Christ in all the scriptures Divine Sovereignty

 

Christ in all the scriptures

God Sovereign in every situation  Numbers 22v20-41

There are situations in life that arise which test the ability of ruling men to the limit.  In such circumstances they seek outside help whether it be from religious leaders, or diviners (modern equivalent clairvoyants) or the like.  Such a situation arose in Moab which caused consternation in the corridors of power.  The entity of Israel, consisting of about 3 million people with children and livestock were on their doorstep demanding clear passage into Canaan.  This was not simply a migrant problem on a scale that is unmatched even today; this was a formidable fighting force which had just overrun their overlords Sihon and Og, and now appeared to threaten their very existence.  In addition they were reputed to have the God of all heaven and earth on their side!  In desperation, King Balak, in consultation with his courtiers sent a deputation bearing fabulous gifts to the renowned Balaam, son of Bosor in Mesopotamia, whose reputation for prophetic insight was second to none.  These were days when the pronouncements of diviners were a powerful influence in the kingdoms of men.  If truth be told it is no different today, although this aspect is kept low key.  What marked Balaam out from others was that he was cautious and was, in fact, in touch with the living God.  As such he had never failed in his predictions and pronouncements.  In the course of human history God has had dealings with many an ungodly man in the cause of good government of world situations.  He spoke directly to Cain, to Cyrus, to Nebuchadnezzar, and it is written "The most high ruleth among the kingdoms of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will"-Daniel 4v17.   There is a phrase, "Man proposes, God disposes!", and never a truer word has been spoken.  He is the living God, He rules over the affairs of men at all times, particularly when it involves His people.

Balaam was not one to be rushed, even when lavish gifts were being offered to him.  He had built his reputation on caution, and he preferred to consult a higher power on this matter.  He knew how to approach God for he had done so many a time.  According to the latter part of the chapter he did so by means of sacrifice, a ritual he had come to know would give him access to the Almighty.  Because of the moral distance, man can only approach God in a way acceptable to God.  This principle stands forever and Balaam understood that God could only be approached by the sacrifice of another.  The answer came emphatically, "Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed"-22v12.  It is well a modern world also understands this!  Balak sends another group of higher dignity than the first band and promises Balaam even greater honour if he comes to curse Israel.  Balaam further consulted the Lord, and this time He allowed him to go, on condition he spoke only the words God gave him.

"And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him".   

This exchange between God and Balaam was very real.  The majesty of heaven deigns to deal with lowly man in a gracious, but righteous way.  Why was God's anger so kindled against Balaam when He had given him permission to go with the princes of Moab?  The narrative reveals it was because He discerned the inward temptation of Balaam.  The God who is "a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4v12), knew that Balaam harboured some way of cashing in by cursing Israel, and He confronted him along the way.  This is always God's way of operation, when the will of man clashes with the unalterable will of God, the will of man is frustrated.  There are countless examples of this in scripture.  God will allow Balaam to proclaim His word, He will not allow him to alter it in any way.

This leads to the unique story of the talking donkey!  "The Angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him"-22v22.  It is thought the journey from Pethor in Syria to Moab was about 70 miles, and, along the way they were confronted from above.  This introduces us to the largely unknown spirit world.  It is thought the "Angel of the Lord" may be a theophany of Christ Himself.  The reality of the unseen spirit world controlling events on earth is sprinkled throughout scripture.  Conflicts on earth often reflect conflicts in the heavens.  Certainly Balaam was left in no doubt of opposition to his inward intentions, and the seven oracles which follow reveal the true character of God.  Such is the folly of man, in conflict with the Divine will, that the donkey which conveyed him to Moab had more discernment than the seer!  This episode declares what God thinks of man in his folly, that a dumb animal knows more than him of the realities of the universe!  Indeed, the beast proved to be not so dumb as God spoke through it!  The wisest of men, who oppose the will of God is dumber than the beast of burden!  The saying, "...vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise they became fools"-Romans 1v21-22 is relevant to this situation.  God well understands the frailty of man, but He will not tolerate rebellion.  What a blow to human pride!  The same chapter in Romans goes on to say that departure from God, the true God, leads man to worship lesser creatures, thus demeaning humanity, the highest creation of God.  Under threat to his very existence, Balaam learned the following, which many are slow to learn even today:

1)  That the unseen spirit world controls the material world in which we live.

2)  That man in his folly becomes lesser than the animal creation.

3)  That God blesses whom He will, and that He has blessed Israel.

4)  That Israel holds the key to future blessing or cursing.

5)  In His sovereign government of the universe, God speaks through ungodly men, even an idol worshipper like Balaam.

All of this is clear from the seven oracles of Balaam to Balak, the king of Moab.  We are thus prepared for instruction of the character and ways of God.  He controls the present and He controls the future.  Seven altars proclaim seven oracles of the immutable words of the living God.  The oracles of Balaam, spoken to a king, reveal God in the following scriptures:

Numbers 23v7-10; 23v18-24; 24v3-9; 24v15-19; 24v20; 24v21-22; 24v23-25.  

Each oracle is preceded by the assertion that these are the very words of God.  Nothing and no one can alter the Divine words.  Psalm 119v89 declares, "Forever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven".  In a world full of doubt and uncertainty, this proclaims the unchanging and eternal nature of God's word.  In every detail it will be fulfilled regardless of the vain attempts of man to alter it.  

Christ in all the scriptures Moab

 

Christ in all the scriptures

"Moab is my washpot"-Psalm 60v8; Numbers 22v1-21

This was a term of profound disdain from above to the people of Moab.  Their spiritual standing before God was symbolised in their geographical location, namely, at the base of the Dead Sea.  Moab was born into privilege, being out of Lot (nephew of Abraham), albeit their existence came out of an incestuous relationship in a time of Divine overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah.  It seemed they had never overcome that stigma, for here they are, seeking to curse Israel whom God has blessed.   Their king, Balak, appalled at Israel hugging their borders, and, fearful of the evident Divine presence among them, sent for a known diviner in Balaam to curse them, so they would be rid of any threat.  He said, reflecting the character of his people, "Curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me; peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot (know) that whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed"-Numbers 22v6.  This, toward their natural relations, but, evidently their spiritual enemies.  What about "Love thy neighbour as thyself"?!!  Conflict with man stems from opposition to God.  And so continued the opposition to Israel.  The Divine word emphatically reveals that conflict with Israel is conflict with God (Genesis 12v1-3; 27v29; Exodus 23v22; Numbers 24v9).  Modern nations should take heed.  God will deal with the waywardness of Israel in His own way, but those nations who oppose them are under the curse of God, and there is only one outcome of that.

It is important we grasp the flow of thought in scripture.  Israel are on the border of the promised land.  The arch enemy of God and His people attempted to debar them by opposition from strong and powerful enemies in the form of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and the giant Og, king of Bashan.  This failed, and now he attempts to bring them down another way.  Confrontation did not work, and now he tries deception, which, as we shall see, did work in part.  The New Testament makes it clear, that the devil has two ways of opposition to God's people: Ephesians 6v10-16, "...the fiery darts of the wicked one", and... "the wiles of the devil".  When one way fails, he will try another, and this is always the way.  He is the Adversary of God and His people, and to the end will use all means possible to oppose them.  In the story of Balaam (Numbers 22v1-25v9) we have the attempt of the devil to corrupt God's people by deception.  It was by deception that Satan achieved the fall of man in the beginning.  He has failed to halt their progress through force, now he will corrupt them by wiles, but not before God, through Balaam, declares the inevitable outcome.

The elders of Moab and Midian conspired together to persuade Balaam, the diviner, with financial reward-Numbers 22v7.  The New Testament is clear that Balaam was drawn with what it called "the wages of unrighteousness"-2nd Peter 2v15.  Balaam was motivated by money.  In the course of his time in Moab, he will proclaim the integrity and sanctity of God, but his god was money.  He had no love for Israel, the people of God, he "loved the wages of unrighteousness".  He would say and do whatever it took to maximise personal reward.  Divinely gifted, yet he used it for personal gain.  As the late C. S. Lewis once quipped, "Of all bad men, religious bad men are the worst".  The sheer hypocrisy of proclaiming in public the truth of God, while in private promoting evil, is alarming, yet God has exposed it in His word.  Numbers 23 and 24 are his public face, while Numbers 25v1-9 is his real face.   

Moab were rich in pastureland and possessed great wealth; largely a depraved people who worshipped the god Chemosh, and remained the enemy of Israel throughout their history.  Judges 3v12-31 describes an 18 year oppression of Israel under king Eglon.  2nd Kings 3 indicates a rebellion by Moab against Israel when they had been previously trading together. This resulted in a major war which soured the relationship for years to come.  Isaiah chapters 15-16 reveal that Moab remained in contention to Israel.  They were a very proud people, but due to their constant conflict with Israel the Lord brought them down to almost oblivion (Isaiah 16v14).  The depraved character, and the down fall of the people of Moab is declared in Jeremiah 48.  A proud, prosperous, sexually promiscuous and idolatrous people, were cut down under the hand of God ("Moab is destroyed"-48v4; "Moab is spoiled"-48v15; "Moab is confounded"-48v20; "The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken saith the Lord"-48v25.  The chapter ends with the promise of God to restore them to prosperity in the latter days (48v47).  This is a testimony to the sovereignty and the mercy of God who, despite man's folly, continues to offer His goodness when the time is right.  Ultimately Moab will rebel and will be smitten at the coming of Messiah, according to the prophecy of Balaam in Numbers 24v17.  Jesus, when He returns, will put down all rebellion to usher in worldwide peace

Topically, in this connection we remember that in the midst of all this is the wonderful story of Ruth the Moabitess, who committed herself to the people of God, who became the grandmother of King David (no less), and an important link in the genealogy which led to Christ.  The lesson is clear, that while there is a national characteristic of depravity, there are individuals within any nation who can break the mould and stand for God.  This is true in every generation, and the God of heaven patiently waits for such to emerge.  It is true in our generation, where individuals, reared in a godless environment have risen to give their devotion, and lives to Jesus Christ.  Will I be a Ruth, or will I succumb to the trend of the masses?  God is exceedingly gracious.

Christ in all the scriptures Balaam

 Christ in all the scriptures

The intriguing story of Balaam   Numbers 22v1-25v9

The Spirit of God devotes more than 3 whole chapters to the narrative of the soothsayer Balaam at a crucial time in Israel's history.  As such, it deserves our special attention.  We may well ask, what is the message that Balaam (gifted by God, who paid no more than lip service to the things of God, who deceived Israel into immoral and idolatrous ways), has for us today?  A cursory reading of Numbers 22-25 may lead us to view this man as loyal to God, since (as we shall see in the course of the study) he gave a most excellent sevenfold discourse on the character of God, which is most revealing; he spoke to God directly, and God to him; he spoke for God to king Balak of Moab; he pronounced a blessing upon Israel such as cannot be rescinded.  Surely such a man is a godly man who must be followed and revered!  Not so, reveals the New Testament, which gives the reality of this man, and issues a warning not to be deceived.   The New Testament refers three times to Balaam and his deception:

The WAY of Balaam  2nd Peter 2v15 "...which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness: but was rebuked for his iniquity...".

The ERROR of Balaam  Jude v11 "Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core (Korah).

The DOCTRINE of Balaam  Revelation 2v14  "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication".

This emphatic threefold revelation of the true Balaam, focuses on his way (practice), his error (influence), his doctrine (teaching).  A wrong way becomes a lifestyle and then a doctrine, the doctrine of demons.  The reality is that the way and error and doctrine of Balaam is the way to eternal punishment.  Judas Iscariot was an apostle of Jesus Christ, who spent over three years in His company, accompanied the group on missionary enterprise, performed miracles in His name, exorcised unclean spirits, healed all manner of disease and sickness (Matthew 10v1-4); yet he was in reality "the son of perdition", and he, with Balaam, serves as a warning to us.  It may be argued that these are extreme examples that do not apply to the rank and file of professing believers, but a closer inspection may suggest otherwise.

The Sovereign Lord blesses humanity with many gifts and talents.  This should be obvious when we consider the many wonderful abilities given to mankind.  Humanity, the highest order of earthly creation, has been endowed with many and varied gifts from above.  Exodus 31v1-11, God endowed Bezaleel with the gift of craftmanship to construct the Tabernacle.  1st Kings 3v5-12, He endowed Solomon with extraordinary wisdom to rule over Israel.  The bible is replete with spiritual gifts given to His people to enable them to carry out their function for God (Romans 12v3-8; 1st Corinthians 12v1-12 and 27-31; Ephesians 4v11-16; 1st Peter 4v10-11.   James wrote (1v17) "Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness nor shadow cast by turning".  The context is that He is not the source of evil, but the blessed source of all that is good.  God has gifted all men from His bountiful and wonderful supply.  Balaam was in receipt of an outstanding gift, which had gained him a huge reputation.  God has endowed humanity with His bounty, artistically, academically, aesthetically, athletically.  He is a giving God, He "gives to all men liberally and upbraideth not"-James 1v5.  That is the gifts He gives come without "strings attached", for He well knows our frailty.

Balaam used his gift for evil intent.  It is not immediately obvious but the picture is of a man who used his God-given ability to swell his finances, to gain personal influence and to bring down God's people whom he knew were irreversibly blessed of God. The issue is not the source of the gift, but the use to which it is put.  Balaam abused the precious gift he was given, as he used it for himself, for his own glory, for his own benefit.  He corrupted the Divine gift bestowed upon him, such a gift that few men would ever receive.  He was greedy, motivated by the love of money ("the root of all evil").  He bestrode with impunity the royal courts of Moab, playing the king for all he could get.  Before we shake the head in disgust, we might ask, what are we doing with the gift God has given us?  We all have been endowed with gifts from above, particularly those who have been saved by grace.  Am I using it to gain a name for myself, or to enrich myself, or am I using it (as I should) for the glory of the Giver?  Many have followed in Balaam's footsteps, and it is the path to eternal oblivion.  The very people that he wanted to fail, brought his life to an end (Numbers 31v8 and Joshua 13v22), while he was fighting with Israel's enemies.

Evil that men do can last for centuries of time   Revelation 2v17  The doctrine of Balaam did not die with Balaam, as it was present in the churches at Pergamos and Thyatira (some 1500 years later), and is present in the professing churches of today.  in the same way, Babylon, which first raised its ugly head at the beginning of time (Genesis 11) is found at the end of time in Revelation 17/18-still professing godliness but practising evil.  There are many other such examples.  All will come to a similar end when Christ returns.

This unusual, but very pertinent bible story, serves as a warning to all professing believers today  

The gift that you have from a bountiful God is to be used for the glory of God.  "As every man has received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any minister (serve), let him do it as of the ability that God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever.  Amen." 1st Peter 4v10-11.  Any gift from above is to be used for the glory of God who gave it, without whom we would not have it!!  Balaam used it for self glory, and many are doing so now.  Balaam paid lip service to the Lord but his heart was far from God.  God said of Israel in Isaiah 29v13, "Wherefore the Lord said, forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men".  What a withering condemnation to a people professing to be the people of God!  Lip service, heart far removed!  How is it with me?  Do I attend the services to please men?  Do I sing for my own glory? Do I speak to gain a name for myself? Do I enrich myself in the things of God?  Am I helping to build God's kingdom or my own?

Modern ways in which the doctrine of Balaam is being perpetuated. 

The Lord linked the doctrine of Balaam to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans-Revelation 2v15. The name means "power over the people"-the possible beginnings of clergy over laity, such as exists in churches today.  Whether we think of mainstream churches with their Bishops or Archbishops; of Presbyterians with their presbyters; or Elders in breakaway evangelical churches, there is no doubt that churches have become a paradise for men's ego.  In biblical terms "lording it over God's heritage" or "loving to have the pre-eminence among them".   Associated with this is the practice of turning a blind eye to known evil among them, as exposure may have a detrimental effect on their image locally and in a wider area.  Pleasing men rather than God is at the heart of this.  Concern is for reputation before men rather than character before God.  Worse than this is the corruption of the grace of God, teaching that because God is so gracious as to forgive every sin without recall, they justified immoral behaviour, and indeed promoted it.  Jude the apostle said it was "turning the grace of God into lasciviousness"; Paul said with horror, "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid!-Romans 6v1-2.  Perish the thought, says Paul, this must never be!  How typical of mankind to take the sacred things of God and turn them to perversion.  This error is prevalent today, if not so much in our teaching, it is in our thinking and our practice.

We shall see in the course of the study, what the doctrine of Balaam entailed, but first we shall revel in the wonderful proclamations of God and His salvation.  Balaam is gone, God's salvation remains forever, and so we can enjoy such a portion as this for our edification.  

I implore readers to read Numbers 22v1-25v9 as we enter upon a fascinating, if solemn study.