The Meaning Of Life

https://biblehub.com/nkjv/numbers/22.htm

In Numbers 20, scripture talks about how Moses and the children of Israel were denied passage through the and of Edom. The word Edom, in Hebrew, means “red”, and the Edomites were descendants of Esau (who was a very hairy man whose hair was red). So it was the descendants of Esau denying entry for the children of Jacob, their own cousins.

In Numbers 21, the children of Israel fought other battles as well against the armies of various kings in the land of Canaan. And ech time, Moses prayed for guidance, and each time the Lord gave Israel victory.

Coincidentally, I just had a friend post on social media John 11:22. “But EVEN NOW I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

How many times today are we faced with major decisions and we pray for guidance from God. If we pray hard enough and long enough, God will give us an answer, and if we are faithful to Him, we too will be victorious.

If you are not very smart like me, you have to pay close attention, because the King of Moab is worried about the number of Israelites and hw they had been successful in war. So he called upon Balaam, a profit, to come and curse the children of Israel. I always have a hard time remember who is Balak and who is Ballam, but that’s just me.

The elders of Moab consulted with the elders of Midian, and together, they went to Balaam to ask that he curse the Israelites. And Balaam consulted with the Lord. And when he did, God told Balaam not to go with the elders of the two countries, not to curse the children of Israel, and here’s the important part, because the children of Israel are blessed. And they are still blessed today, and we should support Israel because they are God’s chosen.

So Balaam told the elders the news God had given him, they returned to Balak, who sent them back with a second plea.

I confess, I have no explanation for this next part. God came to Balaam in a dream and told him he could go with the men to see Balak, and that God would tell him what to say. So the next morning, Balaam got on his donkey to travel and see Balak, and this angered the Lord.

To me, God doesn’t change. But I have no explanation as to why the conflict in scripture. I’m confident you could find the answer through religion, but you would be relying on the interpretations of man, which I’m trying to avoid. I’ve prayed that God opens my heart and mind to teachings, and if a revelation comes to me, I will share it, but as of now, I have no answers, at best, just guesses.

So as Balaam was traveling to see Balak, Jesus came to stand in the way to prevent Balaam from passing. Scripture doesn’t say “Jesus”, it says “An Angel of God”, but in the New King James Version anyway, any time you see the word “Angel” capitalized, it means it’s a Holy name, and while Jesus is not an angel, He is the Archangel, or the “head of the angels”. So if I see the word “angel”, it simply means an angel, but if I see the word “Angel”, it means it was Jesus.

We’ll see Jesus several times in the ld Testament, not going by name, but going as the Archangel. The first incident that comes to my mind is when Jesus and two angels were on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah, and stopped and ate with Abraham.

But the Angel was only visible to the donkey Balaam was riding. And as Balaam rode closer to Jesus, the donkey veered one way off the road, and Balaam became angry with the donkey, and road him back to the roadway. Then the donkey veered again, unable to pass the Angel, and Balaam became angry with the donkey, striking him each time he veered.

And finally the Lord spoke to Balaam through the donkey asking, “Why have you struck me?”

And after a conversation between Balaam and his donkey, God finally opened Balaam eyes and allowed him to see the Angel. And the Angel allowed his passage, providing Balaam only said the words of Jesus.

So Balaam arrived to Balak, and Balak took Balaam to four different places to over look the children of Israel, asking him to curse them. And each time, Balaam ordered 7 altars to be built, and seven animal sacrifices,then he would speak to God, and each time, God told him the same think; I have blessed Israel and they cannot be cursed. And each time Balak became angrier and angrier, that he had summoned Balaam to curse Israel, and instead, Israel became blessed even more.

One of the more important verses, in my opinion, is in Numbers 23 where Balaam to Balak why he was unable to curse Israel.

19“God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
Has He said, and will He not do?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
20Behold, I have received a command to bless;
He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

This says it pretty clearly, God does not change. If He says something, He does it.

May God bless you all. Amen.