Organized Conspiracy vs. Moses' Israel

In the Book of Numbers (Ch. 22-31) we read about Israel's encounter with Balaam on their way from the Wilderness to Canaan. Balaam proposed the crafty strategy of luring Israel into sin, so that YHWH-God would revoke his protection of Israel —*then Israel could be destroyed. This under-handed under-mining of God's Folk is called the "Doctrine of Balaam", and Balaam so instructed all the leaders of Moab.


Bearing this in mind, after the initial gains of the Book of Joshua, by the time Judges comes around, Israel is indeed being lured into sin, through the "Doctrine of Balaam". Furthermore, throughout the Books of Samuel and Kings - Chronicles, Israel is lured further and further into sin — until Shalmanesser, Sargon, and Nebuchadrezzar chastised Israel for her sins.


I draw a connection here. I believe that the undermining of Israel, as described in Judges — Kings / Chronicles, was not just happenstance, but was rather an organized and orchestrated implementation of Balaam's doctrine by all the surrounding nations, acting wittingly in concert. In short, there was "method to the madness".

(To make a crude analogy to the movie "Usual Suspects", there really was an "arch-criminal behind it all", all the sin/crime wasn't just random acts of thuggery and violence, but orchestrated according to a (subtle and sly) master plan.)


Furthermore, the NT thrice refers to the Doctrine of Balaam: Jude 11 records "the error of Balaam," II Peter 2:15 records "the way of Balaam," and Rev. 2:14 records "the doctrine of Balaam."

Thus, we see that this organized conspiracy to undermine Israel lasted for ~1300 years, from before the time of Joshua's conquests to the days of the Messiah Yeshua the Nazarene.

 

In 1967, a fragment from the "Book of Balaam" was recovered in the remains of an ancient school at Deir Alla in Transjordan (E. of Jordan River). This makes Balaam the oldest Biblical person attested independently by archaeology.

Not only that, but as I said it appears that the ruined building was some kind of school or learning site. It was destroyed by an earthquake around 760 BC. That's 500 years after Balaam encountered Israel in Numbers 22-31. Clearly the nations around Israel nursed Balaam's memory, and his teaching, in organized schools, for half a millennium.

(!!)

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-abr/abr-a014.html

 

Balaam specifically instructs the enemies of Israel how they may destroy her — by luring Israel into sin, so that Israel becomes vulnerable to God's wrath.

Then, from Judges — 2 Kings (2 Chr), this is exactly what we see play out — Israel is lured into sin, and is punished by God's wrath.


Moreover, this luring into sin is exactly what the serpent did to Eve in Eden.


That is the value of Scripture — you can see the adversary at work, undermining Israel for century after century after century.


And the Messiah and his Apostles all clearly saw it, and warned their followers against it.


ADDENDUM:

Emperor Julian the Apostate reigned from 361-363 AD. He was the last pagan Emperor of Rome. He tried vigorously to undermine Christendom. Amongst many other things, he said:

Now, not only was Julian anti-Christian and pro-Pagan, but (in particular) he was pro-Judaism (!). In 363, on his way to his fateful war against Persia, Julian stopped in Jerusalem and ordered a magnificent rebuilding of Herod's Temple. A personal friend of his, Ammianus Marcellinus, wrote this about the effort:

THUS WE SEE that, after some 1600 years of constant "satanic attack" against Israel — through the Doctrine of Balaam — from the days of Moses and Joshua, through those of the Messiah, up until Julian the Apostate, Israel was progressively undermined further and further. In the days of Joshua, Israel was strong and vigorous, and mightily anti-Pagan. But its strength was sapped more and more, until it was subjugated to foreign rule (722 BC, 586 BC), rejected its own Messiah and was decimated by war (70 AD), and finally it stood shoulder to shoulder with Pagans — and Emperor Julian — against its own Messiah and his Church.

 

True. However, b-e-f-o-r-e you ever read of "Ba'al" or "Asherah" or any other false religion luring Israel into sin, you read of Balaam and his "assault plan" on how the pagan heathens could ultimately undermine, sap, and implode Israel (who was then "exploding" onto their heathen pagan scene).

May I please illustrate this??


In the Hebrew Old Testament, the word Ba'al is encoded (Strong's Concordance) as H1168. The first time you encounter this word is in Judges 2:11, "And the sons 01121 of Israel 03478 did 06213 evil 07451 in the eye 05869 of YHWH 03068, and served 05647 Baalim 01168. Note that Ba'alim is the Hebrew plural of Ba'al.


By contrast, the word Baalam is encoded (Strong's Concordance) as H1109. You first read this word in Numbers 22:5, and all told it appears some 57 times (Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua) b-e-f-o-r-e you ever read the word Ba'al.


NOTE: It is also interesting that Judges 2:11 reads, "and the sons of Israel... served Ba'alim", which is almost the exact same pronunciation as "served Ba'alam".

 

Why does Mankind have a predilection to sin?

Because of the Fall of Mankind, induced by the adversary's trickery, waaay back in Genesis 3.

Balaam is not the root of the problem. The root of the problem is satan, who has been luring mankind into sin since Eden.

If mankind had no internal predilection to sin, satan / Balaam would have nothing to work with — no "hold" or "purchase" on Mankind.

(1) satan impregnated Mankind with sin, to wit, a sinful nature (Genesis 3).

(2) Then, the minions of satan (eg. Balaam) use that sinful nature to lure Mankind into sin and imprison him there in sin (John 8:34-5; Rom 6:6; 2 Tim 2:26).


The whole Mighty Work of YHWH-Elohim through Moses was leading Israel out of bondage into holiness, purity and freedom, culminating in the Messiah's mission. For, the Messiah is truth (John 14:6), and the Truth sets us free (John 8:32).

The adversary then reacted by trying to ply the age-old game, of pandering to sinful nature and shackling in sin.


Ultimately, my argument does not begin in Numbers 22, but Genesis 3.



ADDENDUM:

As a step in the implementation of the Doctrine of Balaam, the Moabites use their womenfolk to lure Israelite men into sin. We read:

While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of YHWH was kindled against Israel. And YHWH said to Moses, "Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the YHWH, that the fierce anger of YHWH may turn away from Israel.
Numbers 25:1-4​

This is, in essence, precisely what Eve did to Adam in Eden (Gen 3:6).

(Now look at America today (!), get it?? get it??)

 

If I wittingly lure you out of an upper story window, and you fall and break your leg, I broke your leg. Let us please not split hairs. I broke your leg, I did something, that something broke your leg, er go, I broke it.

 

I see Balaam as a kind of "nexus" or "node" through whom, as it were, the adversary's influence flows out to all those "countless others who have lured God's people away".

Balaam is, crudely, the adversary's "general" for the "Canaan Sector".

As I showed, their was a "Rabbinical School" at Deir Allah, destroyed by earthquake in c. 750 BC, which put the words of Balaam up on its walls. The Canaanites surrounding Israel lauded, praised, recorded, and taught Balaam's words for at least 500 years (!!) from the days of Moses & Joshua in Moab to that earthquake.

Balaam was clearly the chief, head influence against Israel. Every pagan act of infiltration and subversion of Israel was from Balaam's playbook.

I suppose you might crudely say that "the adversary delegated all authority to Balaam" for "anti-Israel operations".

Again, every pagan act of infiltration and subversion of Israel was from Balaam's playbook, and the Canaanites surrounding Israel lauded, praised, recorded, and taught Balaam's words for at least 500 years.

 

I see Balaam as a kind of "nexus" or "node" through whom, as it were, the adversary's influence flows out to all those "countless others who have lured God's people away".

Balaam is, crudely, the adversary's "general" for the "Canaan Sector".

As I showed, their was a "Rabbinical School" at Deir Allah, destroyed by earthquake in c. 750 BC, which put the words of Balaam up on its walls. The Canaanites surrounding Israel lauded, praised, recorded, and taught Balaam's words for at least 500 years (!!) from the days of Moses & Joshua in Moab to that earthquake.

Balaam was clearly the chief, head influence against Israel. Every pagan act of infiltration and subversion of Israel was from Balaam's playbook.

I suppose you might crudely say that "the adversary delegated all authority to Balaam" for "anti-Israel operations".

Again, every pagan act of infiltration and subversion of Israel was from Balaam's playbook, and the Canaanites surrounding Israel lauded, praised, recorded, and taught Balaam's words for at least 500 years.