Today's text from the ESV Study Bible: Numbers 23-25.
Israel is now camped at the north end of the Dead Sea, and is now 4-5 months from crossing the Jordan and entering their long promised land.
Certainly word had gotten around as God was performing miraculous things with Israel over the years.
Seeing Israel's recent defeat over Sihon and Og, Balak, the king of Moab, was wetting his pants over what Israel might to to him.
Therefore, he hires Balaam, a famous diviner to place a curse on Israel. However, most surprisingly, God has other plans and actually chooses to speak in remarkable ways through this pagan man, and makes it clear that He has blessed this nation of Israel.
Meanwhile, just like at Sinai, while God is doing powerful things, the Israelites have once again turned away from God by whoring it up with the local Baal prostitutes, and worshiping their gods.
In spite of this most recent apostasy, this time God has new leaders in the midst with Joshua and Phineas, and will shortly be parting the waters of the Jordan.
As I reflect back on Israel's 40 year journey, I find it easy to be judgmental. However, if I am honest with myself, I can certainly look back on my journey in the wilderness and find certain apostasy as well.
Although the New Testament is a long ways off, I find myself this morning grateful for three words uttered by Messiah on the cross: "It is finished".
No more, as God's elect, must we go through our lives in fear of God's holy wrath. This has been born by Messiah, our perfect sacrifice, and now I await my own future crossing into Jordan.
Are there any others, of God's elect, who might say amen to that?
