In this chapter the prophet Balaam declared to King Balak that Israel could not be cursed because God had chosen them and set them apart. He recognized that God had blessed them, and no human effort could overturn God’s will. How many times have we been like King Balak? How many times have we asked for an answer from God and not accept his answer? God answers every prayer. He answers every prayer in 1 of 3 ways. He says yes, no, or not yet. God’s will is God’s will and there is nothing we can do to change that. This chapter is a lesson for us to learn to accept God’s answers to our prayers even if it is not the answer that we want. Balak was pretty much begging for God to answer his prayer that was clearly against God’s will. No matter how many sacrifices Balak gave it was not going to change the will of God. Has it ever occurred to you that God might not be answering your prayers because you might be asking God for something outside of his will? We get so self centered sometimes that all we can see is what we want. A major lesson from this passage is that God’s promises cannot be defeated by human schemes. Balaam proclaimed several important truths to Balak. Those truths are God does not lie, God does not change His mind as human beings do, God had blessed his people, God’s blessing would remain, God’s presence was among His people, and his people’s strength came from God alone. These truth’s are still true today. The only difference is that God’s people aren’t just Israelites. God’s people are the believers of Jesus Christ. Balak wanted a curse placed on Israel, but God transformed the curse into a blessing. In a similar way, Jesus took the curse of sin upon Himself and gave us the blessing of salvation. As a child of God, no one can overcome God’s plans for your life, God’s Word is always true, and God is faithful even when our circumstances are difficult. Jesus has taken the curse of sin and replaced it with the hope of eternal life. We should seek God’s approval rather than the approval of the world. This chapter reminds us that God’s plans are stronger than human plans, God’s blessings are more powerful than human curses, and God’s promises find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Love y’all! Have a great day!
Numbers 23:1-30
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“Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” So Balak did as Balaam directed, and they offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone. Maybe the Lord will meet with me. I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So he went to a barren hill. God met with him and Balaam said to him, “I have arranged seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” Then the Lord put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.” So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with all the officials of Moab. Balaam proclaimed his poem: Balak brought me from Aram; the king of Moab, from the eastern mountains: “Come, put a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel! ” How can I curse someone God has not cursed? How can I denounce someone the Lord has not denounced? I see them from the top of rocky cliffs, and I watch them from the hills. There is a people living alone; it does not consider itself among the nations. Who has counted the dust of Jacob or numbered even one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright; let the end of my life be like theirs. “What have you done to me? ” Balak asked Balaam. “I brought you to curse my enemies, but look, you have only blessed them! ” He answered, “Shouldn’t I say exactly what the Lord puts in my mouth? ” Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place where you can see them. You will only see the outskirts of their camp; you won’t see all of them. From there, put a curse on them for me.” So Balak took him to Lookout Field on top of Pisgah, built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here by your burnt offering while I seek the Lord over there.” The Lord met with Balaam and put a message in his mouth. Then he said, “Return to Balak and say what I tell you.” So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the officials of Moab. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say? ” Balaam proclaimed his poem: Balak, get up and listen; son of Zippor, pay attention to what I say! God is not a man, that he might lie, or a son of man, that he might change his mind. Does he speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill? I have indeed received a command to bless; since he has blessed, I cannot change it. He considers no disaster for Jacob; he sees no trouble for Israel. The Lord their God is with them, and there is rejoicing over the King among them. God brought them out of Egypt; he is like the horns of a wild ox for them. , There is no magic curse against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said about Jacob and Israel, “What great things God has done! ” A people rise up like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion. They will not lie down until they devour the prey and drink the blood of the slain. Then Balak told Balaam, “Don’t curse them and don’t bless them! ” But Balaam answered him, “Didn’t I tell you: Whatever the Lord says, I must do? ” Again Balak said to Balaam, “Please come. I will take you to another place. Maybe it will be agreeable to God that you can put a curse on them for me there.” So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland. , Balaam told Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” So Balak did as Balaam said and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”
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