Sunday, August 7, 2016

Aug 6-7 - BEYOND THE WORD - Numbers 22-24

Here’s part two of yesterday’s strange and wonderful story …

 

Numbers 22:36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him … 38 Balaam said to Balak, “I have come to you now, but do I have power to say just anything? The word God puts in my mouth, that is what I must say.” 

 

41 On the next day Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal; and from there he could see part of the people of Israel.

 

Numbers 23:3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here ... Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.”

 

Then God met Balaam … The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and this is what you must say.” So he returned to Balak,[a] who was standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. 6-7 Then Balaam he returned to Balak and uttered his oracle, saying: “How can I curse whom God has not cursed?”

 

11 Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but now you have done nothing but bless them.” 

 

13 So Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place … then curse them for me from there.” …  15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here … while I meet the Lord over there.” 

 

16 The Lord met Balaam, put a word into his mouth … 18 Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying: 19 God is not a human being … that he should change his mind.23 Surely there is … no divination against Israel … 21 The Lord their God is with them.”

 

25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.” 

 

26 But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘Whatever the Lord says, that is what I must do’?”

 

27 So Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place … 24:1 Now Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, so he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens … Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon him,and he uttered his oracle, saying … “How fair are … your encampments, O Israel!God who brings [his people] out of Egypt … shall devour the nations that are his foes … Cursed is everyone who curses you.”

 

10 Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam … “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but instead you have blessed them these three times. 11 Now be off with you! Go home! I said, ‘I will reward you richly,’ but the Lord has denied you any reward.”

 

12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the Lord.

 

One of the most jarringly truthful passages in Scripture is Galatians 6:7 – “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked.”

 

We dare not bless what God doesn’t bless, nor curse what God blesses. That’s what Balaam (and all of Scripture) teach us.

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who want to

be a border guard

(Let’s all of us agree to never go

beyond the word of the Lord.)

 

 

 

 

Footnotes:

 

 

 

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