300th post - YAY! We have gotten through quite a big chunk of the Bible...keep up the good work.
Who is this Balaam guy? We don't know a whole lot about him, but we know that he is a world famous diviner (Joshua 13:22), meaning that people come from far and wide to have Balaam bless them and curse their enemies. He was also most likely a polytheist, meaning that he would deal with any god that his clients wanted him to (And since we know there is only one God, that probably means he was delving into some pretty freaky demonic stuff or he was a big faker). He was a sorcerer for higher if you will. Pay him enough money and he will do whatever you want.
22:13ff - I think it is pretty interesting that Balaam turns them down the first time. He actually stays strong. God tells him not to work for Balak and he tells them that he will not work for Balak - if the story ended there, we would have a pretty kind view of Balaam as a guy that listens to God...but it doesn't end there does it? And we get a way cooler story, because he gets stupid. I say all this because, Balaam had a chance to get the temptation out of his life. The guys come back again to offer him more money and instead of sending them on their way - he lets them spend the night. There are times in our lives when we know what is right and we choose to do it...we win out over temptation, but when it comes back stronger we let it hang around. We start to question...we start to think up excuses for doing whatever we want. If you let temptation in...if you let it fill your mind and stick around, you are gonna fall eventually just like Balaam.
22:20 and 22 - What happened there? First God tells Balaam he can go...then He instantly gets angry with Balaam - what up with that? Well I have to believe it is about motivation of the heart. God decides He is going to use Balaam to bless the Israelites like we see later on in chapter 24, so He tells Balaam to go with them and say only what He wants him to say. If Balaam goes with that attitude, I think there is no problem. But instead, I think Balaam starts to think through his situation. He is going into the kings territory, surrounded by soldiers who would kill him at a word from the king. How can he go in there and not do what the king wants? And besides, the king is willing to give him enough money to retire...I think Balaam starts figuring out how to give Balak what he wants and God gets a little peeved.
23:8 - Great reminder for us that Balaam throws down. God control everything. There is no curse without God, because He is the one and only God...He is the one holding everything together! There is no blessing without God...God is in control and Balaam just gives us a little reminder of that.
24:12 - I feel like I understand a little of what Balaam is going through here. You know he doesn't want to be saying these things in front of this king who is getting madder and madder by the minute, but when God's word comes down, it has got to be spoken! There are times when the Gospel of Jesus Christ is really hard. There are times when there are no easy answers to why things happen and why there is so much craziness in the world. I deal with high school kids who routinely wonder what God has to say about suicide because they know people who have killed themselves...I talk to kids who have friends who are dealing with homosexuality and they want to know what God has to say about it. Those are hard conversations to have! There are no easy answers...but you have to speak the truth that God has put before us through His word. You speak it in love...but you speak it...God's word demands that.
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