Today is the 16th day of March. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is wonderful to be here with you today.

Wonderful to be around the global campfire gathering and taking another step forward together.

And our next step forward lead us back into the book of Numbers.

And back into the story of Moab's King Baylak and Baylam who has been invited to curse the Israelites on behalf of Moab, which she hasn't been able to do.

And so we pick up the story Numbers, chapters 24 and 25 today.

Now Baylam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel. So he did not go as at other times to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.

Baylam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his oracle saying,

The oracle of Baylam, son of Bior. The oracle of the man whose eye is clear. The oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down but with eyes uncovered.

How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel. Like palm groves that stretch far away, like gardens beside a river, like allows that the Lord has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters.

Water shall flow from his buckets and his seeds shall have abundant water. His King shall be higher than egg ag and his Kingdom shall be exalted.

God, who brings him out of Egypt, is like the horns of a wild ox for him. He shall devour the nations that are his foes and break their bones.

He shall strike with his arrows. He crouched. He laid down like a lion and like a lioness. Who will rouse him up?

Blessed is everyone who blesses you and cursed is everyone who curses you. Then Baylaq's anger was kindled against Baylam and he struck his hands together.

Baylaq said to Baylam, I summoned you to curse my enemies but instead you have blessed them these three times. Now be off with you. Go home.

I said I will reward you richly but the Lord has denied you any reward. And Baylam said to Baylaq,

Did I not speak to your messengers whom you sent to me saying, if Baylaq should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord to do either good or bad of my own will.

What the Lord says, that is what I will say. So now I am going to my people. Let me advise you what this people will do to your people in days to come.

So he uttered his oracle saying, the oracle of Baylam son of Bior. The oracle of the man whose eye is clear. The oracle of one who hears the words of God and knows the knowledge of the most high, who sees the vision of the Almighty, who falls down but with eyes uncovered.

I see him but not now. I behold him but not near. A star shall come out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. It shall crush the foreheads of Moab and the heads of all the sea dights.

Edom will become a possession, seer, a possession of its enemies, while Israel does valiantly. One out of Jacob shall rule and destroy the survivors of Eer. Then he looked on Amalek and uttered his oracle saying,

First among the nations was Amalek, but its end is to perish forever. Then he looked on the canites and uttered his oracle saying,

Enduring is your dwelling place and your nest is set in the rock. Yet cane is destined for burning. How long shall ashore take you away captive?

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