Numbers 23-24

Review…

• Numbers 1-12 – Organize the Children of Israel to travel / Journey to the Promised Land…
• Numbers 13-16 – Refusing to enter the Promised Land / Rebellion of Korah…
• Numbers 17-19 – Rod of Aaron / The role of the Priests-Levites / Red heifer…
• Numbers 20-21 – The 40^th year…
  • After 40 years in the wilderness – Israel arrived at the Eastern border of the Land…
  • They conquered and wiped out King Sihon of Amorites and King Og of Bashan
  • Possessing the Land east of the Jordan from the Dead Sea – to Mt. Hermon!
  • Numbers 22 – Balaam the prophet…
  • Israel was camped on the plains of Moab – opposite from the city of Jericho…
    • Moab was terrified – the King Balak sent for the prophet Balaam to curse Israel…
    • But God told Balaam twice he was not to curse God’s people – they were blessed…
  • Tempted by the lure of great riches – a palace of gold and silver – Balaam still went…
    • Along the way an Angel of the Lord sought to kill him 3 times – saved by his donkey…
    • When Balaam beat the donkey – it spoke – and Balaam saw the Angel…
    • Knowing he should have turned back – Balaam still went with the people of Balak…

The blessings of Balaam… (4 points)

• The 1^st blessing… vs. 1-12
  • Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel…
    • Balaam had Balak prepare 7 altars – each with a bull and a ram to sacrifice…
    • Then as Balak stood by the sacrifices – Balaam went to inquire of the Lord…
    • He climbed up to a ‘high place’ – overlooking the whole nation of Israel…
    • Balaam intended to curse Israel – but God had a different plan…
    • * Joshua 24:10 – “I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he continued to bless you. So I delivered you out of his hand.”
    • So often when we go to the Lord in prayer – we come with the wrong motivation…
    • We don’t so much go to hear from the Lord – as to get Him to agree with our ideas…
    • But prayer is not about changing God’s mind – it is about God changing ours!
  • God met with Balaam – and gave him the words to speak to Balak…
    • Balaam was not a good man – he was a greedy man who used God to make money…
    • II Peter 2:15 – “The way of Balaam… who loved to earn money by doing wrong.”
    • It was amazing that God could use a donkey to speak…
    • It is even more amazing that God could use a greedy prophet – to speak His Word…
    • There are many ‘pastors’ / ‘teachers’ today who use the Bible as a way to get rich…
    • TBN – a pastor said if you do not give us money – it’s your fault people will go to hell…
    • Or pastors who will send you their sweaty cloth to heal you – for a small ‘love’ gift…
    • Televangelist who talk as much about money as about the Good News…
    • But amazingly God can still use these people to spread the Gospel – people get saved…
    • Not to their credit – but to the credit of God – who can use even greedy prophets!
  • The 1^st prophesy of Balaam… Read Numbers 23:5-10
    • Balak had called Balaam from Aram (modern day Iraq) to curse the people of Israel…
  • 1^st – How could Balaam curse a nation that God had blessed… vs. 8
    • Men cannot undo the work of God – no matter how hard they may try…
    • In 1949 China became a communist nation – VERY hostile towards Christianity…
    • There were around 100,000 Christians in the whole county…
    • They thought about killing them – Christians need fellowship – so just separate them
    • They sent them to the far reaches of China – gave them bad jobs – postmen…
    • At which point the government – who was opposed to God – started working for God!
    • They sent Christians all over China – house to house – telling people about Jesus!
    • There are now over 100 millions Christians in China today!
    • When God says we are blessed – even other’s attempts at ‘curses’ – become blessings!
  • 2^nd – A people set apart for God… vs. 9
    • Israel was not to be like everyone else – they were to be an example for others…
    • They were called to teach the nations about the Lord through their example!
    • The word church means – ‘those who are called out’ – of this world…
    • If we act like the world – no different – why would people want to hear the Gospel…
    • We are called to be a light to the world – Matthew 5:14 – show them to Jesus!
  • 3^rd – Who can count the children of Jacob – who can number even a ¼ of them… vs. 10
    • Israel had rebelled – all who were over 20 had died in the 40-year wandering…
    • Yet here they were – ready to enter the Land – as numerous as ever!
    • God is very gracious – even when we make mistakes – God is still faithful…
    • II Timothy 2:13 – “If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself.”
    • We will all make mistakes in our Christian walk – but as we turn back to the Lord…
    • He restores all the years we have lost – He still blessed us in spite of our sin!
  • 4^th – Let me die a happy death like them…
    • Balaam recognized the blessing of Israel was not limited to this life…
    • He longed to have the hope they had – to have the hope of eternal life!
    • Those who are in the world live in constant fear of death – it terrifies them…
    • The world watches us – because they see in us something different – they see hope…
    • We know death is not the end – in fact it is just the beginning of eternal life…
    • And they want that same hope – peace – we have because of Jesus!
  • The 2^nd blessing… vs. 13-28 Read Numbers 23:11-13, 19-26
  • Balak was outraged – rather than cursing Israel – Balaam had blessed them…
    • So he wanted to take Balaam to anther place – where he would only see part of Israel…
    • Perhaps he could at least curse a portion of the nation – at least help a little!
  • 7 altars and 7 sacrifices later – God gave a 2^nd prophesy to Balaam…
  • 1^st – God does not change His mind… vs. 19-20
    • God cannot lie – Hebrew 6:18 – and God will not change his mind…
    • If God says something it happens – if He makes a promise He fulfills it!
    • God promised to bless Abraham/Isaac/Jacob – God had been faithful to His Word…
    • Genesis 22:17 – “I will multiply you… like the stars… and the sand on the seashore.”
    • Israel came to Egypt with 70 – 400 years later – they left with 3 to 5 million!
    • God will always be faithful to His Word – if God says something – you can count on it!
    • Our challenge is to get to know God’s Word – so we know what He has promised!
  • 2^nd – God saw no sin in Israel… vs. 21
    • Israel made a LOT of mistakes – you can hardly go a chapter without a rebellion…
    • Yet when God looked down on this rebellious people – He saw perfection!
    • We are all sinners – we all failed to live up to God’s standard of righteousness…
    • But Jesus – the only perfect man – paid the price for our sin – Death – Romans 6:23
    • In that moment Jesus defeated our sin – and God gave us Jesus’ righteousness!
    • In Jesus – we have lived a perfect life – we have fulfilled the requirement of the Law
    • Now when God looks down on us – He does not see our sinful mistakes/flaws
    • He instead sees the perfect life of His Son Jesus – He sees us as perfect/flawless!
  • 3^rd – Israel is no longer a nation of slaves – they have risen up like a lion… vs. 22-24
    • God had changed the very character of Israel – made them into His nation!
    • Before we knew Jesus – we were not much to look at – we were slaves to sin/world…
    • But when we were saved – God changed who we were – gave us a new character…
    • Many of us had a bad reputation once upon a time – we were not a good person…
    • But when we came to know Jesus – we changed – we became a new person…
    • Where we used to be under the wrath of God – children of satan – sold out to sin…
    • We are now forgiven – children of God – dedicated to following after Jesus!
  • Don’t bless them…
    • At that – Balak burst out – if you can’t curse Israel – at least don’t bless them!
    • But Balaam repeated – he could only say what God commanded him to say…
    • So Balak to Balaam to one last place – Beth-Peor – the temple of Moab’s God…
    • Perhaps there ‘God’ would let Balaam curse the people of Israel…
  • The 3^rd blessing… vs. 1-14 Read Numbers 24:5-13
  • Balaam turned towards Israel…
    • I am sure up to this point – Balaam was frustrated – he had WANTED to curse Israel…
    • But he finally understood God wanted to bless – and the Spirit of God came upon him…
    • If we are resisting the work God wants to do in our life – we end up frustrated…
    • Nothing in life seems to work out – all of our plans fail – and we can’t figure out why…
    • When we finally surrender – and turn the way God wants – we end up full of the Spirit!
  • The 3^rd prophesy of Balaam…
  • 1^st – Israel is like a tree planted by the water… vs. 5-7
    • Israel was blessed – like a fruitful tree – because they had received God’s Word…
    • * Psalm 1:2-3 – “Blessed is the man [whose] delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season… whatever he does shall prosper.”
    • When we abide in God’s Word – we will be like a well-watered tree…
    • We will bear good fruit for the Lord – and whatever we do will prosper!
  • 2^nd – Blessed are those who bless you – cursed are those who curse you… vs. 8-9
    • Repeating the Abrahamic covenant of Genesis 12:3
    • When we are walking with the Lord – we are a blessing as we tell others about Jesus…
    • Those who come against us – are cursed – they are in truth coming against our Lord!
  • The final prophesy of Balaam… vs. 15-25 Read Numbers 24:17-24
  • You God has kept you from great riches…
    • Balak was enraged – you have blessed my enemies now three times!
    • He had promised to give Balaam great honor and riches – but God had kept it from him!
    • But Balaam repeated – he could only do and say what the Lord commanded…
    • Far greater than any riches – God showed Balaam the future of the nations…
  • 1^st – In the distant future – star will rise out of Jacob / scepter (king) from Israel… vs. 17-19
    • In prophesy – often there are is a dual-fulfillment – foretelling two events at once…
    • Balaam saw King David – who would conquer Edom & Moab – golden age of Israel…
    • But he also saw – far off – the Messiah/Jesus – who would come from David…
    • Revelation 22:16 – “I am the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
    • The messiah would conquer the children of Seth (son of Adam) – e.g. the world!
    • How was Jesus going to conquer the world – through the power of the cross!
  • 2^nd – Amalek – the first among nations – will fall… vs. 20
    • In the Bible ‘Amalek’ is a type/picture of our flesh (sinful desires / sinful nature)…
    • The battle each of us fights every day – between our sinful flesh / and our Spirit…
    • It is the battle between what I ‘know’ God wants – and what I ‘want’…
    • I KNOW I should read my Bible in the morning – but come morning I WANT to sleep!
    • We don’t have to fight the battle – Jesus gave the victory to us at the cross!
    • There is no condemnation in Jesus – in Him we have forgiveness – Romans 8:1
    • And Jesus can do what we cannot – He changes the desires of our heart…
    • It is not that I have to read my Bible – God changes my heart so I WANT to!
    • It is not about what we can or cannot do – it is about God giving us His desires!
  • 3^rd – The history of the nations… vs. 22-24
  • 1^st – Assyria would be the next world power (after Egypt) to conquer the ‘world’…
    • Kenites – tribe of Moses’ father-in-law who sided with Moab – would be conquered…
    • Assyria would be the nation who would capture Northern Israel – II Kings 17:6
  • 2^nd – The people of Chittim (Greece / Rome) would then conquer Assyria…
    • Before Greece – Babylon rose to power – conquered Judah – II Kings 24:1
    • Medo-Persia then conquered Babylon during the time of Daniel – Daniel 5
    • The Medo-Persian Empire would fall to Greece under Alexander the Great…
    • The Grecian Empire would ultimately meet its end under the rule of Rome…
    • All of the empires – from Assyria to Rome – had one thing in common….
    • They would oppress the people of Eber (Hebrew) – another name for the Jews…
  • 3^rd – Then the people of Chittim (Greece/Rome) would also be completely destroyed…
    • When Jesus comes to set up His Kingdom on earth…
    • * Daniel 2:44 – “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed; no one will ever conquer it. It will shatter all these kingdoms into nothingness, but it will stand forever.”
    • Balaam ‘missed’ out on the – very short-lived – riches and honor of Moab…
    • Instead he was shown by God the one thing that would last forever – Jesus!
    • All the kingdoms of men – all the efforts of men – all the wealth of men – fade away…
    • The only thing that lasts forever is our relationship with God!