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1/4/12 SEE WHAT GOD HAS DONE!

1/4/12 SEE WHAT GOD HAS DONE!

Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF
Numbers 23:1-26
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Key Verse: 23:23

“There is no divination against[b] Jacob, no evil omens against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’”
Dear Lord Heavenly Father, thank you for your love and your grace in my life. I pray to extend this love and grace to others, especially those in my immediate family and others who are close to me. I pray that you may help us to have a love for one another and a burning passion to love Jesus and serve Jesus, never with a reluctant heart. I pray that we can be an blessing to the folks at Waterman Presbyterian. I pray that we may have rich fellowship in the word of God. I pray that you may help us to define ourselves and our ministry here in DeKalb and at NIU. Teach us our role. Show us your mission. Help us to know the way. Please grant me one word of God to hold onto, through this passage. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

1. I see a people who live apart (1-12).

Verses 1-12, “Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 2 Balak did as Balaam said, and the two of them offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I go aside. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet with me. Whatever he reveals to me I will tell you.” Then he went off to a barren height. 4 God met with him, and Balaam said, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.” 5 The LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.” 6 So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite officials. 7 Then Balaam spoke his message: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’ 8 How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? 9 From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob or number even a fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my final end be like theirs!” 11 Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!” 12 He answered, “Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”

In typical pagan fashion, Balak went up to a high place and offered seven bulls and rams. This place overlooked the Israelite camp. Then God gave Balaam a message. Balak and Balaam expected a curse, but God gave a message of blessing. God did not treat Israel like other nations. God would multiply them beyond measure. Balaam himself longed to die the death of the righteous, but he did not long to live the life of the righteous.

I can see here that Balaam liked the recognition of the Moabites princes, but he also did not want to give up his identity as a prophet of God. Maybe he liked being seen and included among the princes. Maybe he liked the time spent in the palaces and eating expensive food. We can get like this sometimes. We can enjoy recognition by the world. We can enjoy being included in the affairs of worldly people. But at the same time we don’t want to give up Jesus and our Christian identity. This can not be. We must have a clear identity and being willing to be rejected by our peers if it comes to that in order to keep our Christian identity. It does not mean that we look for rejection. But we should never seek to the attention of the world and its people and live in it, compromising our walk with Jesus. No way! Never!

I also learned from verse 9, “9 From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations”. God’s people should live apart from the people of this world. We should, and must be holy. Holy means set apart for God. It means that we should live in the this world, but not of it. It means that we should compartmentalize our spiritual lives, so that people at church know that we are Christians, and people at school, or work or out neighborhood, does not know that we are Christians. The younger generation seems to compartmentalize their faith in an attempt to “get along” with everyone. But when we look at their Facebook or see photos there seems to be very little difference between the activities of their non Christian friends and them. This should never be. It all has to do with our identity. Are we Christians? Are we trying to do all things for the glory of God? Are we shepherds for the people we hang with? Do we care if they come to know Jesus and find salvation, or are we just enjoying the world with them? I pray that I and my house church may live apart.

I do not consider myself one of the nations. I am kingdom of God “eese” I am a pilgrim, passing through his world, headed towards my eternal destiny, eternal life with Jesus in the Kingdom of God. I am American. I came from Canada. But my prime identity is Christian. I need to live as such. I pray that my whole family may live this way with glad and sincere hearts.

2. God does not change his mind (13-26).

Verses 13-26 read, “13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.” 16 The LORD met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.” 17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials. Balak asked him, “What did the LORD say?” 18 Then he spoke his message: “Arise, Balak, and listen; hear me, son of Zippor. 19 God is not human, 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[a] in Israel. The LORD their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them. 22 God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. 23 There is no divination against[b] Jacob, no evil omens against[c] Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’ 24 The people rise like a lioness; they rouse themselves like a lion that does not rest till it devours its prey and drinks the blood of its victims.” 25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!” 26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the LORD says?”

Balak thought that a change in location might change God’s mind. Seven more altars were built and seven more bulls and rams were offered. But God told Balak through Balaam that he does not change his mind. No misfortune or misery would be seen in Israel. God would protect his people against any divination or sorcery. God would be faithful to his people. The world would see God’s power and protection. God also warned Balak that the Israelites would be an instrument of judgment.

I don’t know about other ministries, but God protecting and prospering the people of UBF. The recent conference at “The Well” saw 320 young, college age people. Next year’s international conference will see about 4,000 people. There are leaders being raised up among us, not just casual church goers. And the people are strong. They are stable spiritually and they are overcoming this world and they have places of leadership in the nation.

God is prospering his people in the world. Despite of the bad press about the young people leaving the church, God is growing his people around the world. Christianity is one of the world’s fastest growing religions. It is growing in Africa and Asia and the Americas. God is faithful. We need to get on board with what God is doing and know that we are part of the wonderful work of God going on around the world and rejoice about it and never envy the world or seek the world’s recognition.

Prayer: Lord, please protect your people against Satan’s attacks. Thank you for faithfully leading and blessing your people.

One Word: See what God has done!




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