The Jerusalem Prayer List – 19 July, 2024
by Joseph Shulam - From Jerusalem Israel
Most Christians study The Book of Numbers minimally, and pastors are no exception. However, the book of Numbers has significant narratives for understanding the Torah and how God works with his children, enemies, and chosen ones! This portion, which will be read in all the synagogues in the world on July 20, 2024, is one of the more unique Torah readings. This Torah portion is named after the king of Moab, Balak. However, Balak, the son of Beor, is not really the main character in this story. Balak, the Babylonian Magician, and his donkey are the main characters of our Torah reading this Shabbat: Baalam.
The Torah reading is from Numbers 22:2-25:9; as you can see, it is not a short reading.
From the Prophets, the reading of this Shabbat is from Micah 5:6- 6:8.
The New Testament reading is from Matthew 21:1- 11.
First, here is a little background on this Balak son of Beor! Balak was a Moabite king. Moab is the country to the east of the Dead Sea. Moab is located at a critical junction on the King's Highway, El Camino Real (in Spanish). I bring this Spanish name because around the United States and in all countries that Spain and Portugal colonized in the 15th – 19th centuries, there is at least one road called "El-Camino-Real." All the places in the world that have a highway called by that name are influenced by this story, even if they never had a king.
Balak was under pressure because the children of Israel, their wives, children, and livestock were about to knock on the virtual doors of Moab. Balak didn't want them to cross into Canaan through his land and cross the Jordan River from his side. I suppose Balak must have been worried about the size of the Israelite Camp and the politics of his neighbors from the West.
So, what does Balak do to resolve his problem? He doesn't gather his armies! Balak doesn't ask Egypt to come and help him with the Israelites! He is called a magician, the most famous magician in "The Fertile Crescent,"; "Fertile Crescent" comes from the geography of the Middle East. Most of the land in the Middle East is in the harsh Arabian Desert. But surrounding this desert are formidable rivers with a rich history. On the north side, the two big rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, start north from Anatolia (Turkey of today) and pour into the Persian Gulf. To the West are two rivers pouring southward into the Jordan River Valley: the Litani and the Hasbani. Together, these four rivers form a crescent surrounding the Arabian Desert.
Balak, king of Moab, invites this famous magician (politician in our modern world) Balaam to cast a spell on Israel so that Israel will be defeated and not enter the land of Canaan through the Kingdom of Moab. Balak promises much gold as payment to Balaam for casting the spell and curse on the children of Israel. Here comes the surprise factor: Balak sends a delegation of dignitaries to the north to meet with Balaam, and this is their first conversation:
"And God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, "Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to give me permission to go with you."
God can talk and reveal himself to whomever He, the Almighty, pleases! God can also withhold speaking and revealing Himself even to some of his chosen and holy servants. My experience and advice to all is this: don't believe anyone who speaks prophecy, predicts that the Messiah is almost here, and furthers narratives of supposed important predictions. Most of these pastors and so-called "for-profit prophets" are as wonderful and precious as a 3 dollar bill. The word of God says this to all of us:
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1 NKJV).
Don't worry about me; sometimes I am 'bad' – the question is if what I say is true!
And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, "Balaam refuses to come with us." Balaam also said:
"And he said to them, "Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me." So, the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. Then God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?" So, Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, "Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.'" And God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." (Numbers 22:8-14 NKJV)
Let us learn a little about Middle Eastern negotiation tactics.
1) Go sleep it off first!
2) Whatever God tells me, that is what I will pass on to you! Balaam waits for an answer from God, and the answer from God is simple to understand: "Balaam, you shall not go with them (these people)
3) You shall not curse the people (of Israel). They are blessed!"
Here again, dear brothers, you see that God can communicate with people not covenant to him, like Israel, and God can sometimes refuse to communicate with his people, Israel. Sometimes, God tells his own prophets, "I don't want to hear you anymore!" Don't dismiss someone and deny yourself the privilege of hearing him just because he is not from your denomination or not Jewish or orthodox Jewish with a big fur hat and white high-knicker socks.
Balak, the son of Beor, is unhappy with Balaam's answer. He sends another delegation to Babylon to speak to Balaam. This time, Balak says to Balaam, "Come, please come to me. I need you and will make you rich and super wealthy." Balaam's answer to Balak's messengers is this:
"Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak was to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more." (Numbers 22:18 NKJV).
The question that comes to my mind from these exchanges between Balak's messengers and Balaam is this: Is Balaam playing hardball to increase the amount of gold he will get from Balak? Or is Balaam actually sincerely saying: "Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak was to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more?"
(Numbers 22:18 NKJV).
I am not sure both possibilities are on the table right now. I am jumping a few verses to cut a little of the conversations between Balaam and Balak's servants. Balaam goes to sleep after these high and lofty words that Balaam says to Balak's servants. Balaam sees a vision, a dream, or just a psychological subconscious in his sleep. Greed enters his mind – why not get enough gold to fill my house with it? Balaam's mouth was correct, but his heart was filled with thoughts of the gold he could gain from Balak. When Balaam wakes up, he remembers what his subconscious mind wants, and God also sees what is in Balaam's heart and grants him permission to go ahead and accompany Balak's men to Moab. Still, before this happens, Balak himself arrives in Babylon. Balak, the king, and Balaam, the magician (idol worshiper), go up a mountain and offer sacrifices. However, notice that the sacrifices that they offer are not clearly addressed to the God of Israel. I think that Balaam and Balak, two pagan dignitaries, just offered sacrifices, which is what the text tells us.
In Numbers chapter 23:3, Balaam sends Balak to offer more sacrifices to his gods. But Balaam goes to seek God and hear some instructions from God! God approves that Balaam should speak to Israel. I say talk, although Balaam's contract with Balak was to curse Israel. A person has to be a genius to do what Balaam did, "Balaam cursed Israel by blessing them!" It is not an easy task to perform in front of a King who promised you a house full of gold to curse Israel. In Numbers 24:2-4, Balaam looks from the top of the mountain. God even fills him with His spirit and sees Israel's encampment underneath him and the order that the tents are arrayed around the Tent of Meeting, and this is what Balaam says:
"Then he took up his oracle and said: "The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened, The utterance of him who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Who falls down, with eyes wide open: "How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel!" Like valleys that stretch out, like gardens by the riverside, like aloes planted by the LORD, Like cedars beside the waters. He shall pour water from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters. "His king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. "God brings him out of Egypt; He has strength like a wild ox; He shall consume the nations, his enemies; He shall break their bones and pierce them with his arrows. "He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him?' 'Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you." Then Balak's anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times!" (Numbers 24:3-10 NKJV)
These words of Balaam, the pagan magician, are the words that open the worship of every Jewish Synagogue in the world. Here you have it, dear brothers and sisters. The words of this one-eyed magician Balaam, the son of Zippor from Babylon, which were supposed to be a curse, become the opening statement of every Jewish worship in the world. When I say "every Jewish worship," I mean to say orthodox, conservative, and reformed synagogues around the whole world. I think that most of the Messianic Jewish Synagogues in the civilized world also open their Shabbat services with the words of this pagan magician. The question is, what Balak, the son of Beor, the king of Moab, thought about these words, which sound very much like a blessing, not like a curse.
Balaam, the son of Zippor, was not stupid. If Barak, the king of Moab, would have said to Balaam, I am giving you all this gold to curse Israel, not to bless them. Balaam would tell him, Dear Balak, what kind of a blessing is it for me to say that their tents are lovely? I wished them to be tent dwellers, not fortified and walled city dwellers. (When you have war with Israel, they will be in tents, not in walled and fortified cities.) Of course, the central part of the blessing is something the pagan king Balak would not understand. Balaam was a master in using double-entendre sentences. Words that could be used in two ways depending on how much context you use to convey the whole meaning of your intentions.
The fact is that Balak got his money's worth. Ultimately, he gave Balak the golden nugget of information and pointed out Israel's weakness. Israel's weakness, Balaam said, is beautiful gentile women. Send your beautiful women to entice and have sex with the Israeli men, and you will see the weakness of the Israeli men will give you the victory.
The talking donkey of Balaam is probably the most essential and also hilarious part of this Shabbat's Torah reading.
The story of Balaam's donkey and the angel, found in Numbers 22:21-34, offers several important lessons:
1. God's Sovereignty and Guidance: over people and donkeys, as in Jonah's story about sea creatures and the sea itself. God can use a pagan prophet, a magician, and a donkey. If this is true, God can and does use a one-eyed Jew like me.
2. God's Control: The story of Balaam and Balak uses Israelis and Pagans to accomplish His will and control to convey His will and guidance in the History of humanity.
3. God's Protection: This story shows that God protects His people and intervenes in situations that are not only military but have to do with the so-called witchcraft of the pagans to defend His people, Israel.
4. God and the Holy Spirit have humor. In this story of Balak and Balaam, the donkey seems to be much wiser and obedient than Balaam, the pagan prophet. Any creature can hear and listen to God, which is an essential lesson for religious people to remember. Many spiritual leaders think they have a permanent and exclusive audience with God. In this story, we learn that a stubborn donkey can receive revelation from God and be obedient and perceptive even more than a prophet.
5. Humility and Repentance go together, and a humbling experience can benefit both prophets and their donkeys. Balaam's encounter with the angel through his donkey was a humbling experience, reminding us that pride and stubbornness can blind us to God's will. Balaam's reaction after realizing his mistake shows the importance of repentance and confession of his errors, and the wisdom of his donkey must have humbled him. A fundamental lesson for Balaam and for us all is that God Can Use Anyone, even a jackass like me and you! This story demonstrates that God can use anyone or anything to achieve His purposes.
When I read the Bible, from the Torah to the New Testament, I saw that a lowly and humble beast of burden was the one who carried the Messiah into Jerusalem. It was not a royal steed with a magnificent grade that Yeshua was riding into Jerusalem, but a donkey.
Balaam's donkey was an unexpected Messenger.
I am taking notes from this story for myself. I have learned from this donkey the following lesson:
It is sometimes better for me to hear a donkey speak the truth than an eloquent preacher sharing the doctrines of his denomination as if it were God's Word.
Despite Balaam's initial intention to curse Israel for personal gain, the narrative shows the importance of doing what is right. Many times, I have seen that dedicated servants of God started with a negative intention and wanted to follow their own desires, but in the middle of the road, repented and changed their minds and did the upright and correct desires of God rather than following their own appetites and the enticements of others.
Balaam's story reminds us that God's plans and purposes will prevail, even if we, human servants of God, fail. God always has some hidden donkey that will align himself and bray bray bray until someone hears God's voice. Let us align ourselves with His will rather than oppose it or our own will.
I am writing this for all my friends and acquaintances. This is the time to stand with Israel and with the Jewish communities in our cities and churches. Learn from both Balaam and his donkey that God is the God of Israel and that all the promises of the Prophets of the Bible will be fulfilled. If you are against or ignoring Israel, you might find out that a donkey might become your teacher, like in Balaam's case.
I must confess that I like all the donkeys in the Bible, and when you think about it, all of them were very useful, both the live ones and the bones of the dead ones that Samson used to kill 1000 Philistines.
All the donkeys in the Bible seem wiser than the people on them and around them. God recognizes spiritual awareness and humility.
There is a big compliment in Orthodox Judaism to be called "The donkey of the Messiah!" Be a donkey of the Messiah, take the Messiah on your back, and carry Him back to Jerusalem! Provide for those of us who work in Israel and Jerusalem as tools like the donkey to bring the Messiah back home to the city of the great King, Yeshua! Contribute your love, prayers, and generosity to make it possible for us to make the road straight for Yeshua's return in these days and joy!
Overall, the account of Balaam's donkey and the angel teaches lessons about obedience, spiritual awareness, humility, and the recognition of God's sovereignty and ability to use any means to fulfill His purposes.
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Your prayers for brothers and sisters you don't know personally are pure love and building of the Body of the Messiah. It is Agape Love since you are doing this without any selfish interests and casting a vote in Heaven for someone who is your brother. Still, you don't know them, and God looks at these prayers that are unselfish and genuine expressions of love and care for another link in the long chain of love and faith that binds us together even though we might not know each other in this world.
When we all get to Heaven, it will be a joy to meet people we prayed for and sometimes even cried for. Brothers and sisters who are physically strangers but spiritually a part of the same body of Christ, I believe that one day we will have the privilege to sit together and share: "I remember praying for you to be healed!" "I remember praying for you to be safe when you were fighting in Gaza to free the hostages from the cruel hands of the terrorists of the Hamas in Gaza."
Pray for the following brothers and sisters who need divine grace and the gentle touch of the hand of God for healing and strength.
In Jerusalem:
update Joseph & Marcia Shulam
Additional test and scans are scheduled next week for his Thyroid. This week biopsy for the cancer locations were taken again. We pray for meaningful findings.
Ilana Ahijervie is a dear sister who is 98 years old and suffering from memory problems.
Please pray for our dear sister, Lea Kurkey.
Pray for Adam's father and mother, Barry and Dalia. They have some health problems and challenges.
Pray for Hannah suffering from Migraine Headaches. Miriam is a dear sister old age dementia.
Pray for Daniel S. and his children.
Pray for Gary, our dear leader in the Ro'eh Israel congregation, and his health, as well as for his wife Melanie and their family.
Pray for Um Mahmud Abu-Eid, Jimmy Abu-Eid, and all of the family. This is a dear family of old friends that needs healing and wisdom for the children and for their work.
Please pray for the Romero family, who live deep in the Negev desert. It is hot there, and they are far from our congregation, and we miss them.
In the U.K.:
Pray for Deborah Isaiah. I pray for the Lord to find Deborah Isaiah and lead her to a blessed life, family, and a solution to her problems.
In Finland:
Mauno Lemponen has been diagnosed with cancer in advanced stages. We are asking for God's Will to be done, giving him healthy days with family—prayers for Hilka, Miika, and Ester, who support each other.
Pray for Keijo and Salme, our dear partners and fellow workers in God's flock. Both Keijo and Salme have some challenging heart issues.
Pray for Satu-Maria, Sinni Tuuli, Anne Mirjami, our dear sisters
Pray for Eva H., Patty, Andrea, Julia, Victor, Aaron Tani, and Hillel.
In Brazil:
Pray for the Congregations related to Netivyah in Brazil to have the strength and stamina to face the challenges ahead of them with courage and strength of faithfulness to the Lord and to the vision of the restoration of the church and Israel.
Pray for the millions of victims of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition who have been forced to convert to the Catholic church and now want to return home to the land of Israel and the faith of our fathers.
Pray for a dear young man, Paulo, from Curitiba, Brazil, who seriously needs our prayers for sanity and mental health.
Pray for a dear sister named Claudia Rita Souze Arau. She has cancer and needs God's healing hands to touch her with healing.
Pray for Fatima Maria Docarmo Guimararaes - pray for her health and her granddaughters' twin babies.
Guilherme Antonio Nothen Becker is suffering from back problems.
Aratuza de Oliveira and his wife. Pray for their 3-year-old child, Caique de Oliveira Becker, who has severe problems with his eyes, and ask the Lord to give healing to his eyes.
In Asia:
Pray for Pastor TJ in Taiwan.
Pray for Deborah Ruth, a dear sister from China.
Pray for Sister Yoko Nagumo in Japan.
Tony Tam, his wife Luisa, and his son Marco need special prayers for their situation.
We continue to pray for Zhou Wenrian, the Abe family, Toru San, Yumi Ohara, and her family: Deborah Ruth, Ayla, Daniel, and their daughter.
Pray for Dr. Song and his wife, Sister Harriet Kim and the KIBI Ministry.
In the United States of America:
Larry is asking for prayers for his grandchildren. I would say most of us that have grandchildren are concerned about the states of the world. The state of intolerance. The temptations out there. Please pray for the holy sprit to guide them in making good choices.
Bill C. is undergoing some additional consultation and planning for dealign with a new Cancer diagnonsis. Pray for Jill supporting him.
Please continue to pray for the daughter of Bill Culwell, who is sick with cancer and is receiving a new third round of treatment. Please pray for success and healing.
Brother Philip Slate and his wife. She is suffering from several physical and mental health challenges.
Barbra and Angie in Alaska. Barbra has some pains and discomfort related to old age. Please lift them in prayer for strength and reduction in pain.
Jonathan Bernis is in a long six-month recovery from a liver transplant. We thank God for this match. Please pray for this new liver to function and provide much-needed function. Please pray for Elisangela and the girls and the doctors and nurses attending our dear brother Jonathan Bernis.
Please pray for Danah, my daughter's health issues. I pray for the Lord to give Danah wisdom, peace, and calm in life and her work.
Aaron Hook, Nancy Hook's oldest son, needs our prayers for wisdom and healing from past life issues.
Lift for blessing and healing Jonathan B., his wife Aviva, their new baby, his mother, and his brother Daniel.
Pray for these important men of God: Rabbi Salt, his family, and Rabbi Hasselblad. They are both older and need protection and blessings.
Also, pray for Ilana Avramov, who is married to my cousin Nissim and lives in New York City. Ilana has fallen and is now in rehab, learning how to walk again. We pray for her full recovery. She and Nissim both need our prayers.
Pray for Steve Mock - His cognitive condition has declined, and we ask for the grace of God and His Healing and strength. Steve and Josie's son Joseph has received a wonderful and glorious report. After the last bone marrow transplant, the report is that the doctors didn't find any leukemia in his body! Praise the Lord!
I am asking for a special prayer for a dear brother and friend who is now doing very important work in a very dangerous and precarious part of the world. Just mention DadyLion in your prayers and ask for divine protection and angelic accompaniment for this man of God.
For updates or requests please email us at:Prayer@netivyahinternational.org
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