Numbers 22:5 KJV
He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
The story of Balaam is many faceted to say the least.
How is ass spoke to him and
Why was he not shocked out of his gourd that he did
How he could go even though God had told him not to
Why he would continue to place himself in temptation's way be repeatedly listening to the king
And then there is
Numbers 22:34 KJV
And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
"If it displease thee...." What hypocrisy! Of course it displeased God. God had told him not to go! God had told him he could not curse Israel for they were blessed. "If it diplease thee...."
How wicked we can be when we know what is right before God, and, having full intention to do what we please rather than what God pleases, we still say something like, "God, if you really don't want me to, I won't do it."
All of those are matters worthy of much consideration and study. But I found a comment in Scofield's notes that became my consideration for the day;
The "error" of Balaam" (Jud_1:11) was that he could see only the natural morality -- a holy God, he reasoned, must curse such a people as Israel. Like all false teachers he was ignorant of the higher morality of vicarious atonement, by which God could be just and yet the justifier of believing sinners (Rom_3:26).
We too can so easily slip into a mentality where we judge things according to natural morality rather than the higher morality. How merciful is our God to see believers, not as sinners, but as sinners robed in the righteousness of God
He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
The story of Balaam is many faceted to say the least.
How is ass spoke to him and
Why was he not shocked out of his gourd that he did
How he could go even though God had told him not to
Why he would continue to place himself in temptation's way be repeatedly listening to the king
And then there is
Numbers 22:34 KJV
And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
"If it displease thee...." What hypocrisy! Of course it displeased God. God had told him not to go! God had told him he could not curse Israel for they were blessed. "If it diplease thee...."
How wicked we can be when we know what is right before God, and, having full intention to do what we please rather than what God pleases, we still say something like, "God, if you really don't want me to, I won't do it."
All of those are matters worthy of much consideration and study. But I found a comment in Scofield's notes that became my consideration for the day;
The "error" of Balaam" (Jud_1:11) was that he could see only the natural morality -- a holy God, he reasoned, must curse such a people as Israel. Like all false teachers he was ignorant of the higher morality of vicarious atonement, by which God could be just and yet the justifier of believing sinners (Rom_3:26).
We too can so easily slip into a mentality where we judge things according to natural morality rather than the higher morality. How merciful is our God to see believers, not as sinners, but as sinners robed in the righteousness of God
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