THE BOOK OF NUMBERS
CHAPTER 23
THE
STORY OF BALAAM AND BALAK
THE STORY OF BALAAM AND BALAK STUDY ON THE STORY OF BALAAM AND BALAK EVENTS WITH THE STORY OF BALAAM AND BALAK MESSAGE
It's great to have you join us again here at Daily Bread and we're anxious
to tell you what happens next in the story about Balaam and Balak.
When we ended last time, Balak had
taken Balaam up to a high place (a place of worship) where the Moabites
worshipped a false god called Baal. From there, they could see the children
of Israel and Balak hoped that if Balaam could just see how many Israelites
there were, then he would surely curse them for him.
Balaam told Balak to build him
seven altars and get seven bull calves and seven rams ready, and they
offered one of each on the altars. Balaam told Balak, Stand by your burnt
offering and I'll go, and maybe the Lord will meet me. Then, whatever He
shows me, I'll tell you.
THE STORY OF BALAAM AND BALAK LESSON WITH THE STORY OF BALAAM AND BALAK EXPLANATION
AND THE STORY OF BALAAM AND BALAK SUMMARY
Balaam went to a hilltop and God
met him there. Balaam said, I've prepared seven altars and offered a bull
calf and a ram on every one of them. Well, God was about as interested in
those offerings as you would be in getting a hamburger from a couple of guys
who were discussing murdering your children. The Lord didn't acknowledge
the offerings but instead, He put words in Balaam's mouth and said, Go back
to Balak and speak the words that I've put in your mouth.
When Balaam returned, Balak was
standing by his sacrifice, with all the leaders of Moab. Balaam began to
speak the words that the Lord put in his mouth: Balak the king of Moab
brought me here saying, Come, curse Jacob and come defy Israel. How could I
curse who God hasn't cursed? How could I defy who the Lord hasn't defied?
From the top of the rocks and the hills I see Israel, and his people will
live in safety alone and not be like other nations. Who can count the
number of them, who can count even a quarter of Israel. Let me die the
death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
Balak was furious with Balaam and
said, What have you done to me? I hired you to curse my enemies and look,
you've blessed them completely! Balaam answered him, Shouldn't I obey and
speak the words that the Lord put in my mouth?
But Balak persisted to Balaam, Come
with me to another place where you can see the people of Israel better,
there's so many you'll only be able to see the outer numbers of them, then
you can curse them from there! He brought Balaam to the top of Pisgah,
which means, The hill, and built seven more altars and offered a bull calf
and a ram on each altar.
Balaam told Balak again, Stand here
by your burnt offering, while I go meet the Lord over there. Once again,
the Lord put words in Balaam's mouth and when he returned, Balak asked what
the Lord said. Balaam said, Get up Balak and listen to me. God isn't a
man, that He should lie and He's not the son of man that He needs to
repent. Don't you believe He'll do what He says or do you think He's spoken
and He won't do what He said? Look now, I received the commandment to bless
Israel, and He has blessed them. I can't undo it.
God hasn't seen sin in Jacob or
wrong in Israel. The Lord his God is with him and the shout of a king is
among them. (Could this be prophecy of Jesus? They had no king at that
time) Balaam continued, God brought them out of Egypt. Israel has strength
like the strength of an unicorn. There isn't any magic against Jacob or any
curse against Israel, but at this time the thing that will be said about
Jacob and Israel is, Look what God has made! God's people will grow strong
like a lion and he won't rest until he eats of the prey and drinks the blood
of the slain.
Balak said to Balaam, If you're not
gonna curse them, then at least don't bless them either. But Balaam said,
Man, didn't I tell you that I have to do all that the Lord says?
Balak wouldn't give up still, C'mon, I beg you, come with me to another
place and maybe it'll please God that you can curse them for me from there!
(Some people just never learn.)
THE STORY OF BALAAM AND BALAK INFORMATION WITH THE STORY
OF BALAAM AND BALAK MEANING AND THE STORY OF BALAAM AND BALAK DISCUSSION
So a stubborn Balak took Balaam to
the top of Peor and once again Balaam told him to build yet seven more
altars and he did, offering a bull calf and a ram on each. You're probably
shaking your head right about now, closing your eyes and going, Tsk, Tsk,
Tsk, seeing how futile this plan of Balak's is. You'll sure want to join us
again next time as we find out the rest of the story of Balaam and Balak,
right here at your Daily Bread.
The scripture passages below all refer to
this story of Balaam and Balak:
|
Deuteronomy 23:3-5
An Ammonite or Moabite shall
not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation
shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever: Because
they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth
out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee
Balaam the son of
Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee. Nevertheless the LORD thy God
would not hearken unto Balaam ;
but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the
LORD thy God loved thee.
|
Joshua 13:22
Balaam also the
son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the
sword among them that were slain by them. |
Joshua 24:9-10
Then
Balak the son of
Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called
Balaam the
son of Beor to curse you: But I would not hearken unto
Balaam;
therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of his hand. |
Judges 1:11
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. |
Nehemiah 13:2
Because they met not the children of
Israel with bread and with water, but hired
Balaam against them, that he should curse
them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. |
Micah 6:5
O my people, remember now what
Balak king of Moab
consulted, and what Balaam
the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the
righteousness of the LORD. |
2 Peter 2:15-16
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 dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the
prophet. |
Revelation 2:14
But I have a few things against
thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of
Balaam,
who taught
Balac to
cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things
sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. |
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