Has God ever spoken to you. .. and how do you know it was God who spoke to you? The word of God says (John 10:27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I have heard the voice of God in my life, each time it was as if He was standing right next to me. .. but it was as if he was speaking to me in the spirit, in my mind.
There are times when someone has come to me and said, the Lord told me to tell you. .. and I politely listen. .. but I also know from what they are saying, if in fact, God did tell them such a message for me, or was it just the voice of man being misguided in the spirit by the will of satan.
God has never delivered a second hand message to me that He did not deliver on His own. However, in my weakness, He has confirmed His word to me with a confirmation of that word from another. God does not need email, twitter, Facebook, My Space, Snap Chat, or any other social media to speak to you. So when you get that chain letter that promises you a super blessing from God if you forward it to a certain number of people. .. do as I do, hit delete and threaten to delete the person that sent you this nonsense. That's just not how God does it. ..
So what happens when God speaks, and you don't hear Him, or even worse, what happens if you hear Him and you ignore Him. .. I can sadly say, I have experienced both sides of that equation, but I know I am not alone in this. .. Amen? .. I said, I know I am not alone in this, but, you don't have to tell me, the word of God gives us a witness by the name of Balaam.
Now you probably don't know Balaam, he does not get all the prophet fanfare of some others in the Bible, but his story might be unbelievable. .. and if you are hearing it for the first time, you might even question the validity of what I am saying. ..
A little background for you (Numbers 22-24) The children of Israel having been delivered out of Egypt and on that journey happen to stop in Moab.
And the word of God says (Number 22:3) And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. So Balak who was the king of the Moabites sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me. Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people for they are too mighty for me peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land for I know that he whom thou bless is blessed, and he whom thou curse is cursed.
This was the message that the elders delivered to Balaam on behalf king Balak. .. Now watch this. .. Balaam hears this and says, (Numbers 22:8) . .. Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me. .. Balaam knew the voice of God. .. and he knew God would speak to him. .. and He did. .. first with a question,
What men are these with thee? and Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, and he told the Lord what the king had said about the children of Israel, and how the king had asked him to go out and curse this people. .. And God said. ..(Numbers 22:12) Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people for they are blessed. If you are a child of God, you are blessed and no matter who wants to curse you, they can do you no harm. .. when you are blessed by God, they can't touch you.
So Balaam, says to the prince of Moab the next morning. .. Get you into your land for the Lord refuses to give me leave to go with you, so the prince goes back and tells king Balak, but the king will not be deterred; he sends princes more honorable than the first group he sent and they came to Balaam and said Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me, for I will promote thee unto very great honor, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me, come therefore I pray thee, curse me this people.
Question. .. what can man say, what can man offer, what can man do that will move you to move against the word of God? Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do less or more.
But Balaam waivers. .. again, he asks them to stay the night that I may know what the Lord will say unto me. Now you can interpret this move a couple of ways. ... first, maybe he is thinking God will change his mind, I mean, I heard what Balaam said about the gold and silver, so maybe God will change his mind and allow him to get these riches. ..or maybe he just needed to reconfirm God's word to himself. .. I believe he wanted the riches and was trying to continue to obey God, but wanted to go with the visitors to get a reward for just going. ..
And God knew this. .. and His response to Balaam was. .. (Numbers 22:20). And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee that shall thou do.
So the next morning, Balaam, got up and saddled his ass and went with the princes of Moab. .. and God's anger was kindled because he went and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him.
You do not want to ever be an adversary of the Lord. .. not a battle or situation you will ever prosper in.
So Balaam is riding along with his two servants, and his ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand, and the ass turned aside out of the way and went into the field, and Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way. .. But the angel of the Lord was in a path of the vineyards and a wall being on either side, and when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall and he smote her again.
And the angel of the Lord went further and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. .. Not looking good for Balaam. .. But when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. ...Now we know Balaam, could hear God's voice ... we also know that Balaam was not following the word of God. ..
And then it happens. .. for those of you who are old enough, you will understand what I am about to say, if you are too young to understand. .. just Google it. ... I thought Francis and Mr. Ed was some brilliant Hollywood special effects when they wanted you to think that an ass and a horse could talk. .. God is not Hollywood. ..
(Numbers 22:28) And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass and she said. .. unto Balaam, what have I done unto thee that thous hast smitten me these three times?
Now I have to be honest here. .. I have an Australian Shepherd dog. ..if suddenly, that dog starts talking to me. .. I am not standing around to answer him. .. now he is a smart dog. .. when I talk to him, he will turn his head to the side as if he is trying to understand what I am saying. .. or maybe he turning his head and thinking. .. if God let's me respond to him. .. this fool going to run.
But Balaam doesn't run. .. he engages, verse twenty nine, And Balaam said unto the ass, because thou hast mocked me I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. .. he is having a conversation with an ass. .. and the ass is responding.
And the ass said unto Balaam Am not I thine ass upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day, was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said nay.
Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand and he bowed down his head and fell flat on his face. And the angel of the Lord said unto him, wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me, and the ass saw me and turned from me these three times unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned for I knew not that thou stood in the way against me, now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again. And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, go with the men but only the word that I shall speak unto thee , that thou shalt speak. ...Now. ..king Balak would still have several more attempts to get Balaam to curse the children of Israel. .. but. .. that's another story on another day. .. but I challenge you to read the entire word as it relates to king Balak and understand who God is because in Numbers 23:19, it is stated to Balak, God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
If God will allow an ass to speak when it comes to His word, He will speak to you. ..study God's word, . .. understand and know that He is Lord.
May the Grace and Mercy of our Lord and Savior continue to cover and bless you. Amen
Comments