Study Desk

So Moses and Aaron left the crowd of people and went to the entrance of the Meeting Tent. They bowed down to the ground, and the Glory of the Lord appeared to them.

The Lord listened to the Israelites and helped them defeat the Canaanites. They completely destroyed the Canaanites and their cities. So that place was named Hormah.

The Israelites left Mount Hor and traveled on the road that goes to the Red Sea. They did this to go around the country of Edom. But the people became impatient.

They began complaining against God and Moses. The people said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt? We will die here in the desert! There is no bread and no water! And we hate this terrible food!"

Then they left Oboth and camped at Iye Abarim in the desert east of Moab.

They left that place and camped in Zered Valley.

Then they moved and camped across from the Arnon River in the desert. This river started at the Ammonite border. The valley was the border between Moab and the Amorites.

Great men dug this well. Important leaders dug this well. They dug this well with their staffs and walking sticks. It is a gift in the desert."

But the Israelites defeated the king and took his land from the Arnon River to the Jabbok River. The Israelites took the land as far as the Ammonite border. They stopped at that border because it was strongly defended by the Ammonites.

Israel took all the Amorite cities and began living in them. They even defeated the city of Heshbon and all the small towns around it.

Moses sent some men to look at the town of Jazer. Then the Israelites captured that town and the small towns that were around it. They forced the Amorites who were living there to leave.

So the Israelites defeated Og and his army. They killed him, his sons, and all his army. Then the Israelites took all his land.

The leaders of Moab and Midian left. They went to talk to Balaam. They carried with them money to pay him for his service. Then they told him what Balak had said.

This is the message: A new nation of people has come out of Egypt. There are so many people that they cover the land. So come and curse these people. Then maybe I will be able to fight them and force them to leave my land."

So the leaders of Moab went back to Balak and told him this. They said, "Balaam refused to come with us."

They went to Balaam and said, "This is what Balak son of Zippor says to you: Please don't let anything stop you from coming.

The people are as strong as lions, and they fight like lions. And a lion will not rest until it eats what it has caught, until it drinks the blood of what it has killed."

He looked out across the desert and saw all the Israelites. They were camped with the tribes in their different areas. Then the Spirit of God came on him,

"God brought them out of Egypt. They are as strong as a wild ox. They will defeat all their enemies. They will break their bones and shatter their arrows.

Israel is like a lion, curled up and lying down. Yes, they are like a young lion, and no one wants to wake him! Anyone who blesses you will be blessed. And anyone who curses you will have great troubles."