Prayer: Father, I get from Your Word that You want my full attention. I pray for full attention abilities today in journaling about today’s reading. Amen.
Reading: Numbers 22 key: vs. 32
32 The angel of Adonai said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I came as an adversary because your way before Me is a reckless one!
Attention: To understand this chapter and a few following chapters, one must know who the players are in the cast. Balak is the king of Moab and Balaam is a prophet of eastern religions, who was sought by the king to cast a curse upon Bnei-Yisrael (Adonai’s covenant people) and Moses. Moab and their king Balak were “filled with dread” because Bnei-Yisrael was “camped in the plains of Moab alongside the Jordan across from Jericho. Rather than fight the nation of Yisrael, Balak chose to summon Balaam to pronounce a curse on Moses and the Hebrew nation.
It is interesting to me to read of a cultic prophet having the spiritual discernment to know that he could not pronounce a curse on Yisrael unless Adonai gave Him those words. He was not willing to cross Adonai in pronouncing a curse on Adonai’s people without Adonai giving him those words, even for king Balak’s own house filled with silver and gold (vs. 18).
We do learn more about Balaam’s character in the following chapters. But for now, suffice to say, that “Adonai opened Balaam’s eyes to see an angel of Adonai standing in the road with his drawn sword in his hand.” Prior to this encounter, Adonai tried to get Balaam’s attention by the divine act of a talking donkey.
There used to be a television show in the sixties which featured a talking horse called Mr. Ed. The hilarity of the concept was only his owner could hear him talk.
I find it interesting that Adonai would use a donkey to teach a cultic prophet a lesson on blessing and cursing. Being God, Adonai can use any instrument, animal or human, to get His message out. Who has He used to get your attention? Are you, like Balaam, living recklessly?
Action: I choose to live an obedient, disciplined life with the Holy Spirit.
Yield: I give myself over to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
Engage: I choose to live for Him who died for me.
Relationship: Oneness with the Holy Spirit is fulness of relationship.
Prayer: Father, all praise to You who gives us salvation by forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit as a seal and evidence of relationship with You. Amen.
Memory Verse: Romans 3: 21-23
21 But now God’s righteousness apart from the Torah has been revealed, to which the Torah and the Prophets bear witness— 22 namely, the righteousness of God through putting trust in Messiah Yeshua, to all who keep on trusting. For there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Music Video: Chris McClarney—I’m Listening https://youtu.be/Ef52AmdVwYI
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”