Confessional Lutheran Ministerium

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.

Psalm 109:1-16 NKJV

109 Do not keep silent,
O God of my praise!
² For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful
Have opened against me;
They have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
³ They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,
And fought against me without a cause.
⁴ In return for my love they are my accusers,
But I give myself to prayer.
⁵ Thus they have rewarded me evil for good,
And hatred for my love.

⁶ Set a wicked man over him,
And let an accuser stand at his right hand.
⁷ When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
And let his prayer become sin.
⁸ Let his days be few,
And let another take his office.
⁹ Let his children be fatherless,
And his wife a widow.
¹⁰ Let his children continually be vagabonds, and beg;
Let them seek their bread also from their desolate places.
¹¹ Let the creditor seize all that he has,
And let strangers plunder his labor.
¹² Let there be none to extend mercy to him,
Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.
¹³ Let his posterity be cut off,
And in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

¹⁴ Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
¹⁵ Let them be continually before the Lord,
That He may cut off the memory of them from the earth;
¹⁶ Because he did not remember to show mercy,
But persecuted the poor and needy man,
That he might even slay the broken in heart.

Psalm 109 is one of the imprecatory Psalms. That is, it is largely a prayer for God’s punishment against the wicked. These Psalms are especially instructive in today’s world, where Christianity is often seen as pure niceness, where Christians are taught that they’re just as guilty as everyone else, and, therefore, should forgive everyone for everything, no matter the circumstances. The Jesus of this false version of Christianity knows only mercy, never judgment.

But the Holy Spirit teaches a religion that includes judgment, that allows for the believer, in some cases, to seek vengeance on his enemies, not directly, but through prayer, asking for the Lord, the righteous Judge, to repay those who have intentionally caused us harm, without showing any hint of repentance.

Notice, this Psalm doesn’t deal with minor offenses. No, it deals with blatant lies and deceit, false accusations, and genuine contempt. David had experienced such treatment from Saul and from others. He had done good to them and treated them with love, and in return they had repaid him with relentless hatred.

But David’s life was a type or pattern of the life of Christ, the Son of David. Peter, in the book of Acts, applies this Psalm to Jesus and cites v.8 in reference to Judas (cf. Acts 1:20). Jesus was the ultimate “poor and needy man” who was shown no mercy by His accusers or betrayer (v.16). Yes, the same Jesus who prayed for those who crucified Him, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34), could also pray about those like Judas who sinned knowingly and without repentance, “When he is judged, let him be found guilty” (v.7).

Let us take great care never to show hatred toward our fellow Christian, or make his life miserable through false accusations and deceit, so that no one may have cause to pray this Psalm against us. Let us also learn from this Psalm to wait patiently for the Lord’s judgment. He will either bring those who mistreat us to repentance and faith, counting His Son’s punishment in place of their own, or He will pour out His wrath on the impenitent who dared to mistreat His beloved children. Let us pray: O God of our praise, do not keep silent! Deliver us from all who maliciously oppose us, and bring their actions down upon their heads if they will not repent. Amen.

Psalm 108:1-13 NKJV

108 O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
² Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.
³ I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples,
And I will sing praises to You among the nations.
⁴ For Your mercy is great above the ^[a]heavens,
And Your truth reaches to the clouds.

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
And Your glory above all the earth;
⁶ That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and ^[b]hear me.

⁷ God has spoken in His holiness:
“I will rejoice;
I will divide Shechem
And measure out the Valley of Succoth.
⁸ Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the ^[c]helmet for My head;
Judah is My lawgiver.
⁹ Moab is My washpot;
Over Edom I will cast My shoe;
Over Philistia I will triumph.”

¹⁰ Who will bring me into the strong city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
¹¹ Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?
And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?
¹² Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
¹³ Through God we will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

In today’s psalm King David is overjoyed and extremely thankful to God for many reasons: His mercy, His truth, His glory, His help from trouble, and that He will tread down David’s enemies.

Luther puts it this way: “The 108^th psalm is a psalm of thanks, with words almost like Psalm 60, in which the psalmist gives thanks for god’s kingdom. Already in the first verse, the psalm exalts the kingdom of Christ and prays that God will establish His kingdom in all the world and accordingly bring David’s kingdom to its proper, final, and full station” (Reading the Psalms with Luther, page 262).

In v. 1, David’s heart “is steadfast,” not, of course, of its own power or abilities, but because David knows and believes in the God who has shown wonders, has created the world, and in whom David trusts for his very life and livelihood. In vv. 3-4 David givers specific examples as to why he praises God – “His mercy is great above the heavens,” and His “glory [is] above all the earth.” David recognizes God’s creative authority over all things and trusts Him implicitly to do what is best for him. This specific praise is vastly better than the vacuous and non-specific praise spoken of in all too many modern “praise songs.” Our God is awesome for a great many reasons, so we should always mention His works to all who would hear.

In vv. 12-13 David teaches us that “the help of man is useless.” We turn in faith only to our good and gracious God in all times of trouble, calamity, and fear, because He is the only God who can help. We pray with David that God “shall tread down our enemies…” and he HAS by Christ’s atoning sacrifice for our sins on His cross and by His victorious resurrection from the dead that defeated even death and the devil himself.

Trust in God, dear Saint, and not in man. Trust in the God/Man Jesus Who paid for your sins and gives you Himself in his Word and Sacraments for your strength and endurance until He calls you Home.

Let us pray: Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your sacrifice which paid for my sins. Keep me steadfast in the one true faith. Amen.

Numbers 22:41-23:1-26 NKJV

⁴¹ So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he might observe ^[a]the extent of the people.

23 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

² And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. ³ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height. ⁴ And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”

⁵ Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” ⁶ So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

⁷ And he took up his ^[a]oracle and said:

“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,
From the mountains of the east.
‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
And come, denounce Israel!’

⁸ “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
⁹ For from the top of the rocks I see him,
And from the hills I behold him;
There! A people dwelling alone,
Not reckoning itself among the nations.

¹⁰ “Who can count the ^[b]dust of Jacob,
Or number one-fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
And let my end be like his!”

¹¹ Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!”

¹² So he answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”

Balaam’s Second Prophecy

¹³ Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all; curse them for me from there.” ¹⁴ So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

¹⁵ And he said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I ^[c]meet the Lord over there.”

¹⁶ Then the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” ¹⁷ So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”

¹⁸ Then he took up his oracle and said:

“Rise up, Balak, and hear!
Listen to me, son of Zippor!

¹⁹ “God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
²⁰ Behold, I have received a command to bless;
He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

²¹ “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob,
Nor has He seen ^[d]wickedness in Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
And the shout of a King is among them.
²² God brings them out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox.

²³ “For there is no ^[e]sorcery against Jacob,
Nor any ^[f]divination against Israel.
It now must be said of Jacob
And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’
²⁴ Look, a people rises like a lioness,
And lifts itself up like a lion;
It shall not lie down until it devours the prey,
And drinks the blood of the slain.”

²⁵ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!”

²⁶ So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”

Going back a little bit in this story, Balak had told Balaam to curse the Israelites so that they would not take over Moab. But God told Balaam not to curse them because He blessed them; Balaam was to speak only what God commanded him to speak – a blessing, not a curse. Balaam repeated this to Balak a few other times in the narrative. In Numbers 22:18, Balaam said, “I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.” He reiterates that he nis bound to speak only what the Lord gave him to speak – nothing more, nothing less.

In the rest of the narrative, Balak repeatedly pleads with Balaam to curse the Israelites. In the process, Balak offers Balaam honor, sheep, oxen, and brings him to several choice places in Moab from which Balaam can see the surrounding Israelites and have pity on Moab. But each and every time Balaam refused to capitulate and repeated his previous saying, “All that the Lord speaks, that I must do!”

Even though Balaam was not a prophet in Israel, and even though He disobeyed God and ultimately went with the princes of Moab, the Lord used him in a powerful way as he exemplified the truth of God’s Word that was not to be spoken against. God had blessed Israel, and Balaam ultimately did not bend under Balak’s pressure and bribes to curse God’s people, even though he was sorely tempted.

May it be that your pastor never capitulates to the tempting world around him but uncompromisingly preaches and teaches God’s Word faithfully and administers God’s Sacramental gifts according to Holy Scripture. In this you will continually be fed and nourished by them and remain strong in the one faith unto life everlasting. Let us pray: Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may always hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of Your Holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life everlasting, which You have given us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Numbers 22:22-40 NKJV ²² Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way

as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. ²³ Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. ²⁴ Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. ²⁵ And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. ²⁶ Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. ²⁷ And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

²⁸ Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

²⁹ And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have ^[a]abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”

³⁰ So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever ^[b]disposed to do this to you?”

And he said, “No.”

³¹ Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. ³² And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out ^[c]to stand against you, because your way is perverse^[d] before Me. ³³ The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

³⁴ And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it ^[e]displeases You, I will turn back.”

³⁵ Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

³⁶ Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory. ³⁷ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”

³⁸ And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.” ³⁹ So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth. ⁴⁰ Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

At the end of yesterday’s reading and the beginning of today’s section, this is recorded ²⁰ And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” ²¹ So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. ²² Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him.

Pay close attention. Between v. 20 and 21, it is not recorded that the men come to ask Balaam to come with them, but he went anyway. Balaam went forth even though God had told him not to. Then God, through the donkey, hindered and opposed Balaam. At first, Balaam did not understand that the animal was being used by God to stop him from disobeying God. God did not send Balaam, yet he went. And in v 19 from yesterday, Balaam seems to want to know a different answer from the Lord as to whether or not he should go.

In 2 Pet 2:15 we read – “They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness…”  It is revealed further here in 2 Peter why God was displeased with Balaam: his way is that of unrighteousness.

As we learned yesterday, it is never a good thing to go against the clear Word of God; and those who do will, sooner or later, pay a dear price. And those who lead others to disobey God’s Word will pay a higher price. Whenever and wherever you have disobeyed God’s Word, repent in faith and humility and run to God’s gifts of Absolution and Communion. Run to the Divine Service to receive the Gospel preached and enjoy the fellowship of God’s people. Only through Word and Sacrament does God work to strengthen and forgive you. Of that you can be certain.

Let us pray: Lord, forgive me for my sinful disobedience and lead me in Your way of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

Numbers 22:1-21 NKJV

22 Then the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.

² Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. ³ And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. ⁴ So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company will ^[a]lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. ⁵ Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near ^[b]the River in the land of ^[c]the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! ⁶ Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

⁷ So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. ⁸ And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

⁹ Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”

¹⁰ So Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, ¹¹ ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.’ ”

¹² And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

¹³ So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to give me permission to go with you.”

¹⁴ And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

¹⁵ Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more ^[d]honorable than they. ¹⁶ And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me; ¹⁷ for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’ ”

¹⁸ Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. ¹⁹ Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”

²⁰ And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” ²¹ So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

Today’s reading is the first part of a fascinating story of how vitally important it is not only to hear God’s Word but to obey it. Not only Christians but also Christian pastors must heed this lesson.

Moab had heard of the total destruction and that the Children of Israel had visited upon many nations during its wanderings. Of course, it was totally God’s Word and doing all along, for as long as Israel obeyed God, He blessed them and gave them victory over her enemies, as He had promised. Balak, king of the Moabites, hearing about and fearing the potential destruction that the Israelites would visit upon his land, commanded Balaam (a non-Israelite prophet) to curse the Israelites so that Moab would be able to defeat them. But God spoke clearly and decisively to Balaam and told him not to go with Balak and not to curse the Israelites, although Balak had insisted to the contrary.

Probably the most important and telling verse in today’s reading is in v. 18 where Balaam said to Balak’s servants, Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.” 

You, dear saint, and you, pastors, are never to go beyond the Word of God to do less or more. Only what He has spoken and revealed in His Word are you to obey. But so many do not and end up speaking and preaching and practicing their own preferences; and the result is false teachings and practices like open communion, women playing pastor, and teaching as doctrines the traditions of men.

Repent of all of this and run in faith to Jesus in Holy Absolution and the Sacrament of the Altar, rightly administered, of course. There you will find forgiveness and strength to continue to believe and obey God’s Word in spite of the world around you which points you elsewhere.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, thank You for keeping me in the one true faith and feeding me with Your Holy Word and Sacraments. Amen.