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Balaam's Curse Turned Blessing | A Call to Stand with Israel (July 14) · 1 Year Audio Bible Podcast

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  Balaam was a prophet for hire and the king Balak decided to hire him to speak
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  curses over the nation of Israel. So Balaam went along with it and a
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  donkey attempted to stop him, a talking donkey, but he went ahead and he pursued
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  his agenda and he went ahead to the top of a hill and he began to speak
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  curses against Israel. But God wouldn't allow him to speak curses against
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  Israel and instead out of his mouth comes blessing. Today we have a similar
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  decision to make. In our world, in our culture, and in our media, much of the
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  mainstream media speaks propaganda that's extremely negative against Israel.
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  They blame Israel. Israel is at fault for the war with Iran and the UN makes
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  decrees and it's always blaming Israel. It's like speaking a curse over the
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  nation, but yet we're told in Genesis chapter 12 verse 3, I will bless those
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  who bless you, Israel, and I will curse those who curse you. So we have a choice
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  to make today. Will we stand with Israel and be a blessing to the nation and the
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  people of Israel or will we be like Balak who wanted to curse the nation?
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  That's the decision we must make. Listen as we do a deep dive on Balak and
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  Balaam the prophet for hire. Welcome to the One Year Audio Bible Podcast. Today
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  is July 14th. Now let's continue our journey reading through the entire Bible
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  in one year. This week we are reading from the New Living Translation for the
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  Old Testament and for the New Testament. Numbers 23 1 to 15. Then Balaam said to
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  King Balak, build me seven altars here and prepare seven young bulls and seven
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  rams for me to sacrifice. Balak followed his instructions and the two of them
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  sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar. Then Balaam said to Balak,
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  stand here by your burnt offerings and I will go to see if the Lord will respond
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  to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me. So Balaam went alone to
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  the top of a bare hill and God met him there. Balaam said to him, I have
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  prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on
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  each altar. The Lord gave Balaam a message for King Balak. Then he said, go
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  back to Balak and give him my message. So Balaam returned and found the king
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  standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. This was the
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  message Balaam delivered. Balak summoned me to come from Aram. The king of Moab
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  brought me from the eastern hills. Come, he said, curse Jacob for me. Come and
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  announce Israel's doom. But how can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How
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  can I condemn those whom the Lord has not condemned? I see them from the
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  clifftops. I watch them from the hills. I see a people who live by themselves, set
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  apart from other nations. Who can count Jacob's descendants as numerous as dust?
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  Who can count even a fourth of Israel's people? Let me die like the righteous. Let
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  my life end like theirs. Then King Balak demanded of Balaam, what have you done to
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  me? I brought you to curse my enemies. Instead, you have blessed them. But Balaam
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  replied, I will speak only the message that the Lord puts in my mouth. Then King
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  Balak told him, come with me to another place. There you will see another part of
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  the nation of Israel, but not all of them. Curse at least that many. So Balak took
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  Balaam to the plateau of Zophim on Pisgah Peak. He built seven altars there
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  and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar. Then Balaam said to the king,
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  stand here by your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet the Lord.
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  First Chronicles 16.37 to 18.17. David arranged for Asaph and his fellow
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  Levites to minister regularly before the Ark of the Lord's Covenant, doing
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  whatever needed to be done each day. This group included Obed-Edom, son of
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  Jethuden, Hosea, and 68 other Levites as gatekeepers. Meanwhile, David stationed
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  Zadok the priest and his fellow priests at the tabernacle of the Lord on the
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  hill of Gibeon, where they continued to minister before the Lord. They sacrificed
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  the regular burnt offerings to the Lord each morning and evening on the altar
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  set aside for that purpose, obeying everything written in the law of the
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  Lord which he had given to Israel. David also appointed Haman, Jethuden, and the
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  others chosen by name to give thanks to the Lord for his faithful love endures
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  forever. They used their trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments to
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  accompany the songs of praise to God, and the sons of Jethuden were appointed as
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  gatekeepers. Then all the people returned to their homes, and David
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  returned home to bless his family. Now, when David was settled in his palace, he
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  said to Nathan the prophet, here I am living in this beautiful cedar palace,
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  but the Ark of the Lord's Covenant is out in a tent. Nathan replied, go ahead
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  with what you have in mind, for God is with you. But that same night God said to
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  Nathan, go and tell my servant David this is what the Lord says, you are not the
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  one to build me a temple to live in. I have never lived in a temple from the
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  day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until now. My home has always been
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  a tent, moving from one place to another, and I never once complained to Israel's
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  leaders, the shepherds of my people. I have never asked them, why haven't you
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  built me a beautiful cedar temple? Now go and say to my servant David, this is what
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  the Lord Almighty says. I chose you to lead my people Israel when you were just
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  a shepherd boy tending your sheep out in the pasture. I have been with you
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  wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies. Now I will
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  make your name famous throughout the earth, and I have provided a permanent
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  homeland for my people Israel, a secure place where they will never be disturbed.
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  It will be their own land where wicked nations won't oppress them as they did
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  in the past, from the time I appointed judges to rule my people, and I will
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  subdue all your enemies. And now I declare that the Lord will build a house
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  for you, a dynasty of kings. For when you die, I will raise up one of your sons, and
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  I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house, a temple for
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  me, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his father, and he will
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  be my son. I will not take my unfailing love from him as I took it from Saul who
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  ruled before you. I will establish him over my dynasty and my kingdom for all
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  time, and his throne will be forever." So Nathan went back to David and told him
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  everything the Lord had said. Then King David went in and sat before the Lord
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  and prayed. Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family that you have brought me
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  this far? And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving me a
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  lasting dynasty. You speak as though I were someone very great, O Lord God. What
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  more can I say about the way you have honored me? You know what I am really
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  like. For my sake, O Lord, and according to your will, you have done all these
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  great things and have made them known. O Lord, there is no one like you. There is
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  no other God. We have never even heard of another God like you. What other
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  nation on earth is like Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed
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  from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you
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  rescued your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out
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  the nations that stood in their way. You chose Israel to be your people forever,
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  and you, O Lord, have become their God. And now, O Lord, do as you have promised
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  concerning me and my family. May it be a promise that will last forever, and may
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  your name be established and honored forever, so that all the world will say
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  the Lord Almighty is God over Israel, and may the dynasty of your servant David be
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  established in your presence. Oh my God, I have been bold enough to pray this
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  prayer because you have revealed that you will build a house for me, an
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  eternal dynasty, for you are God, O Lord, and you have promised these good things
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  to me, your servant. And now it has pleased you to bless me and my family so
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  that our dynasty will continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing,
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  O Lord, it is an eternal blessing. After this, David subdued and humbled the
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  Philistines by conquering Gath and its surrounding towns. David also conquered
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  the land of Moab, and the Moabites became David's subjects and brought him
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  tribute money. Then David destroyed the forces of King Hadadezer of Zobah, as far
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  as Hamath, when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the
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  Euphrates River. David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers, and 20,000
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  foot soldiers. Then he crippled all but 100 of the chariot horses. When the
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  Arameans from Damascus arrived to help Hadadezer, David killed 22,000 of them.
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  Then he placed several army garrisons in Damascus, the Aramean capital, and the
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  Arameans became David's subjects and brought him tribute money. So the Lord
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  gave David victory wherever he went. David brought the gold shields of
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  Hadadezer's officers to Jerusalem, along with a large amount of bronze from
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  Hadadezer's cities of Teba and Kun. Later Solomon melted the bronze and used it
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  for the temple. He molded it into the bronze sea, the pillars, and the various
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  bronze utensils used at the temple. When King Toy of Hamath heard that David had
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  destroyed the army of King Hadadezer of Zobah, he sent his son Joram to
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  congratulate David on his success. Hadadezer and Toy had long been enemies
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  and there had been many wars between them. Joram presented David with many
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  gifts of gold, silver, and bronze. King David dedicated all these gifts to the
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  Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations that he
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  had subdued, Edom, Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek. Abishai, son of Zeruiah,
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  destroyed 18,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He placed army garrisons
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  throughout Edom and all the Edomites became David's subjects. This was another
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  example of how the Lord made David victorious wherever he went. David reigned
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  over all Israel and was fair to everyone. Joab, son of Zeruiah, was commander of
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  the army. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was the royal historian. Zadok, son of
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  Ahitub, and Ahimelech, son of Abiathar, were the priests. Saraiah was the court
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  secretary. Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was the captain of the king's bodyguard.
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  David's sons served as the king's chief assistants.
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  Romans 2, 1 to 24. You may be saying what terrible people you have been talking
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  about, but you are just as bad and you have no excuse. When you say they are
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  wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself for you do these
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  very same things. And we know that God in His justice will punish anyone who does
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  such things. Do you think that God will judge and condemn others for doing them
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  and not judge you when you do them too? Don't you realize how kind, tolerant, and
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  patient God is with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see how kind He has been
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  in giving you time to turn from your sin? But no, you won't listen. So you are
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  storing up terrible punishment for yourself because of your stubbornness
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  and refusing to turn from your sin. For there is going to come a day of
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  judgment when God, the just judge of all the world, will judge all people
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  according to what they have done. He will give eternal life to those who persist
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  in doing what is good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God
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  offers. But He will pour out His anger and wrath on those who live for
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  themselves, who refuse to obey the truth, and who practice evil deeds. There will
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  be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on sinning, for the Jew first and
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  also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for
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  all who do good, for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not
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  show favoritism. God will punish the Gentiles when they sin, even though they
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  never had God's written law. And He will punish the Jews when they sin, for they
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  do have the law. For it is not merely knowing the law that brings God's
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  approval. Those who obey the law will be declared right in God's sight. Even when
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  Gentiles who do not have God's written law instinctively follow what the law
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  says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong. They demonstrate
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  that God's law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse
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  them or tell them they are doing what is right. The day will surely come when God
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  by Jesus Christ will judge everyone's secret life. This is my message. If you
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  are a Jew, you are relying on God's law for your special relationship with Him.
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  You boast that all is well between yourself and God. Yes, you know what He
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  wants. You know right from wrong because you have been taught His law. You are
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  convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a beacon of light for
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  people who are lost in darkness without God. You think you can instruct the
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  ignorant and teach children the ways of God, for you are certain that in God's
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  law you have complete knowledge and truth. Well then, if you teach others, why
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  don't you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? You say it
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  is wrong to commit adultery, but do you do it? You condemn idolatry, but do you
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  steal from pagan temples? You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor
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  God by breaking it. No wonder the scriptures say, the world blasphemes the
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  name of God because of you. Psalm 10, 16 to 18. The Lord is King forever and ever.
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  Let those who worship other gods be swept from the land. Lord, you know the
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  hopes of the helpless. Surely you will listen to their cries and comfort them.
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  You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed so people can no
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  longer terrify them. Proverbs 19, 8 to 9. To acquire wisdom is to love oneself.
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  People who cherish understanding will prosper. A false witness will not go
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  unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed. 4, 3, 2, 1. I want to speak to you today
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  from our reading from Numbers chapter 23, but I actually want to hit the rewind
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  button and go back to Numbers 22 to verse 11 and then elaborate. In Numbers
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  chapter 22 verse 11, it is written, Here is a people that came out from Egypt and
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  hides the earth from you. Come now and curse them for me. Perhaps I can engage
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  them in battle and drive them off. This was said by Balak, the son of Zippor,
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  king of Moab. And he sent this as a message to Balaam, the prophet for hire.
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  So the notation or the commentary on this verse from the Israel Bible reads
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  as follows, Here is a people that came out from Egypt and hides the earth from
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  you. As a result of the defeat of the Amorites led by Sihon and Og, king of
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  Bashan, the people of Moab become afraid of the people of Israel. In an effort to
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  stop the Israelites, their king, Balak, sends for the prophet Balaam to curse
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  them. However, Hashem has a different idea and puts a blessing into Balaam's
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  mouth instead of his intended curses. This verse highlights Balaam's typically
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  prejudicial attitude and his description of the Israelites as a nation that
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  covers the entire earth. Even today, the Jewish people comprise less than 0.2%
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  of the world population, yet they are often thought of as a nuisance that
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  threatens the world or a heavy stone that the nations stumble upon. This story,
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  however, also underscores the fact that anti-Semitism will not prevail. Hashem
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  tells Balaam that the Jewish people are blessed and that those who try to curse
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  them will not succeed, just as Hashem had promised Abraham long before. I will
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  bless those who bless you and curse him that curses you. From Genesis 12, 3, the
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  Jewish nation is indeed blessed and has made enormous contributions to the world,
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  as evidenced by the fact that despite their small number, between 1901 and
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  2015, over 20% of all Nobel laureates have either been Jewish or of Jewish descent.
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  So I'll add to that comment that in light of October 7, 2023, when the war
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  broke out with Hamas and then all of the other terrorist proxies, the Houthis and
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  Hezbollah, and then of course the head of the snake, Iran, Jewish anti-Semitism, Jew
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  hatred, has absolutely skyrocketed globally. Thousands and tens of thousands
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  have marched in the streets of Paris and London and New York and LA and Seattle in
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  support of the Hamas murderers. So anti-Semitism will not prevail, and the
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  root of all that is really, it's demonic. Satan hates Jesus, who is Jewish, and he
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  hates the people of, he hates the Jewish people. He hates Israel, because when
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  Jesus returns, he's going to rule and reign from Jerusalem. And if Satan can
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  wipe out Israel and wipe out the Jewish people, there'll be no place for Jesus to
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  rule and reign from. Continuing on in our reading from today in chapter 23 of
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  Numbers, I want to zoom in on verse 9, which says, this is something that Balaam
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  says as he's speaking a prophetic word over Israel. In verse 9, he says,
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  "...as I see them from the mountaintops, gaze on them from the heights, there is a
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  people that dwells apart, not reckoned among the nations." The Israel Bible
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  commentary to this verse reads as follows. This chapter is one of three
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  that describe the failed attempt by Balaam to curse the people of Israel. His
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  plan is foiled by Hashem, and instead of a curse, Balaam utters a reluctant
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  compliment, "...there is a people that dwells apart, not reckoned among the
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  nations." For better or worse, the Jews have always been set aside from among
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  the nations and singled out for special treatment. Today, Israel receives a
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  disproportionate amount of coverage, negative coverage, by the media, most of
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  it very negative. However, we must recognize the inherent lesson of this
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  solitude. The people of Israel have been singled out for a holy purpose. They were
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  chosen by God to remain faithful to him and to fulfill the biblical mandate of
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  teaching his truths from the Bible to the world. While for most of history the
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  Jewish nation has indeed been an isolated people that dwells apart, that
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  reality began to change with the establishment of the State of Israel. For
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  the first time, millions of non-Jews have started to stand together with the
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  people of Israel, rejecting the curse of Balaam. And so there are many, many, many
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  Christian Zionists, is what I'll call them, evangelical Christians or Christian
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  Zionists that stand firmly in support of Israel and the Jewish people, and that's
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  a huge, huge blessing to the nation of Israel and to the Jewish people. And so
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  we have a decision to make today. Are we going to stand with the curse of Balaam
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  and believe the propaganda and the twisting of the media that would paint
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  and portray Israel as in a very negative light, or are we going to stand on the
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  side of the Lord? And Genesis 12, 3 says that I will bless those who bless you
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  and I will curse those who curse you. So where do we stand today? That is the
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  question. Are we going to stand on the side of Balaam and with the modern media,
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  so much of the mainstream media that curses Israel, or will we stand with the
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  nation of Israel and the Jewish people to bless them, support them, and serve
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  them, and build friendship with them? That's the question that we all must
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  decide. Have a blessed day. We'll see you tomorrow. Shalom.