Parasha Balak

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B’MIDBAR (NUMBERS) 22:2 – 25:9
HAFTARAH: MIKHAH (MICAH) 5:6 – 6 :8
BRIT CHADASHA: 2 KEFA (PETER) 2:1 – 22; Y’HUDAH (JUDE) 11 AND REV. 2:14 – 15

The Alef Tav

  • In the Revelation of Yeshua HaMashiach to John, Yeshua identifies himself as the Alef and the Tav, the first and last letters of the Hebrew Alef Bet; these references are found in Rev. 1:8, 1:11, 21:6 and 22:13.
  • Our modern translations read “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending.” However, the words Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet.
  • Since Messiah Yeshua is a Hebrew man and not a Greek man He would have said “I am the Alef and the Tav, the beginning and the ending.”
  • He is the entire Hebrew Alef Bet, from A to Z so to speak therefore He is ALL the Hebrew letters, ALL the Hebrew words. Jn. 1:1 confirms this understanding. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim. He was in the beginning with Elohim.”
  • This is the Alef, א , and the Tav, ת . In its ancient form the Alef Tav would read “strength of the covenant.”
  • Dt. 28:1 – 2: If you fully obey Yehovah your Elohay and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, Yehovah your Elohay will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God…
  • V15: However, if you do not obey Yehovah your Elohay and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these “curses” will come on you and overtake you…
  • Dt. 28:1 – 2: If you fully obey Yehovah your Elohay and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, Yehovah your Elohay will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God…
  • V15: However, if you do not obey Yehovah your Elohay and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these “curses” will come on you and overtake you…

Parasha Balak
בָּלָק means destroyer, empty or void

Parasha Highlights:

  • Balak and Balaam
  • The Angel of the Lord
  • The talking donkey
  • Baal-Peor
  • The zeal of Pinchas

Balak and Balaam

  • Our Sidra tells the story about the king of Moab, Balak, and his desire to annihilate the nation of Israel. Balaks’ connection with Balaam is not readily apparent; however they are kindred spirits. Their common goal is the destruction of Israel.
  • Balaks’ desire is to curse the whole house of Israel, all twelve tribes. If Balak is successful he will attain his goal of not only eliminating Covenant Israel (the Bride) from his own time but also preventing Yeshua, the “pure seed” (the Bridegroom), from entering the world thus making Elohim’s promise and covenant with Avraham null and void.
  • 22:2 – 6: Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company will lick up everything (אֶת־כָּל־סְבִיבֹתֵינוּ ) 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. Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face (אֶת־עֵין ) of the earth, and are settling next to me!
  • Therefore please come at once, “curse” this people (אֶת־הָעָם ) 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.’”
  • The first mention of the word “curse” is found in Ge. 3:14 – 15: So Yehovah Elohim said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, you are “cursed” more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
  • Ge. 3:14 – 15 is speaking to “two” different bloodlines. The “seed” of the serpent which has been cursed and the bloodline of the “pure seed,” which will bring forth the Mashiach.
  • We’ve already talked about the first mention of the word “curse” (ארר ), now lets discuss the 3rd mention. The 3rd mention of the word “curse” is found in Ge. 4:11: “So now you are “cursed” from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.” **We’re talking about the murder of Abel by his brother Cain. Like his father the serpent, Cain too is “cursed.”
  • The Hebrew word for curse is “arar (ארר ).” “Arar” means abhor or to detest. To bring or speak a curse against someone would be to cause them to be detested; but detested by whom?
  • Balaks’ desire was for Balaam to “curse” Israel so the nation would be detested by Yehovah with subsequent judgment falling upon them. Yehovah prevents Balaam from cursing Israel and causes him to speak only blessings. We will discuss the 4th blessing later in this teaching.
  • This is the same goal the adversary had when he beguiled Chava in Gan Eden. In fact, Balak wants to reverse the “curse” given to the serpent. The serpent bloodline descends from Cain and the royal bloodline descends from Seth.
  • The Hebrew word for serpent is “nachash” (נָחָש ) which in its paleo form would read: The heir separates and destroys. The root of this word is also “nachash” (נָחַשׁ ), with just a change in nikkuds means “to practice divination or to observe the signs or omens.” In this case we are talking about the heir of the serpent. We will see Balaam using divination to speak blessings over Israel. Balaam descends from the serpent bloodline.
  • 22:7 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.
  • Yehovah tells us in 1st Sam. 15:23 that divination is rebellion: “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry Because you have rejected the word of Yehovah, He has also rejected you from being king.” **To reject the word of Yehovah is to reject Messiah.
  • The Hebrew word for serpent is נָחָשׁ . With a change in the nikkuds we have נָחַשׁ which means a diviner or enchanter. The diviner then, connects us to the serpent seed.

The “curse”

  • The “curse” for rebellion against Yehovah began in the garden. The ultimate expression of the “curse” is the imposed (Impose by definition = to lay on or set as something to be borne, endured, obeyed ) Book of the Law.
  • During the time of Messiah Yeshua, some 1500 years after the Book of the Law was given to rebellious Israel, Yeshua said in Jn. 8:44: You (Israel) belong to your father, the devil (the progenitor of the serpent seed of rebellion), and you want to carry out your father’s desires.
  • He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
  • In our day and hour, 3,500 years after the Book of the Law was imposed on Israel, the veil of unbelief still covers their face. We have a choice, do we want to remain under the “curse” of the law or do we want to acknowledge the completed work of Messiah Yeshua?
  • As I said, the “curse” equals rebellion; rebellion against The Word (Yeshua) and Yehovah. Israel’s’ current status is further defined in this sidra with regard to their behavior at Baal Peor. Scripture tells us in Hosea 9:10: I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at its first season; but they came to Baal Peor, and consecrated themselves to the shameful thing, and became abominable like that which they loved.
  • They chose and loved the abomination rather than their Creator.

Baal Peor

  • Since Balaam was not able to speak a “curse” against Israel, her enemies took another tack; to sever the bond between Israel and Yehovah by bringing Moab to Israel.
  • 25:1 – 9: Now Israel remained in an Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of Yehovah was aroused against Israel. Then Yehovah said to Moshe, “Take all the leaders (אֶת־כָּל־רָאשֵׁי ) of the people and hang the offenders before Yehovah, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of Yehovah may turn away from Israel.”
  • So Moshe said to the judges of Israel, “Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.” And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite (אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִית ) woman in the sight of Moshe and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 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; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both (אֶת־שְׁנֵיהֶם ) of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman (אֶת־הָאִשָּׁה ) through her body. So the plague was stopped among the children of Israel. And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

Balaams 4th blessing 24:17

“I see him, but not now.
I see him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob.
A scepter will rise out of Israel,
and shall strike through the corners of Moab,
and break down all the sons of Seth.”

Piercing the Veil
Part Six

  • Israel commits “two” cultic sins which occurred close to the point of departure on and of arrival at their destination: the sin of the golden calf is tied to Egypt, whence they had left, where Hapis is sacred to the Egyptians, and the sin of Baal Peor occurred as they were approaching their destination, the land of Canaan.
  • The sin of the golden calf broke their part of the Book of the Covenant and now, while under the Book of the Law, they have committed physical and spiritual adultery.
  • Can the “two” sins, the golden calf and Baal Peor, represent the “two” advents of Messiah Yeshua?
  • At His first advent, He began the redemption process by paying the death penalty cost incurred by Israel for breaking their Covenant with Yehovah via the golden calf.
  • Our redemption for physical and spiritual adultery will be completed (an incorruptible body) at His second advent for those who have indeed chosen “life.”
  • In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians we see that he clearly understood the distinction between the “two” separate books, the Book of the Covenant and the Book of the Law.
  • Gal. 3:10: For as many as are of the works of the law (Book of the Law) are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” v 13: Yeshua has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.)
  • Rev. 22:3 (the New Jerusalem) we have the complete mention of the word “curse,” And there shall be no more “curse,” but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.
  • The curse of rebellion that began in the garden will no longer exist in the New Jerusalem. In Ge. 6:3: And Yehovah said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” **120 years x’s 50 jubilee cycles = 6000 years. For 6000 man will have been given a choice, a choice for life or a choice for death.
  • In conclusion, I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live… (Dt. 30:19)
  • Yeshua is indeed the Star and the Scepter, the unification of the two missions of Mashiach. He illuminates the world before he comes to reign, in that the world may have the opportunity to repent and return to the Elohay of Israel. In the Book of Revelation, Yeshua says, I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” (Rev.22:16)

Haftarah

  • Micah 5:6 – 6:8
  • The connection to our sidra is found in 5:7 – 8: Then the “remnant” of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, like dew from Yehovah, like showers on the grass, that tarry for no man nor wait for the sons of men. And the “remnant” of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep, who, if he passes through, both treads down and tears in pieces, and none can deliver.
  • The “remnant” are those that chose Yehovah and walk in obedience to His Word. Our sidra tells us that 24000 Israelites chose to turn their back on Yehovah and perished. Some chose Yehovah and some chose the world.
  • The first mention of “remnant” (שְׁאֵרִית ) is found in Ge. 45:7: “And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. **Joseph is speaking to his brethren. Joseph was exiled in Egypt; Israel (Jacob) and his brethren had to leave the land of promise and live among the gentiles.

Brit Chadasha

  • 2nd Pt. 2:15: forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing…
  • Jude 11…Woe to them who have walked the road of Cain (rebellion), they have given themselves over for money to the error of Balaam.
  • Rev. 2:14-15…beginning at v 12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: Rev 2:13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.