Numbers is a book about a forty-year camping trip. Israel goes from Mount Sinai to the Promised Land, a two-week walk, and it takes them forty long years. Strange.
During that walk, as mentioned yesterday, they are led by a cloud pillar. It moved the mob at a turtle pace until all of the original generation died in the desert. During the trip, strange things happened. Water comes from a rock, not once but twice! The people, always a murmuring crowd, are always getting punished for disobedience or grumbling. Once, they cried for meat, and God gave them so much quail that it made them sick, and many died of a plague. Even the ground opened up one time to swallow Korah and his family. They were a bad bunch.
One of the weirdest stories entails a talking donkey! Do you remember that one? In chapter 22, Balaam's mule saves the mystic's hide by avoiding the Angel of the LORD (Jesus Christ). Unfortunately, it took Balaam a few attempts to pass a particular location before the donkey crushed Balaam's leg against a rock. Balaam even threatened to kill his faithful ride (a true Beast 😁).
As Jesus reveals himself as the LORD'S angel, Balaam realizes his mistake and follows God's instructions. However, Balaam is a mystic who never comes to God in true repentance. He is cited later in Scripture as one who led the children of Israel into sexual sin (see 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11 and Revelation 2:14).
Where is the lesson for us in this very different book of the Bible? They are many. In Sunday school yesterday, one lesson was that God could use unbelievers for his purpose. Another lesson mentioned yesterday was that, even though the people of God were in the camp below, complaining, God was protecting them from the curses of an evil king and his hired witch.
God doesn't always keep us from all harm, but he never loses control of any situation.
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