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Balaam son of Beor was a prophet for profit. The frightened king of Moab hired him to curse Israel so that his tiny nation would not be overrun. Instead, Balaam blesses Israel three times. We also discuss the incident in the desert with the fiery serpents (saraph nachash) and the Israelites’ defeat of the giant kings Sihon and Og.Continue Reading

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ONE OF the great mysteries of the Bible is the sacrifice of the red heifer. According to Numbers 19, it is required to purify those who come into contact with corpses. In Jewish tradition, the sacrifice of an unblemished red heifer is required before the prophesied Third Temple can be built.Continue Reading

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THE ISRAELITES have traveled to the border of the Promised Land. We discuss the post-Flood incursion of giants in Canaan, yet more rebellion by the Israelites, and God’s decision to make His people wait a full generation to cross the Jordan River.Continue Reading

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IT IS easy for us, with 3,500 years of hindsight, to be surprised at how quickly the Israelites rebelled against God after their rescue from Egypt.  Yahweh was right there in the midst over the Tent of Meeting as a cloud by day and pillar of night by night–and yet the people complained.Continue Reading

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This week, we read and discuss God’s statutes for holiness relating to sexual immorality, contacting the supernatural realm, and child sacrifice. The Israelites haven’t entered Canaan yet, and already God is warning them to avoid worshipping the evil god of the Ammonites, Molech.Continue Reading