Números 24

Números 24

Constable notes that "Several types of divination were common in the ancient Near East." Extispicy (Haruspex) was the examination of the entrails of a sacrificed sheep by a trained specialist to determine messages from the gods. The intricate arrangements of the internal organs are what believers in this form of divination regarded as indicative of divine revelation. Astrology studied the arrangements of the moon, sun, meteors, planets, and fixed stars to discover the future. Eclipses were particularly significant. Augury was the study of the appearance, movements, and behavior of birds. The seers supposed the direction and manner of flight of birds was revelatory. Kleromancy (Cleromancy) was divination by means of lots. The various configurations of symbolic objects, actors, and areas yielded a binary (“yes” or “no”) answer to a given question. Oneiromancy was revelation by dreams that sometimes contained verbal communication from a god or non-verbal communication. In the latter type certain colors, animals, or activities corresponded to types of misfortune, happiness, or success. In all the types of divination, fortunetellers used tricks to deceive and impress their clients. They often clothed their predictions in mysterious ambiguous language to cover possible error. Devout Israelites were to reject divination as a way of discovering the likely outcome of events and to rely on God to make known what He wanted them to know. G Michael Hagan - DIVINATION - Communication with a deity for the purpose of determining the deity's knowledge, resulting in clarification of a decision or discernment of the future. Two forms of divination developed in the ancient Near East, one using inductive manipulation of natural or human phenomena and the other taking intuitive forms of inner revelation. The History of Divination . In Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Egypt, and Canaan, people communicated with their deities by means of divination, both on a personal and public level. From the Old Babylonian period (ca. 2000 b.c.) on in Mesopotamia, the reading of livers helped determine the actions of commoners and kings. A sheep was slaughtered, its liver removed, and the markings of the organ "read" for an answer. Other inductive types of divination included the analysis of stars, moon, entrails, lungs, weather, birds, and fetuses. Human-produced phenomena studied included casting lots, shooting arrows, dropping oil in water, drinking wine, calling the dead, and sprinkling water on an ox. Intuitive types of divination in the ancient Near East involved oracles, prophecies, and dreams. In Israel, an official position on divination limited its uses to forms that did not reflect the practices of surrounding cultures. Most inductive forms were forbidden (Leviticus 19:26 ; Deuteronomy 18:11 ), although the use of Urim and Thummim and lots supposes some inductive approaches. Most ancient practices, however, were used by both the populace and the officials. The Bible alludes to the use of omens (Isaiah 44:25 ), arrows (Hosea 4:12 ), animal actions (1 Samuel 6:7-12 ), the reading of livers (Ezekiel 21:21-22 ), budding plants (Numbers 17:1-11 ), necromancy (1 Samuel 28), and prophetic utterances, called false (Micah 3:7,11 ) or "lying divinations" (Isaiah 44:25 ; Jeremiah 14:14 ; 27:9-10 ; Ezekiel 12:24 ; Zechariah 10:2 ). References to the "soothsayers' tree" (Judges 9:37 ), the "sons of a sorcerer" (Isaiah 57:3 ), and the girl with a spirit of divination (Acts 16:16-19 ) are evidence of widespread practice. Theology of Divination . Divination presupposes that the divine communicates with the human. This communication takes both human and divine initiative. Inductive techniques depend on human initiation. The Bible supposes that a priority rests on revelatory forms (dream, vision, oracle) rather than on inductive ones (Urim/ Thummim, ephod). Although natural phenomena may communicate God's will, their interpretation must be scrutinized and may be helped by the verbal. It seems clear that God is not limited to the use of any one means of revelation. Why would the Bible record such strong negative injunctions against inductive divination? Deuteronomic law especially attacks everything connected with pagan religions. Foreign deities may have attached themselves to these methods. Even then, most of Israel's approved methods display parallels with the surrounding cultures. The question of veracity may be involved because they prove difficult to interpret. For this reason, verbal forms take precedence over inductive methods. Yet even prophecies need to stand the test of whether they come true (Deuteronomy 18:21-22 ). Human need requires discernment of divine desires. God chooses to communicate in a variety of ways, including divination techniques, but always in the clearest, most unambiguous way possible. (Baker Evangelical Dictionary Divination) Related Resources: What does the Bible say about divination? | GotQuestions.org Torrey Topical Textbook Divination Easton's Bible Dictionary Divination Fausset Bible Dictionary Divination Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Divination Magic, Divination, and Sorcery Holman Bible Dictionary Divination and Magic International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Divine; Diviner McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Divination. Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Divination Arrows divination by The Jewish Encyclopedia Divination Numbers 24:2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him. BGT Numbers 24:2 καὶ ἐξάρας Βαλααμ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ καθορᾷ τὸν Ισραηλ ἐστρατοπεδευκότα κατὰ φυλάς καὶ ἐγένετο πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ NET Numbers 24:2 When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him. NLT Numbers 24:2 where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him, ESV Numbers 24:2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, NIV Numbers 24:2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him KJV Numbers 24:2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him. YLT Numbers 24:2 and Balaam lifteth up his eyes, and seeth Israel tabernacling, by its tribes, and the Spirit of God is upon him, LXE Numbers 24:2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and sees Israel encamped by their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. ASV Numbers 24:2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. CSB Numbers 24:2 When Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him, NKJ Numbers 24:2 And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. NRS Numbers 24:2 Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon him, NAB Numbers 24:2 When he raised his eyes and saw Israel encamped, tribe by tribe, the spirit of God came upon him, NJB Numbers 24:2 Raising his eyes Balaam saw Israel settled tribe by tribe; the spirit of God came on him GWN Numbers 24:2 looked up, and saw Israel's camp grouped by tribes. The Spirit of God entered him, camping tribe by tribe: Nu 24:5 2:2-34 23:9,10 Song 6:4,10 the Spirit: Nu 11:25-29 1Sa 10:6-10 1 Sa 19:20,23 2Ch 15:1 Mt 7:22 10:4,8 Lu 10:20 Joh 11:49-51 Numbers 24 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE SONS OF ISRAEL CAMPING TRIBE BY TRIBE And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe - On this occasion Balaam was able to visualize all 12 tribes with the tabernacle in the center. Camping is shakan (the root of Shekinah) and is used in Ex 29:45+ “I will dwell (shakan) among the sons of Israel and will be their God." Bush notes that "The order (enlarge the picture above to see the orderly arrangement of each tribe around the Shekinah) prescribed for the disposition of the several tribes was always observed during their encampment, and this exact and beautiful order seems to have made a profound impression upon the spirit of Balaam, as may be inferred from his language in vs. 5–7. And the Spirit of God came upon him - (cf Saul in 1Sa 10:6-10, other examples = Jdg 3:10+, Jdg 11:29+, Jdg 14:6+, Jdg 6:34-see comments on Spirit coming upon someone) As previously noted in Nu 23:7+ the Septuagint has almost the identical Greek as in this passage (egeneto pneuma theou) and is translated the same (in the Lexham Septuagint English translation). These are the only two places in the entire Pentateuch (except Ge 1:2 and Ge 41:38, close but not exact is 2 Chr 15:1 = egeneto ep auton pneuma kuriou) where this exact phrase Spirit of God came upon occurs. Interesting to be sure! I would submit that in some way undoubtedly the Spirit was active in the previous discourses because the Word of God had been placed in Balaam's mouth (Nu 23:5 = "the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth" Nu 23:16 = "the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth"), so that he could not speak curses even if he tried to do so! Conversely he was able to speak only blessings, surely a reflection of the influence (? control) of the Spirit of Truth. (See also What was the role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.org) Some commentators say this marks the beginning of Balaam as a bona fide prophet. While he is a prophet in one sense, he is a false teacher in another sense (Rev 2:14, Jude 1:11). Bush notes that "In like manner the Spirit of God came upon Saul, converting him temporarily into a new man, but not making any permanent change in his character (ED: THAT IS BUSH'S INTERPRETATION AND CERTAINLY IT IS POSSIBLE AS YOU LOOK AT SAUL'S LIFE- see Was King Saul saved?), 1 Sa 19:19–23. Bush goes on to quote John