You Have a Choice:
You Tell The Truth or You Tell a Lie
God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them.
You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”
Numbers 22:12 ESV
Telling the truth is a virtuous act, but one often shunned in favor of a little lie. After al, lies are not really untrue. They just leave out some important ingredients. This is the common human perception. Who wants to tell the truth when one’s job depends on it?
Balaam always relied on God to guide his words. Balaam was a prophet. To be a prophet meant to face a choice; the ostracizing and ridiculing by society or the wrath of God. Balaam chose to avoid God’s wrath. What society thought had no bearing on his prophecies.
After the children of Israel came up out of Egypt, they posed a threat to Moab and its king Balak. Balak knew that Balaam, a prophet in Moab, would be his asset.
Whomever Balaam cursed, they were cursed, and whomever he blessed was blessed. Balak asked Balaam to curse Israel. God told Balaam not to curse Israel. Balak asked Balaam one more time. This time Balaam agreed to go and talk to Balak.
On the trip, the angel of the Lord stood before the donkey on which Balaam was riding. Only the donkey saw the angel. After Balaam struck the donkey a third time, the donkey spoke to Balaam.
Although this is astonishing, it is equally remarkable that Balaam talked back as if this was no surprise to him whatsoever. As a prophet Balaam was open to all avenues of words from God. The content of the conversation is not the important element in the story, but what that conversation does is very important.
It opened Balaam’s eyes to the angel of the Lord. Balaam experienced God on a dusty, dirty road filled with potholes, right next to a stinking, braying donkey. At that moment, God rebuked Balaam, and Balaam vowed to do whatever God told him.
Balaam blessed Israel. He could not curse Israel because God would not permit it. Balaam reveals that God used him, a non-Israelite prophet, to deliver a blessing on Israel. It is the vehicle of revelation that is important, whether it be a prophet from a different race or a donkey.
What is important is the revelation itself. For Balaam, the message changed his life, his prophesy, and Israel’s immediate future.
Source: The Experiencing God Study Bible
Today’s Bible Reading:
Num 30-33; Luke 3; Psalm 35
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The Most Important Choice You Can Make:
Prayer for Salvation:
God in Heaven, I come to You in the name of Your Son, Jesus. I confess that I haven’t lived my life for You. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that He died on the cross and rose again from the dead so I might have a better life now and eternal life in heaven. Jesus, come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. From this day forward, I’ll live my life for You to the best of my ability. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
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I always have loved the story of Balaam. If we would imagine this story of Balaam and really meditate on it, our life would change. I really believe it is that serious with God what we speak. God takes it very serious, so we should take it very serious.