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- What attributes of God’s character does this passage reveal?
- How does the passage point to Jesus?
- How should the truth of this passage change me?
- How do the events of today’s reading help you better understand the grand narrative of Scripture?
Num. 22
Balak, Moab’s king, saw what Israel had done to the Amorites. He also saw their large number. So he feared them and assumed that they would devour everything around him. Balak lacked understanding. The Amorites’ destruction was a result of their meeting a peaceful request with violence. Balak was right to fear. But he completely missed the mark as to what – or who – to fear. Balak did not know God. Thus, he did not know wisdom or understanding, and his ignorance led him astray.
Besides not wanting to make Balak’s mistake of acting without seeking understanding, I also want to learn to discern this mistake in others so I won’t follow in their errant ways, as Balaam did. I see it all the time, especially in leadership. People make the wrong assumptions, draw the wrong conclusions, and persuade others down the wrong path as a result. All because they lack understanding. These same people then turn to all the wrong things, just as Balak did, in an effort to save themselves from the wrong danger. Understanding comes from wisdom, and wisdom comes from fearing God. I have no business following any other path.
Num. 23-24
Balaam’s story here both concerns and encourages me. It concerns me because Balaam seems obedient to God, doing and saying only what God directs. Yet we know from the donkey incident in Numbers 22 that God was not pleased with Balaam. Also, Peter, Jude, and Jesus, in His Revelation to the churches through John, all mention Balaam’s sin. In addition, he is called a diviner, which God detests, rather than a prophet. So how did a man who seemed obedient to God end up in such low esteem?
What I believe is that Balaam persistently sought God’s approval to go down a road he should not have even been considering. God allowed it to serve His purpose for His people, but knew Balaam’s heart was in the wrong place. Thus, though Balaam obeyed God in this situation, it planted a seed in his heart that ultimately led him to defy God and His blessed people. According to Revelation 2:14, Balaam taught Balak how to draw the Israelites away from God. Not good! So for all practical purposes, Balaam was a Judas.
This concerns me because it reminds me that even those who seem close to God are susceptible to corrupt seeds taking root in their hearts. We truly need to keep a vigilant watch over our hearts and minds. We do this by being careful not to make allegiances with those who oppose God and by giving every concern fully to Him so that His peace, “will guard [our] hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:5b). Also, we cling to our hope in God’s unbreakable promise to us, knowing that our lives depend on it. Because the encouraging part of this story is in Balaam’s second oracle. There we learn that because God is for us, nothing can stand against us.