When I was a young boy, there was a children’s TV show called, “Romper Room.” The teacher, Miss Linda at the time, used to say, “Do be a Do-bee; don’t be a Don’t-bee.” There was a pretend bumble bee who was “Do-bee.” The show was teaching children good things to do and bad things to not do. God gives us similar instructions today. He has given us His Bible, with things to do and things to not do.
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
Learning how a radio works won’t do you any good unless you turn it on. We need to do what God says, not just hear it. It’s easy to be lazy and passive; doing takes work. Knowledge is great, but only if it’s put into action. Be a doer, not just a hearer.
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Suppose you learn how to drive a car. You spend weeks studying the rules of the road. You also spend months practicing, to make sure you knew how to coordinate looking ahead, keeping track of your speed, looking in your mirrors, and many other aspects of driving. Then, suppose you never think about it again, until one day, 30 years later, you decide to drive. That probably wouldn’t work out so well. In the Old Testament, the book of Deuteronomy documents Moses reminding the Israelites about what God had already told them. The word, “Deuteronomy” means “second law.” Just like with driving, we need to keep reminding ourselves about what God has said. We also need to keep practicing what He has said; otherwise, it will do us no good.
4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! 5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
Jesus said that this was the greatest commandment. That’s because it encapsulates everything else. If you love someone intensely, completely, you won’t intentionally do anything to offend them. God wrote and preserved the Bible, so that we would know His words, and keep them close to our hearts.
7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
God was telling the people to think and meditate on His commandments all day long, everyday. He also wanted them to teach their children, even in regular conversation. This should be normal. They were to put them on their hands or foreheads. Moses told them to write them on their gates and doorposts, so they would be reminded every time they came home. Why do we need to be reminded so much? Because we forget!
31 “On that day, the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house must not go down to take them out; and likewise the one who is in the field must not turn back. 32 “Remember Lot’s wife.
Jesus taught His disciples that on the day of tribulation, they had to be willing to leave all of their possessions and let them go. Lot’s wife longed for what she had back in her old life, and she was turned into a pillar of salt. We need to learn from her example. We need to be reminded of it. All the stories in the Bible were written as examples for us. Jesus wants us to remember all of them.
After Jesus rose from the dead, two angels talked to the women at the grave.
Senses
Luke 24:5-8 (NASB)
5 and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? 6 “He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, 7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” 8 And they remembered His words,
Jesus had told His disciples and followers that this was going to happen. At first, they did not understand or believe Him. After it happened, they had to be reminded of His words. Now they understood. They remembered.
Spiritual Songs
Colossians 3:16 (NASB)
16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
We also need to meet together and encourage each other, using wisdom and encouragement, through spiritual songs. In every conversation, prayer, and song, there should be thankfulness in our hearts to God. In other words, we should remind each other of God’s goodness. This also helps remind us that we’re not alone in this walk with Jesus.
17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of course, the only way we can remember the words of the apostles and Jesus is if we have read them. When I first got saved, I loved reading the Bible so much that I wanted to take my time. I didn’t want to read the whole thing and then be finished; I wanted it to last longer. Now, I understand that it just keeps getting better every time I read it. God speaks to me every day through reading His word, the Bible. It helps me remember Who He is.
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
Keep in mind that we need to do the actions, not just hear the words. Walls can hear the words, but they won’t do anything about them. God wants us to hear, remember, and do.
Last Supper
Luke 22:19-20 (NASB)
19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
Jesus wants us to remember His sacrifice for us so much that He told us to remember this every time we celebrate with communion. The bread and drink that He gave them symbolized the very real sacrifice that He was about to make. He died so we could be freed from our sins. His body took on our pain, so we would not have to endure it. Through his blood, we are washed clean.
Encourage others and yourself. Remember all that God has done and given to us.
Remember Him.
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It might sound simplistic, but it’s true: If you do nothing, nothing will get done. What are your goals? What would you like to see happen in your life? Are you doing anything to make it happen, or are you “waiting for the right time?”
7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.”
God is telling us to listen to His voice and not harden our hearts. In this section of Hebrews, He uses the word, “today” several times. Waiting on God is important, but here are some things that God does not want us to wait for. Some people say, “One day, I will give my life to Jesus, but not today. I’m not ready yet.” God is saying, “Don’t wait; do it today.” If you’re not convinced Jesus is the right way, do your homework. The truth always stands up to scrutiny. We would love to discuss your questions with you, if you like. Whatever you do, don’t put this off.
If you do nothing, nothing will get done, and you just might realize one day that it’s too late. Make this the day you decide to really live for Jesus.
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Jesus told a parable that we refer to as, “The Prodigal Son.” In it, He talks about two sons of the same father. It turns out that they both had issues – just different ones.
11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 “The younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me. So he divided his wealth between them. 13 “And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.
This was a pretty amazing request. The younger son didn’t want to wait until his father died. He wanted everything right now. He probably figured he should live it up now, while he was still young enough to enjoy it. Whatever his reasoning, we know what his plan was.
14 “Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 “So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 “And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.
The younger son was having a great time at first. He had a lot of “friends” who loved helping him spend his money. Spending money like that always runs out, though. He soon found himself without money and without friends.
20 The poor is hated even by his neighbor, But those who love the rich are many.
The younger son went to work for someone around there, feeding pigs. Keep in mind that this was a Jewish man, who was forbidden to eat (or even touch) pigs, yet, here he was – feeding them. Not only was he feeding these unclean animals; he wanted to eat their food, but he wasn’t even allowed to. He had come from his family’s farm, where his father loved him and he always had more than enough food. Now, he had thrown that all away, just because he believed the myth of the “greener grass.” You know — “The grass is always greener on the other side.” In my experience, it usually isn’t. That can be hard to believe in this day of social media. It seems that everyone on the Internet is living life so much better than you are. Most of that is probably not true. Yet, we are still plagued by FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out.
Senses
Luke 15:17-19 (NASB)
17 “But when he came to his senses, he said, How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”
Up until this point, this young man was letting his pride get in the way of wisdom. He was finally ready to humble himself and go back to his father. This man had seen just how bad people can be. He didn’t realize what he had back at home until he had lost it. He knew his father was a good man. The younger son also knew that he had destroyed his relationship with his father, taking it for granted. Even though this young man knew he didn’t deserve to be called a son, he just wanted to be a servant to his father. That would be enough for him. He went back home.
20 “So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 “And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.
When we make mistakes and we sin, God wants us to confess our sins. Confession is simply admitting to God that His way is right. It helps us to understand more clearly, so that we won’t make the same mistakes again. The son did not get the reaction he was expecting, though. He was just hoping that his father would hire him to work on his farm, nothing more. Instead, it seems that his father had probably been looking and waiting for his son every day. When he finally came home, he was overjoyed.
22 “But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found. And they began to celebrate.’”
This was more than the son ever dreamed or dared to hope for. He knew his father was a good man, but he didn’t understand this. The son could not understand this kind of forgiveness, because forgiveness was not in his own heart. He couldn’t even forgive himself; he knew he didn’t deserve it. Some people think that they have done too much for God to forgive. That’s because they don’t understand just how great God’s love and forgiveness are. So, the father told his servants to prepare the best food for a feast and celebration, because in the father’s heart, “this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.” Now, that was the younger son. He found his way back home, back to his father’s love. What we might not expect, though, was his brother’s reaction.
25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 “And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. 27 “And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’
At this point, we might think that the older brother would also be excited, because his younger brother is back home.
28 “But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 “But he answered and said to his father, Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.
Instead of being happy for his brother, the older brother was angry. It seems that even though he stayed with his father, working the whole time, he also suffered from “greener grass syndrome.” The older brother was upset that it seemed like his brother was getting a free pass – something he never got. He felt that all these years, he never received the reward that he thought he deserved. Now, his worthless younger brother simply walks through the door, and he gets treated like a king. In the older brother’s mind, this just wasn’t fair.
The Father’s Love
Luke 15:31-32 (NASB)
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”
The older brother didn’t realize what he had all those years. He was focusing on the work that he had been doing, instead of the love and security that he had in his father’s house. The father told his older son, “all that is mine is yours.” This is what God, our heavenly Father is telling us today.
All that He has is ours. • Greater love than we could ever fully understand. • More security than we can ever find in this world. • Forgiveness for all the wrongs that we do every day. • A friend Who will never abandon us.
It doesn’t matter which “son” you are today; God is always calling us to come closer. If you are the younger son who ran from God until he came to his senses, God is saying, “Come home, and I will forgive everything.” If you are the older son who thought he was “missing out”, God is saying, “Look at all you have, here in My house. Let’s enjoy it together.” God just wants us to live in His love and forgiveness, fellowshipping with Him forever. Forget about this world. The grass is always greener in God’s house.
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Jesus was born, then raised and protected by Joseph and Mary. When He was about 30, He started His ministry. For over 3 years, His disciples lived, ate, and stayed with Him — 24/7. They saw diseases healed, demons cast out, and the dead raised back to life. They had seen Jesus walk on water and calm a stormy sea. Three of them witnessed Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah, both of whom had died many years before this. Now, Jesus was standing trial before the Jewish leaders, then the Roman governor. The disciples knew that this was the Son of God – God Himself. Surely, He would not allow Himself to be physically harmed. They had even seen Him walk right through angry mobs before. Jesus had told His disciples that He was going to be killed, then raised from the dead, but they didn’t understand. They had one last Passover meal together. While they were eating, Jesus told them that He would be betrayed.
21 When Jesus had said this, He became troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray Me.”
Both Jesus and His disciples must have been very sad. After all that they had seen and heard, how could one of them possibly betray Jesus? Jesus then showed them that it was Judas Iscariot who would betray Him. Next, Peter was given news that he couldn’t believe.
37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.
Wow, this night just keeps getting worse. If Jesus said that Peter would deny Him, Peter knew it would happen, but he still couldn’t believe it. They sang a song after the Passover meal, then went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, as was their custom.
32 They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.” 33 And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. 34 And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.”
Jesus wanted His disciples to pray with Him. They were very tired, though, and they had no idea what was about to happen, but Jesus did. This was going to be the hardest thing that He ever had to do.
41 And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.
Jesus knew the torture and agony that He was about to endure. It was more than He could handle on His own. Notice that even Jesus received help from a ministering angel. God does not expect us to live this life on our own. He wants us to ask Him for help. Just like Jesus, He also wants us to say, “yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Then came the ultimate betrayal.
44 Now he who was betraying Him had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him and lead Him away under guard.”
47 While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”
Judas had lived with Jesus for over three years. Even though Jesus always knew that Judas would ultimately betray Him, He still loved and cared for Judas. Judas didn’t just betray Jesus; he betrayed Him with a kiss. The Jews and Romans led Jesus away. They tried Him in their Jewish court, using witnesses who were paid to lie about Jesus. Then they brought Jesus to the Roman governor and convinced him to crucify Jesus, even though He had done nothing wrong. Before He was crucified, He was beaten, mocked, spit upon, and whipped. He then had to carry His own cross, until He was too weak, then they forced someone else to carry it for Him. Crucifixion was a horrible, slow, painful death.
29 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself.
Jesus created the heavens and the earth. He even created these people who were now mocking Him. They were so spiritually blind they could not even see Who was right in front of them. Jesus’ mother and some of His disciples were also there, watching the whole thing.
33 When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour.
This was noontime, when the sun was normally at its highest point. All of creation was mourning. The Son of God was dying. Things could not get any darker. Jesus was crucified around 9:00 a.m. The sun went dark from 12:00 noon until 3:00 p.m.
34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” which is translated, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”
Even with all of the incredible pain and torture that Jesus had already endured, this is what affected Him the most. Jesus took on all of our sins at this point. God, His Father, could not bear to look at this sin. This was the only time in all of eternity that God the Father and the Son were separated. Just for this brief, agonizing moment, the Father had to turn away from His Son. Jesus stayed faithful until the end.
30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
46 And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last.
All vestiges of hope that the disciples had were gone. The hopes of His followers, His mother, and all who had placed their trust in Him were completely lost. This was the darkest day in the history of the world. It seemed that evil had ultimately triumphed over God Himself. There was nothing left for anyone; all was lost.
Burial
Jesus’ family, friends, and disciples watched as the Roman soldiers jabbed Him in the side with a spear, to see if He was dead. Blood and water came out. (Jn.19:34) Two godly men, Nicodemus and Joseph, took the body after the soldiers removed Him from the cross. Joseph had a tomb that he had prepared for himself, which was close by. After they prepared the body of Jesus, they laid it in Joseph’s tomb. They had to work quickly, because the Sabbath day was about to start, when they were not allowed to do any work. After they finished, they rolled a large stone in front of the tomb. The Jewish leaders were worried that someone might steal the body of Jesus, so they stationed a group of soldiers there to guard the tomb. If these soldiers allowed anyone to steal the body, they would probably all be killed, so they stayed alert.
Waiting
You can imagine how despondent everyone was Friday night, Saturday, and Saturday night. All of their hopes and dreams died with Jesus. They had nothing left.
Sunday Morning
Early Sunday morning (the third day), a few women came to prepare the body of Jesus more carefully, since there was not enough time for the full process the day He died. They walked slowly, wishing they could be anywhere else, doing anything else. Their love for Jesus compelled them to keep moving. They wondered who could open the tomb for them, because they were not strong enough to move the large stone in front of it. When they arrived, they probably thought that things kept getting worse – it looked like someone actually did steal the body of Jesus. Suddenly, they realized something else was happening.
1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. 2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. 7 “But go, tell His disciples and Peter, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you. “
The women were in shock. They couldn’t believe what had just happened. This was too good to be true. They ran and told the disciples, who came and saw for themselves.
3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in.
The long, winding linen wrappings that Joseph and Nicodemus had wrapped Jesus in were lying there, but Jesus was gone!
6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
Up until now, they had thought that Jesus was going to be like one of the Old Testament judges or prophets. They thought that Jesus had come to set the Jewish people free from the Roman occupation and establish His kingdom here on earth. They didn’t understand that the kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom.
19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
That same evening, Jesus appeared to the disciples and showed them His pierced hands and side. The worst possible event in their lives instantly had turned around. They could not understand before, but now they did. While He was just a man, Jesus could not be with all of us forever. After He sent His Holy Spirit, now He can. Jesus took the penalty for our sins and He nailed them to the cross. He then rose from the dead, so that we could, too.
Today
I have seen many times in my life where it looked totally bleak; there was no way out of this situation. Then, all of a sudden, God worked it out. Never give up hope. Jesus died for our sins. He also died to teach us to trust Him in everything. No matter what it looks like, Jesus will be there. Whether we receive the answer to our prayer or we have to walk through the trial, He is still there.
What are you going through today? Is today the day that you will decide to reach out to Jesus and ask Him for help? If so, pray this prayer of commitment with me.
Lord Jesus, thank you for taking my sins and dying on the cross for me. Forgive me and help me live a godly life, starting today. I want to live my life for You. I give You control. You are my Lord, my Savior, and my Friend. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
God bless you as you walk and talk with Jesus. We invite you to let us know that you made a commitment to Jesus. You can reach us at:
LibertyWorshipCenter.org or 504-689-5185.
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15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
As Christians, we can look above all of the problems in this world. Yes, there are problems, many of which are huge. At the same time, we can look to God for comfort and help in every situation. Sometimes, He delivers out of the problem. Other times, He walks through it with us.
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Jesus wants to be with us every day, watching over us and protecting us. In verse 7 here, we see Paul telling us about the peace of God that “surpasses all comprehension.” Life can be hard – very hard. Even in the midst of everything, God can give us peace that goes beyond all understanding.
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
Pride says, “I can do this on my own; I don’t need any help.” That only brings stress and anxiety. Humility says, “God, I need help. I will trust You with everything.” When we have this attitude, we can begin to see how much God has done for us. We truly have a lot to be thankful for.
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In Numbers, we see the time when the nation of Israel was just about to enter the promised land. They had defeated two other kings, and there was another king, Balak, who saw that the Israelite army was too strong for him. He formed a federation with the Midianites, but even that was not strong enough. He decided to seek supernatural help.
5 So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me. 6 “Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
Balaam
Balaam was known as a prophet of the LORD, the true God, even though he was not part of the nation of Israel. King Balak was not a godly man, but he knew he needed help. It’s like some people today who never think about God until they face a crisis, then they ask everyone to pray for them.
7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and repeated Balak’s words to him. 8 He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the LORD may speak to me.” And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.
First Visit
These elders had to travel over 400 miles to get to Balaam, bringing money and gifts for the prophet. Even though Balaam was a prophet, he also had a problem with greed, which we will see shortly. Balaam told the men to stay there that night, so he could have time to ask God what to do.
12 God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” 13 So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”
God told Balaam clearly that He did not want Balaam to go back with them. Even though Balaam really wanted the riches, he did what God told him to do. He told the elders to go back to Balak.
15 Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more distinguished than the former. 16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me; 17 for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Please come then, curse this people for me.”
King Balak knew that he didn’t have any choices; he had to try again. He sent even more important people, more of them, and even more money.
18 Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD my God. 19 “Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will speak to me.”
Balaam told these elders that it didn’t matter how much money Balak gave him; he could only do what God told him to do. He still wanted the riches, though, so he told them to spend the night again, so he could ask God again. God had already told Balaam that the Israelites were blessed, and that he should not leave to curse them. The riches of this world can be very tempting.
20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.” 21 So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.
Right about now, Balaam was probably thinking that he was really special. He had actually convinced God to change His mind! God told him he could go, but that’s not really what God wanted him to do. Balaam still had a lot to learn.
22 But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.
It seems that it’s way too easy for us to convince ourselves that either our plans are God’s plans, or at the very least, God will bless our plans. Balaam is about to find out what happens when greed blinds a man of God.
23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way.
The “mighty prophet Balaam” could not see the angel of the LORD, but a dumb donkey could. Spiritually blind Balaam could not see what was right in front of him. Instead, he felt that he knew best, and he struck his donkey, to get her to go where he wanted.
24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again.
The donkey had saved his life, but Balaam was clueless. Now, she saves his life again, but Balaam is still completely clueless.
26 The angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick.
For a third time, the donkey saves Balaam’s life, but he just gets angrier.
28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” 29 Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.”
The scripture doesn’t say, but it doesn’t seem like Balaam was all that surprised that his donkey was speaking. It could be that he was so angry with his donkey, that he just wanted to vent his anger, so he told her how he was feeling. Spiritual pride blinds us, just like any other type of pride.
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.” 31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground.
Finally, Balaam sees what is happening. All of a sudden, he realizes what God really wants. He also realizes that the donkey that he was furious with had just saved his life three times. The prideful prophet came back down to earth.
32 The angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me. 33 “But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.”
God lays it all out for Balaam. Balaam’s donkey had more spiritual wisdom this day than Balaam, the “man of God.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.” 35 But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you shall speak only the word which I tell you.” So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.
After they arrive, King Balak tries to get Balaam to curse the Israelites. Three times, Balaam had Balak set up seven altars and sacrifice seven bulls and seven rams. Each time, God tells Balak to bless Israel, not curse them. God even has Balaam prophesy something very profound – something we all need to remember.
God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
God told Balaam not to go, but he wanted to anyway. This almost cost him his life. God is telling Balak that Israel is blessed, not cursed. Balak is not willing to accept that, though. This will end very badly for him and all those with him. When God says something, we need to accept it. God has promised good things for us. We simply need to accept what He has given us.
25 Then Balaam arose and departed and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way.
It seems that Balaam went home.
The next chapter says that the Midianites and Moabites enticed the Israelites to come worship their false gods with them. Many Moabite women also came into the camp of Israe, tempting the men to sin with them sexually. God sent a plague among the people, and 24,000 of them died.
War
In chapter 31, God tells Moses to “Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites.” The Moabites and Midianites were actually attacking the Israelites by enticing them to sin. That’s why God told them to destroy the nation. The Israelites killed the men of Midian, but spared the women. This is not what God had said, though.
15 And Moses said to them, “Have you spared all the women? 16 “Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD.
Balaam came back and told Balak there was only one way to defeat Israel. Balaam could not curse Israel, because God had blessed them. If Israel turned away from God, though, Balaam knew God would judge them. Because of his greed, Balaam sold out God’s people. Balaam chose riches in this life. Maybe he thought he could repent later. It looks like that didn’t happen, though.
7 So they made war against Midian, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male. 8 They killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
If we look back a few verses, we see what happened with Balaam. He chose to side with Midian, instead of God’s people, so he was also judged and killed along with the other enemies of God’s people. Many years later, God used this as an example of sin in the early Christian church.
They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; 15 forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.
Yes, Balaam was a prophet, but he chose the way of sin. God will use whomever or whatever He chooses (even a donkey). That does not guarantee that someone is pleasing to God, though. Look at what Jesus said.
22 “Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? 23 “And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.
God is looking at our hearts. It’s true that our deeds (our fruit) will show our hearts. It’s also true that people can do good things for bad reasons. Serving God is simple – we just need to love Him, spend time with Him, and do what He says, not what we say. We all make choices every day. The most important choice we can ever make is to serve God, not the fake riches of this world.
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27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
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Have you ever noticed how you purchase something, then they ask if you want the warranty to go with it? Maybe you buy a printer, and they ask if you also want to buy ink. You have the main purchase, and you “add on” the additional things. This is how some people treat their relationship with Jesus; it’s like an “add-on” to the rest of their lives. Jesus said that He was giving us a new life. This is a completely new life, not a little something to be added to our real lives. This is a new, exciting, never-existed-before life — your new life with Jesus!
17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.
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We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.
