Balaam and Balak
Numbers 23-25
Balaam and Balak, Numbers 23-25. Can we prevent God's will from happening as He has planned? Can we curse His people if He intends for us to bless them? We tend to be so indignant against God if we suspect He overrules our free will in any way do we not?
11 And Balak said to Balaam,
“What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold,
you have done nothing but bless them.” 12 And he answered and said,
“Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”
25
And Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless
them at all.” 26 But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All
that the Lord says, that I must do’?” 27 And Balak said Balaam, “Come
now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that
you may curse them for me from there.”
Numbers 23:11-12 & 25-27, ESV
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.” 12 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’?
Numbers 24:10-13, ESV
Balaam and Balak
Numbers 23-25
Numbers 23-25 present a very interesting situation in the lives of Balaam and Balak. Balak called Balaam to come to him and curse the Israelites. God, however, prevented Balak from cursing the Israelites. Three times Balak came to curse them, but because he could only speak the oracle of God, he blessed them instead. Balak even tried taking Balaam to different places on the mountain, hoping to curse even just a small amount of Israelites if possible.
Even
though Balaam promised Balak great riches, his curses turned instead to
blessings. Look at Balak's words in verses 12 and 13 of chapter 24, 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’?
Balaam and Balak could not change God's will. Can
we prevent God's will from happening as God has planned? Can we curse
His people if He intends for us to bless them? We tend to be so
indignant against God if we suspect He overrules our free will in any
way. Many times I need to remind myself, "God is God, and I am not!"
Just as Balaam and Balak did not really understand the God Whom they were trying to overrule, we
will never completely understand God on this side of heaven. Our hearts
are too filled with sin. But, when we reach the gates of heaven, all
things will be made clear; there will be no disappointment in our
hearts.
Ponder these verses as you go about your day. Think about Balak and Balaam. Nothing you do can prevent the oracle of God from occurring just as He planned.
What an amazing God we serve! Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow.
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