November 11, 2024
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Reading along with us in Numbers and 1 Corinthians? Here’s today’s reading:
Numbers 24 (NIV)
1 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness. 2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him 3and he spoke his message:……Continue Reading
Numbers 24
Ironic how the people that hired Balaam to curse Israel have an unfortunate future foretold for them.
God’s word spoken about Israel “May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed.” And that is true to this day. Their enemies will not succeed with their plans to destroy the country and its people.
Numbers 23 & 24
Numbers 24
”‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’?“
Numbers 24:13 NKJV
Balak did not get what he wanted from Balaam. I love that Balaam’s “eyes were now open” and no longer doing things for the money but rather because he was actually hearing from God. And even knowing that he was not going to get any payday out of this he saw it through to the end and delivered all of God’s words for these people….and certainly not good news for them!
Maybe the best lesson that comes from the accounts of Balaam is how important consistency is in the lives of those who follow God. He does well to speak the words of God even in the presence of power and wealth from an earthly king. But 2 Peter 2:15 assigns him as he who loved the wages of wickedness. And we can see in some of his actions a self will in the hopes of getting a pay day. But here and the other chapters he speaks only what God gives him. And what wonderful words God has for His people both in who they are to Him and the blessings that will be upon them, even in the victories that they will secure. But how important it is to be true to the things of God consistently, rather than waffling at times and then being true at times…kind of like Balaam….