Jaxon, yesterday you asked me why the Lord was mad at Balaam. Great question. Today’s read will answer that. I didn’t want to ruin the surprise yesterday. He knows our THOUGHTS.
Chapter 23 and 24- Balak brought Balaam to the edge of the Israelite community as he attempts to have Balaam curse the nation. All three attempts conclude with Balaam blessing them rather than cursing them. God used him regardless of his heart.
Attempt 1: He cannot curse them because God has not cursed them.
Attempt 2:He cannot undo the blessing of God. God is their King and even warns Balak that they are protected by God.
Attempt 3: He admits that his words are from God himself. He exalts him even above Agag, the future king of the Amalekites (remember this is an oracle from God, he knows the future!). He ends the 3rd message restating the blessing on Abraham “may those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed”.
Balak was done with Balaam and fires him, but I can just see God saying to himself…Balaam is on a roll…let’s give them some more! God continues to use Balaam to give 4 more messages regarding future prophecies.
Chapter 25-
Why was Balaam’s head down yesterday and unable to see in front of him? He was brainstorming! God will not let me use my ‘mouth’ to curse Israel. He wanted the money so he had to think if a plan. Apparently, after Balaam was fired, he brainstormed a way to still claim the reward from Balak after all. He knew that if the Israelites were seduced to worship another god the Lord wouldn’t protect them. So Balaam said to himself “I am a man…what is my weakness? Sex.” (He didn’t say that, but I am sure he thought it). Jaxon, if you don’t know what this is…I will tell your father to have the “talk” with you. 😂
Back in Exodus 34:
11 Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles (idols to worship false gods). Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
15 “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices. And when you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will lead your sons to do the same.
NOW we can jump into Chapter 25.
If you are tracking the voyage on a map, I want you to see how close they are to crossing the Jordan River into Cannan the Promised Land!
While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal (he is the head honcho of the false gods) of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.
But the men quickly fall into sexual immorality and bowing down before their gods just as Balaam planned. If you printed the handout on the Priest genealogy, you will see where Phineas is the son of Eleazar. So Phineas (not Ferb is a priest. Phinehas puts a quick end to the ordeal by making a sacrifice for their wrongdoing to get them back on track. While Zimri (from the tribe of Simeon) is doing the horizontal mambo with Zozbi (a Midianite), Phineas drove his spear into both of them at the same time. I am sure you can imagine HOW this was possible 😂 if not I can text you a picture. I am cracking myself up today!
One of the last verses today was:
6 The Lord said to Moses, 17 “Treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them.
Do they obey and kill these hot ladies??
So here we stand. When the sun is up we can see Jericho! Are we ready? Is the next generation ready? Let me rephrase, have you taught the next generation the Word of God ready to take on the enemies of the world?
Reading the Bible - 2021 
There it is again – the Lord knows our thoughts and therefore what our attitude is even if it’s not evident to others. God’s Word is so good to speak to me exactly where I am even if I’ve read the passage many times before.
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My mind is spinning here. Would this not make for a great movie? Moses was married to a Midianite woman and his father-in-law was a Midianite priest. It just thickens the plot a bit. Moses lived in Midian for 40 years. And, what a testimony, this was my life before God called me, and this is my life now.
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