The book of Numbers has officially jumped the shark. In the last section the kind of the Edomites told the Israelites that they could not pass through Edom. After some arguing they finally just went around. I just realized though, that the Israelites are supposed to be following God’s cloud of fire and light. Did they turn away from God or did God decide not to pass through Edom?
That’s kind of weird, but even stranger is the plague of snakes that God sends into the camp because people were complaining about how they should have stayed back in Egypt. When Moses prays about it God tells him to hoist a big bronze snake up on a pole and whoever looks at it will be cured of the snakes’ poison. That sounds a lot like an idol, but whatever.
Where things really get weird is when the Israelites are parked near Jericho and Moab, leader of the Moabites, had seen the destruction they’d brought upon the Amorites so he summoned Balaam. Balaam, it sounds like, is a guy who’s really good at cursing people. He also talks to God.
God told Balaam not to go at first, but then Moab sent some fancier priests and Balaam asked God again if he could go. God told him he could go with them but he had to do only what God told him to. On his way to Moab an angry, invisible, sword-wielding angel appeared three times in front of him and each time his donkey walked off the path or turned or did something to stop Balaam. The third time he started beating and cursing the donkey, but then God spoke to him through the donkey and allowed him to see the angel ahead who would have killed him.
Balaam apologizes and offers to return home. God tells him to continue on, but only to say what He tells him to. Moab seems a little impatient when they finally arrive, but Balaam shuts him down telling him that he’s here now, but he can only say what God allows him to.
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