30 Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ² If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

³ “Or if a woman makes a vow to the Lord, and binds herself by some agreement while in her father’s house in her youth, ⁴ and her father hears her vow and the agreement by which she has bound herself, and her father holds his peace, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement with which she has bound herself shall stand. ⁵ But if her father overrules her on the day that he hears, then none of her vows nor her agreements by which she has bound herself shall stand; and the Lord will release her, because her father overruled her.

⁶ “If indeed she takes a husband, while bound by her vows or by a rash utterance from her lips by which she bound herself, ⁷ and her husband hears it, and makes no response to her on the day that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her agreements by which she bound herself shall stand. ⁸ But if her husband overrules her on the day that he hears it, he shall make void her vow which she took and what she uttered with her lips, by which she bound herself, and the Lord will release her.

⁹ “Also any vow of a widow or a divorced woman, by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her.

¹⁰ “If she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound herself by an agreement with an oath, ¹¹ and her husband heard it, and made no response to her and did not overrule her, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement by which she bound herself shall stand. ¹² But if her husband truly made them void on the day he heard them, then whatever proceeded from her lips concerning her vows or concerning the agreement binding her, it shall not stand; her husband has made them void, and the Lord will release her. ¹³ Every vow and every binding oath to afflict her soul, her husband may confirm it, or her husband may make it void. ¹⁴ Now if her husband makes no response whatever to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all the agreements that bind her; he confirms them, because he made no response to her on the day that he heard them. ¹⁵ But if he does make them void after he has heard them, then he shall bear her guilt.”

¹⁶ These are the statutes which the Lord commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, and between a father and his daughter in her youth in her father’s house.

Moses has already given the Israelites instructions concerning vows. They usually involved the solemn pledge to give up something in return for the Lord’s help. The Lord took such promises very seriously, in part, because the Israelites were to imitate Him. Just as the Lord’s promises and agreements were entirely dependable, so were the promises of His people to be.

But in today’s reading, Moses speaks of an exception. Women, young or old, could make vows. But a woman’s vow could be overruled by her father (while living in her father’s house) or by her husband, as long as the father or husband did so right away, as soon as he heard about the vow. Otherwise, if he said nothing at first, then God viewed his silence as a confirmation of the vow, and He would hold the woman to it.

This is one of many examples in the Law of Moses of what St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, that the women in the churches “are to be submissive, as the law also says” (1 Cor. 14:34). There is no single commandment that says this in the Law. Rather, it is something that the Law teaches through sayings like the one in today’s reading. From the beginning, God’s design for His creation was for the man to serve as the head of his family—of his wife, but also of his sons and daughters while they lived with him. Nevertheless, as we learn in today’s reading, the father’s authority over his daughters was more extensive than his authority over his sons. And with that authority came also the loving responsibility to keep his daughter (or his wife) from fulfilling a rash vow that could be detrimental to her or to the rest of the family, whereas the sons were on their own and required to keep whatever vows they made.

The world has always abused the distinct roles God gave to men and to women, but at least it used to recognize God’s basic design. Now it has all but abandoned it. Christians do well to study the word of God, including the Law of Moses, so that, instead of being conformed to this world, we may be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that, in this area also, we may “discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2, ESV). Let us pray: O Father in heaven, help Your children, both men and women, to submit to all Your teachings. Amen.

Numbers 27:1-23 NKJV

27 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, from the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. ² And they stood before Moses, before Eleazar the priest, and before the leaders and all the congregation, by the doorway of the tabernacle of meeting, saying: ³ “Our father died in the wilderness; but he was not in the company of those who gathered together against the Lord, in company with Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. ⁴ Why should the name of our father be removed from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers.”

⁵ So Moses brought their case before the Lord.

⁶ And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ⁷ “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right; you shall surely give them a possession of inheritance among their father’s brothers, and cause the inheritance of their father to pass to them. ⁸ And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. ⁹ If he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. ¹¹ And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the relative closest to him in his family, and he shall possess it.’ ” And it shall be to the children of Israel a statute of judgment, just as the Lord commanded Moses.

¹² Now the Lord said to Moses: “Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. ¹³ And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered. ¹⁴ For in the Wilderness of Zin, during the strife of the congregation, you rebelled against My command to hallow Me at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah, at Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

¹⁵ Then Moses spoke to the Lord, saying: ¹⁶ “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, ¹⁷ who may go out before them and go in before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.”

¹⁸ And the Lord said to Moses: “Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; ¹⁹ set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. ²⁰ And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. ²¹ He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.”

²² So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation. ²³ And he laid his hands on him and inaugurated him, just as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.

One of the most important benefits God had promised to the Israelites was the possession of land in the Promised Land. Each tribe, and each family within each tribe, was to receive an inheritance that would belong to each family and be passed down from generation to generation, from father to son, since the man was the divinely established head of every household.

But what if a father had only daughters? The Lord answered that question for Moses and the Israelites in the first part of today’s reading. The daughters were next in line to inherit from their father if there were no sons, so that the family’s property remained with the family. Women were not the leaders in Israelite society, but neither were they outcasts. They were included among the heirs of the Promised Land, together with the men. So it is also in Christ’s kingdom, where “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

In the second part of the reading, we see Moses pleading for the people once again. Even though Moses would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land, he does not complain to the Lord about it. Instead, he pleads for a capable leader to replace him, “that the congregation of the LORD may not be like sheep which have no shepherd.” So the LORD appointed Joshua to be that shepherd. He gave Joshua authority over the people and demanded their obedience to him. He also promised to give His word to Joshua by means of the Urim and Thummim that were in the breastplate worn by the high priest.

Jesus (whose name is Joshua in Hebrew) once lamented that, by His day, the people of Israel were indeed “like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). So the Father appointed Jesus to be our true Shepherd, to conquer our enemies for us, and to lead us safely into our promised inheritance. Jesus alone conquered sin, death, and devil for us through His death and resurrection. And He still guides us to heaven, not through a single earthly leader, but through all the faithful pastors whom He places among us to shepherd us through this wilderness below. Let us pray: Father in heaven, we thank You for our Good Shepherd, and for all the shepherds who serve faithfully under Him. Use them to guide us safely to our heavenly home. Amen.

Numbers 25:1-18 NKJV

25 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. ² They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. ³ So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”

⁵ So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”

⁶ And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. ⁷ Now when Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand; ⁸ and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. ⁹ And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

¹⁰ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ¹¹ “Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children of Israel, because he was zealous with My zeal among them, so that I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal. ¹² Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace; ¹³ and it shall be to him and his descendants after him a covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.’ ”

¹⁴ Now the name of the Israelite who was killed, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri the son of Salu, a leader of a father’s house among the Simeonites. ¹⁵ And the name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a father’s house in Midian.

¹⁶ Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ¹⁷ “Harass the Midianites, and attack them; ¹⁸ for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a leader of Midian, their sister, who was killed in the day of the plague because of Peor.”

Balaam may not have given Balak what he wanted when it came to cursing Israel, but, as we learn later on in the book of Numbers (31:16; cf. 2 Pet. 2:15), he still craved the riches that Balak had promised, so he came up with another way to attack the Israelites: by seducing them into committing adultery and idolatry with the Moabites and Midianites.

The Moabites were convinced by Balaam’s prophecies that they couldn’t defeat Israel in battle, since Israel’s God fought for them. So they reasoned (rightly!) that their only chance of defeating Israel was by driving a wedge between them and their God. They accomplished this by inviting the Israelites to sacrifice to their gods with them, and by giving them opportunities to share a bed with the Midianite women.

Tragically, their plan worked. Tens of thousands of Israelites treacherously turned their backs on their faithful God, who had just finished singing their praises to Balak, “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob nor wickedness in Israel” (24:21). A wedge had indeed been driven between Israel and their God, causing God to break out in anger against Israel with a terrible plague in which 24,000 people died.

But in spite of His righteous anger, God wasn’t ready to be done with the whole community. He had Moses and the judges of Israel round up the idolaters/adulterers and put them to death. And He was especially pleased with the zeal of Phinehas the priest, who made atonement for Israel by putting to death an Israelite and a foreign woman who were flaunting their adultery.

This event is referenced several times in Scripture as a warning to both Old and New Testament believers. No one can snatch God’s children out of His hand by force. But if we refuse to heed His warning to watch and pray that we may not be led into temptation, if we tempt the Lord by indulging our sinful flesh with its passions and desires, then we become the ones who separate ourselves from our God. So let us turn to Him in daily contrition and repentance, trust in Christ, our High Priest, who turns aside God’s wrath against our sin, and be careful to walk as Christians, and not as pagans. Let us pray: O Father in heaven, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Numbers 24:15-25 NKJV

¹⁵ So he took up his oracle and said:

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;
¹⁶ The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
And has the knowledge of the Most High,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

¹⁷ “I see Him, but not now;
I behold Him, but not near;
A Star shall come out of Jacob;
A Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
And batter the brow of Moab,
And destroy all the sons of tumult.

¹⁸ “And Edom shall be a possession;
Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession,
While Israel does valiantly.
¹⁹ Out of Jacob One shall have dominion,
And destroy the remains of the city.”

²⁰ Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Amalek was first among the nations,
But shall be last until he perishes.”

²¹ Then he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his oracle and said:

“Firm is your dwelling place,
And your nest is set in the rock;
²² Nevertheless Kain shall be burned.
How long until Asshur carries you away captive?”

²³ Then he took up his oracle and said:

“Alas! Who shall live when God does this?
²⁴ But ships shall come from the coasts of Cyprus,
And they shall afflict Asshur and afflict Eber,
And so shall Amalek, until he perishes.”

²⁵ So Balaam rose and departed and returned to his place; Balak also went his way.

Balak had asked Balaam for his first three prophecies, although he didn’t get the curses he was looking for. But Balaam’s fourth and final prophecy was not prompted by Balak, but by the Spirit of God Himself, who had a key Messianic prophecy to speak through the mouth of this wicked prophet.

“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him but not near.” The Spirit makes clear that this oracle is not about the nation of Israel as it was about to enter Canaan, but about a time in the future, and about a particular Person who would come.

“A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel.” It may have been this verse from the book of Numbers that led the Magi to the land of Israel at the birth of Christ, although both the Star and the Scepter point more to the Messiah Himself than to an object in the sky. He is a “Star,” a prominent Person who shines brightly because of His character and because of His identity as the Son of God. He is also a “Scepter,” a Ruler of rulers, a King of kings, who will come out of Israel one day.

“…and batter the brow of Moab, and destroy all the sons of Sheth.” Since the prophecy is about the distant future, the references in this verse to Moab, the sons of Sheth, Seir, Edom, Amalek, etc., are symbolic of all the future enemies of Israel, who will all be destroyed by the Messiah. Even “Israel” here is symbolic of the New Testament Church, made up of believers in Christ from Israel and from all the nations. The Messiah will “have dominion,” and His people will prosper, referring to His hidden reign now at the right hand of God for the good of His Church, and to the glorious consummation of His reign, including the destruction of all His enemies on the Last Day.

This prophecy, among others, portrayed the coming Christ as a victorious King, reigning on behalf of Israel, and Israel needed to hear such prophecies. But by focusing too much on these prophecies while ignoring the ones that spoke of His humility, suffering, and sacrifice for sin, many in Israel failed to recognize Jesus as the Christ. By God’s grace, let us keep both the hidden and the glorious reign of Christ in view, that we may acknowledge and serve Him as our King, the Bright and Morning Star! (cf. Rev. 22:16). Let us pray: Reign on our behalf, Lord Jesus, that Your Church may share in Your victory over all her enemies. Amen.

Numbers 23:27-30; 24:1-14 NKJV

²⁷ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” ²⁸ So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that overlooks the wasteland. ²⁹ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” ³⁰ And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. ² And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

³ Then he took up his oracle and said:

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,
⁴ The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

⁵ “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwellings, O Israel!
⁶ Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens by the riverside,
Like aloes planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters.
⁷ He shall pour water from his buckets,
And his seed shall be in many waters.

“His king shall be higher than Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted.

⁸ “God brings him out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox;
He shall consume the nations, his enemies;
He shall break their bones
And pierce them with his arrows.
⁹ ‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’

“Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you.”

¹⁰ Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! ¹¹ Now therefore, flee to your place. I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.”

¹² So Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, ¹³ ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’? ¹⁴ And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”

For as unscrupulous as the prophet Balaam was, wicked king Balak of the Moabites couldn’t get him to pronounce a curse on the people of Israel in his first two attempts, because God caused him to bless Israel instead. So Balak demanded that Balaam try one more time, from a third location.

Seven altars were built, like the first two times, and seven bulls and seven rams were offered. Here Moses informs us that Balaam had been using some kind of sorcery to determine the LORD’s answer before, and the LORD had His reasons for working through such forbidden methods. But now Balaam realizes that the LORD God intends to bless Israel, so, instead of using sorcery to get an answer, he looks out at the encamped Israelites, and the Spirit of the LORD comes upon him to pronounce a third (and later a fourth) prophecy.

This third prophecy declares how God views the children of Israel. Their tents where they dwell are “lovely,” or in Hebrew simply, “good.” That is, they have God’s favor, and because of it, they will prosper. And, although they currently have no king, their kingdom will eventually be exalted. The Spirit, through Balaam, cites God as the source of Israel’s strength, as He led them out of Egypt some 40 years earlier and as He continues to bring them into the Promised Land. And since God is on their side, no one will be able to stand against Israel. Now, as they are poised to enter the land of Canaan, God’s promise to Abraham will surely be fulfilled, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you” (Gen. 12:3, cf. Num. 24:9). So if they are wise, the enemies of Israel will get out of their way, because no foe can be victorious over them.

All this was said of Old Testament Israel in general, but as we’ll see later this week, it did not apply to every individual in Israel, but only to those who remained faithful to the LORD. So, too, Jesus has promised that “the gates of Hades will not prevail against My Church” (Matt. 16:18). We should take great comfort in that saying! But we should also remember that each one of us must continue clinging to Christ in faith if we wish to remain in the Church that prevails.

Let us pray: O Lord, may Your blessing remain upon us as we trust in Your bountiful goodness to us in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.