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Right in the middle of the Torah (Numbers 22-24), as God deals with the sins of His people—including Moses—there is an extended “cutaway” to what’s happening among the gentile nations who are witnessing the Israelite conquests in and around Canaan. Balak, the king of Moab, decides that he needs supernatural help in order to curse and defeat this people. He calls on the services of a “pagan,” gentile, prophet of YHVH, all the way from Mesopotamia, named Balaam.
But God only allows the prophet to speak blessing over Israel, while ignoring Israel’s many sins. In fact, He speaks through the mouth of his donkey to make sure that Balaam will be faithful to his call.
The story of Balaam can be read as a parable of our situation today: the people/nation of Israel; Balak as the evil, gentile nation who rebelled against God in desiring to hurt and destroy the Jewish people (Psalm 2); and Balaam as the mostly gentile, international ecclesia full of the spirit of YHVH—Yeshua, whom God has commanded to bless Israel. (Romans 9-11).
Ever since October 7 the situation around Israel and the world is forcing people into a tight place, much like Balaam and his donkey: can we see Yeshua, the captain of the armies of heaven standing in front of us? (Joshua 5:13-15)
Are we choosing to see His plan for Israel and the nations from the “high place” of the prophecies of Scripture? Or are we allowing the news, and our personal or national self-interest, to influence how we see things?
Balaam started well, in the Spirit, but ended up allowing his fleshly greed and self-interest to cause him to “sell-out” when it came to Israel and God’s ultimate plan. (Rev 2:14, 2 Peter 2:14, Jude 1:11) Let’s make sure we don’t go down the same path.
WATCH today as Ariel opens up the text and encourages us to remember:
God is not a man that He should lie.
When God blesses, He cannot revoke it.
He sees the end from the beginning.
His purpose brings blessings for all.
