Pam Padgett ... teacher
When God led the children of
Israel to the plains of Moab, Moab saw how many there were and greatly
feared them. Balak the
king of Moab also knew that Israel had defeated
Sihon, king of the Amorites, and had possessed their cities. Balak
wanted Balaam to come curse Israel so Moab might drive Israel out of the
land. Balak sent messengers with rewards of divination to Balaam so he would come and curse Israel ... .
Numbers 22:1 And the children of Israel set forward, and
pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho. 2 And
Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3
And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab
was distressed because of the children of Israel. 4 And Moab said unto
the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round
about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son
of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5 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: 6 Come 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. 7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian
departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came
unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
Balaam
allowed the elders sent from Balak to stay with him, and told them he
would tell them what God said. God told Balaam to not go with the men
and
that he was not to curse Israel, for they are blessed. Balaam sent the
elders back ...
Numbers 22:8 And he said unto
them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the
Lord shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. 9
And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee? 10 And
Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent
unto me, saying, 11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which
covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I
shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out. 12 And God said unto
Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people:
for they are blessed. 13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said
unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth
to give me leave to go with you. 14 And the princes of Moab rose up,
and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
Then Balak sent men of more honor to Balaam, promising to give
Balaam great honor and do whatever Balaam said, if he would come curse
Israel. Although God had already told Balaam that he was not to
curse Israel and that Israel is blessed, Balaam received the men and
said he would see what God would say ...
Numbers 22:15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more
honourable than they. 16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus
saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee
from coming unto me: 17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour,
and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray
thee, curse me this people. 18 And Balaam answered and said unto the
servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and
gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or
more. 19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I
may know what the Lord will say unto me more. 20 And 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. 21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his
ass, and went with the princes of Moab. 22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: ...
Balaam's way was perverse before God, loving the
rewards which Balak offered if he
would come and curse Israel. (Peter spoke of Balaam's love of the wages of unrighteousness ... Which
have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of
Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 But
was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice
forbad the madness of the prophet. 2 Peter 2:15-16) And the anger of God was kindled because Balaam went.
God
strongly dealt with Balaam as he went. An angel was sent by God as an
adversary against Balaam and stood in the way with his sword drawn.
Balaam's ass saw the angel and turned away three times, but Balaam did
not see the angel and struck the donkey each time he turned away. God
caused the donkey to speak to Balaam, asking why he struck him. When
God opened Balaam's eyes to see the angel, the angel told him that his way was perverse and had
the ass not turned away, the angel would have slain Balaam ....
Numbers 22:28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? 29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. 30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the
angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand:
and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. 32 And the angel
of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these
three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is
perverse before me: 33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these
three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain
thee, and saved her alive.
Balaam said he would go back. But the angel instructed him to go with the
princes, and to speak only what God told him to speak ..
Numbers 22:34 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. 35 And 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.
Balaam went to Balak and spoke the words God gave him, words which blessed, rather than cursed, Israel. Balaam was also given words telling what Israel would do to the people of the land in the latter days. (Numbers 24) The way of God was opposite to the way Balaam would have had to go to gain rewards from Balak by cursing Israel.
To love and seek after honor and
riches of this world by turning from the way of God and going in the way of evil to get them is a way of madness and death, not life. We have
been called by God to love HIM with all our hearts and to serve HIM.
The
devil tempted Jesus offering glory and riches of this world, if only
Jesus would fall down and worship him. But Jesus gave no place to the
devil, upholding the word that we are to worship and serve only God ...
Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding
high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the
glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee,
if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get
thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy
God, and him only shalt thou serve.