9/13/2023

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 2. 5-6)

“Then Balaam got up and returned home, and Balak went his own way.” (Numbers 24.25)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

What is the tragedy found in Numbers 24.25? It is, of course, “…and Balak went his own way.” Balaam had determined to return to Pethor after the first three visions for Balak which God had given him. Balak had made his appeal before God via Balaam the seer that Israel be cursed. Three times, God refused Balak’s request. If Balak truly believed in the ability of Balaam “to bless and to curse,” then why wouldn’t he submit to the will of God? It is, of course, because Balak would only believe what served his purpose before all else. In his fear of the Israelites and the reputation which preceded them, Balak expressed it through the desire to treat God as he did all other gods. We know that in the Law which had been given to the Israelites through Moses it says, “I AM the Lord your God. I AM a jealous God. You should have no other gods before Me.” We also know that Moses went several times into the Tent of Presence and beseeched God to be merciful on the people of Israel. We are introduced to the word “relent” which is the companion to “repent.” We often think of repentance in terms of wrongdoing, or sin. But, the essential characteristic of this word speaks to the thinking and action of intention and to do something different. What the people of Israel usually did was not believe in the priority of God. In spite of all they had seen, heard and experienced as God’s power to provide, they had the penchant for stubbornness and willfulness to “do their own thing.” In other words, they defaulted to what seemed convenient and less challenging. It was easier to fall into the slavery of the past than into the freedom of the future. Their daily walk was not a time of peace. Instead, it was a continual vascillation between the past and the future. The Apostle Paul addressed the community of faith in Christ found in Corinth with these words, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5.8) He was speaking of this very same principle of faithfulness to God. “To be absent from the body” meant to defer our fleshly desires and perceived needs beyond the basics of food, shelter, water, clothing and companionship. “To be present with the Lord” indicated one’s desire and purposing to attend to the leading of the Holy Spirit in the pursuit of righteousness for the sake of God’s promise to provide all that is needed. Often it happened that the Israelites longed to be present to other gods, particularly Pharaoh and Egypt, and to be absent from God. Moses, however, beseeched and entreated God to remember His mercy, grace and promise to bring His people home and to usher in the “life of the Kingdom” on earth. It is a challenge which exists even today; if not more than ever!

So, Balaam had done what God had directed him to do. His unwillingness to obey Balak despite all efforts of Balak to the contrary served as a blessing of validation for the oncoming and soon to be incoming nation of Israel. The past was foretold to meet the future and create that endless day of shalom. Having been obedient to God, Balaam returned home. He was not paid for his services because he failed to live up to Balak’s expectation. Nonetheless, his reputation for “blessing and cursing” remained intact. Balak, on the other hand we are told, “…went his own way.” In light of the witness and testimony provided to him through Balaam, Balak accepted the certain future of his demise either with a resolve that things could not be changed or with ignorance believing God’s word was as puny as the word of his own gods. Let us remember, Balak had come from where Balaam was. Balak had come from a land and a people who had “seen God.” They were raised in a culture of practicing the righteousness of God. They were not opposed to God. Yet, Balak left that region and struck out on his own way. Forsaking all others to be true to himself, the struggle remained. We ought to be reminded of another who came from the “place of God” and himself abandoned the truth for a lie. I am, of course, speaking of Lucifer whose worldly name is Satan. His desire is to bring curses upon the people of God. In truth, his desire is for all people to be cursed and thus bound to eternal death and damnation. He has determined to go “his own way,” in spite of the witness of the Law, the Prophets, the saints and Christ Himself. The curse is upon him as it was spoken in the very moments of his worldly insurrection. The question for us is: “Whom shall we believe and call our God?” Will we return to the home that is promised to us; a land flowing with milk and honey which we ourselves cannot provide? Will we “go our own way” and embrace the lie that God can be ignored whose Word is true and righteous altogether? What say you?

TODAY’S PRAYER IN LIGHT OF GOD’S WORD:

Father, You have revealed to us best in Jesus the Christ. By Him and Him alone shall we gain the eternal life and our place in eternal rest, living for You always. Show us more and by Your Holy Spirit instruct us in the way we should go, the truth we should reveal and the life we shall live with you forever. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.