Reading
SAA Notes
Balaam is a true prophet. Balaam is like Judas – he sells out the Lord for silver. (2 Peter 2:15 and Revelation 2:14) Balaam was a moral man who thought his spirituality was something personal and private that had nothing to do with his public and business practice. Balaam deceived himself. Do you and I?
SJA Notes
* God Almighty, You are the King of glory! You are the LORD of hosts, strong and mighty, mighty in battle.
“So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me.”
Balaam fell to temptation – avarice and greed, a longing for power, prestige and wealth.
– Perhaps the Lord might change His mind? Perhaps He’ll let me go with them this time? –
How many times do we take a similar attitude when there is something we want? When our desire is bent toward it rather than being fixed on Jesus?
It is important to know from this passage that even though God works good through our bad, He does not like it. He doesn’t get cosy with our sin. It is and always will be abhorrent to Him.
Balaam sinned, and God worked through that, for His purposes … But it was still sin. And God’s anger burns.
Hebrews 10 has serious things to say about deliberate sin,
“How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”
Today’s passage can convict us of our own sin, and of a desire to pursue holiness. To flee from sin and resist the devil.
Jesus gives us the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet shod with the readiness of the gospel, the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6). And the sword of the Spirit, the WORD OF GOD, our weapon!
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” Psalm 119
* Gracious Heavenly Father,
Please write Your word on our hearts that we might not sin against You.
Please plant Your word deep in us and grow it, that we might be good soil and bear much fruit.
Amen.