by Walter Giddings
January 21, 2024
Relevant Scripture: 2 Peter 2:15-17
Do the Enemies of Christ know us better than we know ourselves? Do the wicked angels know more about us than we know about ourselves? (Luke 16:8). If the answers to these questions are yes, we are at a severe military disadvantage! Our forefathers who framed The Republic believed that the congregation above is the church of Jesus Christ Triumphant, and the congregation on earth is the church of Jesus Christ militant. We are in a war where the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. Are we at a crucial disadvantage? Could we be crucified in our own ignorance? Does God ever fail His Family on earth?! Does His Word warn and equip us for this Great Battle?!
8 And the lord commended the un-
just steward, because he had done
wisely: for the children of this
world are in their generation wiser
than the children of light.
Luke chapter sixteen.
Does “in their generation” mean genetically? If the enemies of God are shrewder than God’s Family on earth, will they do a better job of predicting what we will do than the children of light who have made no study of what God’s enemies will do next? In Matthew 10:16 are we counseled by Jesus to “be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”? Since we are counseled to become “wise as serpents”, should we examine how well we are doing?!
Do the wicked angels also know more about us than we know about ourselves? (Hebrews 1:14). For what function were the angels created? And did a third of the angels, most of them the highest rank of angels, join The Devil in rebellion? Before the wicked angels left their 1st Estate, did they know the children were to be born?
14 Are they not all ministering
spirits, sent forth to minister for
them who shall be heirs of salva-
tion ?
Hebrews chapter one.
Since we are sheep, should we take the military post of greatest advantage: as close as possible to The Good Shepherd?
With all that is stacked against us sheep, should we zealously study how to be “wise as serpents”? Who in churchianity preaches these things?
We ran out of time in Lesson 1, The Doctrine of Balaam, before we could answer our question. What did Balaam teach Balac to do?
Could it be that one of the 12 Apostles understood perfectly what Balaam taught Balac to do? (2 Peter 2:15-17).
c 15 Which have forsaken the right
way, and are gone astray, following
the way of Balaam the son of Bosor,
who loved the wages of unrighteous-
ness;
p 16 But was rebuked for his iniquity:
the dumb ass speaking with man’s
voice forbad the madness of the
prophet.
c 17 These are wells without water,
clouds that are carried with a tempest;
to whom the mist of darkness is reser-
ved for ever.
Second Peter chapter two.
Who are “wells without water”? Who are “clouds ... carried with a tempest”? Do we have any in our families or our acquaintances? Is Peter barred from believing our God can make a donkey speak “with a man’s voice”?
According to The Book of Numbers when did Balak, King of Moab, pay Balaam the Prophet the wages of unrighteousness? When?! (Numbers 22:12). At the close of Lesson 1 Balaam and Balak departed from one another. And Balak was beyond irritated with Balaam for Blessing Israel. From Lesson 1 shall we review the 1st command God gave Balaam in the matter of Peor, one of the mountains or high places Balak had Balaam view the 12 multitudes of Israel encamped on the plains of Moab across Jordan from Jericho.
12 And God said unto Balaam, thou
shalt not go with them; thou shalt not
curse the people: for they are blessed.
Numbers chapter twenty-two.
“For they are blessed”. Should we curse whom or what God has blessed? Should we bless whom or what God has cursed? Do sheep give stupid a new name?! As a people have, we wearied our God with our stiff necks and hard hearts?
If we can be “blessed”, what is that blessing like? (Ephesians 1:3-4). Does Adam come from the heavenlies? Were we with Him before He set a compass upon the deep?
p 3 Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath
blessed us with all spiritual bless-
ings in heavenly places in Christ:
c 4 According as he hath chosen us in
him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love.
Ephesians chapter one.
“He hath chosen us in him”. Who is Him? “Our Lord Jesus Christ”. When? When did He choose us? “Before the foundation of the world”. So that what? To what purpose did He choose us before the foundation of the world? To “be holy and without blame before him in love”. Were our 1st parents on earth, before The Fall, were they “holy and without blame before him in love”? As His Outright Rescues are we “holy and without blame before him in love”?
How sorry is our history as the people of God?
1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and
the people began to commit whore-
dom with the daughters of Moab.
Numbers chapter twenty-five.
What on God’s green earth happened?! How did we go from Israel a people blessed of God, and that could not be cursed, to a people committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab?! Israel went from a people in Numbers 24, who will “eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows”, to a people committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab!
p 2 And they called the people unto
the sacrifices of their gods: and the
people did eat, and bowed down to
their gods.
c 3 And Israel joined himself unto
Baalpeor: and the anger of the
LORD was kindled against Israel.
Numbers chapter twenty-five.
Is there anything new under the sun? Ohio has amended their state constitution in order to violate God’s Commandment against sacrificing the first born to Baal and Molech!! The weekend of the very week the Supreme Court overruled Roe v Wade and referred the matter to the states, the hired protestors vastly outnumbered the volunteer celebrants, drowning out Scripture recitations with loud chants of “We want Molech!” Was this intended as a perverse provocation to make certain sheep do stupid? (25:5-6). Have we certain sheep reacted to this in a mature manner?
p 5 And Moses said unto the judges
of Israel, Slay ye everyone his men
that were joined unto Baalpeor.
c 6 And, behold, one of the children
of Israel came and brought unto his
brethren a Midianitish woman in the
sight of Moses, and in the sight of all
the congregation of the children of
Israel, who were weeping before the
door of the tabernacle of the congre-
gation.
The next six verses record the story of The Priesthood of Phineas who was zealous to enforce God’s Law in the Camp of Israel who domiciled in The Wilderness separate from the laws of other nations. He caused those who were not joined to Baalpeor to keep The Covenant of their God! And this God, The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel made an EverLasting Covenant of Priesthood with Phineas and his seed after him. Their descendants are with us today. Today we live in a country whose “melting pot of people” have installed The Ten Planks of the Communist Manifesto in a brazen attempt to eradicate The Ten Commandments from application as our household Law. God gave the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood unto Phinehas and his seed “because he was zealous for his God and made an atonement for the children of Israel”. We rejoin the narrative at (25:14-18):
c 14 Now the name of the Israelite that
was slain, even that was slain with
the Midianitish woman, was Zimri
the son of Salu, a prince of a chief
house among the Simeonites.
p 15 And the name of the Midianit-
ish woman that was slain was Coz-
bi, the daughter of Zur; he was
head over a people, and of a chief
house in Midian.
Does God issue orders? Does God command His People? (25:16-18).
c 16 And the LORD spake unto Moses,
saying,
p 17 Vex the Midianites, and smite
them:
c 18 For they vex you with their wiles,
wherewith they have beguiled you
in the matter of Peor, and in the mat-
ter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince
of Midian, their sister, which was
slain in the day of the plague for
Peor’s sake.
Numbers chapter twenty-five.
“For they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor”. Does “beguiled” mean seduced?
Chapter 26 of Numbers covers the second census, or The Second Numbering of Israel in the Wilderness. (26:51). The results of the Second Numbering are given in Verse 51:
51 These were the numbered of the
children of Israel, six hundred thou-
sand and a thousand seven hundred
and thirty.
Numbers chapter twenty-six.
For those of you who are better at math than English that reads 601,730. In Numbers 1 God commanded Moses the first day of the second month of the second year following the Exodus from the land of Egypt to take the sum of all the males 20 years old and upward, “every male by their polls”. “Polls” is the translation of H1538, gulgoleth, gul-go’-leth, Golgotha from the Greek, Golgotha hill, the other name for Calvary Hill, the Mount of Olives. The 1st Numbering was 603,550. Thus, the children of those whose carcasses dropped in the Wilderness were nearly replaced. Today we are no longer reproducing ourselves! Whatever happened to “Be fruitful and multiply”? How does our Captivity reflect our Judgment for our Disobedience?
Does The 2nd Numbering show how serious God’s command was to “vex the Midianites”? (Numbers 31). Not until Numbers chapter 31 do we find the conclusion of the matter of Baalpeor! (31:6-8). Moses commanded 1000 men from each Tribe, 12,000 total to avenge the LORD of Midian.
c 6 And Moses sent them to the war,
a thousand of every tribe, them and
Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest
to the war, with the holy instruments,
and the trumpets to blow in his hand.
p 7 And they warred against the Midia-
nites, as the LORD commanded Mo-
ses: and they slew all the males.
c 8 And they slew the kings of Midian,
beside the rest of them that were slain,
namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and
Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian:
Balaam also the son of Beor they slew
with the sword.
“Balaam also ... they slew with the sword”! (31:15-18).
p 15 And Moses said unto them, Have
ye saved all the women alive?
c 16 Behold, these caused the children
of Israel, through the counsel of Ba-
laam, to commit trespass against the
LORD in the matter of Peor, and
there was a plague among the congre-
gation of the LORD.
p 17 Now therefore kill every male
among the little ones, and kill every
woman that hath known man by lying
with him.
c 18 But all the women children, that
have not known a man by lying with
him, keep alive for yourselves.
Numbers chapter thirty-one.
Who can tell us why The LORD commanded the armies of Israel to keep all the virgin women children alive for themselves?!
What is our answer?
In between The 2 Numberings of Israel did the Children of Israel barely replace themselves for all the carcasses that dropped in The Wilderness? Is “the fruit of the womb” God’s reward? [Psalms the 125th]. Is the Commandment of the LORD “Be fruitful and multiply”? Were all the virgin “women children” separated from Intermarriage with the Amorites of Canaanites? Was Midian the son of Abraham by Keturah? (Look again Numbers 31:16). Did our God weed the garden by rooting out of Israel all who made affinity with strangers and made unlawful marriages? (Deuteronomy 6:24). Are we preserved to this day as Caucasians because of this Plague?
24 And the LORD commanded us to
do all these statutes, to fear the LORD
our God, for our good always, that he
might preserve us alive, as it is at this
day.
Deuteronomy chapter six.
“For our good always”. Are we preserved to this day as Caucasians because of this Plague? Did 23,000 die in one day? (1 Corinthians 10:8). Did Paul write to the churches at Corinth: “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted”?
8 Neither let us commit fornication,
as some of them committed, and fell
in one day three and twenty thousand.
First Corinthians chapter ten.
(Matthew 19:9). What did Christ our God counsel us concerning fornication?
9 And I say unto you, Whosoever
shall put away his wife, except it be
for fornication, and shall marry an-
other, committeth adultery: and
and whoso marrieth her which is
put away doth commit adultery.
Matthew chapter nineteen.
“Except it be for fornication”. If fornication is the practice of unlawful marriage, then, according to Christ our God, why should we continue in it? Should we again separate ourselves from continuing in that Sin and put away the unlawful wives, and even children with substance?! Why continue Sinning?!
(Deuteronomy 23:4-5). Did Christ our God counsel us by Moses not to join in marriage with the Ammonites nor the Moabites, nor have “affinity” with them? And why did our God do that? Were Moab and Ammon the sons of Lot, the nephew of Abraham? Did the Apostle Peter call Lot a “just man vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked”, [2 Peter 2:7]? Were Moab kindred?
p 4 Because they met you not with
bread and with water in the way,
when ye came forth out of Egypt;
and because they hired against thee
Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of
Mesopotamia to curse thee.
c 5 Nevertheless the LORD thy God
would not hearken unto Balaam:
but the LORD thy God turned the
curse into a blessing unto thee, be-
cause the LORD thy God loved thee.
Deuteronomy chapter twenty-three.
“The LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee”. (Look back to Verse 4): 2 acts of hostility are mentioned here. If Ammon and Moab had met the Hebrew children in the Exodus with bread and with water, would that have been a sign between kindred? How did Ammon and Moab go from kindred to enemies? Did Ammon and Moab commit whoredom with the Amorites, a tribe of Canaan? Did that make Ammon and Moab broken/dead branches on the Family Tree?
(Joshua 13:21-22). The Scriptures do not stop talking about Balaam. In Joshua, where the boundaries of Reuben that fell to them on the east side Jordan are described, the history of the wars there, before Israel crossed the Jordan River at Gilgal are recounted:
p 21 And all the cities of the plain, and
and all the kingdom of Sihon king of
the Amorites, which reigned in Hesh-
bon, whom Moses smote with the
princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem,
and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which
were dukes of Sihon dwelling in the
country.
c 22 Balaam also the son of Beor, the
soothsayer did the children of Israel
slay with the sword among them that
were slain by them.
Joshua chapter thirteen.
And again (Joshua 24:9-10).
p 9 Then Balak the son of Zippor,
king of Moab, arose and warred
against Israel, and sent and called
Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.
c 10 But I would not hearken unto Ba-
laam; therefore he blessed you still
so I delivered you out of his hand.
Joshua chapter twenty-four.
Is The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel able to “deliver”?
(Nehemiah 13:1-2). Nehemiah records the events at the dedication of the Jerusalem wall:
p On that day they read in the book
of Moses in the audience of the peo-
ple: and therein was found written
that the Ammonite and the Moabite
should not come into the congrega-
tion of God forever.
c 2 Because they met not the children
of Israel with bread and with water,
but hired Balaam against them that
he should curse them: howbeit our
God turned the curse into a blessing.
Nehemiah chapter thirteen.
(Micah 6:5). In the last mention of Balaam’s doctrine in the older Scriptures, are we commanded to remember Balaam’s Doctrine?!
5 O my people, remember now what
Balak king of Moab consulted, and
what Balaam the son of Beor answer-
ed him from Shittim unto Gilgal;
that ye may know the righteousness
of the LORD.
Micah chapter six.
“That we may know the righteousness of the LORD”, who can tell us what Balaam answered Balak when the king of Moab consulted him? Chapter and verse please!
What did Balaam answer Balak? What is our answer to the question?
(Isaiah 57:13-14). What is a stumbling block? H4383 mikshol, mik-shol’; a stumbling block, literally or figuratively. (obstacle, enticement ...): - caused to fall ...
p 13 ... but he that putteth his trust in
me shall possess the land, and shall
inherit my holy mountain:
c 14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye
up, prepare the way, take up the stum-
blingblock out of the way of my people.
Isaiah chapter fifty-seven.
Do we “possess the land”? Have we inherited God’s “holy mountain”? Has this happened yet? Or is this the Prophecy of a future event?
(Romans 14:13). What is a stumbling block? G4625 skandalon, skan’-dal-on; a trap stick (bent sapling), that is snare (figuratively cause of sin): - occasion to fall, stumblingblock.
13 Let us not therefore judge one an-
other any more: but judge this rather,
that no man put a stumbling block or
an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
Romans chapter fourteen.
“Occasion to fall” translates G4625 skandalon.
(Revelation 2:14). Shall we take our understanding of the Prophecy of Isaiah and the counsel of Paul to the Romans and apply it to The Doctrine of Balaam. This is Jesus’ counsel to the congregation at Pergamos:
14 But I have a few things against
thee, because thou hast there them
them that hold the doctrine of Bal-
aam, who taught Balac to cast a
stumblingblock before the children
of Israel, to eat things sacrificed un-
to idols, and to commit fornication.
Revelation chapter two.
Why did the men of the congregation at Pergamos permit members to cast stumbling blocks before them? Should they have disfellowshipped them who disobeyed? “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” [1 Corinthians 5:6] Did Balaam teach Balac to do three things:
- Cast a stumblingblock before the men of Israel,
- Sucker them to eat things sacrificed to idols, and
- Vex them with their wiles to commit fornication?
One Last Question in three Parts:
What Stumblingblock has been cast before American Israel?
- Why is it hidden?!
- And why do we miss its operation every day?!
- Have the Pulpits of America cast a Stumblingblock before American Israel?
Bibliography
Luke 16:8. “wiser than the children of light”.
Hebrews 1:14. “ministering spirits”.
2 Peter 2:15-17. “the madness of the prophet”.
Numbers 22:12. “thou shalt not curse the people”.
Ephesians 1:3-4. “Our Lord Jesus Christ .. hath blessed us”.
Numbers 25:1. “in Shittim .. whoredom with the daughters of Moab”.
Numbers 25:2-3. “Israel joined himself to Baalpeor”.
Numbers 25:5-6. “Slay ye everyone his men .. joined unto Baalpeor”.
Numbers 25:14-15. “Zimri” and “Cosbi” slain.
Numbers 25:16-18. “they vex you with their wiles”.
Numbers 26:51. “the numbered of the children of Israel”: 601,730.
Numbers 31:6-8. “Balaam also .. they slew with the sword”.
Numbers 31:15-18. “the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass”.
Deuteronomy 6:24. “for our good always”.
1 Corinthians 10:8. “Neither let us commit fornication”.
Matthew 19:9. “except .. for fornication”.
Deuteronomy 23:4-5. “they hired against thee Balaam”.
Joshua 13:21-22. “Balaam also .. did .. Israel slay with the sword”.
Joshua 24:9-10. “I would not hearken unto Balaam”.
Nehemiah 13:1-2. Ammon and Moab .. “hired Balaam against them”.
Micah 6:5. “Remember now .. what Balaam answered”.
Isaiah 57:13-14. “take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people”.
Romans 14:13. “no man put a stumblingblock .. in his brother’s way”.
Revelation 2:14. “them that hold the doctrine of Balaam”.