Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Numbers 22 ...And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho. 2And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
God greatly blessed Israel. God promised them a land. Then God led them against country after country and gave them the lands. Balak was very aware of the way the nation of Israel was taking over so he devised a plan to stop the nation of Israel. Balak sent for Balaam to have him curse Israel.
Numbers 22 ... He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: 6Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
But when Balaam sought God, God told him the following: And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. Numbers 22:12
But Balak sent more men out to get Balaam to come curse Israel. And Balak offered great reward to Balaam.
Now here is the problem. Balaam wanted the reward offered by Balak. So he decided, I will try again and ask God what I should do. Maybe God will change HIS mind. And when Balaam asked the second time, God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Numbers 22
By reading this we see the righteousness of God. God told Balaam not to go. But Balaam wanted his own way and the reward man could give him. So Balaam asked God a second time what to do although God had already told Balaam what to do. After this second asking, God turned Balaam over to his own lust and to him to go on with the men. But the anger of the Lord was against Balaam.
So God put the angel of the Lord in the way as an adversary against Balaam. And Balaam was so blind to the way of God that he couldn't see God was against him. But Balaam's donkey saw. The donkey even saved Balaam's life for the donkey saw the angel of the Lord with his sword drawn against Balaam. And when the donkey saw this, he wouldn't go forward. Balaam was angry at the crazy donkey and he smote the donkey. Three times this happened but the donkey refused to go into the deadly path.
Finallly God allowed the donkey to speak truth to Balaam and God opened Balaam's understand and Balaam saw God was against him in the way he was going.
And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again. 35And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. Numbers 22
Three times Balaam was set up to curse Israel but each time Balaam ended up blessing Israel.
It is such an interesting example. Balaam wanted that reward though God told him not to go with these men. Balaam tried God and it turned out to be loss for him for he didn't get the reward after all since God would not allow him to curse Israel.
The first word from God on the matter should have been enough to end the matter.
This reminds me of the way the children of Israel fought God in the wilderness ... Psa. 78 ... For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: 7That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: 8And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
God gave them manna, angel's food ... but they wanted meat. So God gave them meat to their downfall. Their own way and their own desire was the important thing to them. They did not trust God to feed them the best food.
And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness. 18And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. 19Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? 20Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? 21Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; 22Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation: 23Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, 24And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. 25Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full. 26He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. 27He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: 28And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. 29So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire; 30They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, 31The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. 32For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. 33Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. Psa. 78