THE "MADNESS" OF THE PROPHET

The “Madness” of the Prophet
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:10, NKJV).

You Want Me to Do What?
RoyLyn Palmer-Coleman, Paradise, California, U.S.A.
Introduction
Num. 22:22−35; 1 Cor. 1:20, 21

Have you ever felt that God told you to do something illogical? Has He ever asked you to follow a plan that doesn’t make sense, and you wondered how it would glorify Him? Often, we judge situations based on our own perspective; and we use our own experiences, background, and intuition to determine what we think is the right path.

“Excuse me, sir, I beg you some change,” he timidly asked me.

In many circumstances, I find myself with the opportunity to do something God asks of me, but it doesn’t seem logical. Sometimes I think that maybe this is what God wanted 2,000 years ago. But now, things are different! So I ask myself what I should do, and often I rationalize what He says so that it makes sense to me. Here’s a classic example:

I flew to Jamaica recently to visit this beautiful land. It was a long drive from the airport to where I was staying. It was a hot summer day as we wound along the narrow roads cut from the lush green landscape. Weary from driving, we stopped at a fruit stand to buy some food and stretch our legs. Stepping out of our hot, cramped van, I rubbed my eyes as I squinted in the bright sun. As my eyes adjusted, I saw a homeless man inching toward me. “Excuse me, sir, I beg you some change,” he timidly asked me. Now I’m quite aware that God tells me to give to the poor, but I thought, Well, God had to mean that He only wanted me to help the poor who can’t help themselves. I shouldn’t just give money to any beggar who asks for it, because of course, he could waste it on liquor. So I told the homeless man, “Sorry. I don’t have any Jamaican money.”

Even though God may send us to do an illogical task, He knows what good can come out of it. Yes, it may seem strange; but God only calls us to follow His will. He will do the rest. First Corinthians 1:20, 21, reminds us that God’s wisdom really surpasses all our ideas about what makes sense. As you read and study the story of Balaam this week, remember that although we may not understand God’s plan, we may be a small puzzle piece to an incredibly big and detailed picture.



Can Donkeys Really Talk?
Jenni Glass, Overland Park, Kansas, U.S.A.
Evidence
Gen. 3:1−7; Num. 22:22−35; Rev. 12:9

Balaam is one of a handful of non-Jewish prophets to pronounce prophecy for the Israelites. Balaam was Balak’s choice for speaking a curse upon the Jewish nation; but God allowed him to speak only blessings. On the road to see Balak, an angel allowed Balaam’s donkey to speak in opposition to the cruel treatment it was receiving.

Only two times in the Bible do we read about talking animals.

Three times the donkey tried to back away from the angel blocking the road, and three times Balaam abused his donkey. When the donkey spoke to Balaam, it revealed Balaam’s true heart. This was the same donkey he had always used on his journeys, yet Balaam cursed it. Balaam lost trust in his donkey just as he had lost trust in God. The same God who had told Balaam not to go to Balak the first time is the same God Balaam lost trust in, then did his own will.

Only two times in the Bible do we read about talking animals. The first animal is found in Genesis 3, where a talking serpent deceived Eve. Revelation 12:9 confirms that the serpent was Satan himself. In this account, Satan speaks through the animal in order to tempt Eve by twisting God’s words. The second time we read of a talking animal is in Numbers 22, where we find the account of Balaam and his donkey.

There is great irony in these two instances, as both times there is great opposition to God and His specific directions. The serpent in Genesis is Satan deceiving Eve. In Numbers 22:22, the angel is sent to be an adversary against Balaam. The Hebrew word for adversary is satan. This word is used in Numbers 22:22 and Revelation 12:9.

In the case of Balaam, however, it was not Satan standing in the path. It was an angel of the Lord. God was not using the angel to block Balaam, because he was determined to follow his own will rather than God’s. Balaam was the adversary to God’s plan for blessing the Israelites.
Just a short time after this incident, Balaam spoke three blessings on the Israelite nation. History is not kind to Balaam as he is referenced in 2 Peter 2:14–16 and Revelation 2:12–14. He will always be remembered as one who would do anything for money.
REACT
What “talking donkeys” has God used in your life to help you turn around when you were headed down a wrong path?



The Conflicted Prophet
Steve Allred, Sacramento, California, U.S.A.
Logos
Numbers 22; 23; 24; Deut. 1:30; 20:4; Matt. 15:14; 1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Pet. 2:12−16; Rev. 3:17, 18

A Prophet With a Divided Heart (Numbers 22; 2 Pet. 2:14−16)
Balaam is definitely a noteworthy character in God’s book. Here is a prophet who communicates with the true God, yet is not an Israelite. He is a man who is conflicted—simultaneously wanting to please God on one hand, but wanting even more to gratify his own ego and greed on the other. Furthermore, he has a donkey that talks to him. Unique? Perhaps, but maybe more like us than it first appears.

Perhaps Balaam was like most of us.

Unfortunately for Balaam, his experiment with fence straddling comes to an end before we get too far into his story. One thing unique about God is that He cannot share His throne with others (Exod. 20:3). He doesn’t live in a pantheon as just another one of the gods. That uniqueness made it difficult for Balaam, because he loved “the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Pet. 2:15, NKJV). Greed was vying for the throne of his heart, and Balaam would have to choose which god he would have, for as Jesus said, “ ‘No servant can serve two masters. . . . You cannot serve both God and Money’ ” (Luke 16:13, NIV).

Do we ever think, like Balaam, that we can do things our way and serve God at the same time?

Unresolved Sin Habits Will Take Over (Numbers 23; Titus 3:3−8)
The fact that God spoke to Balaam in dreams and visions implies that they had some kind of a significant relationship. What we know about God is that He takes us just as we are (Titus 3:3−5). He desires to do everything He can to help us grow out of our sinful habits that would otherwise eventually kill us. Balaam was no exception. So at the beginning of His relationship with Balaam, we can be sure God knew about his problem with greed. We can be sure that God pulled and tugged and wooed and pursued Balaam’s heart. He wanted Balaam to experience the freedom of total commitment, the freedom of salvation by grace.

Balaam refused to deal with the deeply rooted habits of sin in his life. Instead of listening to the Holy Spirit, he rationalized, reasoned, and resisted Him until the problem of greed grew into a giant weed that filled the garden of his heart (Jude 11). By the time the delegation from Balak arrived, offering him riches, rewards, and honor, Balaam was ready to do what his heart had been telling him to do for quite some time. The result of an unresolved sin led to a disastrous ending.

How can we resolve sin in our lives?

How Not to Love a Lie (2 Thess. 2:9–11; Rev. 2:14)
The interesting thing about Balaam is his professed preoccupation with seeking God’s will. Why did he care so much about what God thought when he was going to do what he wanted to do anyway? Why did he keep pressing God for a different answer when he already knew what God’s will was? Perhaps Balaam was like most of us. He liked to feel as if he was on good terms with God, but he still wanted to do his own thing. Aren’t we the same way?

The apostle Paul tells us that people will be this way at the end of time. “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie” (2 Thess. 2:10, 11, NIV). It’s human nature to want to feel good about what we’re doing, and Balaam was no exception. He knew too much about God to want to live apart from Him, so he decided to see if he could change God into what he wanted Him to be.

In a way, Balaam lived a rather legalistic life. He did exactly what God told him to do as far as fulfilling specific commands. However, he violated the principles upon which God’s specific commands were based. He wouldn’t curse Israel with words (Num. 24:12, 13), but later he would accomplish the same end by enticing the Israelites to sin (Rev. 2:14). The Pharisees had the same problem in Jesus’ day. They would tithe their spices, but had no problem plotting to kill someone on the side. They were good at doing what they were told, but their hearts were not in it. Jesus rebuked them for overlooking the principle and just going through the motions (Matt. 23:23).

A spirituality of outward good works without a changed heart is not a spirituality that is from God. In the end, Balaam is an example of someone who “tweaked” his own idea of God’s will enough so that he was able to feel comfortable doing pretty much whatever he wanted to do. He didn’t love the truth, so God let him believe a lie. His story is a warning to people living in a generation when nothing is absolute, and truth is considered relative.
How do we know whether we love the truth or not? How can we be sure?

God’s Will Is Accomplished (Numbers 24)
In spite of Balaam’s selfish actions that directly went in the face of God’s plan for Israel, God orchestrated circumstances in such a way that His will was still accomplished. He turned Balak’s request for a curse into the reality of a blessing.

How has God turned something bad into good in your life?



“One Man’s Sin”
Eileen Neave, Keene, Texas, U.S.A.
Testimony
Ps. 81:11, 12

“The Lord appeared to Balaam and said, ‘If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them. . . .’ Thus far the Lord would permit Balaam to follow his own will, because he was determined upon it. He did not seek to do the will of God, but chose his own course. . . .
“It is a perilous thing to allow an unchristian trait to live in the heart.”

“There are thousands at the present day who are pursuing a similar course. They would have no difficulty in understanding their duty if it were in harmony with their inclinations. It is plainly set before them in the Bible or is clearly indicated by circumstances and reason. But because these evidences are contrary to their desires and inclinations they frequently set them aside and presume to go to God to learn their duty. With great apparent conscientiousness they pray long and earnestly for light. But God will not be trifled with. He often permits such persons to follow their own desires and to suffer the result. ‘My people would not hearken to My voice. . . . So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.’ Psalm 81:11, 12. When one clearly sees a duty, let him not presume to go to God with the prayer that he may be excused from performing it. He should rather, with a humble, submissive spirit, ask for divine strength and wisdom to meet its claims.”1

“Balaam . . . had received great light and enjoyed special privileges, but a single cherished sin poisoned the entire character and caused [his] destruction.

“It is a perilous thing to allow an unchristian trait to live in the heart. One cherished sin will, little by little, debase the character, bringing all its nobler powers into subjection to the evil desire. The removal of one safeguard from the conscience, the indulgence of one evil habit, one neglect of the high claims of duty, breaks down the defenses of the soul and opens the way for Satan to come in and lead us astray. The only safe course is to let our prayers go forth daily from a sincere heart, as did David, ‘Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.’ Psalm 17:5.”2
____________
1. Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 440, 441.
2. Ibid., p. 452.



Staying Strong for God
Jarrod Purkeypile, Keene, Texas, U.S.A.
How-to
Numbers 22; Acts 5:29

Balaam reminds us of some character traits that would be helpful when facing temptation and peer pressure. Let’s put it into practice. You are just getting to know some new friends. They know you are a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, but they have no idea what it means to live like one. These friends know you are strapped for cash. They’ve discovered a great job opportunity and have invited you to join. The high school has a football game every Friday night, and they need a group to pick up trash in the bleachers afterward. The pay is great for only two hours of work. You know this job is scheduled on the special day God wants you to spend with Him. But part of your mind rationalizes why it’s probably OK. What do you do?

In the end, he lost the money anyway.

Consult God. Discerning right from wrong is your first step. You may not need to spend long hours in prayer and study about this particular issue, because you know that Sabbath begins at sundown Friday, and that you should keep it holy by not working. So you might need to pray that God will give you the strength to do what you already know is right. Other situations may not be as clear as this one. In these cases, prayer and Bible study will make a remarkable impact.
Tell others. This is the step that makes Balaam’s story stand out. When he decided what God wanted him to do, he boldly told the princes and eventually the king (Num. 22:12, 13, 18, 23, 38) that he had to speak the words of God. He knew the importance of following God and the folly of going against Him.

Tell yourself. This step comes out of necessity. Balaam consulted God and even told others what his beliefs were, but when he had to decide, he chose to go with the Moabites to see if he could curse Israel. He was worried about the money he would lose and his reputation as a paid diviner (Num. 22:7). In the end, he lost the money anyway.

If you know what’s right, keep telling yourself. And just do it. You will save yourself a lot of trouble. True story.
REACT
How does having money or pleasing people compare to the success story of your Christian life? Whoever was praised by God for how much money they earned?



Do We Really Have Free Choice?
Aaron Purkeypile, Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.
Opinion
Num. 22:18; 1 Pet. 3:13, 15, 16

When Balak’s entourage arrived to request Balaam’s presence, Balaam said something rather curious. Read Numbers 22:18. He said, in other words, I can do nothing in regards to God’s people except what He has said I should do.

Was Satan right?

We applaud the fact that God has given us freedom of choice. We can choose whether or not to accept Jesus as our Redeemer. We can choose whether to obey the commandments. We can choose what to eat and drink. We can choose our friends. Regardless of the consequences, we know God allows us to make choices. So why does Balaam make this statement? What could possibly keep him from uttering a curse on the children of Israel?

When Satan rebelled in the courts of heaven, one of his arguments was this issue of choice. God doesn’t let us choose whether to obey or not. He requires blind obedience because He knows there’s something better for us. Is that the reason Balaam couldn’t curse the Israelites? Was Satan right?

God does not arbitrarily allow or disallow our decisions. Numbers 23:21 says that God had observed no “iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him” (NKJV). It was because of Israel’s righteousness at that point that God would not allow Balaam to curse His people.

This is a great example of what Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:13, 15, 16. The Bible tells us that we will face conflict, but if we are living according to the words of Scripture, no one can harm us for eternity. Does that mean we’re invincible? No. Does that mean we’re immortal because we’re keeping the Sabbath? Absolutely not. Our obedience is not a prerequisite for receiving God’s protection by God. Rather, it is a result of His protection.

Putting ourselves in Israel’s place, we find that there is nothing anyone can do to harm us eternally if we live by God’s Word. Balaam’s story teaches us that while we can physically harm or be harmed, no one can change the status of a person’s salvation.

We have the freedom of choice, but that freedom does not allow us to command God to save or not save other people.
REACT
What type of things must one consider when making choices? Does the Bible offer a blueprint for making choices?



Reign in Our Hearts
Kelly Harden, Los Alamos, New Mexico, U.S.A.
Exploration
2 Cor. 3:17, 18
CONCLUDE

God saves! This is His passion. Human passions seem to run completely contrary to this. Greed. Lust. Tyranny. Praise God that He is in the business of transforming sinful human ambitions if we will, with His guidance, seek and follow Him. Then greed becomes money to meet needs and to further His work. Lust is obliterated in favor of love for God and His creation; and tyranny ceases to reign. Oh, for strength, wisdom, and courage to avoid Balaam’s path.

CONSIDER
Analyzing how you might be able to make a difference for someone using • just $25 (or a larger amount, if you wish). If you can afford to, make that difference this week.
Discussing with a friend or family member the difference between love and • lust. Present specific scenarios which clearly show the results of one practice over the other.
Playing charades to reveal common selfish tendencies and redeeming god• like qualities.
Conducting interviews asking which law would be a top priority for the • person you are interviewing if that person ruled the world. Based on your interviews, determine if people seem to be more in favor of freedom of choice or control.
Praying that God will give you evidence of His leading in your life. Journal • instances of that leading for at least one week.
Observing instances in nature of God’s perfection versus sin-infested re• sults.

CONNECT
Matthew 6:9–14.
Chris Blake, Swimming Against the Current, pp. 53–57, 124–126, 157–160.
The lyrics for “Our God Reigns” at http//:gospelyrics.blogspot.com/2007/08/
our-god-reigns.html.

http://cqbiblestudy.org/article.php?id=3