What happened after God told Moses and Aaron they had forfeited the privilege of leading the people into the Promised Land? Numbers 20:12. The Lord told Moses to take Aaron to Mount Hor and “strip” him of his priestly garments and put them on Eleazer, making him the new priest of Israel. Aaron died on Mount Hor at the age of 123.
Numbers 21 details another rebellion of the Israelites, a meandering route, and battles of the Israelites as they came to the plains of Moab, just across from Jericho and the Promised Land. Numbers 22:1 begins, Then the sons of Israel journeyed, and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho.”
At this point, we are introduced to Balak, the king of Moab, who was scared that the Israelites would do to them what they had done to the Amorites, saying to some of the leaders, “This horde will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” Numbers 22:4. Balak is in a panic and sends for a “diviner” named Balaam to come and put a curse on the Israelites to stop them. Remember that the God of Israel, Yahweh, is the one true god, while Moab and other nations worship many other gods. While the story you are going to read in Numbers 22-24 is one of the strangest stories you will ever read, it illustrates our God’s greatness and His unquestionable ability to keep the promises He makes to His people.
Now, please read the entirety of Numbers 22-24, then come back and allow the following to clarify the meaning of this great story about our God’s ability and determination to keep His word to us. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/donkeys-diviners-gods-hand/ .
We serve an awesome God, the one true God and Lord of the universe! Since He is in ultimate control, what do we have to fear?