When I would gather them, declares the LORD, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them.”
Jeremiah 8:13
Jesus’ Lament over Jerusalem’s crowds
Recall the fig tree and all the symbols of Jerusalem. You can almost hear Jesus lamenting:
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!
How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
Even as Babylon had devoured Israel from the Euphrates to the Jordan, Rome ruled with an iron hand. Even as Jeremiah prophesied against Judah (now Judea), the crowds knew Jesus could save them from Rome.
Not just Jesus but the crowds of Jerusalem as well ALL knew scripture (so much better than 21st c. christians.
Deuteronomy 9:5
It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Perhaps you can hear Jesus preach this to the crowds who wanted a King to defeat the Rome who ruled Galilee, Samaria and Judea.
The Lord says: I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lord your God..
“Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.”
Again, thorns and the fire, not the fig tree bearing fruit.
You may have guessed it:
This is not Jesus preaching about Rome prior to cursing a fig tree. It well could have been Jesus’ commentary on preaching of the Prophets from scripture.
Repentance of scripture — from six hundred years earlier — from the Prophet Jeremiah who was ignored and then rejected in Judea — and dismissed in this day of first century Judea as warnings of Scripture are frequently rejected and dismissed in these last days of the 23rd century.
6:9 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They shall glean thoroughly as a vine the remnant of Israel; like a grape gatherer pass your hand again over its branches.” 10 To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear?
Again, the vine. The fruit of Israel taken by its enemies.
And that is exactly what happened as Babylon defeated Jeremiah's Judah.
Powerful Rome ruled over Jerusalem, not the Jews. The Temple was symbol of political power, not actual rule.
“Certainly worship of the Lord had become symbolic lost hope for Israel.”
The crowds following Jesus to Jerusalem knew of the recent resurrection of Lazarus in Judea!
They knew of Jesus’ miracle of raising a boy from his coffin in Nain of Galilee.
Scripture is witness of the great prophet Elijah raising a child from the dead.
Jesus Resurrecting the Son of the Widow of Nain (oil on canvas) by Pierre Bouillon
A King and Prophet rides into Jerusalem, then later curses a fig tree.
These hopeful jews captive in their own land most likely ignored Jesus when the Lord had preached from Jeremiah and many other prophets.
DYK: John the Baptist also quoted Jeremiah?
We can almost hear Jesus or John the Baptizer preaching these words of repentance to a people without ears to hear from Jeremiah 7:11 and in the Prophet's context understand Jerusalem even more.
Jeremiah 7:
Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4 Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’
11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.
16 “As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you.
17 Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
27 “So you shall speak all these words to them, but they will not listen to you.
You shall call to them, but they will not answer you.
28 And you shall say to them,
‘This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God,
and did not accept discipline;
truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips.
When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return?
5 Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding?
They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return.
6 I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil, saying, ‘What have I done?’
… but my people know not the rules of the Lord. 8 “How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us’?
But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie. 9 The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord,
so what wisdom is in them?
… from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely.
… saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.
When I would gather them, declares the Lord, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them.”
14 Why do we sit still? Gather together; let us go into the fortified cities and perish there, for the Lord our God has doomed us to perish and has given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord. 15 We looked for peace, but no good came; for a time of healing, but behold, terror.
[In case you missed Part 1 or Part 2 of our long journey] We heard Balaam’s inaugural address in part in Numbers 24:3-9, first introduced in Part 1. Now we return to his journey toward the ceremonies of that momentous occasion.
[ctt title=”Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face.” tweet=”Numbers 22:31 after an ass had to tell a prophet to see the angel of the Lord.” coverup=”8dHCr”]
32 And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times.
How about this: your way is ‘perverse’ יָרַט [yarat] before the Lord! Your self-driven actions precipitate, push headlong and drive recklessly. You oppose the LORD! In fact, even your ass [אָתוֹן] saw the Angel of the Lord, but you did not.
Can you imagine the reaction of the prophet Balaam? First, his ass rebukes him, and now he finally sees the Angel of the Lord with a drawn sword asking why he struck his faithful donkey.
“… If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.”
34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.”
Awoken from Sin
35 And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.
[At the end of their long 400 mile journey a King prepares for the Inauguration of a new era with the great prophet of God on his side, so he thinks.]
38 Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak.”
[Indeed, what can a man or woman belonging to the Lord say, except the word of the Lord?]
41 And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people.
Next, we see ceremonies of the high event planned by Balaak. Seven altars become the focus of Inauguration events. But Balaam does the unexpected and blesses Israel.
“From Aram Balak has brought me,
the king of Moab from the eastern mountains:
‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
and come, denounce Israel!’
8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
… 11 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” …
18 And Balaam took up his discourse and said,
“Rise, Balak, and hear;
give ear to me, O son of Zippor:
19 [ctt title=”God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. ” tweet=”Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? – Numbers 23:19″ coverup=”97P9C”]
Balak objects once more and desperately takes Balaam to a third place to worship and proclaim the ‘good omen’ of inauguration of a new era where Israel will not prevail. If you recall Balaam’s inaugural address from the beginning of our story, the speech follows from the third mountain ahead.
When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened…
… 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”
Prophesy of the latter days
15 And he took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
16 the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
and knows the knowledge of the Most High,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
falling down with his eyes uncovered:
Balaam will now speak of things to come.
I would like to turn to the King James translation, revealing from the original Hebrew much more than a clashing of kings. My conclusion and image from the wilderness of this parable may challenge your perspective of this inauguration. Here I will share links to the scripture for your further Bible study.
and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab
I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star [ כּוֹכָב ] out of Jacob [יַעֲקֹב], and a Sceptre [שֵׁבֶט] shall rise [קוּם] out of Israel [יִשְׂרָאֵל], and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
An apocalypse spoken for the land of Moab and all the descendants of Sheth [שֵׁת ]. The land of Moab destroyed; but who are these ‘children of Sheth?’
Let those with ears to hear hear the parable of Balaam, a parable of veiled meaning. שֵׁת [pronounced, shāth] means, “compensation,” but you will recognize the proper Hebrew name for which שֵׁת is used, “Seth,” third son of Adam.
Consider the destruction of all the sons of Seth!
[ctt title=”Could another inauguration of evil in the high places bring about completion of these last days? For even brash sons of perdition and a prophet turned from God would not heed the warnings of an ass.” tweet=”Hear the parable of Balaam for another unexpected inauguration.” coverup=”Fos4Z”]
Let us pray that leaders of powerful countries heed the Word of the Lord.
“I am the Son of David, the Lion of Judah, Redeemer of Israel, Savior of the nations.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. Amen.
For those of you who missed Part 1 of our story of Balaam, we began by noting Balaam’s best inaugural speech in Numbers 24, to which we will return chronologically in Part 3. Now turning back to some background and the beginning of our story, King Balak of Moab sent diplomats to Balaam to urge him to prophesy against Israel, whose tribes have invaded nearby Canaan.
… Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. 4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5 sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying,
“Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. 6 Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
Some beckoning!
This foreign king gives great compliment to a prophet living miles away in another land (modern day, Iraq). We may be familiar with a western perspective from Egypt of the Hebrew people crossing of the Sea of Reeds. Perhaps we recall the fall of the major Canaanite city, Jericho. But let’s look at these events as reported to a Prophet living by the Euphrates River. The invasion of Canaan by the Hebrews coming into Canaan looks different from the west beyond Moab.
… 9 And God came to Balaam…
What happens next, of course, is that Balaam listens to God and tells Balak’s ambassadors, “Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
Later they return with a more money for Balak’s campaign.
20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.” 21 So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.
Seems fairly simple for a man to whom God speaks – a man who princes and kings know hear, a mere mortal who speaks the word of the Lord.
So Balaam joins the entourage of important men for their long return journey to Moab. King Balak believes inviting Balaam will be the inauguration (under good omens) of a new era in his land near the Jordan.
22 But God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary.
Wait just a minute
Something’s wrong here. Why would God be angry with Balaam; for the Lord had said, “go with them?”
Balaam’s attitude at a second return of more men with more political promises of riches in Moab must have swayed his original steadfastness to just send these politicians of Balak back home empty-handed. Look closely at some of the detail leading to Balaam’s return on this second journey of the Moabites and Midianites.
Prior to the first diplomatic mission to Balaam:
7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand… 13 So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”
I see no mention of acceptance of their ‘fees for divination.’
Second Diplomatic Junket
Take a look at Balaam’s challenge of the second mission of these diplomats from the Jordan River valley, a land promised to Israel by the Lord.
15 Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. 16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, 17 for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.’”
Hear once more Balaam’s reply the first time: “Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.” (No room for negotiation in his words.)
Listen to the subtlety of his second reply:
“Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more. 19 So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”
If I’m a negotiator in the middle east, it sure sounds like an opening to me.
‘I’ll sleep on it. I’ll ask the Lord again. (Maybe God will change His mind.)
Do you ask the Lord to command you twice?
In response to these high officials coming again to him with promises of power and influence, after already having received the Lord’s answer, Balaam went to the Lord once more. “Are you sure.” he asked?
Do we ask the Lord, “Are you sure?” Of course we do (even though the Lord’s command to us is clear).
Pethor on the Euphrates – 400 miles from Moab
Now comes the familiar story of Balaam’s journey with the princes and diplomats to the powerful capitals of their kings. It could be (if the Lord would allow) a great career move for Balaam.
Now the prophet, distracted by men of influence and dreams of earthly riches, misses the Lord’s message for him. In fact, Balaam’s procession to this inauguration puts him in great danger.
Balaam and his Donkey
You probably know this story and like many, smirk at its absurdity.
Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field.
And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. 25 And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall.
So he struck her again. 26 Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam.
And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
Balaam’s hopes for the inauguration
Balaam certainly expected a reward at the end the journey of about 400 miles. rather than trouble at the beginning. Perhaps this new year will offer us opportunity to consider Balaam’s failure to go forward without listening to God.
[ctt title=”Do your New Year\’s goals include God?” tweet=”What path does the LORD lead you to follow this year?” coverup=”6Gmbd”]
28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.”
Again, let’s overlook the humor for a moment of an ass rebuking a prophet of God. And while we are at it, let’s not be so quick to miss that God can make an ass speak that is obedient to His will, when a man will not speak God’s will (as a prophet is expected to do).
30 And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”
31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. 32 And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me.
Are your ways contrary to the Lord?
The leaders of Midian and the leaders of Moab led lives in opposition to the Lord. Their sacrifices to idol gods offended the Lord. (Surely Balaam knew of this.)
Like Abraham he was willing to travel this great distance. Unlike Abraham, Balaam traveled because he refused to listen to command of the Lord. Even so, the Lord was merciful here and spared Balaam’s life.
Balaam – Inauguration of a Politician’s Prophet – To be continued…
“I am the Son of David, the Lion of Judah, Redeemer of Israel, Savior of the nations.