Face it, each of us acts a little (or a lot) like Balaam from time to time!
Numbers 22:21–22, A willful, selfish manipulator. Balaam was willful, greedy, arrogant, rebellious and presumptuous in the face of YHVH’s revealed will. Balaam was attempting to manipulate YHVH through soulish means for his personal gain, but YHVH always has the upper hand.
YHVH Elohim is sovereign over the affairs of men regardless of men’s machinations. The will of YHVH cannot be manipulated or bent to accommodate men’s selfish ambitions. After all, how can man—a created being—hope to play mind games with the Sovereign Creator of the universe and win? In the end, man will be humbled and YHVH will be exalted as was the case with Balaam—an arrogant and internationally acclaimed “prophet.” He was made to look like a fool through a talking donkey and all this occurred in front of the accompanying delegation of Moabite leaders.
It was evident to all that Balaam was but a pawn in the hands of YHVH, and that if YHVH could make a brute beast speak, then he was certainly capable of putting his words into the mouth of mortal man, albeit a sorcerer.
What lessons can we learn here? Is it wise to toy with or tempt Elohim or try to manipulate him to fit our will? How often do we attempt to bend his will to fit our own? How often do we attempt to push forth our own carnal and selfish agendas, and then attempt to convince ourselves and others that it is the will of YHVH? What are the end results? How many people go through life on this basis and never mature, since they continually act like wilful, bratty and rebellious children who always demand their own way and refuse to grow up spiritually? They have never learned to distinguish between their own carnal will and that of the Almighty.
The good news is that when we finally submit to YHVH and let go of our own selfish agendas, it is then that we start to have the breakthroughs in our lives and begin to experience his joy, shalom and victory not to mention an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.
Abraham, the father of the faithful, was one who left Babylon and crossed over to become a Hebrew. Crossed over from what? Read on…
Numbers 22:5,Pethor … by the river. Balaam was from the land of Pethor, which is “by the River.” This is a reference to the Euphrates River, the great river of Babylon (The ArtScroll Stone Edition Chumash, p. 857). Thus Balaam was a Babylonian, although he may have been a transplanted Edomite according to some Jewish scholars (see The ArtScroll Bereishis/Genesis Commentary on Gen 36:32).
One of the aspects of Babylon of the last days is her religious system (Rev 13:11ff) the head of which is the false prophet (Rev 16:13; 19:20; 20:10). The Babylonian religious system of the end days is a blend of both good and evil (reminiscent of the tree by that name in Eden from which the serpent beguiled Adam and Eve away from YHVH’s path of truth and righteousness into a false religious system).
In the last days, YHVH is calling his people out of that false religious system (Rev 18:4) with its false prophets who prophesy a mixture of good and evil.
Is not modern traditional Christianity a mixture of good and evil, truth and error (i.e. doctrines and traditions of men along with some paganism mixed in)? Reflect on the implications of this. To what degree have you heeded YHVH’s call to “come out of her”—namely, any man-made religious or church systems that has components that are contrary to the Word of Elohim?
Like many in mainstream Christianity, the Scriptures seems to indicate that Balaam had some knowledge of the truth of YHVH, but he refused to wholeheartedly submit to YHVH’s word and will (2 Pet 2:15).
Let us not forget Yeshua’s warning about false prophets arising in the last days who might deceive the very elect (Matt 24:24).
Numbers 22:10ff,Crossing over. Many carnal people—especially those playing at religion—want to be like YHVH’s saints, and to be the recipients of the blessings of Israel, and to be numbered among YHVH’s chosen, but few want to walk the difficult walk of holiness and righteousness required to receive these blessings and privileges. These may very well be the spiritual tares that surreptitiously exist along side the saints within their congregations.
Many people will “court YHVH” by getting as close to him as possible without actually crossing over that spiritual river that divides the land of Israel from the rest of the world. Those who actually cross over become an Ivrit or a Hebrew—a word which means “to cross over.” Abraham was one who crossed over. He forsook Babylon and crossed over the Euphrates and Jordan Rivers in his journey westward en route to the Promised Land as he followed YHVH’s leading. He was the first Hebrew (Ivrit) or “one who crossed over.”
Crossing over means going from being a worldly Babylonian to becoming the Israel of Elohim (Gal 6:16; Eph 2:11–13) and a child of Abraham (Gal 3:29). It also means surrendering one’s life totally to the Elohim of the Hebrews who is YHVH.
The sacrifice of crossing over is too great for most people to make and requires the payment price of a high price—the death of self, pride, one’s own will and perhaps a change in lifestyle and the loss of one’s friends and status in the world. To leave the world or spiritual Babylon and to cross over the Jordan River to YHVH’s side and come into the land of Israel as a spiritual Hebrew means that the fame and fortune that this world has to offer must be laid aside and one must become a servant-slave of YHVH. Moreover, it means embracing YHVH’s Torah as the law of life—Elohim’s instructions in righteousness.
Balaam couldn’t cross over all the way. He still preferred the riches and fame Babylon had to offer. He was willful, carnal and greedy (Jude 11).
Many religious game-players or cultural Christians in the mainstream church are like Balaam. They want the Savior part of Yeshua, but not the Lord part. How serious are you about serving YHVH?
The Scriptures say of the end-times saints that they loved not their lives unto death (Rev 12:11). Paul declares that followers of Yeshua must become “living sacrifices” in the service of YHVH (Rom 12:1). Yeshua gave his very life for you.
Are you holding back some of your life for him? Do the cares of this world, the desire for pleasures, material goods, money, entertainments or acclaim still have a grip on your heart? Are they preventing you from moving into your spiritual calling and destiny—to truly walk by faith in obedience to YHVH?
Castles, palaces and mansions dot the landscape in many regions of Europe. These edifices are silent monuments of the wealth that has been concentrated into the hands of a few over the millennia. The sizes of these homes are staggering. It becomes especially evident when one tours these palatial residences—some of which boast hundreds of rooms and vast acreages. What are castles, palaces and mansions really all about? What’s behind it all. How does YHVH Elohim view what they represent? These are the questions I found myself asking on my recent trip to the British Isles, Ireland and Paris.
Kensington Palace in London where Queen Victoria was born and England’s royalty lived until they moved to Buckingham Palace.
In many cities you visit, the castles, palaces and mansions of the wealthy “elite” top the list of the most popular tourist attractions. Everyone wants to experience the lifestyles of the rich and powerful if only vicariously. People the world over flock to them in droves as they purchase their tickets, board buses and often travel great distances to some remote and exclusive location with commanding view on a mountain or cliff top, beach or lake side or some other venerable piece of real estate, where they will spend the better part of a day touring the extravagant grounds, gardens and residences. We did! Some palaces are so elite that photography is even forbidden. It’s hard not be awed at the sight of throne rooms, mirrored ballrooms with frescoed ceilings and dozens of yards of rich tapestries, exotic wood carvings and paneling and marbled flooring and enormous art galleries with paintings up to the gilded ceilings.
Formerly a palace for the kings of France, now the Louvre Museum in Paris—one of many such rooms.A ceiling in Kensington Palace, London
But all of this richness is, in reality, a pathetically thin veneer covering, in most cases, a sinister and evil side of palaces, castles and mansions. The tour guides, while giving the awestruck tourist the front story, will every so often allude to the backstory of how these wealthy “elite” obtained their vast lands and wealth. Yes, this background information paints a completely different story that betrays the rich but superficial patina of tree lined boulevards leading up to these grand estates as you drive past the high stone walls and gate houses, through the wrought iron gates to these homes surrounded by formal botanical gardens with their lakes, fountains, statuary and Greek-styled columned verandas, porticos and even garden sheds.
Buckingham Palace in London where Queen Elizabeth II lives.
Yes, the tour guides don’t want to ruin the fun for their bedazzled paying guests, but the honest guides, when pressed with questions, will let slip out the truth of how these rich folks often acquired their land, and it’s not a pretty picture—certainly not as nice as the homes they left behind.
Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.
The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day: one each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle.
Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 7/14/19 through 7/20/19.
Q. Perhaps this is the right spot to ask a question in regard to faith. I have been pondering a lot lately whether it is a lack of faith in the Lord to have a house insurance. It is very expensive and I would love to give it up. But then I wonder whether I would be putting Adonai our Elohim to the test? Is there anywhere in Scripture where God makes a promise in regard to the protection for our homes? What are your thoughts on this issue?
A. Here is my best answer:
I would answer your question by asking a series of questions:
Is it a lack of faith to:
carry a spare tire in your car?
to carry a first aid kit when you go camping or hiking in the mountains?
to wear a life preserver or have lifesaving equipment when on a boat?
to have locks on your home and car?
to have a fire extinguisher?
to wear a seat belt when driving in a car?
to take vitamins and supplements when sickness is going around?
I could go on, but you get the point.
I can’t answer your question directly yes or no. Faith is a personal matter, and each person has to make those decisions based on their faith.
Scripture says that we’re not to tempt Elohim by doing stupid or fool-hardy things.
In my view, there is often a fine line between “living by faith” and “tempting YHVH,” which is foolishness. I cannot tell a person where that line is for them. YHVH may be telling a person to do something that another person with less faith may find to be fool-hardy or tempting YHVH. Samson did a lot of things that could have been considered tempting Elohim by some people’s standards, yet YHVH was with him, and his glowing example of obedient faith is recorded in Hebrews 11.
One more thing. If one can afford to have insurance, door locks, seat belts, spare tires, take vitamins and supplements, and so on, then it seems to me that we should do so. If, however, one is in a place where we either can’t afford it, or such it is just not available to us (we’re living way out in jungle or something), then at that point, I know that YHVH will take care of us.
Sometimes statement are made on the comments section of this blog that are unscriptural and need to be addressed. The following is one of these:
We all are children of YHVH. Love one another as brothers and sisters. (Pastor A—)
On its surface, this statement seems like one with which no Bible believer could disagree. In reality, however, it doesn’t line up with the Scriptures for several reasons, which we will discuss below.
First, we must ask the question, who is the “we” in this statement? If it is referring to the entire population of the world—both saints and heathens, then it is a patently false statement that is contrary to the Scriptures including the words of Yeshua the Messiah as well as the apostolic writers, as we shall discuss below.
Next, if the “we” is referring to the saints, it is also false and doesn’t line up with the Scriptures. Yes all saints are “brethren” or brothers and sisters, but not all are necessarily the children of Elohim. For example, some of the “saints” are actually tares in the congregation of the righteous, which Yeshua will eventually uproot and toss into the lake of fire, as he taught in the Parable of the Wheat and Tares. The Bible also teaches that some of the saints will not make it to the end, but will become spiritually shipwrecked along the away. They will become spiritually aborted and will not make their calling and election sure; they will become apostate and fall by the wayside as Yeshua taught in his Parable of the Sower and elsewhere.
Even though John refers to the saints generically as “the children of Elohim” in 1 John 3:1, the apostle is speaking in the most positive and affirmative terms here (see also Rom 8:16; Gal 3:26). No human knows which of the saints will persevere and overcome to the end to become the actual resurrected and glorified sons and daughters of Elohim, and who will fail the test along the way and not receive their ultimate salvation—the glorification of their physical bodies and inclusion into the family of Elohim as his immortal spirit-children. Only Elohim knows this. The Bible is clear: some “saints” will fall by the wayside and turn away from Yeshua. Again, only those who overcome to the end will become the actual children of Elohim and receive the spiritual and eternal rewards thereof as Yeshua’s letters to the seven churches in Revelation chapters two and three make clear.
21:4–9, The bronze serpent on the pole is a prophetic picture of salvation at the cross of Yeshua from the sting of death brought on by sin (John 3:14–15; 1 Cor 15:55–57). This is a picture of the believer’s initial salvation.
21:10–22:1, Here is a recounting of the Israelites’ wilderness trek before entering the Promised Land. It was a time of testing, refining, building of faith, and learning obedience for the Israelites. This is a picture of the spiritual walk of the believer through the wilderness of this physical life.
21:14–35, While crossing the wilderness, the Israelites had to fight and overcome the enemy—that is, those who would keep them from fulfilling their YHVH-ordained destiny to possess the land and inheritance he had promised them. First came the fighting and overcoming, followed by the victories. The life of the believer is one of spiritual struggle, as well, against the world, the flesh and the devil. (See Rom 7:14–25; 2 Cor 10:3–5; Eph 6:10–18.)
21:10, 14–18, Here we read how Israel was refreshed with water from the rock. Isaiah speaks about the wells of salvation (Isa 12:3). There is a springing up of joy and praise (verse 17) that comes as victory is experienced, and as YHVH makes rivers to flow out of seemingly dry and barren situations (verse 18). We, too, are called to come to the rivers of salvation, the river of life and to become a river of life ourselves to all those with whom we come into contact (John 7:37–39). Yeshua is the source of that living water; he is the spiritual Rock and source of water that never runs dry (John 4:10, 13–14; 1 Cor 10:4).
Numbers 21:4–9, Fiery serpent. The plague of fiery serpents was a righteous judgment Elohim brought upon Israel for murmuring and unbelief. Israel had “sharpened their tongues like a serpent” (Ps 140:3) and “their throat [was] an open sepulcher; with their tongues have…used deceit; the poison of asps [was] under their lips” (Rom 3:13). All this was directed at Elohim and Moses. As a result of their sin, they reaped what they had sown. Elohim loosed fiery serpents upon the Israelites to bite and sting to death the unbelieving murmurers.
