God is the one thing you can trust in this shifty world.
Numbers 23:19–20
CONTEXT: In Numbers 22–24, King Balak of Moab fears the growing strength of Israel as they camp near his land, so he hires the prophet Balaam to pronounce a curse on them. However, God intervenes, commanding Balaam to speak only what He permits. Despite Balak’s repeated attempts to secure a curse, Balaam delivers three prophetic blessings over Israel, affirming God’s faithfulness and sovereign will. Today's passage is from Balaam's second attempt. But once again, King Balak doesn't get the curse on Israel he hoped for. Instead, Balaam says,
19 God is not man, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;
he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob
no misery observed in Israel.
The LORD their God is with them;
the shout of the King is among them.
Canons of Dordt
Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election
Articles 1-10
Article 11: Election Is Unchangeable
Just as God is most wise, unchangeable, all-knowing, and almighty,
so the election made by him can neither be suspended nor altered, revoked, or annulled;
neither can God’s chosen ones be cast off, nor their number reduced.
Summary
Balaam was a pagan prophet for hire, so to speak. For the right price, he would tell you whatever you wanted to hear from the gods, conveying either divine blessings or curses depending on what his client was after. Though not an Israelite, he had some awareness of the LORD, the true and living God, and could receive divine revelations from Him.
If you're familiar with Balaam at all, it's probably from the episode in the previous chapter in which his donkey spoke to him, warning Balaam that the Angel of the LORD stood before them blocking the way. The Bible presents the story of Balaam with a heavy dose of irony, even humorously at times (as it also does with characters like Jonah and Esther). As one commentator puts it, "If we will not speak or act for God, He can use a jackass to accomplish His will. We are not as important as we often think we are."
Commentator Ronald Allen best explains what's going on in this passage and why it's grabbed our attention today. He writes,
The words God is not a man, that he should lie describe both the immutability of the Lord and the integrity of his word. Balaam is himself a foil for God. Balaam is constantly shifting, equivocating, changing—he is himself the prime example of the distinction between God and humanity. Balaam’s view of the gods was based on his own human failings. Now he confronts God, who is not at all like humans in their failures. This fact is the stunning reality. All others may change; God—even with all of his power—cannot change, for he cannot deny himself. God must fulfill his promise, for he has bound his character to his Word (emphasis added).
Dig Deeper
One of the reasons it's so hard for you at times to trust God is that it's often so hard for you to trust people in general. You've likely developed an instinctual wariness about people over time because everywhere you turn you're surrounded by all sorts of lying, cheating, and duplicity. Even more tragically, if you're honest with yourself you probably see those ugly traits in your own life as well.
So let these words that God spoke through the mouth of this wayward prophet sink in and remind you why it is that you can trust that God's grace is stronger than you are, even in a world where there are so few people you can trust:
The LORD has blessed, and I [nor anyone or anything else] cannot change it.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who does not lie nor change His mind, who has blessed you and called you to belong to Him;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will increase your trust of Him in all things;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Hebrews 8
Commenti