Bookmark Daily Bible Reading Calendar By: Ehimwenma E. Aimiuwu – Please LIKE us on Facebook
Numbers 23:
Balaam made king Balak make 7 offerings and left to inquire of God and God declared that Balaam was brought here by Balak to curse Israel, but Balaam cannot curse what God has not cursed and may Balaam’s death be that of the righteous and end like the Israelites. This offended Balak because he was blessing the Jews and not cursing them, but Balaam told him that is what God put in his mouth. Balak took him to where he could see some of the Jews and they made another 7 offerings. Balaam asked God and God declared that God does not lie or change his mind, but has blessed Israel and he is their God. Balak asked Balaam to neither bless nor curse them, but Balaam said he only speaks as God commands. So Balak offer a third offering.
Numbers 24:
Balaam soon realized that blessing Israel pleased God, so this time he faced the desert and not his sorcery to see Israel camped in tribes. So God did speak through divination and sorcery to prophets. God declared that Balaam hears and sees God clearly and the tents of Israel are beautiful. Israel will devour hostile nations, those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse Israel will be cursed. Balak was angry with Balaam for blessing Israel 3 time and asked him to leave without pay. Balaam told him that he had always said that he will say only what God wants him to say. Balaam then prophesized that a great one will come out of Israel (Jesus) to defeat Moab and Edom, as well as Israel will grow strong, but the Amalek and Kenites will be destroyed. Ballam then left Balak, king of Moab.
Numbers 25:
Israel began to have sexual relations with Moabite women and sacrifice to their Baal gods. The made God angry and asked Moses to put to death all those that worshipped Baal to turn away God’s anger from Israel. About 24,000 were killed including the one Phinehas (Aaron’s grandson) killed with a spear, who brought in a Midianite women in the presence of all during the time of the judgment. God was pleased with Phinehas’ zeal that God made a covenant of peace for a lasting priesthood with him because he was zealous to honor God and made atonement for Israel. God told Moses to treat the Midianites as enemies.
Numbers 26:
God asked Moses and Eleazar (son of Aaron) to take a census of the people over the age of 20 that could join the army. The total fighting men of Israel was 601,730 and God wanted the larger group to have more land and inheritance (Judah had the most of 76,500, while Ephraim had the least of 32,500). The Levites from a month old numbered 23,000, but were separated from the rest of Israel or the army (I guess dedication to God means low reproduction). All those who doubted God had died except Caleb and Joshua and God had assured them that none will see the promised land to their ancestors.
Numbers 27:
The daughters of Zelophehad of Manasseh, a man that died in the desert for his own sin without leaving any son, came before Moses and Eleazar to demand inheritance from their father’s relatives. Moses asked God and God agreed that their father’s share should be given to them. God is very fair to everyone regardless of race, gender, or creed. God then commanded that anyone without sons should have their inheritance given to the daughters and to his brothers if he had no children. God is a Patriarch and inheritance goes through the male line, except there are no sons. The nearest relatives can have the inheritance if the man has no brothers. Women share in their husband’s inheritance or get their father’s inheritance if they had no brothers to inherit it. So God expects ever woman to belong to a family by marriage and Satan opposes patriarchy to distort God’s order.
