Tag: Balaam

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Numbers 22-23 A Conundrum

God knows each puzzle piece

A conundrum is a puzzle that seems to be unsolvable. Balaam fits in that category. Historians say this about this man: “Balaam is the pagan counterpart to Moses the man of God. The recovery of prophetic texts of Balaam in Aramaic from the sixth century at Deir-’Allah in Jordan shows how very famous this man was in the ancient Near East, even centuries after his death.” On the one hand he displays honorable intentions towards the Israelites but on the other hand, his fear of what God might do to him if he curses them causes him great anxiety and a lack of direction. 

Because Balaam did not heed the instruction of the Lord, God sent an angel to correct him using a donkey to speak to him. God is not only the God of wisdom but He is also the creator and author of the animal kingdom. Balaam ignored the donkey’s persistent actions of denying Balaam’s journey and after three times God opened the mouth of the donkey to show Balaam His displeasure. 

Throughout this whole scenario we see a man who seeks monetary gain more than God’s blessing. He is a person with what we call a “forked tongue.” He speaks gracious words as long as the money pot is filled but when it is not, he is left penniless. Beware of men like Balaam who seek to undermine God’s plan. Stay alert and apart from them for they are servants of Satan and no good will come of your interaction with them. Be discerning! 

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It isn’t rocket science!

Jeremiah 6 Heeding Instructions

jeremiah 6b choos= the right path.2a

Ezekiel was told to pay attention, watch closely, and listen carefully and Jeremiah echoed those words! He reminded them that they were standing at the crossroads and must decide; God’s way or the world’s way. He also reminded them that the ways of their forefathers who chose the ‘good way’ or the ‘right way,’ they were now calling old fashioned. Like many even today the glitz and glamor outweigh the prudent and wise ways of God.

The nation was standing at the crossroads of life. They must consider their path—there is the narrow way that leads to God or the wide path that leads to destruction. A funny but true story of a prophet teaches that principle.

Balaam refused to listen to his donkey that had been empowered by God to speak. Balaam was both deaf and blind to the wisdom of the donkey until the angel opened his eyes when the donkey was in a narrow place with nowhere to turn. This story illustrates that if we fail to follow God’s way we may too find ourselves in a narrow place with nowhere to turn. Jeremiah is saying to his people and to us: Ask where the path is that leads to blessing and follow it.

Smart advice: Don’t be stubborn like the prophet but choose God’s way.  Remember the words of Proverbs: The one who wanders from the way of wisdom will end up in the company of the departed.

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If at first, you don’t succeed, try try again

Yesterday we started the story of the false prophet, Balaam. Now for the rest of the story.

Numbers 25 “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again” We often hear this quote when others are failing and we want to encourage them but not so fast! In today’s episode, we find that King Balak was not one to give up and Balaam also was one who attempted to straddle the fence and other writers fill in the blank of what took place. Unable to succeed in cursing Israel, Balaam instructed Balak how to snare the Israelites through sexual immorality.

“the king of Moab, (Balak) launched an attack against Israel. He summoned Balaam son of Beor to call down judgment on you.” [Joshua recalling the history]

“they (Moabites) had not met the Israelites with food and water, but instead had hired Balaam to curse them…” [Nehemiah and Moses]

“they followed the way of Balaam son of Bosor who loved the wages of unrighteousness.” [Peter]

Speaking to the church in Pergamum we learn that the teachings of Balaam had infiltrated the church with the snare of food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality. [Rev 2]

These verses fill in the missing pieces of Satan’s work in our story which now brings us back to Numbers where we find that all of what other writers had noted actually happened. Yes, the Israelites were guilty but Satan was behind it all. That is why we must be careful of his traps.

Satan does not give up. If he fails one time, he will just come back again another way. Be on your guard! Satan may set up the trap but we are the ones who suffer the consequence. In this case, 24,000 died.

God Word james-coleman2a-

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. That is why God says to us: 

Know the law, Know the Word so this question will not be asked of you:

What will be the consequence of your sin?  

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The Cat and Mouse Game of Balaam

Have you ever watched a cat as he plays with a mouse? Balaam, a diviner, played that game. Wonder who won, the cat or the mouse?

numbers balaam cat and mouse2a

Numbers 22 and 23 “The Cat and Mouse Game of Balaam”

The story of Balaam brings the question to mind; did he “know” God; that is, did he have a personal relationship with God or he just “knew” God but not personally. We struggle with those who spout that they “know” God but their lives don’t match up with their words. Take for example Simon in the city of Samaria that heard the gospel preached and Luke records that he believed and he followed Philip constantly. However, later on, Peter rebuked him because Simon thought he could acquire the Holy Spirit’s power by money. Peter said you are bitterly envious and in bondage to sin. Did he “know” God or just know of God? That is the perplexing problem of Balaam especially when we see him talking to God and God responding to him. Balaam seemed to like the cat and mouse game of testing Balak. And then there is God responding “if the men have come to call you, get up and go with them.” However, Balaam didn’t wait but got up and saddled his donkey and set off with the princes of Moab. And then God gives us the humorous story of the talking donkey!

 These are the kind of stories that leave us scratching our heads for answers.  

So what is our takeaway? There are probably more lessons than we can write about here. One of the most prominent lessons is that Satan will use the glitter of money to test men’s resolve to obedience to God. Peter said to be aware of his tools for he seeks to find us and destroy us as he did Balaam in the end.

Stay tuned tomorrow as Paul Harvey said for the rest of the story.

 

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What do Balaam, Donkeys, Bluebonnets and the Wilderness have to do with Trials?

bluebonnetsJames 1: Count It All Joy!

Donkeys that talk are out of the ordinary and we giggle at Balaam’s response but oftentimes we act just like him when God is trying to get our attention. We are a stubborn people when we are in a trial just like Balaam. But, James, God’s servant, is not talking about these “in your face” trials but rather the everyday ordinary ones such as a computer that is fried, as I am facing, or a simple water leak as in our bathroom.

As Creator, God has given us a myriad of word pictures so we understand His plan and the way He works in our lives. Sometimes He uses donkeys that talk, bears that scare or sometimes it is the innocent and beautiful wildflowers like the Texas Bluebonnet that grow in the meadow in spring. They cover the farmland, the roadsides, and the yards so that we will stop and ponder their beauty. But, just as we are enjoying them, the heat comes and they wither and pass off not to be seen again until the following spring. That is like the trials we face. Know this whatever He has chosen you can know that it has a purpose to get our attention.

As God’s servant, James wants us to learn how to face and handle trials that we face. Trials teach us about our mindset and how we respond to them just as the bluebonnets. Just as a bluebonnet faces the test of heat, God tests our faith. Peter reminds us that we should not be surprised when life seems to be beautiful and then SMACK!  summer heat arrives in the form of a trial. God uses each trial to reveal how we look to Him, how we are responding or how we are going to weather it. We want it to just go away but God is saying I am teaching you about character building and this is my way of doing that. We say, I just don’t understand it. God is saying then why don’t you ask me for wisdom to understand it? But, like Balaam and the donkey story, in the heat of the trial, we reveal that we are a stubborn people who think we can find our own solutions and our own answers.  Like the wildflower that sprouts in spring with its beauty, at first we face it head on but when the heat comes we fade. We look in God’s mirror and walk away because we don’t like the image we see. However,  if we do choose to look and then respond in humility God’s grace is sufficient and the beauty of the bluebonnet is a reminder that we passed with flying colors. But, sometimes we see and then walk away and don’t respond correctly. It is then that we may have to do, as the Israelites, another lap around the wilderness until we learn how to respond properly.

You can be a Balaam, an Israelite or a Bluebonnet that bursts forth with beauty in spring. It is up to you.

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