Verse for the Day, 14 July 2016.

Numbers 24:1-13, “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."  (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'?”

Balaam’s life and understanding has been dramatically challenged by virtue of Balak’s request to come and curse the people of Israel. Prior to this, Balaam was a medium, a seer, who sought to negotiate between men and the spirit world. But as Scripture so clearly teaches us, there is only one God, secondly that we are not to consult with those who claim to have access to the spirit world and thirdly, seeking to call up spirits or evoke the favour of the gods is a very dangerous thing that will bring more evil and harm than it will good. This had been Balaam’s way, looking for omens, seeking to consult with spirits and to request the help of the spirits.

Through Balak’s request, Balaam had his eyes opened! He had several encounters with the only true living God. He had heard God speak to him, he had seen the angel of the LORD and been struck with terror, and God had spoken through him several times. Balaam had encountered something far greater than ever before and had not been able to do anything or say anything other than what God had told him. Even when faced with the threats of Balak, the potential of not just losing a great financial reward, but also possibly his life, Balaam continued to obey God.

In this passage Balaam delivers two more oracles, and they would have been very hard for Balak to hear.

The first oracle centres around Israel and the God of Israel. The nation is described as beautiful, plentiful, prosperous, great, powerful, mighty in war and like a lion that is not only fearsome but also unstoppable when in full stride. God is described as being Israel’s deliverer, the one who saved them out of Egypt in His great power. What would have been frightening for Balak to hear, is when Balaam declares that God is using Israel as His weapon, with which He will punish and overthrow the godless nations. Finally, Balaam declares that God had chosen to bless the people of Israel and therefore, anyone who would come against them, oppose them, will ultimately be coming against God, and as a result will be cursed by God.

The second of these oracles would have been even harder for Balak to hear, for in this final oracle Balak hears about his impending doom. God is about to act in divine judgement and power against the nations that stand against His people. They will be laid low, reduced to rubble, overcome, crushed, destroyed! God will show the nations His power and that His blessing is upon Israel.

Any hope Balak had of defeating the Israelites had vanished, and thus he and Balaam parted company.

As with the previous chapter, we see again God’s sovereignty and faithfulness to His covenant promises. What God has planned and purposed cannot be hindered or thwarted by man, furthermore, if any man should seek to stand in God’s way, God will remove them.

There, however, is a gem hidden in this chapter, one that points back to Genesis 3 and points forward to John 19. Look at verse 17, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.”

The language in this verse is distinctly messianic, whilst the immediate context is that of the coming destruction of the godless nations, it also has a future and ultimate context in Christ.

We see language here speaking of a star rising up, who will have great power, power to conquer and not just conquer but crush the head of his enemies. The link to Genesis 3:15 and the promise of the one who would crush the head of the serpent is clear to see. As is the final work of Christ on the cross, whereby he defeats the devil, sin and death, when He crushes all his enemies and breaks the curse, in that cry of victory, “It is finished”, John 19:30. God’s covenant promises and sovereign purposes are being revealed once more and as always they point to the Lord Jesus Christ.

This chapter should lead us to joyful worship as we see God’s faithfulness and rejoice in the fact that He has done this work. The Star has risen, the Conqueror has come and the victory has been won. We should further rejoice in the fact that God has graciously allowed us to share in Christ’s victory and receive its benefits and blessings. Christ’s victory has become our salvation, so that instead of being justly crushed under God’s wrath, we are redeemed and saved by Christ.

All-wise, sovereign and merciful God, how we rejoice today in the knowledge that what You purpose to do, will come to pass. We thank and praise You, that in eternity past You purposed to show grace and salvation to us through Christ. The joy and hope we have today is a result of You having been faithful to this purpose and promise and have brought it all to pass through Christ. Thank You that because of Christ we are not just spared from Your wrath, but are also able to share in the victory of Christ. With great joy in our hearts, we look forward to the day when we shall see the Star out of Jacob, the serpent-Crusher, and the Conquering King for ourselves. May we adore You and trust You for the days to come, resting in Your sovereign mercy and faithfulness. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 11 July 2016.

Numbers 23:3-11, “And Balaam said to Balak, "Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you." And he went to a bare height,  (4)  and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, "I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram."  (5)  And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."  (6)  And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering.  (7)  And Balaam took up his discourse and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: 'Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!'  (8)  How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?  (9)  For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, a people dwelling alone, and not counting itself among the nations!  (10)  Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!"  (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."”

We have before us two of Balaam’s four oracles, and all of them would have displeased Balak. Balaam had been summoned, hired by Balak to come and curse the people of Israel, to ask a divine being to rescue them and defeat the Israelites. However, God has given Balaam very clear instructions, he is only to do what God tells him to do or say.

Thus when it is time for Balaam to speak with the gods on behalf of Balak, God gives Balaam the words he should say to Balak. But the words are not words of curse for Israel, rather they are words of blessing. Balak is shocked, is in disbelief as to what he is hearing, as it is the very opposite of what he had hired Balaam to do. Balaam was meant to bring relief from the problem, to provide them with confidence and the knowledge of victory. But instead Balaam’s words have only increased their fears of impending defeat and doom.

Why has Balak’s plan failed, why has God refused his request to curse the people of Israel?

The reason is made clear in these two oracles:

(7)  And Balaam took up his discourse and said, "From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: 'Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!'  (8)  How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?

Numbers 23:18-23  And Balaam took up his discourse and said, "Rise, Balak, and hear; give ear to me, O son of Zippor:  (19)  God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?  (20)  Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.  (21)  He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them.  (22)  God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox.  (23)  For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, 'What has God wrought!'

The reason is that God has chosen to bless the people of Israel. These statements of God’s blessing upon Israel, point back to the days of Abraham, when God entered into a covenant with him, a covenant whereby God promised to prosper and bless the offspring of Abraham. All those who would bless Abraham would be blessed, but those who cursed Abraham would be cursed. If God were to curse Israel as Balak is requesting Him to, then it would require God to break His covenant with the Israelites, which would mean that God was unfaithful and a liar. God has promised to be their God, to bless them and be with them where ever they went, and would remain true to this covenant.

What Balaam is saying to Balak is that God will not curse the nation of Israel because He has chosen to bless, prosper, rescue and save them. What God has decreed, promised, covenanted to do, He will do, He will not, He cannot break His word, for He is not a liar.

For us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, this chapter is of great encouragement to us, for that very same faithful, truthful God is our Saviour. We can rest assured that He is faithful to all His promises. What He has promised, He can and will perform. The encouragement and comfort go even deeper. We live in a time when people are fearful and superstitious, thus it is not uncommon to hear of a Christian who believes they have been cursed, that they and their family are under a curse through the words and actions of another, or due to something which happened in the past, even in previous generations. But what Numbers 23 and 24 teach us, is that those who God has redeemed and blessed are no longer cursed, nor can they be cursed. Christ broke the curse through His death and resurrection. As a result, we cannot be held by a curse spoken by man, or even by the evil one, for we are God’s people, His very own possession. He has set us free from the curse of sin, death and the devil, He has blessed us with every blessing in Christ. Those whom God has blessed, are forever blessed. If this were not so, then God would be a liar, He could not claim to be a God of truth, power or faithfulness, as He would be unable to keep His promises and do what He says. Just as God would not curse the people of Israel because His name was upon them, so God will not curse us, His people who have been purchased by the blood of His Son.

Father of truth, faithfulness and power, we thank and adore You, for You are the God of all truth, the God who cannot, and will not lie. We praise You for Your faithfulness to all Your promises, and rest in the knowledge that You will do what You say. Thank You that You have the power to keep us in Your truth and promises, and that we are free from the cruse and from being cursed. May we rest in Your unfailing truth, faithfulness and power. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 8 July 2016.

Numbers 22:1-6, “Then the people of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho.  (2)  And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.  (3)  And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel.  (4)  And Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time,  (5)  sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, "Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me.  (6)  Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."”

Balaam is a rather odd character, there are times when we think he is acting in a godly manner, as one who believes in God, and then times when he is acting foolishly and sinfully. However, we should not allow the oddness of Balaam and his talking donkey to distract from the point and purpose of this event.

Balak, the king of Moab, is fearful now that the people of Israel are approaching his land. News has travelled ahead of the Israelites, bringing reports of how this nation of people had destroyed and defeated numerous others. The people of Moab regard themselves as being a weaker, smaller nation in comparison to the nations the Israelites had already defeated. They fear that the army of Israel will make short work of them, with great ease, just as an ox so easily, even effortlessly licks up the grass. In their minds the only hope of holding off, or even defeating the Israelites is by means of divine intervention. Therefore, they consult with one another and Balaam is perceived to be the right man to speak to the gods and ask for divine help, for the gods to curse Israel and give the victory to Moab. To persuade Balaam to come, he is promised great wealth.

On the first request, God makes it very clear that Balaam is not to go, nor should he curse the people of Israel. A second request is made of Balaam, with even better terms and conditions, at which point God instructs Balaam to go with the men, but he is specifically told by God to only do what God tells him to do.

But this is where it all seems to get a bit confusing, for God has given Balaam permission to go, but then we read that God became angry with Balaam for going! What are we to make of this?

We need to ask ourselves, why Balaam thought he was going, why the princes thought Balaam was coming with them, and why God had permitted Balaam to go and what He had told Balaam to do?

Balaam and the princes believed that they were going to curse the Israelites. Balaam was going to do what Balak was asking him to do, and for great financial reward. But God had made it very clear that Balaam was not to curse the people of Israel, Balaam was to strictly obey God. It appears that Balaam did not have a true idea of who God is, nor how serious God is about obedience. Thus God reveals Himself to Balaam in a supernatural manner so that Balaam might clearly understand who God is and not to trifle with God. Balaam’s stubborn, selfish, arrogant and proud nature is seen in the manner that he treats his donkey. The donkey by turning aside, pushing against the wall and then lying down was acting so as to protect Balaam from the danger the donkey saw. Balaam was rebuking and beating the donkey for not doing what he wanted it to do. His attitude towards God is the same. How foolish and embarrassed Balaam must have felt when first, his donkey rebuked him, and secondly when he saw the Angel of the Lord. His donkey was wiser than he was!

Balaam is once again instructed by God to only speak the words he is given by God. We need to remember that this is easier said than done for Balaam, as Balak might not respond kindly to what God wants Balaam to say, Balaam may lose his life, and will almost certainly lose any form of reward. Balaam has to make a choice, between himself, or God.

It appears that Balaam obeys God, and states at the outset to Balak that he will not speak the words Balak tells him to speak. He will only speak what God tells him to speak.

Numbers 22 teaches us the importance of obedience to God, on God’s terms. There are times that we may think we are obeying God, but we have chosen to go about it via a different route. In the case of Balaam, God’s instructions were specific, which meant they were to be obeyed, not reinterpreted, or carried out according to his discretion. The result was that God had to confront Balaam and warn him clearly. We need to learn from this and apply it to our own lives. When God calls us to obey Him and His instructions are specific we should not ignore them. We cannot allow ourselves to think the end justifies the means, as long as the result is the same it doesn’t matter how it came about. God is perfect in all that He does, and if we desire to show ourselves to be His children then we will seek to follow the way of our Father.

Our Father in heaven, You are perfect in all Your ways, and You call us to walk in obedience to all Your commands. Help us to understand that our attitude towards obedience is as important as obedience itself. Also, help us to remember that we do not have the right to adjust, alter or reinterpret Your commands. May we walk and live as Christ did, in humble, steadfast and faithful obedience. Amen.