The First Blessing
As Balaam with Balak looked out over the extent of the nation of Israel they offered sacrifices on seven altars. Then Balaam went to a deserted height and met with God.
Numbers 23:5 – Then the LORD put a message in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and speak what I tell you.” 6 – So he returned to him, and he was still standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.
Verse 7 – Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying, “Balak, the king of Moab, brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, ‘Come, pronounce a curse on Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’
verse 8 – How can I curse one whom God has not cursed, or how can I denounce one whom the LORD has not denounced? 9 – For from the top of the rocks I see them; from the hills I watch them. Indeed, a nation that lives alone and it will not be reckoned among the nations. 10 – Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let the end of my life be like theirs.”
To be a part of the spiritual nation of Israel is to stand apart and not be reckoned with the nations of the world. The physical nation of Israel today continues to fight in order to achieve recognition and standing with the nations of the world. This is not spiritual Israel.
God cannot be bribed with sacrifices into cursing His people, not back in Balaam’s day and not now. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.” John 3:17
The one who stands apart from the world is the one who believes…”The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.” John 3:18
While standing out amongst the nations and our communities may bring us unwanted attention like Israel of old. Let us be confident that God is working behind the scenes to bless His people. In Balaam’s first message he could not help but bless God’s people when he was being richly paid to curse them.
The question is: how are we to stand out? We find our answer in 1 John 3:10 – By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness – the one who does not love his fellow Christian – is not of God. 11 – For this is the gospel message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another,…
When Balaam and Balak looked out over the nation of Israel – they saw an organized community of people who coexisted and cooperated together in love with God at their center. May all those who see us bear witness that we are Christians by the love we have towards each other.
Where two are gathered 