22:3 So Balak was 'sore afraid' of Israel. The word had gone before them and so a little later the inhabitants of Jericho were in the same position. (Josh 6:1) so incredible was the event of Israel leaving Egypt almost 40 years earlier that the people of the land of Canaan were waiting in terror for the children of Israel to arrive - if only Israel had realised this!

23:23 and 24:1 Enchantment <05173> is closely related to the word translated serpent <05175> in Genesis 3 and on some other occasions. When it is used outside Genesis 3 it is often associated with false speaking (Psalm 140:3).

22:6 Balak's comment echoes what God had said to Abram (Genesis 12:3) indicating that the promises that God had made to Israel were known throughout the middle east.

ch 23 - Notice the emphasis on the fact that Balaam only spoke the words that God gave him (:5, 12, 16)

22:25,35 The double emphasis to Balaam is that he will only be able to speak God's word. However he was able to work out a way to obtain his reward even though he was only able to speak God's word. Num 31:16. So we should not think that a man chosen by God cannot sin - he can blatantly disregard what he knows to be the word of God. In this is a warning for us.

23:7,18, 24:3,15,20,23 The repeated use of the word 'parable' 04912 which is the normal Old testament word for Parable / Proverb and is the basis of the word that Jesus used causes us to realise that Balaam's words were only for those who had a mind to understand the purpose of God. Jesus teaches us that parables are for the enlightened. Matt 13:13 to separate out those who were interested in his message from those who were only there to mock.

Balaam was a prophet for hire.  He had the reputation of being very effective in the blessings and curses department (22:6). 

Of course, dealing with the living God was very different than dealing with the superstitions surrounding those gods made out of wood and stone.

Balaam was unable to curse God's people.  It is not certain whether he received payment for his efforts or not.  Yahweh used him to preach the Truth.  He was later killed in a battle with the Midianites (Num 31:8, Josh 13:22).

23:V18-19 "Rise up" As Balak was already standing (V17), this expression is equivalent to "now attend to me."  The counsels and promises of God respecting Israel are unchangeable, and no attempt to prevail on God to reverse them will succeed, as they may with man.

22:32    That Balaam was withstanding God and his ways were perverse is taken up by Peter – Acts 1:18 to speak of Judas. 'perverse’ in Numbers could also be translated headlong – see margin.

22:22 - Here we have a mention of a righteous satan; "adversary" (KJV)/"oppose" (NIV) is translated directly from the Heb.word "satan"  (7854) which means "an opponent, adversary",etc. and is used in this case to represent the angel of the Lord. In the first two chapters of Job this exact same word "satan" (7854) is used to refer to Job's adversary.

23:19   Balaam’s statement that God was not a man who lied is taken up by the prophet – Hos 11:9

22:11 The ‘Balaam incident’ took place only weeks before Israel. entered the land. The nation was not much bigger than it had been the first time they arrived at the border of the land. Whilst we are not told what the inhabitants of the land thought on that occasion one has to conclude that they feared the nation of Israel. at that time. It is inconceivable that their presumed prowess would increase during their time in the wilderness.

16:11  Whilst it is true that God weighs justly men should be just the same – Lev 19:35-36

V.4 This proverb is not saying that God makes man wicked, for He made man upright (Ecc 7:29 , Gen 1:31), but rather that being wicked by his own choice, man comes under laws that can not be changed; as a result he is doomed to the day of evil. If we do not fit into God's master plan on a voluntary basis, then we will be used for that day. 

16:16 The materialistic society in which we life would spurn God’s wisdom in exchange for material prosperity. We run the risk of following them headlong to our own destruction.

16:2 Whilst it is obvious that ‘the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes’ we tend not to think about this truth. Clearly we think hat our decisions are correct – else we would not have made those decisions. However we must always measure our decisions against Scripture. For that is how God reviews our thoughts and actions.

16:5 Here and in Prov 1:21 we learn that there is no safety in numbers. Just because people agree with each other there is no guarantee that they are right. We should make our minds up on issues based on Scripture and not on the authority of the majority.

16:4 It might seem strange that God has made the wicked for the day of evil but Paul uses similar ideas – 1Cor 11:19 - when speaking about heretics.

3 v.5 By speaking of 'prophets' Paul is showing that the New Testament prophets received revelations just like the prophets in the Old Testament times did.

4 v.3-6 The emphasis on 'one' in these verses shows that the doctrine of the unity of God is not just a first principle doctrine to be accepted. It is a doctrine which has practical implications in ecclesial life. We should be united because the Father is a unity.

3:2-13 Paul speaks of his call to the gospel and how that the mystery of the revelation of the gospel to the gentiles should be understood by those to whom he is writing because he is appointed a minister to those gentiles, to whom the letter to the Ephesians is sent.

4:11 The list which begins 'some apostles...' shows that there was a hierarchy of spirit gifts. See 1 Cor 12:28 for the same sort of hierarchy. Note that the bottom of the list is tongues. Rather different from the evangelical churches around who seem to put tongues first.

4:12 Notice that the 'edifying of the church' is the reason for the gifts. Edification should be the reason for every action we take. see 1 Cor 14:26.

3:6 So again we see that the purpose of God was to bring the gentiles into the bonds of the covenant. It is the same hope that Abraham had.

4:29 Notice that all things must be done to 'edifying'. That is our sole responsibility to the ecclesia. To build it up. This is done in the way that we order our lives.

3:1 Paul was truly a 'prisoner for you gentiles' because it was the envy of the Jews when Paul preached to the gentiles which caused him to be imprisoned. Whilst his message about the risen Jesus did not go down well with the Jewish authorities it was his preaching to the gentiles which caused the furore, for example (Acts 13:44-46)

4:7,8,11  Notice the repeated 'give' in these three verses. Actually it is part of a more extensive theme in Ephesians (1:17, 3:2,7,8 ,5:2,14)

3:2 ‘Dispensation’ is more correctly ‘stewardship’. Paul is now speaking of his responsibility to preach the gospel. He is a steward of God’s word and as a faithful steward was obliged to dispense that knowledge.

4:1  Having stressed the majesty of God and His purpose in calling the gentiles and talking of the ‘boldness’ we can have Paul now emphasises that such a privileged position brings with it responsibilities.

3:10 The ‘wisdom of God’ contrasts with the wisdom of men – the Jews who would shackle the gentiles to a law which they themselves had not been able to keep.

3:11     Whist we know God always had in His plan to call the gentiles we do well to remember that Jews probably did not realise that, or preferred to ignore it. Hence Paul speaks of God’s ‘eternal purpose’.

3:5-6 Whilst the call of the gentiles was not understood before the time of Jesus we should not assume that it is not spoken of. It is clearly there in the Old Testament, but Israel because of their prejudice, had their eyes closed.

4:1 In speaking about being a ‘prisoner’ Paul returns to the point he made in Eph 3:1and will make again in Ephesians 6:6:20. Whilst many of us would view imprisonment as being a terrible problem Paul turns it round to speak of his service to God – He is in reality Christ’s prisoner