Numbers. Yesterday we read about the refusal of Edom to allow Israel to pass through their land. God had a purpose in it all. One thing He wanted His people to learn was how to fight. They had to face the great kings Sihon and Og so they could discover dependence on God in the heat of battle. They would fight many more battles from much more powerful foes in the Promised Land. This was like training. (Side note: Sihon was king of the Amorites. The root of "Amorite" literally means "pride". They had to fight their pride so they could learn to be useful in other ways.) To help us understand the significance, God often allows us to face enemies in our own spiritual wilderness that must be defeated before we start taking spiritual territory in His kingdom.
Someone said, "If the devil can't make you sin, he'll make you busy." Today we see that fear of the enemy is no longer hindering Israel from marching forward. Enter Balak with another solution: call Balaam. Some of you may wonder if Balaam is actually a prophet of God. Believe me, Satan has his prophets, too. And many of them are the real deal -- full of spiritual insight and power. Balaam was spiritual and, ultimately, couldn't trump God's will. However, he was out to fill his own pocketbook rather than worship the living God. Many people believe in God and His power without being willing to worship Him. That will be hard for some to fathom, but it's true.
No comments:
Post a Comment