Bibledoorajar: The Message Repeated

          Imagine Balaam sitting on a laid down donkey in between two walls when he looked up and saw the angel of the Lord complete with drawn sword. War had erupted between God's will and Balaam's greed. The message of the angel repeated that of the donkey. The word says:
      "Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
      The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.” Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”            
       Balaam recognized danger when he saw it. The angel had said he would have certainly killed him by then except for the donkey's movements. Balaam's admitted his sin and agreed to return home if God was displeased.
       Yesterday we were talking in Bible class about how God is already at work ahead of calling us to do a specific task. God is not looking at the same things we look for as we prepare to go for Him and so it is best if we do not decide how things will be. We looked at the passage (Luke 9) where the Lord sent out his disciples to spread the word of the Kingdom. He gave them great power but He told them to leave behind some earthly things that might inhibit what God had already been working on ahead of them. A recently retired school teacher shared this story. She had realized she was not that happy being at home full time and was trying to fill some of her time with substitute teaching. Still she longed for more as she missed those little guys she had taught for so many years. She and her husband made a trip to a nearby town to go to Walmart. Her husband was in the hardware department while she shopped elsewhere. A woman was looking at rope and seemed perplexed as to which to buy. Ray offered to help and they began to talk. Soon the conversation evolved to a) the lady was looking for a retired school teacher to teach kindergarten in a christian school and b) Ray was married to just such a woman. Jeanne was hired and she now works in a school where the emphasis is on the Lord, spirituality and school work. Recently as her group prayed as their preplanning meeting ended, the lady said it was her intent to frame a piece of the "Walmart rope" because God knew all along how He planned for the needs to be met. They needed to remember that. So do we.
   

Bibledoorajar: The Donkey Who Would 't Take the Reckless Path

     Balaam had decided to saddle his donkey, summon his two servants, and join the more numerous and distinguished representatives of Balak for the return to him. The Word says that he was setting out on a reckless path. He urged his donkey forward onto the road. The donkey abruptly stopped on the way and went off the road. Balaam hit the donkey to get him to return to the road. They came to a narrow place in a vineyard with walls on each side. The donkey shied and got so close to the side that Balaam's foot was crushed against the wall. Although the animal had never behaved in such a manner in the past, Balaam hit him again determined to control him. As they went forward the road became so narrow that the donkey could not turn so he laid down in the road.  Balaam was so frustrated and upset and God allowed the donkey to speak. He simply asked Balaam what he had done to justify being beaten three times. Now here is the question. If you knew God had spoken a truth to you about what you should do and your donkey started talking to you would that get your attention? Well, a donkey talking did not get the attention of Balaam. He continued to have a conversation with the donkey berating the animal severely. How he thought that donkey could talk without God miraculously being involved is mind boggling. Finally God opened Balaam's eyes and he saw the angel of the Lord standing with his sword drawn. RECKLESS PATH, BALAAM!!!! EVEN THE DONKEY KNOWS IT!!! God is not in this!
     Yesterday's sermon in part spoke of keeping the eternal in mind as we carry out our everyday efforts. If the everyday effort is right, then it is God's will to be pursued in faith and is a safe path toward eternity. If it is not right (truth), then eternity calls for us to leave that reckless path for God is not in it. It is as if an angel with drawn sword is standing in our way. This gift of God saves us from all manner of frustration if heeded.

"High King of Heaven, my victory won

May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun

Heart of my own heart, whate’er befall

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all"

Be Thou My Vision by Ian Lind

Bibledoorjar: More Numerous and More Distinguished

Balak got the word that Balaam would not come and help him against the Israelites, but he did not give up. He pulled out his biggest and greatest guns. Sending other officials more numerous and distinguished, they came to Balaam and said:

“This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.”
 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.  Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the Lord will tell me.” Numbers 22

Balak knew of his power and the important men under him. He was sure that their status and abilities along with even more riches for Balaam would sway the prophet to come and place a curse on the people. However, what he did not know was that the God of Heaven and Earth was also impressing Balaam and that Balaam knew He had the power to stop him from going. The prestigious men spent the night in order that Balaam might find out if God had anything else to say to him.

That night God came to Balaam and said, “Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.”

However, this was not exactly what Balaam did. Instead of waiting on God to give him further information and/or instructions as to what to say to Balak, he got up the next day and saddled his donkey. He rode out to the awaiting men with two of his servants with him ready for the trip. This made God very angry.

Apparently, it is important to seek God early in the morning after a night of "sleeping on it." Balaam's biggest mistake was not being expectant the next morning and so he moved out on his own awareness. Was God not his God the next morning? Why was he not still waiting on HIs command? Is He still our God after a night of prayer and waiting? Do we arise to seek Him yet again? Let's hope we never forget.

I will seek You in the morning

And I will learn to walk in Your ways

And Step by step You'll lead me

And I will follow You all of my days

Michael W. Smith, Step by Step

Bibledoorajar: Abilities to curse

cursing:

To call down evil upon others violently
A call for evil to rest on someone
Invocation of evil against one’s enemies

Soon after the cliffs moved and the spring rose up and destroyed the Children of Israel's enemy, other leaders began to hear about the victory. One leader was named Balak. He felt so strongly about the threat that he felt he and his armies stood no chance against the Israelites. In a conversation among his people and with the Midianites the threat was put this way:

"This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.”

In order to keep such a wipe out from happening, Balak felt he had to have the best of help. Although the prophet he had in mind lived a long way from him, he felt it would be absolutely necessary to send for him. He wanted him to put such a curse on the Israelites that they would be rendered useless on the battlefield. A curse such as defined above. The prophet's name was Balaam and Balak sent an envoy with a divination fee to lure him to help. God was aware of Balaam and his ability to curse and He absolutely forbade him to curse His people whom Balak referred to as enemies.

The doctrine of Christ rises above the culture described above. Jesus's doctrine is that we are not only not to curse our enemies but we are to love them and pray for them. It is a take stock situation for most of us. It seems the ability to hate and curse can rise freely within us, but it takes the help of Christ to love and pray for our enemies. There is a children's song that puts it this way:

"Love your enemies!

Even though they hate your guts, ya!

Love your enemies!

Even though they make me cry

Love your enemies!

Even though they hate your guts, ya!

Love your enemies!

Even though they make me cry"
John Mark McMillan

It's a higher call and an ability that calls for supernatural help. But that is exactly what we all need. If Balak had truly known the God of the Israelites, he too, could have had His help. We Christians know the words of Jesus but our challenge is to follow Him and call on Him. Not using our ability to curse is one such example of how He can help us succeed.

Bibledoorajar: How Great is Our God?

     The children of Israel got over their snake bites and marched on. They arrived and encamped in passes in the wilderness facing Moab. What happened there is described in Numbers 21 as having been recorded by poets in the Book of the Wars of Hashem. Specifically, the book records a section about what happened with the rivers of Arnon as God delivered His people from attack. As His people marched along, they were unaware that the Amorites had planned a surprise ambush near the border of Moab. They hid in caves and prepared to push huge borders down on God's people as they passed through unbeknownst of the danger. But then Hashem revealed His powerful abilities that far exceeded the powers of the Amorites and their god. He caused the cliffs filled with the caves to shift and the miraculous well from which He had always given water to His people poured through with great intensity. Soon God's people looked and saw the blood of those crushed coming down toward them and in looking realized the great power and victory of their God. They broke into a song of honor for their God.

     In 2004, Chris Tomlin broke into song and entitled it How Great is Our God. The song won two Dove Awards and is still sung in countless congregations of the Lord in our country.
Tomlin calls the listener to sing with him so all will see how great is our God. It is thrilling and fulfilling to realize that from the time described in Numbers until now, God's people are still singing about how great He is. From here to eternity!

"The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice

How great is our God, sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end.........."

Bibledoorajar: Is this the right direction?

     The people now marched in a direction that would take them around Edom as God had earlier stated that they could not bother their kinfolk by going through their land. For the people, this seemed like they were going in circles and their patience wore thin and they began to grumble again. They spoke against Moses and also against God. This was after they had consecrated themselves to God for his provision against Arad and his armies. The content of the grumble had a familiar ring--"Why did you bring us up from Egypt to die in this Wilderness, for there is no food and no water, and our soul is disgusted with the insubstantial food?" By now Moses probably had it memorized. God, too, recognized this refrain and sent fiery serpents. They writhed across the ground and bit the people. Now the people needed Moses but they needed God more. Faithful Moses went to God and God told him to make himself a fiery serpent and place it on a pole or stake and it would be that anyone who was bitten by the serpents could stare at the copper Serpent and live.

This is an interesting story. The cause of the people's destruction was also their source of healing. Today, we can be subject to losing patience with our direction in life. We can feel the burning of the Old Serpent attacks. Or, we can just realize that we are getting older and therefore more limited. God has made a provision for how sin takes us all in a downward cycle. We can look upon His Son, Jesus, who, too, was placed on a pole or stake. In looking in belief, the bites of the Old Serpent are ministered too and we can be eternally healed in the long run. There is help for the woes of this life thanks to God's ability to counter the Old Serpent at every turn. Unfortunately, some folks have sight to look upon the cross but fail to do so. One lady, Fannie Crosby though blind saw the cross clearly and looked upon it often. We know that because she penned the following:

      " Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,

writhing in anguish and pain;

tell of the grave where they laid Him,

tell how He liveth again.

Love in that story so tender,

clearer than ever I see:

stay, let me weep while you whisper,

love paid the ransom for me."

Bibledoorajar: Comparing Old Traits

     As the children marched on they came near to a good place to go through to the Promised Land. However, there was a potential problem. The land they had to go through was Edom and was inhabited by the heirs of Esau. Esau, unlike his brother, Jacob, had been a man of weapons (See Gen, 27:3) and  his destiny was not that he or his peoples would be exiled for a period as did Jacob. Jacob's heirs were to develop as a journeying people of faith living in tents rather than one of dependence on weaponry and fortresses. Moses approached the leaders of Edom and asked for permission to go through their land promising to not use their water or produce. He even recited old history of how his people had been told they would be exiled prior to receiving their land inheritance thinking that this might impress and soften the hearts of the kinfolk. However, years of long engrained traits and feelings arose and the Edomites refused to let them go through. To avoid any trouble with brothers (kinfolk), especially involving weapons, the children of Israel kept marching and finally arrived at the land possessed by the Canaanites.
     At this point the children of Israel surprise us by showing forth appropriate traits for God's people. Instead of grumbling or complaining, they prayed and asked God for success in going through the land. In the meantime, Arad, the Canaanite leader, saw them from afar. Perhaps he remembered the stealth traits of the twelve spies who years before had made it past he and his weapons without notice. At any rate, Arad decided to not wait for the people to get nearer, but instead  took his men with weapons out to attack. But God had heard the prayers of His people asking for help to go through and so Arad failed in his attempt.
     The children of Israel had a great chance to compare the arm of flesh regaled with all its' weaponry to strategy that involved the help of the Lord God of the Universe. In honoring Him with their words of prayer for success they prevailed. John says that we ,too, can prevail in our journey of "going throughs" by boldly approaching the throne of God in prayer accompanied by confidence. He put it this way:

"This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us".  1 John 5:12

Jesus tells us that He is more than willing to help us achieve all things that will bring glory to the Father. These are the traits of a journeying people who love God and trust His help to deal with anything that they are going through. We ever depend on our Protector and Provider. The well known song below is of unknown origin. Perhaps it is a song that anonymously comes from all of our hearts.

"Just a closer walk with Thee

Grant it, Jesus, is my plea

Daily walking close to Thee

Let it be, dear Lord, let it be"