Of course, Balaam knew welcome mats in Israel were not placed frivolously before a stranger. There was only one way into the Old Covenant, and no other, that the newcomer might be safe beneath the protection of the blood covenant. Circumcision was mandatory. The Scriptures do not even suggest that Balaam entertained these thoughts. However, the New Testament writer seemed to see more than the casual reader of Numbers 22-24.
By John D. Mean
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To all animate things there is a process of time and purpose. Who knows in the middle of its span of being what it will or will not be in relation to its quality or worth? This is perhaps the reason we have such strong exhortation in the Good Book to keep our hands off God’s property and mind our own business: Don’t judge another one’s servant; but light up the sunshine of God’s love before the evil and the good. Don’t be too quick to squirm out of your lot while watching the metamorphosis of the worm; a beautiful butterfly just might be ready to emerge!
Just as there are trends that inevitably progress in defeating the short lived and laying hold of eternal things, there are also paths traveled upon by the intellect that tend to beckon for our ego and it’s excitement. These trends vie for the stance our Lord and Saviour portrayed as He said, “Not my will.” This was the fixed and settled answer of all questions filtered through His mind.
The Book of Jude seems to carry a note of forced expediency rather than the theme the writer initially embarked upon. He was becoming excited with the theme of God’s Great Salvation, when all of a sudden his spirit became grieved as the Morse Code of God’s Holy Spirit began tapping on his mind. The Lord revealed to Jude the sinister way by which the evil one was making inroads into the very Body of Christ, to dissuade its purpose, its goals, and its message.
Jude 11 Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
It seems that Jude gave the three steps to apostasy in a progressive manner, revealing to us how that one level of experience of these creepers always bumped them off onto another level of experience. All the while, these victims held fast to the roller coaster of their own egos and spirits. We have quite well covered Cain’s dilemma, however, the folly of Cain’s experience should be pondered more than once. Why not? The Holy Scriptures followed this stance.
Through all of Cain’s relationships with his brother, one thing cries loud and clear: “You can’t have God’s favor and ignore your brother’s role in the work of God’s kingdom.” Remember, the sign still remains upon the door of that special entrance into the throne room. “First, be reconciled to your brother, then come for an audience.” Balaam was one who learned the voice of God, yet seemed to learn the skill of scooping up all the profits into his own dish and running off with the spoils for personal advantage.
Did you ever get that thought of how wonderful it would be to be free from all the pressures of fund drives and spend the blessings of God upon our Local setting? Name the burdens of togetherness if you wish, give the reasons of your rejection of the body that brought you to birth if you can, however, the Scriptures shout loud and clear that Balaam was an
independent, on the loose, severed from the body of Jehovah’s chosen.
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