Feb 11

February 11, 2012

 

The story of Balaam is certainly one of the most unique narratives in the entire Bible. What is going through Balaam's mind in this story? It is clear that Balaam isn't the sharpest tack in the room.  

 

There is no doubt in his mind when the first offer arrives from Balak. "The Lord has refused to let me go with you" sounds like a pretty clear "no." Yet when Balak sends the official White House cabinet members with a Swiss bank account number, then Balaam thinks to himself, "Maybe I didn't get the message correctly from the Lord. One can't say no too quickly to offers like this; you know, they only come but once in a lifetime."  Testing God's word is not a smart thing to do, in fact, it can lead to an early retirement from the prophet business.

 

So what are our take-aways from this story? 

 

1. When God clearly reveals his will to us we shouldn't doubt it.  There are so many times when as Christ followers, we compromise the clear guidance God has given us.

            Did God really say we shouldn't be unequally yoked with unbelievers?

            Did God really mean we should be completely honest?

            Did God really intend for us to say no to every temptation?

            Did God really command us to give a tithe of our income?

            Did God really order us to forgive all our enemies?

 

2. There is always hope when God is involved. Even when we mess up, God is not limited. If God can speak through a donkey and a goofy prophet, he can certainly speak through us. When we witness, it isn't the giftedness of the speaker, it is the power of God.

 

3. We find the gospel even in a moment of failure. Even this goofy prophet is used by God to share the gospel with the entire world. Balaam speaks of a star that will come out of Jacob, "a scepter will rise out of Israel." This is a prophecy of the star of Bethlehem that will announce Messiah's birth a millennium later. The DVD "The Star of Bethlehem" presents evidence that unique planetary alignment events did occur at the birth of Jesus. When these were linked with this prophecy of Balaam, they created a WOW moment for the astronomers (Magi) of Persia.  

 

So here is a thought for the day: If I am looking for some loophole in the Bible to give me an excuse for sinning, I am an accident waiting to happen. Don't be goofy today.