THE MAD PROPHET
Gloria Phifer
You have heard of “The mad scientist?” We are going to be
find “the mad prophet”.
We are going to see someone who I am very surprised The Lord
used…but He did.
The children of Israel have been rescued from Egypt. Moses is
leading them through the wilderness. They have been to Mount Sinai, where The
Lord gave them the law. The Tabernacle has been made, following the patterns
and instructions, Jehovah God gave to Moses. They have a cloud that leads them
by day and becomes a pillar of fire by night. When the cloud moves…they break
camp and move with it. (How wonderful would that be???)
The Tabernacle is set up in camp when they stop. The tribes
are put in the order God commanded, as they camp.
They are nearing Canaan (the land of Israel). The fear of
them are on the nations. This is when we come to a Moabite king named Balak.
Numbers 22:1-4 “What was Balak afraid of?” LAB actually says they were all
“terrified.” (I looked up Balak in Hebrew it means…”Waster…devastator.” Not a good
definition. Thoughts?
LAB footnotes. “Chemosh, the national god of Moab was
worshiped as a god of war. This false god, however, was no help to this nation
when it fought against Israel. Israel’s God was stronger than any of Canaan’s
war gods.” (So here we see people who are idol worshippers.)
Numbers 22:4-5 Notice Balak says these people arriving from
Egypt “are threatening me.”
Sounds scared to me. What did Balak do? Who did he send? Who did
he send them to?
What did The Lord say to Abraham? Genesis 12:1-3. What will happen to anyone who curses
Abraham and his descendants? We
need to remember this in our country. God will bless the nation that blesses
Israel.
Now, Balaam is a strange character. Lab footnotes. “Why would
God speak through a sorcerer like Balaam? God wanted to give a message to the
Moabites and they had already chosen to employ Balaam. So, Balaam was available
for God to use, much as he used the wicked pharaoh to accomplish His will in
Egypt. Balaam entered into his prophetic role seriously, but his heart was
mixed. He had some knowledge of God but not enough to forsake his magic and
turn wholeheartedly to God. Although the story leads us to believe he turned
completely to God, later passages in The Bible show that Balaam couldn’t resist
the tempting pull of money and idolatry.”
In Hebrew Balaam means “not of the people.” From another
word…”a failure, not at all, neither, no, none, nothing. To fail, by
implication to wear out. Decay, old, spend, waste.” So, sounds like Balaam was “a
waste…a failure.”
Numbers 22:7-17 what
was offered to Balaam to curse the people of Israel? What did Jehovah God tell
him? vs. 12 “These people are BLESSED.”
Vs. 14-16 Balak insisted. Who
did he send next? Balak upped
the price.
Vs. 18-19 God had already given His instructions to
Balaam…but he prayed again. What do
you think was in his heart? Did he hope Jehovah God would change His mind? Was
the money tempting?
2 Peter2:14-17 gives us
a look into Balaam’s heart. Peter calls him “The madness of a prophet.”
Vs. 20 what did God
tell him? What was Balaam to do? Do you
think God had changed His mind?
Let’s read Numbers 22:21-35. It looks like God had not
changed His mind from the 1st instructions he gave Balaam…”Do not
go…cannot curse these people…they are blessed!!!”
In vs. 22 “God was angry that Balaam
was going.”
Who did God send to meet Balaam? What was the angel going to
do? Who saved Balaam? How did Balaam
treat his always faithful donkey (she was a she)?
What does it tell us about a man who is cruel
to his animal? (Wonder if he had a wife…yikes). Proverbs 12:10 a righteous man
regards the life of his animal: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.
What are your thoughts that the
donkey saw the angel first?
Out of a donkey’s mouth, she defends
herself. Vs. 28-30. God given words….ability to speak.
I know of no other time in The Bible
when an animal speaks. Oh, and in my life, I have never heard it. I remember in
the movie Chronicles of Narnia when the children arrived in Narnia, a beaver
came up to them talking. The oldest girl said something like, “he’s a beaver…he
shouldn’t be speaking.”
Notice in vs. 29 Balaam reason for
hurting his donkey was she made him look like a fool. He told her if he had a
sword he would have killed her.
Huh…your donkey is speaking and you are so angry you are talking
back? Hello??? Thoughts? Temper,
temper.
Vs. 31-32 what happened when The Lord opened Balaam’s eyes? What did he see?
Who saved Balaam’s life? I love
in vs. 32 that the angel takes up for the donkey…he would have spared her
life…but not Balaam’s. (I like that he took up for her and would have spared
her.)
Vs. 34 what does
Balaam say to the angel? What you have sinned? Think so? What is Balaam willing to do now?
Vs. 35 what are the angel’s
instructions? I noticed Balaam
went on with Balak’s officials? Do you
think they were with him during this episode? And, I am sure that faithful donkey carried
him all the way…bless her heart.
Vs.36-37 ah ha…Balak was going to reward Balaam richly. Vs.
38-41. Vs. 38 I find it interesting when Balaam said he doesn’t have the power
to say whatever he wants. He will now speak only the message God puts in his
mouth. (Lab). I guess if God can put a message in a donkey’s mouth, He can
sure put one in Balaam’s mouth.
Numbers 23:1-5.The Lord gave Balaam the message for king
Balak. Let’s look at the message…vs 6-10. Balaam says the name of Jacob. He declares that Jacob descendants are a numerous
as dust. He calls them “Israel’s people.” (Remember Jehovah God gave these promises
to Abraham’s seed. God changed Jacob’s name to “Israel.”) These were Jehovah
God’s words…not Balaam’s.
In the King James Version it says vs. 9 “From the tops of the
rocks I see Him, and from the hills I behold Him…” I personally believe he was seeing Christ.
We will look at a picture of the way the camp was laid out…it was in a shape of
a cross. (And we will be coming to another incredible prophesy given.) The very
last part of vs 10...reminded me of Christ also. “Let me die the death of the
Righteous, and let my last end be like His.” (Resurrection…is what I think of because he
said… “Let my last end be like His.)
Okay now, Balak is really upset!!! Balaam, with God’s words
in his mouth, blessed Israel. Vs.11-16. So Balak thinks if it is another
mountain…there will be a different outcome. He sure is persistent…of course, he
is terrified.
Vs. 17-22. God is not a man that He should lie. God is Truth.
I like “Or has He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” God is good on His
Word…He never breaks it. Vs. 21 what
doesn’t God see in Jacob? No iniquity…no perverseness in Israel. That is how
God sees us, through Christ. No condemnation. No remembering our sins. They are
removed from us as far as the east is from the west. Hallelujah!
Vs. 21…”The shout of a King is among them.” Jesus. The
Tabernacle is a picture of Jesus. The way they camped was in a shape of the
cross. “The shout of The KING was
among them!!!”
Vs. 23 there is no enchantment or divination against Israel.
They belong to Jehovah God…no evil can come nigh their dwelling. And that is
the way it is in our lives. Thoughts? God’s
protection in our lives. “Look what God has done!!!”
Vs. 24. Here we find “The Lion” again. KJV “Behold, the
people shall rise up as a Great Lion, and lift up Himself as a young lion.” Remember the prophesy given to the tribe of
Judah of the Lion and then we found Him in Revelation…The Lion of the tribe of
Judah…as a Lamb slain for the sin of the world…He had prevailed!!! Genesis
49:9…like a lion who dares to rouse Him. Notice in this prophesy in numbers the
Lion will destroy His enemies.
Balak just will not give up…he is desperate!!! Vs. 25-30.
Another place…maybe God would change His mind??? No, God has spoken and He is
not a man that He should lie. He will bless Israel forever.
Numbers 24:1 when Balaam saw that it pleased The Lord to bless Israel what did he
do?( Did it take this long for him to understand that The Lord was
pleased to bless Israel?)
Vs 2 Balaam sees Israel abiding in his tents according to
their tribes; and The Spirit of God came upon him. What was Balaam seeing? How the camp…the tribes…the tents were laid
out. Let’s look at the page with the cross. How extraordinary that The Lord had the
tents…the camp, laid out into a “Cross.” Balaam was seeing “The Cross.”
Balaam was looking at the tents of Israel and they were in
the shape of a cross.
Numbers 24:1-9. Vs. here is our Lion…”He couched, He lay down
as a Lion and as a great Lion: who can stir him up? Blessed is he that blesses
You and cursed is he that curses You.”
Vs. 8 shows that God will use Israel to destroy nations.
Someday, when Jesus comes back He will rule the nations with a rod of iron. What stands out to you?
Vs 10-14 Balak is really upset!!! What does Balaam say to him? It is really interesting
to me in vs 14 Balaam says what the people of Israel will do to Balak’s people
“in the latter days.”
We are living in the latter days. We have seen Israel become
a nation in 1948 after 2,000 yrs. of being dispensed around the world. Israel
has Jerusalem in their possession after 2,000 yrs. We are living in those
“latter days.” (I believe God uses Israel in order to judge nations…what nation
will stand with Israel?)
Numbers 24:15-25. Now comes this wonderful prophesy “I shall
see Him, but not now.” Jesus is going to come to earth. He will be a star out
of Jacob. (Remember the star at His birth.) A Scepter shall rise of Israel
(Jesus King of Kings and Lord of Lords.) Remember in the prophesy to Judah in
Genesis…”Genesis 49: The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver
until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be. “Jesus
Christ King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Lab vs. 17 “I see Him, but far in the distant future. A Star
will rise from Jacob; A Scepter will emerge from Israel.” Our Lord and Savior
in the fullness of time came to this earth. He will return again as the
conquering King and He will rule and reign.
Balaam went home. We may think he was a good guy now, but
wait…Numbers 25:1-3. Some of the men of Israel had sexual relations with the
Moabite women. And they worshipped the Baal of Peor. And the Lord took
judgement on them. We will find that
Balaam and Balak were behind this. After a battle with Moabites…Numbers
31:15-16. It was the counsel of Balaam to Balak to use the women to seduce
the men of Israel…which brought a plague among the congregation of The Lord. Thoughts? I wonder if Balak rewarded Balaam
for this after all.
Balaam meets his end. Deut. 23:3-6 judgement on the Amorites.
Numbers 31:16 Balaam was slain with the sword. Joshua 13:22 Thoughts?
