Fool Me Once...
Numbers 23: 13-26
Undaunted, Balak continues. Look- I'll take you somewhere new where you can see the Israelites- and we'll try this thing again. Remember... we're looking for a curse here. Balak builds seven new altars and sacrifices a bull and a ram on each of them.
Balaam tells him, stay with your sacrifices while I go talk with God. God gives another message for Balak once again in poetic form.
Listen up Balak,
Zippor's kid.
God's not a man- He doesn't lie.
God's not human, He's not gonna change His mind.
It's not like He acts without thinking.
It's not like He promises and backs out.
God has commanded me to bless.
I can't change God's command.
Jacob is looking prosperous.
Things are rosy with Israel.
God's with them.
He's cheering them on.
He brought them out of Egypt
and they are as strong as oxen.
There's no witchcraft working against Jacob,
no evil spells haunting Israel.
People will look at Jacob
and at Israel and say- look what God has done!
These people are like lions,
they won't rest until they devour their prey
and drink the blood of their victims.
This was not the message Balak was looking for. He says- look if you're not gonna curse them, at least don't bless them.
Balaam says, don't shoot the messenger. I told you I have to do what God says.
OK, all sympathy for Balak is pretty much gone. Wouldn't he have figured out the first time that this whole curse Israel thing isn't going to work? Maybe he's just invested so much in this plan that there's no other option. It's like the Cubs and Alfonso Soriano.
I think what's significant here is how loyal God is to His people. They've whined, and He's punished. They are unfaithful and ungrateful but still when another offer comes along, God says, these are my children, and I'm sticking with them.
A comforting idea to consider as God's children of this generation.
Numbers 23: 13-26
Undaunted, Balak continues. Look- I'll take you somewhere new where you can see the Israelites- and we'll try this thing again. Remember... we're looking for a curse here. Balak builds seven new altars and sacrifices a bull and a ram on each of them.
Balaam tells him, stay with your sacrifices while I go talk with God. God gives another message for Balak once again in poetic form.
Listen up Balak,
Zippor's kid.
God's not a man- He doesn't lie.
God's not human, He's not gonna change His mind.
It's not like He acts without thinking.
It's not like He promises and backs out.
God has commanded me to bless.
I can't change God's command.
Jacob is looking prosperous.
Things are rosy with Israel.
God's with them.
He's cheering them on.
He brought them out of Egypt
and they are as strong as oxen.
There's no witchcraft working against Jacob,
no evil spells haunting Israel.
People will look at Jacob
and at Israel and say- look what God has done!
These people are like lions,
they won't rest until they devour their prey
and drink the blood of their victims.
This was not the message Balak was looking for. He says- look if you're not gonna curse them, at least don't bless them.
Balaam says, don't shoot the messenger. I told you I have to do what God says.
OK, all sympathy for Balak is pretty much gone. Wouldn't he have figured out the first time that this whole curse Israel thing isn't going to work? Maybe he's just invested so much in this plan that there's no other option. It's like the Cubs and Alfonso Soriano.
I think what's significant here is how loyal God is to His people. They've whined, and He's punished. They are unfaithful and ungrateful but still when another offer comes along, God says, these are my children, and I'm sticking with them.
A comforting idea to consider as God's children of this generation.
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