Have you ever had a plan that you thought was so perfectly put together and then at the point of time it should all come together nothing went right? I think of this when I read about Balak not being happy with Balaam’s first oracle. I wonder what Balaam felt as the words were coming from his mouth, blessing the Israelites instead of cursing them. Balak undoubtedly expected to get his way eventually. He had been told or warned by Balaam that he could only say what the Lord put in his mouth. Balak tried different points of view to try to change the outcome. This makes me think of how we may try to get our way when we’ve been told it is not the way it is going to happen. My NIV notes say it like this, “changing locations won’t change God’s will.” Anyway, no matter how Balak tried to manipulate the situation Balaam would only bless the Israelites.
In chapter 24 it states that Balaam didn’t use his sorcery as the other times which sounds like he must have used his pagan practices before this third oracle. This is difficult for me to understand except to say that God will get His way! He can and will use whatever He wants to do His will. It also sounds like Balaam is experiencing God. The first two verses tell us that Balaam turned his face toward the wilderness and when he saw the tribes of Israel, the Spirit of God came upon him. This third oracle just makes Balak furious and he tells Balaam to just go home.
Verse 17 is thought to be a prophecy of Jesus: "I see him, but not in the present time. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the foreheads of Moab's people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth." How exciting. What do you think?
Next we read about some of the Israelite men being enticed by the Moabite women to indulge in sexual immorality and participate in worshipping their gods. The Lord was angered and He commanded Moses to take the leaders of the guilty people and kill them. During this time there was a plague killing Israelite people because of the Lord’s anger. While Moses was talking to the judges and in front of the whole assembly of Israel at the Tent of Meeting, a man brought a Midianite woman into his tent. Phinehas, son of Eleazar, takes a spear and goes into the man’s tent. He drives the spear through the man and the woman at one time, killing them. Because of Phinehas’s action the plague stopped and the Lord was pleased. Then Moses is commanded to treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them.
Once again God made the point that He alone is the one true God and no other should be worshipped. He will not tolerate anything taking His place. His way is the only way.
The story of Phinehas causes me to rethink the definition of "Priest". I tend to think of a Priest as a mild mannered, quiet type person, maybe I am thinking they are like the Monks portrayed in movies. Phinehas shows us what God expects of his priests.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of the way people sometimes portray Christ as a quiet, mild mannered, non-confrontational kind of person, when in fact he chose his confrontations carefully and did not hesitate to act or speak when God's commands were being ignored.
Hmm... so what does that mean for me today? Still thinking about that. Suggestions?
I vaguely remember hearing this story, but it's not exactly one of the ones you find in the Children's Bible you read to your little ones!! For years, I've tried to make God fit in a little box of what I thought a "loving" God would be.......since I've been married, I've learned that part of "love" is to protect! He will protect His people at all cost from the enemy. He is a WARRIOR, and a KING!
ReplyDeleteAmy, I agree that Balaam was experiencing God. This passage says that "God met with him"
ReplyDelete(v 23:4). Wow! We see God working through Balaam and I'm curious too what Balaam was feeling/thinking as the words were coming out of his mouth. I wonder what happened to Balaam when he parted ways with Balak. Was he a changed man forever? Or did he return to his previous ways?
I have always liked the word zeal, zealot, zealous. It seems to be such a vibrant word. God honored the zeal of Phinehas as he stopped the plague and then blessed him with a covenant of peace for him and his descendants. Phinehas had zeal for God's honor among the Israelites.
Harriet, to me that means we are to be zealous (love that word!) for God's honor among us... to strive for purity and to deal agressively with sin. Phinehas was observant (saw the man take the woman into his tent) and acted quickly and agressively to stop them.
Balaam's decision to allow God to speak through him was very wise. How amazing it would be if people would put "self" to the side and let God work. As I read these chapters I am reminded that we are all God's vessels.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff ladies...great stuff!!! This whole story of Balaam and Barak is extrememly interesting in its content and holds many lessons for us today. The one thing I want to say about this is...HELLO???? God's people are NOT going to be destroyed!!!! Balak could not do it then, Hitler could not do it during WWII, and Islam is not going to do it NOW!!! As the New Testament states, we as Christian Gentiles have been adopted into this family and this protection therefore extends to us. I find GREAT comfort in knowing that Satan can take my body but he CANNOT take my soul! That is sealed and protected by God, The Mighty One!!!
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