Arrows for Protection

“God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows” (Numbers 24:8).

It is significant that these words were spoken by Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet, who apparently had a living connection with the God of Israel. 

His prophecies are quite astonishing. In chapter 23, we read: “He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them” (verse 21). We note no “iniquity” and no “perverseness.” That is strange because, during Moses’ time, God said: “Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice” (Numbers 14:22).

This holds an important lesson for the world. Balaam, the Gentile prophet, was not allowed to look into the family of Israel, because he was not one of them. He could only behold Israel from the outside—from God’s perspective. 

Do we have historical records of Balaam? 

Recent archaeological discoveries have added significant information about Balaam. In 1967, a Dutch expedition under H. Franken discovered fragments of inscriptions written on plaster at a Transjordanian site named Tell Deir ’Alla, located about 5 mi. (8 km.) east of the Jordan…the inscriptions attest the name of a seer, bl’ m brb ’r—“Balaam, son of Beor”—for the first time in an extra-biblical source of the biblical period.

-www.clgonline.org, 4 July 2020

We also know that Balaam is mentioned in the New Testament. Revelation 2:14 documents: “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.”

We want to highlight the word “arrows” in the introductory verse. It was the choice weapon to fight the enemy from a distance ... not like using a sword or spear. That is God’s intention with Israel even today. He has not revealed Himself to the people as of yet, but we know from Scripture that it will take place after the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. 

Arrows for Protection
A recent article in the Jerusalem Post reveals a different type of arrow; it shoots down and destroys incoming missiles from the enemy. Here are some excerpts:

Germany has received approval from Israel and the United States to purchase the Arrow-3 missile defense system, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Should Germany buy the system, it would mark the first time that the Arrow 3, one of Israel’s most advanced air defense systems that is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles at altitudes of over 100 km. (62 miles) and has a reported range of up to 2,400 km. (1,490 miles), has been sold to another country. 

“We must all prepare ourselves for the fact that we have a neighbor that is currently prepared to use force to assert its interests. That’s why we have to work together to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Scholz said in an interview with German television.

The Arrow 3 is a highly maneuverable system designed to provide ultimate air defense by intercepting ballistic missiles when they are still outside of the Earth’s atmosphere. It is considered one of the world’s best interceptors due to its breakthrough technological capabilities. The Arrow 3 is the only interceptor that doesn’t carry a warhead but intercepts an incoming missile by crashing into it.

-www.jpost.com, 6 April 2022

The system developed by Israel in conjunction with the US, is now made available to other countries. First Germany; others will follow. 

These developing events clearly demonstrate that we as believers should be on guard against incoming “arrows” from the powers of darkness: not of this world, but actually arising from “wickedness in the heavenly places,” as we read in Ephesians 6:12 (ASV).

We are in error when we identify nations, parties, or people; they are flesh and blood. Something much more powerful stands behind them.

This is especially significant for us believers, for the Bible says, “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4b). Let us, therefore, arm ourselves with God’s arrows, so we “may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

Midnight Call - 06/2022