Tikkun Global Jerusalem, Israel
Who would have imagined there are parallels?
In the midst of the Torah (Numbers 22-24), God is dealing with the sins of His people while leading them to possess the land. Then suddenly there is an extended “cutaway” to what’s happening among the Gentile nations who are witnessing the Israelite conquests in and around Canaan. The king of Moab is alarmed and calls for help to defeat Israel in any way possible, in this case asking Balaam to curse Israel.
Gentile Balaam is a prophet of YHVH(!), all the way from Mesopotamia. God will not allow him to curse Israel. God seems to set aside Israel’s many sins and only allows the prophet to speak blessing over Israel. As an extra measure, God speaks through the mouth of a donkey to make sure that Balaam will be faithful to his call to bless. The story of Balaam can be read as a parable of our situation today:
It’s the same people/nation of Israel today as back then; again today Israel is conquering and becoming sovereign in the land of “Canaan”;
Back then the king of Moab was the evil, Gentile leader who rebelled against God in desiring to hurt and destroy the Jewish people (Psalm 2); A parallel today is the Gentile groups bent on destroying the Jewish people, especially Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.
Prophetic Balaam mirrors the international ecclesia church, full of the spirit of God, but struggling with its own temptations; and having received a divine command to bless Israel; (Romans 9-11).
To Bless or Curse
Ever since October 7th the situation within Israel and around 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 with His sword drawn, as He stood in front of Balaam and as He stood in front of Joshua (Numbers 22:31; Joshua 5:13-15)? Are we choosing to see God’s 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 (Revelation 2:14, 2 Peter 2:14-15, Jude 1:11). Let’s make sure we don’t go down the same path. Remember:
God is not a man that He should lie.
When God blessed Israel, it was not to later revoke the blessing.
He sees the end from the beginning.
His purpose ultimately brings blessing and restoration to mankind.
“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? I have received a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it…” (Numbers 23:19-20 NIV)
