Tag: Numbers

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Week 5: Day 3- Numbers 22:28-30

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

28  And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?29  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.30  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.

Numbers 22:28-30

Explanation:

This is obviously a strange and supernatural account.  The donkey sees the angel that Balaam doesn’t see. Balaam gets angry and beats him.  The donkey asks why, and Balaam responds. We’ll deal with the rest of the account and what follows in the next couple of days.  For now, a few things strike me about this exchange.

1. Balaam beating the donkey is presented here as negative.  He is not seen as noble because of it.

2. Balaam does not seem to be surprised by the talking animal, but rather responds to it, even reasoning with it at a certain level.

3. I can hear the skeptic saying, “There is no way this really happened. See! The Bible is not trustworthy. The Bible is a myth!”  To that I would reply, “Is anything to hard for the Lord? What is more incredible- that a donkey would talk or Genesis 1:1? If Genesis 1:1 is possible, then Numbers 22:28 is possible.  In fact you would imagine that miracles could be used, rarely by definition, to get our attention and substantiate God’s identity to us as he reveals himself.

Application:

God reveals Himself supernaturally.  Today what is supernatural is His Word in our hands and His Spirit in our hearts for those who know Him as Savior.  We have an incredible gift in God’s Word.  It is trustworthy.

Response:

Do you have an answer for the skeptic about this and other passages of the Bible?  If not, how can you resolve that problem?

Is there a portion of scripture that you need to believe specifically today?

Photo by Ansgar Scheffold on Unsplash

Week 5: Day 2- Numbers 22:23-27

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

23  And the 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.24  But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.25  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.26  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.27  And 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.

Numbers 22:23-27

Explanation:

Three times in these verses the “Angel of the Lord” stood in the way of the donkey and Balaam.  Three times the donkey, seeing the angel, turned aside or stopped.  Three times, Balaam beat his donkey for not doing or going where he wanted his donkey to go; because he did not see the angel.Some believe that the “Angel of the Lord” is an preincarnate manifestation of Christ.  At this point the donkey had more spiritual perception than Balaam did.  At this moment in time Balaam had money, pride and power in his eyes that blinded him from what God was trying to do.

Application:

We must be guided by God’s will as it is revealed to us in God’s Word and not by our own opposing desires that tend to blind us spiritually.  We must no put a price on our obedience to God.

Response:

We ought to ask God to give us eyes to see as He does. Paul prayed in Ephesians that “the eyes of their understanding would be enlightened”. What a great prayer for ourselves today

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Week 5: Day 1- Numbers 22:21-22

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

(21) And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
(22) And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

Numbers 22:21-22

Explanation:
Balaam was a pagan soothsayer. He was a “spiritual” guy but was no treally a follower of God. He would take whichever position suited him at the time. He used “spiritual” means to make a buck.

God had told him not to curse the children of Israel on behalfo of Moab. He responded to them
by refusing to help. Then they came back with a bigger and better offer. God said to Balaam at that time he could go, but to say only what God had told him to say.

When Balaam got p the next day to go, God was incensed. I believe that God was not angry at Balaam because he went. He was angry because He knew Balaam’s heart. Balaam was going with the wrong motive and with disobedient plans. It is clear he was not ready to listen to God on the trip by his actions we’ll see in the next couple of days passages. As we’ll see, his donkey had more sense than he did.

Application:
It is a dangerous thing to be lukewarm. It is dangerous to be “kind of” obedient. It shows foolishness because the problem isn’t ignorance. At least ignorance has a reason for worng actions. Jesus said that he’d rather us be hot or cold. Lukewarmness makes him want to vomit.

Response:
Here is a kind of prayer to pray today- “Lord, help me to be passionately obedient to you today! Amen.”

numbers

Week 4: Day 4- Numbers 21:6-9

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional1 Comment

And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Numbers 21:6-9

Explanation:

In the book of Numbers, the Bible relates a time in the wilderness where the people had been rebellious and disobedient to Him.  God sent judgement for their sin in the form of “fiery serpents”.  These were snakes that were poisonous and deadly.  The  people came to Moses confessing their sin.  Moses then goes and intercedes to God on behalf of behalf of the people.  God responded by providing a means of forgiveness and healing.  He tells Moses to form a snake out of brass and put it on a pole in the midst of the camp.  When the people who are bit are obedient to look to the serpent in faith in God’s Word and the redemption that was made possible, God healed them. 

Jesus uses this as an illustration in John 3:14-15.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:14-15

Application:

We are saved by looking to Jesus for our redemption.  All that we can offer to God is our faith.  When we trust in Christ and allow Him to change us amazing things happen.The Baby born in Bethlehem was born to die. Like the old hymn says, “Look and live!”. 

Response:

1.  Take a few moments today to thank God for the provision that He made in Christ to forgive our sins.

2.  Who is someone you can tell about God’s salvation this Christmas season?