Numbers 22:1-6 - The Israelites set out, and camped in the plains of Moab across
the Jordan from Jericho. Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel
had done to the Amorites. Moab was in
great dread of the people, because they were so numerous; Moab was overcome
with fear of the people of Israel. And
Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This horde will now lick up all that
is around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field." Now Balak son of
Zippor was king of Moab at that time. He
sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is on the Euphrates, in
the land of Amaw, to summon him, saying, "A people has come
out of Egypt; they have spread over the face of the earth, and they have
settled next to me. Come now, curse this
people for me, since they are stronger than I; perhaps I shall be able to
defeat them and drive them from the land; for I know that whomever you bless is
blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed."
The Israelites had settled for a while…and
rested from the many battles that had brought them this close to the land God
had promised them. They had made quite a
reputation ….the God who walked with them was an ally to be feared. And fear
King Balak did…until the fear overtook his sense of reason… and he sought out a
powerful prophet….Balaam….and asked him to curse this powerful band of God’s
people.
We are not given much background on
Balaam…just his father’s name and birthplace.
My research told me that he was a foreigner…a convert of sorts…that came
into a knowledge of God somehow…and became a well-known prophet afterwards. I
want to believe that his powers must have come from God…for like Moses…he asked
God what to do in this story.
But…big but….Balaam’s heart was definitely
not right in my mind…for he should have known that going with these men was the
wrong thing to do. The commentaries I researched in said he was tempted by
money and fame…a trap many of us fall to…often. He was so blinded by this
craving for money that God had to open the mouth of a donkey…and give him special
abilities to speak. The donkey saw the angel of death God sent from his anger
over Balaam’s choices… before Balaam…and the donkey ended up getting beat for
trying to save Balaam’s life.
One thing I am reminded of this morning is
to keep my heart and eyes open to everything around me. If a business proposition…or a decision that
will change my future looks bad…I should pray for direction…and strength to say
no! Sometimes we know it is a bad decision…and we go ahead and do it
anyway…because it promises profit or some type of fame for the moment. I don’t
have any animals for God to speak through…so I had better pay close attention
to the friends and family that he has placed near enough to me to help me in
times of indecision.
It also reminds me that God is merciful and
forgiving…he gave Balaam many chances to go back on his own. Balaam’s heart
must not have been as converted as the world thought…for he ends up going with
these wicked men….and justifies it as okay because God allowed it. God does not allow all things to manifest in
our lives because they are pure…or holy…or the right thing to do. Sometimes...like Balaam…or Jonah…or Saul…he
allows a bad thing to continue so he can use it to teach a lesson…to someone
who is watching the whole matter unfold….or to the person who has made the
wrong choice.
Ecclesiastes 10:2 says, “The heart of
the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.” …and Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a pure
heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” And these are just a few of the well placed
verses God has placed throughout his word to help us remember that we need to
pray for wisdom and discernment….and make sure the spirit in our hearts is
tuned to God’s wishes and not our own selfish desires.
Father...thank you for reminding me once
again that I must constantly guard against a selfish….greedy….prideful
spirit. Renew within me this morning a
spirit that matches your will for my life…and help me to discern how to make
every decision with your love in mind.
Forgive me Lord of all the times that I have made decisions without even
asking….or because I thought you said it was okay…even though my heart told me
something wasn’t quite right. Help me
from this day forward to consult you with every decision I make…and use the
spirit of love you placed in my soul to get it right from now on. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment