Latest / Bible Tract Echoes Podcast / Please Don't Curse Yourself

Transcript

Please Don't Curse Yourself · Bible Tract Echoes Podcast

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hey friend, welcome back to Bible Track Decos.
• 0:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm Mike and McCurray your host.
• 0:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so very much for joining me once again today.
• 0:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: We find our text in the book of Numbers.
• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, technically, the story, the account that we're going to talk about.
• 0:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: It covers about four different chapters.
• 0:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Don't be afraid.
• 0:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not just going to read a wall of scripture to you, though.
• 0:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: That shouldn't be a problem, should it hearing more Bible?
• 0:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: We should all want to hear.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hopefully you read your Bible today, but no, I'm not going to read just four chapters to you in 13 minutes.
• 0:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: That sounds like speed reading anyway, but numbers chapter number 22 is where we will begin.
• 0:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: The thought, the theme, the concept, today, for Bible Tract Echoes, we're going to talk about cursing yourself.
• 0:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: It doesn't make much sense, doesn't?
• 0:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm talking both in the literal and the figurative sense that, of course, a people with
• 0:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: foul mouths.
• 1:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: We shouldn't use that type of language most certainly.
• 1:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: We were out to eat not long ago.
• 1:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: My father-in-law and I, he's my pastor, and we were marveling at how good and how clean people's language was.
• 1:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: We were at like a smoke house type thing.
• 1:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: We were getting some a brisket and different stuff.
• 1:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the atmosphere was such that
• 1:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: I wouldn't have approved of it though.
• 1:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I would have understood.
• 1:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: There was kind of louder environment.
• 1:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Lots of folks kind of fellowshiping.
• 1:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: There was a long line to get the food.
• 1:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: We were marveling at how clean people's mouths were.
• 1:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe their mothers washed their mouths out with soap when they were kids.
• 1:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not sure.
• 1:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: But if you're going to curse, you shouldn't, but it would make no sense, really, right, to curse yourself, what kind of fool would curse themselves?
• 1:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: But what about in the actual sense of causing yourself great harm, spiritually or otherwise, why would you curse?
• 1:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: yourself.
• 1:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to look at a group of people that essentially did just that today.
• 2:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Numbers chapter 22, and the Bible says in verse number one, the children of Israel set forward and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side, Jordan, by Jericho, and Baylek, the Son of Zepore saw all that Israel had done to the Amarites.
• 2:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Moe, I was so afraid of the people because they were many, and Moe, I was distressed because of the children of Israel.
• 2:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: So pause here for just a moment.
• 2:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: You realize the Israelites had just wrought through God's power a great victory.
• 2:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: They had taken care of some different worldly kings, some evil kings, and now Baylor, he's a king.
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: He sees these people and his people are a little bothered.
• 2:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: they think Israelites are going to wipe us out.
• 2:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to have a problem here.
• 2:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: First number 5 of numbers 22.
• 2:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: He sent messengers, therefore, unto Bailum, the Son of B. or to Pete Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him saying.
• 3:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: behold, there is a people come out from Egypt.
• 3:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Behold, they cover the face of the earth and they abide over against me.
• 3:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Come now, therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
• 3:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: For they are too mighty for me.
• 3:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Per adventure, I shall prepare.
• 3:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: prevail that we may smite them and then I may drive them out of the land and pause here for just a moment essentially and we're not going to get too deep in the background.
• 3:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: I told you this week I'm trying to get one thought per day.
• 3:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: So today we're talking about cursing yourself.
• 3:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's our thought for today we're going to go a different direction of Mars.
• 3:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm not going to go too deep in this, but suffice to say if you're confused at all.
• 3:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Baylek is a king.
• 3:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: he's a king of people that are adamantly opposed to the Israelites.
• 3:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's not a follower of God.
• 3:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's just all around not a good guy, okay?
• 3:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's a bad guy.
• 3:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: On the other side of things, you have the people of Israel, the children of Israel.
• 3:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're doing what God wants them to do, and in doing so, they are taking care of peace by peace.
• 4:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: some of these nations and kingdoms that are not surfers of God, they're heathen, they're like licentious, they're evil, they're bad guys, okay?
• 4:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: So the Israelites, good guys, Bayleck and his people, not so good.
• 4:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Then you have Baylem, and you say Bayleck, Baylem, how do I figure this out?
• 4:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: I remember as a child, I think it was my mother.
• 4:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: The way you remember who is who, Baleck is a king.
• 4:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Baleum is just a man.
• 4:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's kind of a, he's a prophet type character, but he's someone with some sort of power with God and Baleck calls for Baleum.
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Baleck of the king calls for Baleum the man, and he wants him to come and curse God's own people.
• 4:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't want you to think about that for just a moment.
• 4:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: how foolish for Bailek to even consider this as a possibility, but consider it he does and commission it he does, he wants Bailem to come and for money for filthy gain, for filthy looker, he wants Bailem, he wants to buy a curse on the people of Israel so that when Bailek the king goes in the battle with his people, he wants to be able to defeat the people of Israel.
• 5:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: What happens?
• 5:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, we don't have time to go through numbers 22 and 23 and 24.
• 5:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: All three of these passages have to do with bailim the man, the man who is supposed to be cursing for a price, the people of Israel.
• 5:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's basically stopped.
• 5:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's stymied.
• 5:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: He has kept from this task in a multitude of ways, including you may recall, remember the
• 5:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, Baylor's donkey talks to him.
• 5:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: You'll find that in verse number, let's see here.
• 5:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Verse number 20, then number 22 actually.
• 5:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Verse number 22 and gods of verse number 21.
• 6:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Baylor rose up in the morning in silence ass and went with the princes of Moab.
• 6:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: and God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him.
• 6:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: So long story short, Baylon's rat is donkey.
• 6:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: He comes up and he, as a man, can't see the angel of the Lord, but his animal does.
• 6:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the animals like, I'm not going this way, this angel is going to mess us up.
• 6:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's going to kill us.
• 6:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: God's angry, long story short, that donkey teaches bailam a lesson.
• 6:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he crushes his foot at the same time, but you need to hear it over there.
• 6:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is just the first of multiple times.
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Baylem goes to God and says, hey, can I curse your people?
• 6:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: God says no.
• 6:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, then he goes back.
• 6:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: They offered me more money.
• 6:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can I curse your people?
• 6:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: No.
• 6:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, then Baylek goes to Baylem again.
• 6:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was even more money.
• 6:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Baylem goes to God.
• 6:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can I curse your people?
• 6:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: No, Baylem and finally, Baylem figures out that this is not what God wants.
• 7:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: And not only are God's people not cursed?
• 7:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Baylek, the king, the wicked king, he wants God's people at cursed.
• 7:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not only that, now we're setting some ground, some groundwork here about cursing yourself.
• 7:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're in a land of plain, just a minute, I promise.
• 7:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not only are God's people not cursed the way the wicked King wants, but bail him towards the end of these three chapters.
• 7:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: He actually blesses.
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: He realizes he's the clubered finally lands.
• 7:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he's like, you know what?
• 7:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think God really likes these people.
• 7:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think I'm going to bless them.
• 7:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: and he does.
• 7:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: In Bailek, the wicked kings in his hearing, Bailem says all sorts of nice things about the people of Israel that how strong and how powerful they will be and talks about a verse of a chapter 24 verse 1.
• 7:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: And when Bailem saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not as at other times to seek for incendments, but he set his face toward the wilderness, and Bailem lifted up his eyes and saw Israel abiding his tents in his tents, according to their tribes, and the spirit of God came upon him, and long and he continues on and says all sorts of beautiful things under the power of God, he blesses Israel.
• 8:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: You think what a wonderful story, God protecting his people from a wicked king, but that's not the end of the story.
• 8:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Had the opportunity to bring a similar thought to this not too long ago, he was preaching in a camp on the other side of the world.
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: I pointed out that your choice to serve God is truly your choice.
• 8:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: No one can make you.
• 8:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can be put in a position where everything is going the right way.
• 8:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, you listen to this program and I thank you for.
• 8:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: You've listened to ten plus minutes of this program and nine plus minutes of this program already today.
• 9:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: You have heard a Bible story, a Sunday school Bible story, but we're about to land the plane and make some application, all right?
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe you have a church that loves you, that preaches God's word to you.
• 9:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe maybe not, maybe you don't have a family that loves the Lord, but maybe you do.
• 9:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: But regardless, you know for a fact, as I do well, that God loves you, and he has a plan for you, a plan that includes a lot of blessings on your life, not curses on your life.
• 9:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: But here's what happens.
• 9:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: we so foolishly, and so often I can speak for myself in this as well, so often we take the amazing blessings of God and we curse our selves.
• 9:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let me tell you what I'm talking about.
• 9:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: numbers chapter 22, God protects his people.
• 9:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: They will not be cursed by bailam.
• 9:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Numbers 23, God protects his people.
• 10:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are not cursed by bailam.
• 10:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Numbers 24, not only are they not cursed by bailam, but they are blessed.
• 10:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: But what happens immediately after this?
• 10:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: God has done everything in his power to make things good to force people, but numbers 25, three chapters of God protecting and doing his part, if you can put it that way, verse number one of numbers 25, and Israel abode in shitham and the people began to commit
• 10:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are given three chapters of essentially God's protection and blessing, and in the span of one verse, I realize this didn't happen necessarily in an instant or in a day even.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: but God's people curse themselves and they, verse number two, they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods and the people to eat and bow down to their gods, little G. And Israel joined himself unto Bell Pure, which is a false god, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
• 11:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: and in the span of such a short time, biblically speaking, God's people take the best, the most, the most bountiful that God endevers to give them and spits all over it in curses themselves.
• 11:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can I ask your friend, what have you done with what God has given you?
• 11:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: God has done good for you, hasn't he?
• 11:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: God has allowed in every temptation, a way of escape, hasn't he?
• 11:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: How many chapters, or should I say, days, weeks, months, years of God's blessings, are you actively thwarting right now by, if I can put it this way, cursing yourself.
• 12:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: Friend, people died as a result, consequences of sin of numbers 25.
• 12:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Sin when it is finished, bring it forth, death.
• 12:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Could I be careful to counsel you, don't curse yourself?
• 12:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Tomorrow, on the broadcast, we'll end our week together.
• 12:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for tuning in, and Mike McCurray.
• 12:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: This has been Bible Trek Decos.
• 12:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Have a great day for his glory.
• 12:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll play not talking you soon.
• 12:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: God bless.
• 12:58
  [UNKNOWN]: Thank you.
• 13:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for tuning in to Bible Tract Echoes, the radio ministry of Bible Tracts Incorporated.
• 13:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: Want to see our gospel tracks and other resources?
• 13:29
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• 13:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks again for listening.
• 13:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: May the Lord richly bless you as you live for him.