Leviticus 23
Numbers 23 continues the story of Balak and Balaam. Balak wants Balaam to curse Israel, but Balaam repeatedly says that he can speak only what God gives him. In this chapter, Balaam delivers two oracles of blessing, and Balak then prepares for a third attempt that continues into Numbers 24.
1verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
2verse“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The set feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts.
3verse“‘Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; you shall do no kind of work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings.
4verse“‘These are the set feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their appointed season.
5verseIn the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is the LORD’s Passover.
6verseOn the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to the LORD. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
7verseIn the first day you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.
8verseBut you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD seven days. In the seventh day is a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.’”
9verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
10verse“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘When you have come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap its harvest, then you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.
11verseHe shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you. On the next day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12verseOn the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb without defect a year old for a burnt offering to the LORD.
13verseThe meal offering with it shall be two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the LORD for a pleasant aroma; and the drink offering with it shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin.
14verseYou must not eat bread, or roasted grain, or fresh grain, until this same day, until you have brought the offering of your God. This is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
15verse“‘You shall count from the next day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed.
16verseThe next day after the seventh Sabbath you shall count fifty days; and you shall offer a new meal offering to the LORD.
17verseYou shall bring out of your habitations two loaves of bread for a wave offering made of two tenths of an ephah of fine flour. They shall be baked with yeast, for first fruits to the LORD.
18verseYou shall present with the bread seven lambs without defect a year old, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their meal offering and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet aroma to the LORD.
19verseYou shall offer one male goat for a sin offering, and two male lambs a year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
20verseThe priest shall wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
21verseYou shall make proclamation on the same day that there shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall do no regular work. This is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
22verse“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you must not wholly reap into the corners of your field. You must not gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.’”
23verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
24verse“Speak to the children of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, there shall be a solemn rest for you, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
25verseYou shall do no regular work. You shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.’”
26verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
27verse“However on the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement. It shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall afflict yourselves and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.
28verseYou shall do no kind of work in that same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God.
29verseFor whoever it is who shall not deny himself in that same day shall be cut off from his people.
30verseWhoever does any kind of work in that same day, I will destroy that person from among his people.
31verseYou shall do no kind of work: it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
32verseIt shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall deny yourselves. In the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall keep your Sabbath.”
33verseThe LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
34verse“Speak to the children of Israel, and say, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the feast of booths for seven days to the LORD.
35verseOn the first day shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work.
36verseSeven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation to you. You shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall do no regular work.
37verse“‘These are the appointed feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, each on its own day—
38versein addition to the Sabbaths of the LORD, and in addition to your gifts, and in addition to all your vows, and in addition to all your free will offerings, which you give to the LORD.
39verse“‘So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruits of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest.
40verseYou shall take on the first day the fruit of majestic trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
41verseYou shall keep it as a feast to the LORD seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations. You shall keep it in the seventh month.
42verseYou shall dwell in temporary shelters for seven days. All who are native-born in Israel shall dwell in temporary shelters,
43versethat your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in temporary shelters when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’”
44verseSo Moses declared to the children of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD.
Structure and Flow
- Verses 1-6: Balak and Balaam prepare seven altars and sacrifices, and Balaam receives a message from God.
- Verses 7-12: Balaam’s first oracle blesses Israel rather than cursing it.
- Verses 13-24: Balak moves Balaam to another location, hoping for a different result, but Balaam again declares that God’s blessing cannot be reversed.
- Verses 25-30: Balak prepares a third location and another set of sacrifices, leading into the next oracle in Numbers 24.
The Overall Meaning of the Text
The central emphasis of the chapter is that human attempts to manipulate blessing and curse cannot overturn God’s declared will. Balaam’s oracles stress that God is not changeable like a human being and that Israel’s security rests in God’s commitment rather than in Balak’s plans.
Points to Ponder
- Where do human plans appear strong, yet remain unable to change what God has spoken?
- How does the text portray the difference between religious ritual used for control and speech submitted to God’s command?
- What does the repeated failure of Balak’s plan suggest about trusting God’s promises?
Try Applying This to Me
This chapter invites readers to examine whether they are trying to force outcomes through fear or control, or whether they are learning to receive and trust what God has spoken. It also encourages careful speech: Balaam can only speak the word given to him, even when that word disappoints the powerful person who hired him.
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