Posted in Animal sacrifice • Atheism • Authority • Blessing • Worship

Mouth of a Donkey

By Comments:

I just read through Numbers 22-26 again, covering Balaam and his attempts to curse Israel for Balak king of Moab. There’s some confusion among people who try to explain this passage because at first Balaam turns down, at the Lord’s command, the money offered by the messengers of Balak. But when they return and offer more money, God tells Balaam to go with them but speak only what God gives him to say. It appears at first glance that Balaam is doing what God says is okay. When on the road, Balaam’s donkey sees the angel of the Lord with a sword in his hand three times, and each time turns aside even though Balaam is beating it. After the third turning, the donkey is given speech by God to ask Balaam the reason for the beatings. Then God allows Balaam to see the angel who tells him he would’ve died if his donkey hadn’t dodged away.

Balaam ends up blessing Israel three times (plus a fourth free of charge) instead of the cursing paid for by Balak . Balak is angry with Balaam, but Balaam reminds the king of Moab that he can only say what God tells him to say. The question is, did God approve the money-making opportunity or not?

My take on it is that Balaam wasn’t much different than the donkey. God gave speech to the donkey, and God gave speech to Balaam. The donkey was able to express itself honestly, but not Balaam. Balaam intended to curse Israel and earn his money, but couldn’t, because God is the one in control. Balaam even says that he couldn’t curse what God blessed, and couldn’t bless what God cursed.

Numbers 23:8 ESV. How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

So the answer to the question is that Balaam really wanted the money, but God had other plans and caused the donkey, er I mean, Balaam, to speak only what God determined. God used the donkey, and He used Balaam. Later Balaam was killed by Israel in battle with the Midianites, who used Balaam’s advice to try and corrupt Israel with Midianite women and idolatry. Even though Balaam appears to cooperate with God, he was forced to mouth words by the Spirit in line with God’s blessings. His speech wasn’t voluntary. I think the speech of the donkey was an illustration of what was to come with Balaam. God’s will is always done, whether He causes a donkey to speak or a man to speak.

Shalom, Bruce

Posted in Daily Living

New book is done

By Comments:

Hello everyone. After many months of sweat and editing, the new book Nicolaitan: Lords of Hypocrisy is finished and ready to order. Here’s the cover:

And here’s the first few paragraphs:

On his last visit to Ephesus, Paul warns the congregation leaders about the future appearance of bad shepherds coming from within the congregation.

Acts 20:29–30, ESV. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

About 30 years after this, Jesus warns the Ephesians (and Pergamum) about Nicolaitans in Revelation chapter two. Obviously, Nicolaitans were some of those wolves about which Paul warned. Did the wolves disappear after John wrote the Revelation, or have they survived to populate modern congregations? Did believers get rid of false teachers, or have they spread out from Ephesus and Pergamum in the last 2,000 years and continue to speak “twisted things?” The Church identifies wolves as those who don’t follow “orthodox” Church teachings. But what if those making that judgment are Nicolaitans in sheep’s clothing? Could the “orthodox” teachings be unbiblical? How do we tell? Jesus mentions the Nicolaitans in two of the letters He dictated to the seven congregations in Revelation 2 and 3. Their origin and exact teachings are not clear, but He groups them with other false teachers and those whose works He hates. This is important because Nicolaitans are, in fact, still around; just with different names. They might only be mentioned a couple of times in the Bible, but they have indeed spread throughout the Church/synagogue and have a lot of influence.

Shalom!

Bruce