“I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.” (Numbers 24:17, ESV) In Balaam’s final oracle, the imagery speaks of a rulerContinue reading “Our King”
Tag Archives: god
Joining His Work
“Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.” (Numbers 23:20, ESV) In the second oracle of Balaam, we see a key theological principle. God is sovereign and what God decrees man cannot override. Balak offered Balaam money to curse Israel to which Balaam responds that it is impossibleContinue reading “Joining His Work”
Absolute Unchanging Truth
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19, ESV) This passage, from Balaam’s second oracle, presents some obvious but vital theology. “God isContinue reading “Absolute Unchanging Truth”
Fear Not
“How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?” (Numbers 23:8, ESV) The situation was that Balak, king of Moab made an allegiance with Midian because of the perceived threat of Israel. Balak, summoned Balaam, a non-Israelite prophet, and asked him to curse Israel. WhileContinue reading “Fear Not”
Devotion In Life
“Then 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?’ And Balaam said to the donkey, ‘Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I wouldContinue reading “Devotion In Life”
Spiritual Blindness
“But God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. . . When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Then the LordContinue reading “Spiritual Blindness”
Cleansing and Restoration
“If the man who is unclean does not cleanse himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the assembly, since he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. Because the water for impurity has not been thrown on him, he is unclean.” (Numbers 19:20, ESV) The Lord instituted a process for personContinue reading “Cleansing and Restoration”
Tithe Of the Tithe
““Moreover, you shall speak and say to the Levites, ‘When you take from the people of Israel the tithe that I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall present a contribution from it to the Lord, a tithe of the tithe.” (Numbers 18:26, ESV) There is much debate among Christians overContinue reading “Tithe Of the Tithe”
The Branch
“On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.” (Numbers 17:8, ESV) Because Aaron’s priestly authority was challenged, the Lord commanded the head of each of theContinue reading “The Branch”
Atonement
“And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stopped.” (Numbers 16:48, ESV) After the Lord brought judgment on Korah and those actively engaged in the rebellion, the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron saying they had “killed the people of the Lord” (v41-42). In making this statement, the people disregardedContinue reading “Atonement”
Renewing the Heart 