This week we considered the Widow of Zarepheth, not a Jew. And, today, we will look at the Prophetic gifts of Balaam.
Balaam and the donkey are extremely memorable.
The broad stroke of God, the length God the Almighty goes to using only regular day to day tools in His own design. The Lord is overwhelmingly appealing!
So many are so discouraged. We have to hold our Light brighter and realize God has not given up on so many. If we feel strong armed at work or at home, God is not giving up. Renaissance mankind looked with expectancy God would act and bring forth good, in every day life.
Balaam left what we could consider rare published works.
Balaam's history is found in caves of Jordan. This would have been about 1200 B.C. But the fragments are from 800 B.C. This could be the written history, of an oral history of Balaam. Or someone who impersonated Balaam. We don't know. Jordan records Balaam as someone they considered worthy to read and consider.
In 1967, at Deir Alla, Jordan, archaeologists found 119 pieces of inked plaster containing an unknown prophecy by Balaam written in a previously unattested dialect with Aramaic and South Canaanite characteristics and employing an idiosyncratic script. The inscription is datable to circa 840–760 B.C. . Painted in red and black inks, apparently to emphasize the text, on fragments of a plastered wall. This is not the correct time frame. This would have been during Uzziah's reign. Perhaps it is another Balaam, or Balaam was still being quoted.
Agreeing with the Balaam testimony is John, Jesus' beloved disciple, Balaam as not part of the Children of Israel, instead working against them. Balaam tried to work within what God told him to do and tried to bring the Children of Israel down from within instead. Not good for Balaam.
Revelation 2:14
But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.
Balaam held the interest of Jude, brother of Jesus:
Jude 1:11
What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.
Peter was also interested in Balaam.
2 Peter 2:15
Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,
What is remarkable of Balaam.... his defiance, bold resistance to opposing God or an angel of the Lord's authority.... to continue to do the wrong thing.
Numbers 22
29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me,
I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” 30 And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”
31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. 32 And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.”
34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.” 35 And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.”
Numbers 24
When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and he took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
4 the oracle of him who hears the words of God,
who sees the vision of the Almighty,
falling down with his eyes uncovered:
5 How lovely are your tents, O Jacob,
your encampments, O Israel!
6 Like palm groves that stretch afar,
like gardens beside a river,
like aloes that the LORD has planted,
like cedar trees beside the waters.
7 Water shall flow from his buckets,
and his seed shall be in many waters;
his king shall be higher than Agag,
and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8 God brings him out of Egypt
and is for him like the horns of the wild ox;
he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries,
and shall break their bones in pieces
and pierce them through with his arrows.
9 He crouched, he lay down like a lion
and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?
Blessed are those who bless you,
and cursed are those who curse you.”
10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the LORD has held you back from honor.” 1
2 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the LORD speaks, that will I speak’? 14 And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”
It is up to each of us not turn from what we know is right.
With the grace of God. God speaks to us in our hearts, we believe & He tells us this in the New Testament. God is good, forgiving and gracious in the way He records Balaam in the Book of Numbers; the New Testament says Balaam continued to work against God's anointed people.
Psalm 19:14
When the Prophet Nathan needed David to pay attention to the Lord.
Nathan told King David about the poor man with the beloved, one small lamb. He wanted to put aside the ire of the King, and put him where he was a good man, to set aside jokes. Nathan did so well, David repented and named one of his sons after Nathan. Nathan worked ard to reach David where he truly existed and lived. Just as Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee to find the one person, Abba had planned for Jesus to meet and, probably, heal that day.
We know the area of Jordan, knew of Balaam and considered him to be of worthy spiritual merit. Perhaps this is why the Lord chose Balaam's lifelong pet and working companion. Elijah was sent horses. Noah was sent a Dove. Jesus spoke of Sparrows and of Hens and chicks. And Herod was described to be a Fox. The Psalmist spoke of what we consider to be whales, found to be more interested in people than we know, Leviathan.
Abba, Father,
Dwell in us and make us Glad.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment