Numbers chapter 24. So in chapter 23 and 24, Balaam spoke to Balak 3 x by blessing the Israelites versus cursing them like Balak wanted him to. And then Balaam prophesized how God will bless Israel with a deliver who is to soon come, meaning the Messiah. God is blessing Israel not just for 1 battle but for the years far ahead.
For me, this chapter focuses on two qualities, and we get to choose which one we want ruling in our hearts and lives.
- Balak was a man full of pride and it would eventually be the death of him. He was so accustomed to living his life his way, gaining power through destruction, that his focus was on building his kingdom and not God's Kingdom. And now God's words of truth are speaking of Balak's coming destruction from the Israelites.
- Balaam, on the other hand, was a man of humility. However, it wasn't always that way. He had a renewed experience with God. He had, in the past, and not prophesied according to what God would say to him but at times sought out psychics and diviners for truth vs seeking God for his truth. But seven times Balaam gave a message to Balak and emphasized four times how he must only speak God's words meaning God's truth. Pride once ruled in Balaam's heart, but after God disciplined him, Balaam was humbled and had a renewed heart for serving God in using his gifts for God's glory. Now, he truly wanted to speak God's word and God's words only.
What drives my heart? Is it pride or humility? Whose kingdom do I want to see grow? My kingdom or God's kingdom? When I speak, am I trying to exalt myself so people see me? Or am I trying to exalt God so people see him and not me? God, be glorified in and through my life. Keep me humble and when I speak let it be God's words and not my own.
Pastor Blair once again has shared some great questions for us to be asking ourselves. Something that stuck out to me from today’s reading was the phrase from verse 4 and repeated again in verse 16,
“Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who falls down with eyes wide open”.
I thought of how this seems to be a good description for Balaam. He had to be humbled by his own donkey and get his priorities straightened out. He had missed seeing the angel at first, but now his eyes have been opened (Numbers 22:31). Balaam has made up his mind and he’s not selling out or giving in to pride, but doing what God has told him to do. Balak doesn’t want to accept what Balaam has said. I get the idea that Balak is used to getting his own way.
This chapter reminds me of what we read in Proverbs 16:18. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
I also think of what Jesus said in Luke 20:17-18. But He (Jesus) looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
How do we deal with pride? We could choose to be like Balaam or we could choose to be like Balak. I think that it’s so much better to fall on the stone and not have the stone fall on you! May we choose to fall on our cornerstone, Jesus and allow Him to break up any of our own selfish pride so that we can have our eyes opened to see better as we lean on Him and grow in Him.