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seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the LORD yonder. And the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus.

And when he came to him, behold he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath the LORD spoken ?

And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? behold, I have received commandment to bless and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion; he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain.

And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?

And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence. And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him. And he took up his parable, and said,

Balaam, the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said he hath said which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open : How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! as the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.

He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up?

Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but,

lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.

And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me saying, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak? and now, behold, I go unto my people : come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.

And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said he hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of I rael, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the

children of Sheth. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.

And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock. Nevertheless the. Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this! and ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever.

And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

Questions and Explanations.

Question.-Why did Balak, the King of the Moabites, send for Balaam?

Answer. The early history of Balaam is not known. He was probably brought up as an idolater, but had seen that the idols were false, and had heard something of the true God and of His people. The name Balaam means destroyer, or devourer of the people, and is nearly the same as that of the king who sent for him. Both names indicate the tyrannous power exercised by the king and the man who was his chosen adviser. Balak appears to have thought that Balaam had some special power of blessing and cursing, to which, probably, Balaam pretended, in order to maintain his influence with the king.

Q.-What sin did Balaam commit ?

A.-He knew that the Israelites were especially protected

by the Lord, and he dared not promise to curse them until he had asked if it were the Lord's will that he should do so. He was forbidden, and yet, when great rewards were promised him, he hesitated, and again asked the Lord. He ought at once to have told the king's messengers that he would not go; but he was covetous, and hoped that the Lord would allow him to

go if he asked His will a second time. Sometimes hesitation is sin; it was so in Balaam's case.

Q.-Was he at length permitted to go? A.-The Lord overruled evil for good. He allowed Balaam to deceive himself, but showed His power by putting blessings, instead of cursing, into his mouth, and making him prophesy the greatness of Israel and the coming of the Messiah.

Q.-What remarkable occurrence took place when Balaam was on his way to meet Balak ?

A. The ass on which he was riding spoke to him in reply to his angry words and cruel treatment. This was a wonderful instance of the power of the Lord, but so were all the miraculous events recorded in the Old and

New Testaments. God being Almighty, nothing is too

hard for Him.

Q.-What became of Balaam ?

A. He showed the real wickedness of his nature by advising Balak to tempt the Israelites to commit terrible sins, hoping that thereby they would lose the favour of God and so be easily conquered; and again, by fighting against them in the battle in which he was killed.

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ANOTHER NUMBERING OF THE PEOPLE.

A came to pass after the

plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying, Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel. And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, Take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward; as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt.

These were the numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty.

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him. Notwith

standing the land shall be divided by lot: according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few.

These are they that were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho. But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered. the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. For the LORD had said of them, They shall surely die in the wilderness. And there was not left a man of them save Caleb the son

of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Get thee up into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered. For ye rebelled against my commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.

And Moses spake unto the LORD saying, Let the LORD the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thine hand upon him; and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.

And Moses did as the LORD commanded him and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation and he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

Questions and Explanations.

Question.-How many Israelites twenty years old

and upwards, able to go to war, were there at the second numbering?

Answer.-Six hundred and one thousand seven hundred and thirty; about two thousand less than at the first numbering.

Q.-When Joshua was chosen to succeed Moses, why was he to be set before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation?

A.-To show that he would not, like Moses, have direct communication with the Lord, but that the priest would

ask counsel for him, "after the judgment of Urim," for the meaning of which see the "Explanations," p. 88 Q. What was the conduct of Moses when told that he should only be permitted to see, not to enter, the Promised Land?

A. He submitted humbly to the will of the Lord, only asking that a fit leader might be appointed, so that the people might not be as sheep without a shepherd. He knew how easily they were tempted to sin, and how hard it was to exercise authority over them. Moses had, no doubt, hoped that he might live to finish the work he had carried on so far; but by his example we may learn to say, "Thy will, not mine, be done.'

WAR WITH THE MIDIANITES.

AND the LORD spake unto Moses,

saying, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. And Moses spake unto the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge the LORD of Midian. Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.

So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 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.

And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. 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

sword.

of Beor they slew with the

And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their

cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles, with fire.

And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.

And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp, at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho.

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And the officers which were thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses: and they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us. We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD.

And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels. And all the gold of the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven

hundred and fifty shekels. (For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.) And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.

Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? and wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them? thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

And the LORD's anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying, Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: save Caleb the

son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.

And the LORD's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.

And, behold, ye are risen up in your father's stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel. For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.

And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones: But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.

And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war, and will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, and the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your

mouth.

And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my

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