Parashah Balak Comments – 2022

The Bible is one book. Because we refer to portions of it as “books,” we often focus on the parts and lose sight of the reality that Scripture tells one unified story: God reveals Himself and reconciles His children through His Son, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah), and will return to dwell with His people in the New Jerusalem as He did in the Garden before the failure of Adam and Eve.

The Readings and the Thread That Binds Them

This week’s readings—Parashah Balak (Numbers 22:2–25:9), the Haftarah (Micah 5:6–6:8), and the Gospel (Mark 11:12–26)—all touch on our calling to trust God’s reconciliation and its opposite: idolatry. We all believe in something. Even atheists believe there is no God.

Balaam, Balak, and the Trap of a Divided Heart

Balaam talks with God yet angers Him by his eagerness to do King Balak’s bidding. He knows God, but his heart is not aligned with God. He speaks God’s words, but not with God’s heart. Midian’s seer and Moab’s king—historic enemies—unite in hatred of Israel. At first Balaam is constrained to bless Israel, but by the end he teaches Israel to curse themselves through immorality with Moabite women and participation in pagan sacrifices. Twenty-four thousand die until Pinchas (Phinehas), Aaron’s grandson, halts the plague with zealous fidelity.

First Things First: God, Then Family

Scripture teaches our priorities: God first, family second; after that come career, ministry, friendships, and self. When anyone or anything replaces God as our highest love, we are stealing from God—even the breath in our lungs is His gift. Replacing God with service, success, ritual, or relationships is idolatry.

When the service of the fellowship becomes more important than the worship of God, it is idolatry. The congregation in Ephesus (Revelation 2) serves hard yet risks forgetting its first love, much like the Apostles discovering they must not neglect the word and prayer to “wait on tables” (Acts 6).

“Graven Images” and the Heart Behind Worship

The second commandment forbids the worship of what humans make. If you stop at verse 4 you might think carving anything is banned; verse 5 clarifies the real issue: bowing to and serving the thing. Verse 3 has already set the tone: “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

Do some people worship the cross? Probably. Are all Catholics idolaters because of saints, the Blessed Virgin, or angel statues? No. Some may mistakenly trust objects or rituals to earn favor; others use them as aids that focus the heart on God. The same question applies among my Jewish brothers and sisters: do some effectively “worship the Torah” as a system of works rather than a path of relationship? If one keeps Shabbat, eats kosher, wears tzitzit or tefillin, or dons a kippah to gain favor, that trust may slide toward idolatry of practice; if done to love God and remember His commands, those same practices can deepen covenant intimacy.

Christmas, Sukkot, and Discernment

Is celebrating Christmas inherently pagan because of ancient solstice associations? If one ties Yeshua’s birth to sun-worship, yes—problem. We likely agree Yeshua wasn’t born on December 25. Still, marking His birth on that date doesn’t automatically make one a pagan. Personally, I believe Yeshua was born in a sukkah during Sukkot—but the greater question is whom we worship and how we honor Him.

Likewise, the Star of David may resemble symbols used elsewhere; that doesn’t empty its Jewish meaning today. On the other hand, I don’t celebrate Halloween because of its associations with spiritism. You may differ; charity and clarity can coexist.

What God Actually Wants

God wants our hearts—trusting, just, merciful, humble. We cannot see another’s heart perfectly. Actions matter, but we warn and judge only when behavior clearly leads to destruction. In the end, Messiah Yeshua will set all things right.

The Gospel Hidden in Genesis’ Names

Genesis traces the line from Adam to Noah. Beyond transliterations lie meanings that preach:

• Adam — Man

• Seth (Shet) — Appointed

• Enosh (Enos) — Mortal

• Kenan — Sorrow

• Mahalalel — The Blessed God

• Jared — Shall come down

• Enoch — Teaching

• Methuselah — His death shall bring

• Lamech — The despairing

• Noah — Rest, comfort

Rendered as a sentence: “Man is appointed mortal sorrow; but the Blessed God shall come down, teaching that His death shall bring the despairing rest.” The Gospel glimmers from the beginning.

A note on Genesis 4:26: many translations read “then people began to call on the name of the LORD.” The Hebrew ḥalal can also mean “profane,” leading some sages (e.g., Rashi, Maimonides) to read the verse as the profaning of God’s name—ascribing His Name to idols—an early warning about idolatry’s drift.

Balaam’s Messianic Vision

Even Balaam points beyond himself to Messiah—the Star and Scepter from Jacob—who crushes idolatry and gathers a holy people.

The Angel of Adonai and Jewish Veneration

The Angel of Adonai manifests God’s presence so humans can encounter Him without perishing. If Torah records such veneration because God’s Name is in Him, then honoring Yeshua, God’s Shaliach (sent one, ambassador), accords with a deeply Jewish pattern of reverence.

Can One Be Jewish and Believe God Became Flesh?

Traditional Judaism insists on God’s oneness and rejects claims of incarnation. Yet first-century Messianic Jews and many rabbinic sources leave room for profound mysteries of divine manifestation (e.g., God visiting Abraham, speaking, eating, and yet remaining God in heaven). The claim is not that God is two gods, but that the one God made Himself known in Yeshua—consistent with how Scripture already portrays His presence.

So, What Is Idolatry—and What Isn’t?

Idolatry is not merely statues and solstices; it is trust displaced—when anything, even good religious things, takes the throne of the heart. Symbols can aid devotion or become idols; holidays can point to Messiah or smuggle in superstition. The test is simple: Is God first? Are we acting justly, loving mercy, walking humbly? Are we trusting Yeshua?

Conclusion and Prayer

May the details in the “many books” of the one Book lead us closer to one another, to the fullness of who God is, and to His good plans for all who love Him. May we reject idols—obvious and subtle—and cling to Yeshua, the Star and Scepter, our Rest.