STRENGTH FOR VICTORY

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come."

Then he uttered his oracle:

"The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:”

"I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth. Edom will be conquered; Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong. A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city."

Then Balaam saw Amalek and uttered his oracle:

"Amalek was first among the nations, but he will come to ruin at last."

Then he saw the Kenites and uttered his oracle:

"Your dwelling place is secure, your nest is set in a rock; yet you Kenites will be destroyed when Asshur takes you captive."

Then he uttered his oracle:

"Ah, who can live when God does this? Ships will come from the shores of Kittim; they will subdue Asshur and Eber, but they too will come to ruin."

Then Balaam got up and returned home and Balak went his own way.

Numbers 24:14-25

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

"May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!" Numbers 24:9

You may remember that these words of God formed a promise that would come true over and over as we examine the history of Israel. And as Balaam delivers his final four oracles before leaving Balak, he tells some of what is about happen “in the days to come” for those who would choose to oppose Israel.

Of special interest in this passage, the “days to come” don’t only include the times ahead when the kings David, Saul, and Hezekiah would triumph over their enemies but also a time well after that when Jesus, the Messiah, would be born through which the final victory would be won forever.

For we read where tells of a "star” that would “come out of Jacob" and “a scepter” that would “rise out of Israel". Although Balaam could "see Him, but not now” and “behold Him” even though He wasn’t near, what was clear was that the victories would arise out of the star, a word that often was used to reference a king and in this case, Jesus, the King of kings who would come to reign with the full power and authority of His Father God.

Balaam goes onto mention the fate of those who would soon oppose Israel, some first time adversaries while others were repeat offenders.

First up was Edom. You’ll recall from Numbers, chapter 20, that Israel had wanted to cross through Edom but was not granted permission. In fact, the king of Edom was so disturbed by Israel’s size that he sent his army to the border to send a message that Israel wasn’t welcome. Unlike future opposing groups who Israel would battle against and defeat, Edom was left alone and went unchallenged.

In Balaam’s oracle, we see where this wouldn’t last for the scriptures tell us that the coming star was going to "crush…the skulls of all the sons of Sheth" and "Edom will be conquered; Seir (another word for Edom), his enemy, will be conquered".

But Edom wasn’t the only kingdom that would be crushed for Balak had to truly be disturbed when Balaam also said that the star would "crush the foreheads of Moab". Indeed, the very nation that Balak feared and thus wanted cursed would end up victorious over him and his people.

The next vision came against Amalek. You’ll maybe remember that the Amalekites were the first group that attacked Israel after they had departed Egypt on their exodus (Exodus 17). They didn’t gain victory then and they wouldn’t in the future either for Balaam prophesied that “Amalek…will come to ruin at last" and they did at the hands of Israel led by Kings Saul and David.

Next up were the Kenites, who although seemingly sheltered ("your dwelling place is secure, your nest is set in a rock"), would be destroyed not by Israel but rather Assyria ("Asshur") who would take them captive.

Finally, Balaam shares the seventh oracle which extends beyond the immediate boundaries of Canaan. Here, we read that "ships will come from the shores of Kittim (Cyprus and also referring to Rome). These forces would subdue Assyria, a mighty power who will later attack and capture Israel’s northern kingdom, and Eber, western Semites descended from Eber (Genesis 10), who settled in Canaan. But despite these victories, even the forces Balaam mentions would not be too mighty to be conquered for "they too” would “come to ruin".

Through Balaam’s last four oracles, we see a common theme and one we need to always keep in mind as we walk through our lives and face opposition, especially those who would oppose our faith. For Balaam said early on in this passage that when the enemies of Israel were weakened or destroyed, Israel itself became stronger (verse 18) and so it will be for us as well if we stay firm in our belief and trust in the Lord, no matter our circumstances. For through whatever life brings our way, God is ever there to lead us, guide us, protect us, strengthen us, and ultimately lead us to victory. In support of this truth, consider these wonderful passages from the Psalms:

"The Lord is my Light and my Salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”

“Teach me Your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:1, 11-14

"The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their Stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him." Psalm 37:39-40

"From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been my Refuge, a strong Tower against the foe. I long to dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings." Psalm 61:2-4

"I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress and my Deliverer; my God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my Shield and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold. I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies." Psalm 18:1-3

Friends, every day we walk through a spiritual battlefield where the enemy is always waiting to oppose and attack us. What a comfort it is to know that we believe, trust, and serve a Lord who is with us and for us, a Lord who always protects and brings us strength for victory now and forever more.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A GREATER REWARD

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his oracle:

"The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

"How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel!

"Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water.

"Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted.

"God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them. Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse them?

"May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!"

Then Balak's anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, "I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the LORD has kept you from being rewarded."

Balaam answered Balak, "Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, 'Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord -and I must say only what the Lord says'?

Numbers 24:3-13

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we continue to study from the Book of Numbers, chapter 23, we come to the third oracle or message from the Lord to Balaam who then shares it with Balak, the king of Moab.

Within God’s message, we see a lot of similarity to the first two messages as Israel is portrayed as blessed and powerful because their Lord is very much and for with them. And Israel’s God, who Balaam was supposed to manipulate, instead transformed and manipulated him. In other words, the diviner was divined by the Almighty Lord.

As we look at this passage for today, we can see specific signs as to how Balaam was transformed.

First, we read where he became "one whose eye sees clearly…whose eyes are opened". And while Balak couldn’t see the way and will of the Lord in the lives of Israel or even in the matter at hand, Balaam did. This is because he believed and trusted in God, even if at first he really didn’t quite grasp His omnipotence. The Lord was patient with Balaam as he began to see how Israel’s God was like no other god he had ever attempted to communicate with before. It was this God that fully opened Balaam’s eyes so that he could see how very blessed Israel was, so much so that he wished he could join them (Numbers 23:10).

Secondly, Balaam was one who heard “the words of God" and his eyes were opened only when he fully listened to the words that God planted in his heart and mind. Through these words, Balaam was able to understand Israel’s special relationship with their Lord and see that he too had formed his own special relationship with their God.

Third, Balaam was one who saw “a vision from the Almighty".

In all three of the oracles/messages, God had painted a vivid picture of Israel and their power by using illustrations, providing clarity and comprehension to the visions He provided. The Lord compared Israel to the lion or lioness and to the wild ox. Their situation is shown as being blessed complete with beautiful valleys and gardens, aloes and cedars. Their water would flow with abundance to their seed which in turn would allow them to flourish and grow in and through Him.

Truly, when we hear the word of God and open our eyes to what He is telling us, then and only then we will clearly see His vision for us and many times those around us through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, we see where Balaam fell “prostrate" before God as he came to completely acknowledge and respect God as being all powerful and mighty. He came to realize that compared to the Lord of Israel, he was nothing. For after believing he had power to manipulate the gods, he learned that there was only one God and that God could be controlled by no one. The God of Israel bowed down to no man but rather expected all mankind to bow down before Him, just as Balaam did in a show of total submission and humility.

Indeed, Balaam had gained a great deal from God through their relationship. In fact, his reward from coming to know the Lord was so rich that Balaam felt that he couldn’t do anything of his own accord but rather from the command of the Lord. Even if Balak would give him the wealth of his palace filled with silver and gold, it would pale in comparison to the affluence he had through Israel’s God.

Friends, today there is also no greater reward we can find than that which comes from God, a reward that makes us spiritually rich beyond measure through our belief and trust in Jesus as Savior. This belief not only brings with it salvation and the assurance of eternal life but also the gift of the Holy Spirit that leads and guides us through this life before we enter the holy one to come. All this should bring us to the place where Balaam ended up, prostrate before the God who reigns and rules over us as Maker and Master and yet loves us dearly and perfectly as our Heavenly Father.

As I close, here are some words spoken by our Savior Jesus, words that speak to the sense of spiritual discovery found by Balaam and all God believers since. For Balaam found that he gained something of far greater value than anything the world could offer through having a relationship with God and we’ll discover the same thing when we submit to Him.

Jesus said:

"If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done." Matthew 16:24-27

My brothers and sisters, our God has given a greater reward to anyone who places their hope in His Son, a reward that blesses us with hope now and forever. Let us give thanks to Him today and rejoice.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

BE HAPPY. YOU ARE BLESSED!

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there."

And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland. Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me." Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as at other times, but turned his face toward the desert. When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his oracle.

Numbers 23:27-30, 24:1-3a

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

After Balaam arrived in Moab, we saw how the king, Balak, tried twice to get the diviner to curse the Israelite people and in both instances, he was thwarted by Israel’s God who would not allow anyone to curse His people unless He approved it.

At the end of Chapter 23 and into the beginning of chapter 24, we see how Balak still refused to give up on his desires. And so he takes Balaam to yet a third location, "the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland", where Balak once again built seven altars and "offered a bull and a ram on each altar" as requested by Balaam. Of course, this was all done with the hope that maybe Israel’s God would change his mind and let Moab’s king be successful in bringing down a curse through Balaam. Through his actions, the Moabite ruler shows clearly that he still refused to understand that Israel’s God could not be manipulated so to carry our any man’s will. Rather, the one and only true God reigned supreme over all and every man and woman were expected to serve Him in complete, uncompromising obedience.

Well, after the altars were built and sacrifices made, Balaam once again goes before God and for a third time receives a message to share but this time was different. For we read where Balaam "saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel" and so "he did not resort to sorcery as at other times” but “turned his face toward the desert". Here, right before our very eyes, we see a radical change happen inside of Balaam, all brought about by the God of Israel. It may have taken two prior encounters to  make it happen but Balaam learned a very important lesson and one we need to learn as well:

God expects us to bless others, not curse them

Notice that when Balaam’s heart saw how blessing others would please the Lord, then the "the Spirit of God came upon him". And the same will happen for any of us too.

Indeed, the spirit of blessing others is rooted in the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, Spirit who dwells within anyone who places their belief in Jesus and serves as a Counselor and Friend. He is a member of the Trinity, sent from God the Father to guide and lead us through life, ever guiding us to live as Jesus did.

When we are filled with this Spirit, we can’t help adopt a life attitude that is filled with love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, righteousness, and a committed willingness to edify others through all of these. In other words, we become a blessing to others, just as the Lord is a blessing to us. We seek to bless others because He ever seeks to bless us.

And what a joyous life we gain when we live a life of blessings. Consider the words of Jesus as He opens His Sermon on the Mount, His first significant teachings in ministry. Here’s what He had to say about being blessed:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Matthew 5:3-12

These verses form what has widely been called the Beatitudes and as we see, each statement from Jesus begins with the word “blessed”. The Greek word used here is also translated as “happy”.

Once, I hear a pastor preach on this passage and refer to these verses as “Be Attitudes" with "being happy" as the main theme. Thus, we could refer to them as the “Be Happy Attitudes".

In other words, the first Beatitude would read, "Happy are the poor in spirit for theirs is the spirit of heaven."

And this would be followed by "Happy are those who mourn for they will be comforted."

In other words, no matter what our life circumstance might be, there are reasons to still feel blessed and happy because we have the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit always with us. They’re ever ready to guide us, protect us, heal us, comfort us, and love us. We need to never lose sight of these truths and seek to show a "Be Happy" attitude within every day that the Lord gives us for when we do, we will truly find our way to rejoice and be glad in life (Philippians 4:4).

Friends, it’s my prayer that you realize this in full measure today and in every day yet to come.

Be happy. You are blessed!

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

A GOD UNLIKE ANYTHING OR ANYONE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will see only a part but not all of them. And from there, curse them for me."

So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your offering while I meet with Him over there."

The Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this message."

So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the princes of Moab. Balak asked him, "What did the Lord say?"

Then he uttered his oracle:

"Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor. God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change his mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”

“I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it. No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them. God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.”

“There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'See what God has done!' The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest till he devours his prey and drinks the blood of his victims."

Then Balak said to Balaam, "Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!"

Balaam answered, "Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?"

Numbers 23:13-26

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In Balak, the Moabite king, we see a very persistent ruler who just won’t take no for an answer. For even though Balaam had told him that Israel was blessed by God and could not be cursed, we see in today’s passage from Numbers, chapter 23 that he still tells Balaam to try to get God to curse Israel again, this time in a different location and with a different perspective. His actions made me think about others who don’t seem to get it when God makes it clear what He desires. Rather, than obey Him, they continue to try and work things in such a way that they get their way, as if that is better than what God wants.

This is exactly what Balak was up to as he constructed seven more altars on the “field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah”, offering up the same sacrifices as he did at “Kiriath Huzoth” (Numbers 22:39-40) which was a “bull and a ram on each altar”. The scriptures tell us that from this new vantage point, Balaam could see “only a part” of Israel but nonetheless, Balak repeated his order for Balaam to curse the Israelites. And as before, Balaam told the king to stand by the offering while he went to speak to the Lord.

And so it was. Balaam went to God who in turn gave a second message to be shared with Balak, saying.

"Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor. God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change his mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?”

“I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it. No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them. God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox.”

“There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'See what God has done!' The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest till he devours his prey and drinks the blood of his victims."

How did Balak respond to these words from God?

We read where he alters his original request, retracting his command to curse but also asking that Israel not be blessed. As we look at this a little closer, we can see that it was quite a shrewd move by the Moabite ruler because if his wishes were carried out, then Israel’s blessing would be removed and therefore a curse could be substituted. The problem with Balak was that he believed he could outsmart Israel’s God and manipulate Balaam. And while the latter was altogether possible given Balaam’s humanity, the former was an utter impossibility. In fact, what Balaam didn’t understand was that the God of Israel was fully aware of what he was up to as He could see deep into the king’s heart and soul. He was the one true God, unlike anything or anyone in all creation.

As we look at this second message from God to Balak, we can glean some important facts to remember about our Lord, facts that give us a better understanding about His unmatched and unrivaled nature.

First, God is not a human being. He was not created and is not like us in any way. He is completely distinct and unique, without equal.

Since He existed before anything else, a point made clear by the first four words of the Bible (In the beginning God...Genesis 1:1), He is the Creator of everything and therefore the Maker and Master of all created things. He is all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient), and present everywhere at every time (omnipresent). And since He is above all things, He cannot be controlled and/or manipulated like a regular person. This includes being enticed into doing wrong like us. He doesn’t lie or change His mind when He makes His decisions and He never goes back on His promises but rather delivers on them.

Secondly, when God decides to do something, no one can keep it from happening. In today’s scripture passage, God has decided to bless Israel and so no misfortune or misery would be able to fall upon them, despite any wishes of a king or the efforts of a diviner like Balaam. Neither of them could alter God’s plan and we need to remember this in our own lives today. The Lord’s will is going to be done, whether we like it or not.

Finally, we see that when God is for His people, they are protected and insulated from evil. Instead of being vulnerable as Balak viewed them, they were actually mighty and victorious like an attacking lioness or a lion. Because of the Lord’s strength and covering being with them, any attempts at sorcery were simply a waste of time. God was with the Israelites and no one would be able to stand against them as long as He was.

Friends, this God is the same God we serve today. In the midst of living in what can be a dark and sinful world, there is nothing or no one more powerful than Him so why would we want to seek refuge in any other place?

The truth of the matter is that God, our Heavenly Father, our Creator and King, longs for us to turn our attention His way and seek communion every second of every minute of every hour of every day. He is a God of sure promises and eternal hope, a God who isn’t absent but ever with us and definitely ever right on time, and He wants nothing more than to be in a close and intimate relationship with us and wishes to abundantly bless us beyond what we can imagine.

My brothers and sisters, is this not reason for us to lift up our praise, rejoicing in our God and celebrating the life we share with Him? For we are unbelievably blessed each and every day to get to experience the love, mercy, and grace of our Lord who is unlike anything or anyone we know.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

SEEING YOURSELF AS YOU ARE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

God met with him, and Balaam said, "I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram."

The Lord put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, "Go back to Balak and give him this message."

So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the princes of Moab. Then Balaam uttered his oracle:

"Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. 'Come,' he said, 'curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.'

How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?

From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations.

Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs!"

Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!"

He answered, "Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?"

Numbers 23:4-12

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we continue our study of Numbers, chapter 23, let’s reset the scene.

Balak, the king of Moab, has constructed seven sacrificial altars as requested by Balaam, the diviner he had summoned to place a curse on the people of Israel. On each altar, a bull and a ram were offered up. This is where things were as Balaam went to God, seeking further guidance from Him.

As we move onto our passage for today, we see the Lord delivering this message that Balaam was to share with Balak, who was expecting a curse to spoken. He was not alone for the scriptures tell us that “all the princes of Moab” were also there, standing by the offering.

Here were the words from the Lord, given to Balak through Balaam:

"Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. 'Come,' he said, 'curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.'

How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?

From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations.

Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs!"

To Balaam’s credit, he said just what the Lord told him to say. He obediently followed God’s orders and his message caught Balak off guard, angering him as he said:

"What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!"

In response to this, Balaam simply says:

"Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?"

In other words, Balaam was telling the Moabite king, “What else would you expect me to do but say to you what God has said?” By this point, there was no doubt in Balaam’s mind that he was dealing with a real God, unlike the false ones he had made a living off of proclaiming as a diviner. In fact, I don’t believe that Balaam ever really had contact with a god at all before but he found out that pretending that he did was good for business. It kept him employed and well paid by others.

But this God, the God of Israel, was real. He was alive and active as well as powerful, demanding, and transforming. This God could make a donkey speak, and an angel appear that couldn’t be seen by all. This God could get deep down into Balaam’s very heart and soul, causing him to enter into self-examination to see the person he really was.

As we see in our passage for today, Balaam’s very words support his inability to carry out Balak’s wishes as he said:

“How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?”

In other words, if the almighty God of Israel found no reason to condemn His people then how could Balaam do so? After all, what authority did he have to curse or denounce others anyways? He was just as much a sinner as any other human being.

So in the end, Balaam concluded that he would rather be for the Israelite people than against them and so he chose to partner with their God rather than the pagans who tried to entice him to do wrong with their riches.

Friends, when we truly come to the place where we are following Jesus Christ, we too come to a place where we stop judging others and passing judgment. We become new creations, throwing off our former selves when we partnered with the world and it’s sinful ways (2 Corinthians 5:17) and embracing a life defined by righteousness and holiness only found in the One who proclaimed that He was the Way and the Truth and the Life, the only One who can bring someone to God the Father (John 14:6). With that, we find our way to “die the death of the righteous” as Balaam hoped he would.

You know, this all took me back to a time in life shortly after my divorce. It was a time when I was playing the blame game, laying all fault on my ex-wife for the infidelity she committed. But in that place, the Lord entered into my life and my heart, convicting me so I would see that in the end translation, I was just as guilty as she was for we were both sinners in need of a Savior, sinners desperately in need of His mercy and grace. This conviction got my attention and opened my eyes to how I had failed to lead my family spiritually and this slowly led things down the road of destruction. The Lord caused me to realize that I had not truly loved my wife as Christ loved the church. I had not done nearly enough to make her realize that she was a real blessing from the Lord to me.

In other words, I had failed just as much as she had. I had no right to curse or denounce her.

Friends, today I praise God that He gave me a second chance in life to make amends for my past mistakes and I have made the most of it. No longer do I quickly move to judge others or condemn because it’s not my place. For like Balaam saw, who am I to judge when I am just as much a sinner as the next person?

And so I in times when I feel temptation to criticize, I turn my life over to Jesus with all my heart, mind and soul. I make Him my treasure in life over everything else because He said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

For when it comes right down to it, Jesus was the One who led me to the place of forgiveness and reconciliation, to a spirit of mercy and grace and love because He has showed it to me in what He did to save my soul. I’m just so grateful that He and the Father worked to help me see who I truly was and am so I can strive to be better and be who I was made to truly be in Them, just as God was trying to do with Balaam.

My prayer for you today is that you will allow the Lord to do the same in your life. For that to happen, you will need to humbly open up your mind to your sinfulness and accept the fact that you need to change. You have to desire to want a better life than this world has to offer, willing to radically alter the direction of your life toward Jesus.

You also need to see that what you’re living for in life, isn’t in the here and now but rather something far greater, something eternal. For when you place your belief in Jesus and allow Him to take who you are and lead you to where you need to be, living as He did, then death no longer has any power over you (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Rather than an end, it is simply a glorious beginning of the best life ever, shared with Christ and God forever.

When it comes down to your everlasting destiny, there are really only two options: Hell or Heaven. If you haven’t done so already, come to Jesus and He will save you from the eternal torment and suffering in the former while showing you a life that is beyond measure in the latter, now and for all eternity.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the Moabite town on the Arnon border, at the edge of his territory. Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why didn't you come to me? Am I really not able to reward you?"

"Well, I have come to you now," Balaam replied. "But can I say just anything? I must speak only what God puts in my mouth."

Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the princes who were with him. The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he saw part of the people.

Numbers 22:36-41

Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me." Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever He reveals to me I will tell you."

Then he went off to a barren height.

Numbers 23:1-3

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In the opening thirty-five verses of Numbers, chapter 22, we were introduced to a very nervous nation of Moab as the Israelites encamped outside their border. They were very much aware of the recent string of victories Israel had against their adversaries and Moab felt it was next, so much so that it’s king, Balak, summoned a renowned diviner named Balaam to place a curse on Israel. Balaam was thought to have special power over the gods but he didn’t quite understand that he was dealing with the one true God.

We saw where Balak sent a group of messengers to Balaam with a command to come and see him for the purpose of placing a curse on Israel, a request that the diviner rejected the first time in obedience to what God commanded.

But Balak wouldn’t be rejected so easily and so he sent a second group to Balaam, this one much more distinguished than the first. They brought a new message from Moab’s king, promising Balaam riches if he would just come and do what he was asked to do. Once again, Balaam refused to go, making it clear that he wouldn’t do anything that God didn’t command, even if Balak gave him a palace filled with silver and gold.

So Balaam went to the Lord again and this time was given permission to go with the Moabite entourage as long as he was summoned by them and only said what God told him to say.

The next morning, the scriptures tell us that he saddled his donkey and set out for Moab with Balak’s men, although they had not told him to go. This disobedience angered God who confronted Balaam with a sword-wielding angel, an angel that only Balaam’s donkey could see at first. Balaam had agreed to do what the Lord told him to do (v. 20) but his actions spoke louder than his words.

Well, after three separate incidents where Balaam’s donkey acted in ways to save his life from the angel, each leading to a beating, the Lord opened his master’s eyes and Balaam repented of his sins. This led to God allowing him to proceed but still with the demand that Balaam only say what He told him to say.

When he arrived in Moab, we read where Balak chastises Balaam for not coming to him immediately and asks if there was any failure to understand the riches he had promised. Balaam responds to this by saying this:

"Well, I have come to you now but can I say just anything? I must speak only what God puts in my mouth."

Balaam should have also added that he wasn’t to do anything the Lord didn’t tell him to do but he left that out. It’s obvious he wanted to do his own thing still because he tells Balak to "build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me” at “Kiriath Huzoth" where Balak had "sacrificed cattle and sheep" giving "some to Balaam and the princes who were with him".

Did God authorize this, a receiving of pagan sacrifices along with the construction of pagan altars and the offerings that would be made upon them?

We know he didn’t because the Lord would have never authorized such a thing. And in this instance, He didn’t tell Balaam to say that to Balak.

Again, Balaam’s behavior was showing that his promise to God was moot. His actions spoke louder than his words. It clearly showed that Balaam was still a believer in pagan ritual although he was carrying on conversations with and professing loyalty to the God of Israel.

Well, we read where Balak did as Balaam asked and then they both “offered a bull and a ram on each altar" while performing a pagan ritual. Once the sacrifices were complete, Balaam gives the Moabite king the following command:

"Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you."

And with that, Balaam left and went “off to a barren height”.

Through his actions in this passage, we see that Balaam fails to see where he has done anything wrong. He doesn’t understand that serving God is more than just saying the right things while not being committed to surrender your life to Him.

Friends, the Lord makes it clear that He expects anyone who comes to Him to lay down their former life, a life rife with sinful habits, so to begin a new life in Him, a life that is fully centered on His will and way. He demands that believers fully center and focus themselves on what He wants them to do and say with nothing but total obedience and submission acceptable.  When it comes to our actions, He will settle for nothing less than a complete alignment with His holy Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Everything we do should honor and glorify the Lord who made us and sustains us as our actions speak loudly for Him and show that we were indeed created in His own image (Genesis 1:26).

As you read this, do you find yourself like Balaam, pledging to be faithful to God through your words but then acting in ways that show your words are shallow and empty?

If so, now is the time to change your life for giving God lip service will never cut it. He wants us to serve Him in a way that shows we respect and deference to His Word and Way through modeling the life of His Son Jesus, the One who was and is the Way and Truth and Life (John 14:6).

In the end translation, our talk as believers need never be cheap. Rather, it can be extremely powerful and valuable when we allow the Lord to shape our words and couple them with the associated holy and righteous behavior that He desires.

For it’s then and only then that our actions will truly speak louder than our words.

In tomorrow’s message, we are going to see how God gets Balaam’s attention in order to turn him from his sinful ways, all the while using him as an instrument to minister to Balak and the Moabite people. I hope you’ll come back for that study.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

AN EYE OPENING EXPERIENCE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord, my God. Now stay here tonight as the others did, and I will find out what else the Lord will tell me."

That night God came to Balaam and said, "Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you."

Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. But God was very angry when he went and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him.

Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road.

Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat her again.

Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam and he was angry and beat her with his staff.

Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?"

Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."

The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?"

"No," he said.

Then the Lord opened Balaam's eyes and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.

The angel of the Lord asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her."

Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back."

The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you."

So Balaam went with the princes of Balak."

Numbers 22:18-35

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we continue to look at the story of Balaam, we see where he once again goes before God, seeking guidance as to how he should respond to the latest proposal by Balak, the king of Moab. After once again asking Balak’s representatives to stay the night while he consulted with the Lord, we find him receiving the following command:

"Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you."

So Balaam "got up in the morning” and “saddled his donkey” before heading out with the “princes of Moab". The scriptures tell us that this angered God and so He sent “an angel” who "stood in the road to oppose" Balaam.

Why was God angry?

The answer is found in His command for He only told Balaam to go if Balak’s representatives summoned him. A different translation of verse 20 adds some clarity to this and validates what God expected:

And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” NKJV

The scriptures don’t tell us that Balak’s men had called Balaam to go with them. Rather, perhaps more focused on the rewards that had been promised than on what the Lord commanded, Balaam got up, saddled up his donkey, and set out only to now encounter the “angel of the Lord” on the path before him, an angel who was armed and authorized to kill if needed.

As Balaam rode ahead, he couldn’t see the danger ahead but his trusted donkey could and so we read that when the beast of burden “saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she “turned off the road into a field". The sudden diversion was done out of loyalty to protect her master but Balaam didn’t see it that way and so he beat his donkey so to get her back on the road.

You know, maybe we have been walking into danger in our own lives at one time or another, a danger we were blind to but not to someone else who may have tried to warn us only to receive our rebuke. It can be easy to criticize Balaam in this story but perhaps we may be more like him than we want to admit.

Well, after the donkey was beaten back up onto the road, the scriptures tell us that the angel of the Lord "stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides". Once again, Balaam was oblivious to the peril ahead but the donkey wasn't. She saw the danger clearly and took evasive action, pressing "close to the wall" which crushed “Balaam's foot against it". Placing the blame on his donkey and unable to see what she saw, Balaam beat her a second time.

And so we read that the angel of the Lord confronts Balaam and his trusty donkey for yet a third time, standing "in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left". In other words, there was nowhere to maneuver or escape, no path to evade the angel and his judgment. Given this, the donkey did the best it could do, stopping dead and laying down on the road under Balaam, a move that made him angry once again and so he "beat her with his staff".

Well, at this point it was obvious to the Lord that Balaam just wasn't going to get what was happening without some form of intervention. And so since the donkey was more in tune with the situation than her master, the Lord miraculously gave her the power to speak.

Friends, this is what makes this account more than just some kind of folk tale. For the donkey would never have been able to speak on her own because donkeys lack the natural ability to do that. But through a Lord who can make all things possible, the ordinary animal became the extraordinary instrument that God used to gain Balaam's attention.

So what did the donkey say?

We read where she confronts her master by asking a question:

"What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?"

Can you imagine the expression on Balaam’s face when he heard this?

He had to be in a temporary state of disbelief but it didn’t last long because he quickly provides an answer to his donkey’s question:

“You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."

Then the donkey said this in reply:

"Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?"

In other words, the donkey was trying to get Balaam to see that if she was acting in a way that was atypical, there must have been a good reason for it.

Making Balaam think about what had happened and his history with the donkey, he simply acknowledged that she had never behaved like that in the past. God had begun working on Balaam through the donkey that had gotten his attention. Now, he was ready to fully open up his eyes to the matter at hand.

In the message today, we find God sending a sign to Balaam in the way of his suddenly disobedient donkey, a disobedience that was reflective of what had gotten him into trouble. As we continue in this passage, we see where it was time for an awakening.

For we read where "the Lord opened Balaam's eyes" allowing him to see the very danger that the donkey had seen prior, "the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn". Balaam's reaction was one of sudden, absolute repentance as he "bowed low and fell facedown" before hearing this from the angel:

"Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her."

This prompted Balaam to humbly enter into confession, saying:

"I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back."

In other words, Balaam was now ready to do what the Lord wanted and so he received the following instructions from his God:

"Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you."

And with that, Balaam "went with the princes of Balak."

You know, this Balaam story really gets my attention because if you’re like me, the Lord has had to move at times in my life to get my attention, sometimes through words spoken from someone else, words that opened my eyes and convicted me of my sinfulness and refusal to see what God wanted me to see.

You see, over thirty-three years ago, I was not a person that the Lord must have favored much. I was like countless other people out there who have led themselves to believe they were a good person. After all, I didn't drink or smoke. I had never done drugs or gotten into any trouble outside of a speeding ticket or two. And I always tried to help others whenever the opportunity presented itself.

In my mind, I wondered what could possibly be wrong with me.

The problem was that I based my self assessment on my standards. I saw that I was a good person based on my definition of good, even though there was plenty of things morally wrong with me too/.

For I loved to use profanity, knowing all the words and when to use them, even taking the Lord’s name in vain. I had a rather quick temper and would easily be angered by others who may have done me wrong. And I can honestly say that I wasn’t the nicest person when it came to dealing with others around me, especially if I was in competition with them in some way.

My attitude and non-Christian lifestyle resulted in bad things happening in my life. I was a reckless driver and received several speeding tickets over a two or three month period. I also had a couple of accidents because of my aggressiveness and lack of focus on the road. And just as I was driving on the highways with reckless abandon, so too did I “drive” through my life the same way. I ended up going through a divorce after nearly ten years of marriage and was left abandoned and alone in the aftermath, even though I didn’t see any of it as being my fault at the time. After all, it was easier to blame others than take accountability for myself.

In the end translation, the Lord was trying to get my attention but, like Balaam, I was unable to see any of it. I saw problems everywhere else except within me where they really were.

Well, God didn't send a talking donkey into my life but He did speak to me through a beautiful woman I ran into while volunteering at a local elementary school. I didn't even know her first name when we first met and our conversations were only professional for several months but then one day, we talked about what we were going to do for the upcoming weekend and after that conversation, I decided to ask her to go to dinner with me. I sent her flowers to the school and she accepted the date where I learned her first name, Grace. Later, I would come to see that her middle name was Grace because her first name had to be “Amazing”.

You see, Grace told me that if we were going to have a relationship, God would have to be first and I told her that was fine with me, even though I felt a churning anxiety inside grounded in guilt over not having lived for the Lord since I graduated from high school. Questions came fast and furious to my mind:

Would God accept me back?

If so, would I remember any of what I learned when I was younger?

I hadn't been to church regularly for around 13 years so how would the Lord feel about me when I returned?

I also hadn't read the Bible for a long time either so would I remember anything? Would I even know the Old from the New Testament?

Well, just as the Lord had opened Balaam's eyes after speaking through the donkey, He had opened my eyes through the words He spoke through my Amazing Grace, leading me to a spirit of remorse and repentance for my many years of unfaithful living. He also started to reform and refine me, getting me back on the right path, the narrow path that led to life and righteousness (Matthew 7:14).

And so, here I am today, more than thirty-three years later, working hard for the Lord daily with the hope that I will be able to be the one through which the Lord speaks to another, to be the one through which he uses to open the eyes of someone who needs it so that might see the wrongs of their ways, repent, and become the person God wants them to be. I know I am eternally grateful for how the Lord took me, a man who was once lost and made him eternally found.

Brothers and sister, my prayer is that we all would be drawn to the words of a favorite contemporary hymn which serves as a plea for God to open our eyes so we will see Jesus,. The One who saw we were heading down the wrong path into danger just as Balaam was, the One who was willing to be beaten and ultimately killed in order to save those who lived with their eyes once blind to the sin that was taking them down the road to destruction in Hell.  The song is called "Open Our Eyes Lord" and the words are as follows:

Open our eyes, Lord

We want to see Jesus,

To reach out and touch Him,

And say that we love Him.

Open our ears, Lord

And help us to listen.

Open our eyes, Lord

We want to see Jesus.

Yes Father God, today and every day, we want to see Your Son Jesus, our Savior. Open our eyes so we can do this we pray.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.