Blessings Times Two

Numbers 23:5-10  -  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, who was standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying: "Balak has brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: "Come, curse Jacob for me; Come, denounce Israel!'  How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?  For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; Here is a people living alone, and not reckoning itself among the nations!  Who can count the dust of Jacob, or number the dust-cloud of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!"

 

Balaam found himself at Bamoth-Baal…a place high enough for them to see the whole nation of Israel…that king Balak wanted cursed. Balaam told the king to build seven altars to the God of the Israelites and offer to him seven bulls and seven rams as a burnt offering.  He directed the king to stay with the sacrifices…while he went to a solitary place to speak with God.  God spoke all right….and gave him clear directions not to curse the people he had brought to this place…and so he came back to the king and gave this beautiful reply….that confirms them as a blessed nation before God.

 

The chapter continues…as king Balak takes him to another location…where Balaam can only see a small portion of the people…in hopes of changing Balaam’s mind.  But Balaam continues to seek God’s will… and gives another beautiful speech that blesses the Israelites even again. And king Balak continues to change his location…and request of Balaam one more time….but like every good sequel…the story continues in the next chapter..and I tried not to peek this time.

 

No matter what we think of Balaam’s greed and lust for money and fame...he does the right thing in this moment of his life.  He seeks the will of God…and delivers the words he was given to speak.  And the beauty of God and his promises flows out of his mouth in a most convincing way.  It must have been something to be close enough to hear this man speak these words of faith and promise.  I am sure that he confirmed his own faith in Yahweh as he told king Balak not only that he would not curse these people…but why he would not curse them.

 

Sometimes we get it right…we listen and we obey…and the faith and strength that God placed in us from the beginning takes over and the words we speak are so eloquent and beautiful they confirm God’s existence in our own hearts.  Oh how wonderful and inspiring are those moments…when we feel the strength of God inside us and use it to do his will. That moment becomes a memory that we come back to often…especially when we find ourselves weakened again.

 

Poor Balak…he only strengthened Balaam’s faith in God by trying to get him to change his mind that second time. Changing locations did not change God’s instructions. No matter where king Balak took Balaam…God’s answer was the same. God had promised them the land of Canaan…and God had promised to bless them and make them as numerous as the stars. And so Balaam’s second speech ended up blessing them yet again.

 

I sure need a little…no make that a lot of Balaam’s resolve. His heart was on fire for God in this moment and the flame made him a mighty speaker of God’s beauty and truth.  I need a dose of that strength and faith that gave him the courage to stand in front of king Balak and go against his wishes …twice. I need to seek God every time I am asked to do something for someone else and speak only what God tells me to speak.

 

Father…help me this day to seek you in all that I do.  Give me the clear words of Balaam…that bless what you want blessed. Give me beautiful words of truth and promise to speak to the ones that want to curse your blessings. Help me to realize that you are with me everywhere I go…and I can speak to you anywhere.  Give me the courage and faith that I need to carry you with me…and seek you…no matter where I find myself. Amen.