This week we shall continue the study
of the book of Numbers in the Old Testament.
23:1-12—The First “Curse-turned” Blessing
(1) What’s the point of building seven altars and offering the sacrifices: God couldn’t have accepted the offerings made by “the two of them”?
(2) God could turn a blind eye to all these, after all only He could determine the fate of Israel: Why did He intervene and make Balaam bless Israel before Balak instead?
(3) How did Balaam describe the uniqueness of the people of Israel?
(4) Does God require the same uniqueness of His people (i.e. the Church) today?
(5) Do you think Balaam would say something like this if he had a choice?
23:13-26—The Second “Curse-turned” Blessing
(6) Why didn’t Balak give up? Why didn’t he kill Balaam?
(7) What location did he now choose? Why?
(8) Did Balak believe that the Lord was involved in this event?
(9) Since Balaam knew for sure what God would do, why then did he allow this event to continue and went to consult the Lord again?
(10) Based on the words that God put into Balaam’s mouth, consider the following:
a. What did Balak learn about God and His character?
b. What blessings were bestowed on Israel?
c. What did Balak learn about the recent history of the exodus of Israel?
d. What did he learn about the future of Israel?
(11) What was Balak’s response to the blessed words of Balaam?
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
The Third “Curse-turned” Blessing
(1) Why did Balak think that a change of location might “please God”? Should Balaam tell him that it was a waste of time, or did Balaam somehow motivate or encourage him to do so? (23:27-30)
(2) While Balaam avoided going up alone to meet with God, thus, perhaps, hoping that God would not put “a word into his mouth”, what did God do instead? (24:2)
(3) Unlike his experience as a sorcerer, Balaam now described the ecstatic experience of being a prophet of God. Through the words of his experience, what insight might we gain into the experience of a prophet? (24:3-5)
(4) Vv. 5-7 describes the dwelling of Israel:
a. What will they be like (against the backdrop of their current dwelling in the wilderness)?
b. Why does it mention “water” a few times and how does it make their place so beautiful?
(5) Vv. 8-9 describe their military might:
a. How would they be compared to the kings and kingdoms in the region?
b. What image does a “wild ox” project?
c. What image does a “lion” or “lioness” project?
d. What is the source of their might? (v. 8)
e. What message should Balak get from this prophecy?
(6) To the Israelites who would have heard about this prophecy later, what was the significance of the last words of this prophecy? (See Gen. 12:3; 27:29)
(7) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
24:10-14—Balak’s Anger
(1) While it was natural for Balak to get angry with Balaam, the question is why Balak didn't kill Balaam. What might be the probable reasons?
(2) If Balaam heard about the fame of the Lord (especially because of the events of Exodus), what might he now know about Him?
24:15-25—Balaam’s Prophesies Against the Nations
(3) Why did Balaam have to repeat how he got the prophecies again in vv. 15-16?
(4) The prophecies against Moab and Edom are most natural as the Israelites are camping in or next to their areas (vv. 17-19):
a. Who will be the one who will crush and conquer these two nations?
b. Why was He likened to a star and a scepter? (See Matt. 2:2 ff; Rev. 22:16; Gen. 49:10)
(5) The prophecies against Amalek and Kenites:
a. In what sense were these nomadic people, the Amalekites, first? (See Exod. 17:8ff)
b. In what sense were these friendly people, the Kenites, secure? (See 10:29ff, Jdg. 1:16 etc.)
c. Who would destroy the Kenites eventually (in fact along with Israel)? (Ashur stands for Assyrian)
(6) The prophecy against Ashur (Assyria ) and Eber (believed to be their neighboring people, unknown to us):
a. Who will subdue Ashur (Assyria)?
b. Why will such a time be so alarming? (v. 23)
(7) What is the overall message of these prophecies against Moab, Edom, Amalek, the Kenites and Ashur etc.?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) While God had directly intervened to protect the Israelites from the curse of the Midianites and Moabites (through Balaam), how did the Israelites bring curses upon themselves?
(2) Whose idea was it? (See Num. 31:16)
(3) Do you think the Israelites intended to worship the idols of the Moabites from the outset?
(4) What was the first step toward such blatant idol-worship?
(5) What sin does the Bible charge them with?
(6) What does it mean?
(7) Given this incident, how would you understand the admonition of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:14?
(8) It appears that while God had begun inflicting the guilty ones with a plague, He also told Moses to gather the leaders and have them kill the guilty ones and then expose their bodies in broad daylight:
a. What might be the reason the whole assembly was weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting?
b. How widespread and blatant was this sin as demonstrated by the action of Zimri son of Salu?
c. The action of Phinehas son of Eleazar the high priest:
- How did the Lord commend his action? (v. 11)
- Why did his action bring a stop to the plague? (v. 13)
- What reward did his action bring to him and his descendants?
- Why did God call this a “covenant of peace with him”?
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Although it is a long chapter, the bulk of it (from vv. 5-50) was the census itself of the twelve tribes, plus the census of the Levites (from vv. 57-62).
26:1-4—The Command to take a census: It is helpful to compare this census with the first census in 1:1-4.
(1) What was the difference in timing?
(2) What was the difference in location?
(3) What was the purpose of the two censuses?
(4) What additional purpose was served by this second census according to 26:52-56?
(5) While the criterion for the census appeared to be the same, what was the difference in terms of the actual people counted? (see 26:65)
(6) With Aaron gone, Moses was conducting this census with Aaron’s son, Eleazar: How might Moses feel about this census?
26:5-50—The Census of the Twelve Tribes: While the details of each clan may not be of any importance to us, try to compare the numbers of the first census with the current one:
1st Census 2nd Census
Reuben 46,500 ________
Simeon 59,300 ________
Gad 45,650 ________
Judah 74,600 ________
Issachar 54,400 ________
Zebulun 57,400 ________
Ephraim 40,500 ________
Manasseh 32,200 ________
Benjamin 35,400 ________
Dan 62,700 ________
Asher 41,500 ________
Naphtali 53,400 ________
Total 603,550 ________
(7) Which tribe suffered the greatest loss during the 40 years? What might be the reason? (See Num. 25:14; Gen. 49:5-7)
(8) Which tribe remains the one with the largest number? (See Gen. 49:8-12)
(9) What was the final count compared to the first census? Was there a message from God?
(10) At the first census, the Lord commanded Moses not to count the Levites (Num. 1:49; 2:33). What was the reason, and why did they count the Levites now?
(11) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) From the words of these women, can we tell how the people of Israel understood the death of their fathers in the desert? (v. 3)
(2) What loopholes did the existing command of the Lord have regarding the distribution of land in Canaan?
(3) How does such a fact speak to the understanding and exercise of the laws of God in the Bible? (See Note below)
(4) Were the women right in approaching Moses with their request? Why or why not?
(5) How Moses handled their request:
a. Did he simply dismiss them because their request appeared to violate the letter of God’s command?
b. Did he consider their request reasonable but not wish to impose his own will on the matter?
(6) What was God’s reply and how does it reveal His character?
(7) Do you have any idea about the law in your country governing “Devolution" (transference of property to another) in case someone dies intestate (i.e. without a will)? In what way was our modern code of law influenced by this command of the Lord in this respect?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
Note:
The commands of God do not mean to cover every situation, but lay down the overall principle of God’s will.
(1) Why did God choose to remind Moses of his sin? (v. 14)
(2) What was God’s verdict on his action with Aaron?
(3) What is the lesson to you?
(4) What was Moses’ main concern at this time and why? (v. 16-17)
(5) Why did he call the Lord, “the God who gives breath to all living things,” which he once used in 16:22?
(6) Did he make any suggestion about his successor? Why or why not?
(7) Why did the Lord choose Joshua? What qualified him as the next leader to take Moses’ place? (v. 18)
(8) What might be some of Moses’ authority not transferred to Joshua? (12:6-8)
(9) Why was it the case?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?