23 : 1 , 2 , 14 , 29 , 30 ). Balaam also gave a prophecy about the Lordsaying, “A
star will rise out of Jacob and a scepter out of Israel” (Numbers 24 : 17 );
and Balaam spoke the word of Jehovah in prophecy(Numbers 22 : 13 , 18 ;
23 : 3 , 5 , 8 , 16 , 26 ; 24 : 1 , 13 ).
The passages just given make it clear that a divine worship existed
among other nations that was virtually the same as the worship instituted
by Moses among the Israelite nation. From words in Moses (Deuteron-
omy 32 : 7 , 8 ) it appears that this worship existed even before the time of
Abraham. This is still clearer from Melchizedek, king of Salem, who
brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram, and Abram in turn gave
Melchizedek tithes of all he possessed (Genesis 14 : 18 – 20 ). Melchizedek
represented the Lord—he is called a priest to God the Highest (Genesis
14 : 18 ). In David it says of the Lord, “You are a priest forever on the order
of Melchizedek” (Psalms 110 : 4 ). This is why Melchizedek brought out
bread and wine as the holiest things in the church, just as bread and wine
are holy in the Holy Supper also. Besides many others, these things are
outstanding indications that before the Israelite Word there was a Word
that gave these revelations.265 The works of Moses make it clear that there was a Word among earlier
people. Moses cites it and quotes something from it (Numbers 21 : 14 , 15 ,
27 – 30 ). The historical part of that Word was called The Wars of Jehovah,
and its prophetical part was called The Pronouncements.
From the historicalpart of that Word, Moses quoted the following:
Therefore it says in the Book of the Wars of Jehovah:“I was going to
Suphah and the brooks of the Arnon, and the channel of the rivers of
water that sloped down where Ar is living and then appears by the bor-
der of Moab.” (Numbers 21 : 14 , 15 )
The “wars of Jehovah” in that Word, like the wars in ours, meant
and depicted the Lord’s battles with the hells and victory over them
when he would come into the world. The same battles are meant and
depicted in the historical portions of our Word—for example, Joshua’s
wars with the nations in the land of Canaan and the wars waged by the
judges and the kings of Israel.
[ 2 ] The following is a quotation from the propheticparts of that Word:
Therefore the Makers of Pronouncementssay: “Walk to Heshbon. The
city of Sihon will be built and reinforced. For a fire went out from Hes-
hbon, a flame from the city of Sihon; it consumed Ar of Moab, the