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God Makes a Donkey Speak - The Book of Numbers · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and
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  Speaker 1: she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee,
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  Speaker 1: that thou hast smitten me these three times? Numbers 22-28
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  Speaker 1: Dear Heavenly Father, when I begin to take territory on
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  Speaker 1: your behalf, Lord, I thank you in advance for protecting
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  Speaker 1: me against the plots and the plans of others to
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  Speaker 1: curse my life and to create chaos. However, in the
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  Speaker 1: midst of your protection, Lord, protect me from myself when
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  Speaker 1: I try to move on my own accord. Like Balaam
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  Speaker 1: and his donkey, I know that you can and will
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  Speaker 1: use any sign to stop me from moving in a
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  Speaker 1: direction you do not desire me to go. Therefore, keep
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  Speaker 1: my mind attentive and alert to see the signs that
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  Speaker 1: you've placed around my life to protect me. Open my
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  Speaker 1: eyes and my ears so that I can hear your
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  Speaker 1: message through different vessels. I decree and declare that I
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  Speaker 1: will not allow pride to get in the way of
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  Speaker 1: my protection. You have my heart. You have my ears.
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  Speaker 1: And you have my unwavering devotion, now and forever. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To
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  Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life, stay tuned for the
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  Speaker 1: Bible in a Year. Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Click the link in the description to grow closer to God.
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  Speaker 2: There you'll find daily prayers, Bible plans, sleep stories, and
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: so much more, all on the Pray.com app. Click the
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  Speaker 2: link in the description to get started.
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  Speaker 3: God makes a donkey speak. In the last story, we
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  Speaker 3: learned of Moses' growing anger against the people of Israel.
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  Speaker 3: Their constant complaints and groans sparked anger in Moses, and
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  Speaker 3: his rage inhibited him from being able to see the
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  Speaker 3: promised land. As Israel journeyed further, Aaron had passed away.
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  Speaker 3: In this story, we learn about how Balak, the king
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  Speaker 3: of Moab, sends Balaam to go and curse Israel. And
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  Speaker 3: even his own donkey warns him against it, as inspired
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  Speaker 3: by the book of Numbers.
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  Speaker 4: We're so glad you joined us on the Bible in
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  Speaker 4: a Year podcast today. The Bible in a Year podcast
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  Speaker 4: is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and can only come
• 2:46
  Speaker 4: to you each week through the support of listeners just
• 2:48
  Speaker 4: like you. Your support today is so important that we
• 2:52
  Speaker 4: want to thank you for your gift by giving you
• 2:54
  Speaker 4: a copy of my book called The Jesus Book. It
• 2:57
  Speaker 4: is a powerful guide that shows how every book of
• 3:00
  Speaker 4: the Bible points to Jesus and how his living word,
• 3:03
  Speaker 4: the truth of God's word, will transform your life. So
• 3:07
  Speaker 4: to get a copy of the Jesus book, simply go
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  Speaker 4: to jackgraham.org slash Jesus. That's jackgraham.org slash Jesus. And thank
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  Speaker 4: you for your support. In yesterday's episode, we learned that
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  Speaker 4: in his anger and frustration, Moses sinned against God. by
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  Speaker 4: bringing glory to himself for making water flow. As a result,
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  Speaker 4: God tells him he'll never enter the promised land. They
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  Speaker 4: continue their journey, facing obstacles, opposition from other nations, and
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  Speaker 4: ongoing thirst and fatigue in the wilderness. And along the way,
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  Speaker 4: Aaron passes away and the people mourn his death. Today,
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  Speaker 4: we learn of a foreign king who seeks to curse
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  Speaker 4: Israel through a Gentile soothsayer named Balaam. and how God
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  Speaker 4: uses a beast to warn Balaam not to comply. Let's
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  Speaker 4: hear today's reading now.
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  Speaker 3: The grumbling yet growing people of Israel ventured forth to
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  Speaker 3: find new land to camp in. Though the people of
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  Speaker 3: Israel were only freed slaves, their sheer numbers were vast
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  Speaker 3: and threatening to other nations. Hundreds of thousands of them
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  Speaker 3: filled miles in every direction wherever they went. The sea
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  Speaker 3: of Israelites finally found refuge in the plains of Moab,
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  Speaker 3: beyond the Jordan at Jericho. The gentle grass was a
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  Speaker 3: refreshing break from the rocky canyon ground. Balak, the king
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  Speaker 3: of Moab, saw the density of Israel from miles away.
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  Speaker 3: Fear came over Balak, for he had heard what Israel
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  Speaker 3: had done to the Amorites. Although Israel meant Moab no harm,
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  Speaker 3: their numbers made the whole nation tremble. To them, Israel
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  Speaker 3: might as well have been a horde of demons come
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  Speaker 3: to take their land. The people of Moab spoke to
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  Speaker 3: the elders in Midian and said, This Israelite horde will
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  Speaker 3: eat us alive. They will lick us up as an
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  Speaker 3: ox does the grass of the field. King Balak knew
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  Speaker 3: he could never compete with the numbers of Israel. If
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  Speaker 3: they desired, they could swallow up his kingdom and cast
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  Speaker 3: his people out into the wilderness. A homeless and desperate
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  Speaker 3: group was a dangerous group, and Balak would do anything
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  Speaker 3: to protect his kingdom. If sword and shield could not
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  Speaker 3: defeat Israel, perhaps a darker and more sinister form of
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  Speaker 3: warfare would work. Balak remembered Balaam, a mighty man known
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  Speaker 3: for his spiritual power. Balak desired for Balaam to curse
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  Speaker 3: the people of Israel, plague them, and cast them into darkness.
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  Speaker 3: Balak sent messengers to Balaam to say, The people of
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  Speaker 3: Israel cover the earth in front of me. Curse this
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  Speaker 3: people for me, since they are too mighty in number
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  Speaker 3: for me to defeat them. For I know he whom
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  Speaker 3: you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.
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  Speaker 3: Balak asked these things, ignorant of where Balaam's powers truly
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  Speaker 3: come from, the one true God of Israel. Balaam was
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  Speaker 3: not Moses himself. So he did not speak to God
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  Speaker 3: face to face as he would with a friend. Yet
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  Speaker 3: God did speak to him, and this time God spoke
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  Speaker 3: clearly and explicitly, saying, These people are a blessed people.
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  Speaker 3: I will not curse them, nor will you. So Balaam
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  Speaker 3: sent the messengers away, refusing Bullock's request. Bullock considered Balaam's
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  Speaker 3: refusal as simply a matter of price. He sent princes
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  Speaker 3: along with great treasures and promises of blessing. Balaam was
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  Speaker 3: enticed by the offer. His heart flooded when he saw
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  Speaker 3: the treasures and heard of the rewards that would await
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  Speaker 3: him if he cursed God's people. Yet even though he
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  Speaker 3: desired to, he would not curse Israel. Balak could give
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  Speaker 3: me an entire house of silver and gold, yet I
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  Speaker 3: cannot go beyond the command of God, Balaam said apprehensively.
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  Speaker 3: Balaam gestured around his home and said, Stay the night.
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  Speaker 3: I will see if God has anything new for me.
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  Speaker 3: So Balaam went before God again. God met Balaam where
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  Speaker 3: he was. He spoke to Balaam, knowing the selfish desires
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  Speaker 3: of his heart, saying, If the men have come all
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  Speaker 3: this way to find you, go with them, but only
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  Speaker 3: do what I have commanded you to do. Balaam wasted
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  Speaker 3: no time. He gathered his things, packed his donkey, and
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  Speaker 3: left first thing in the morning. treasure could quite possibly
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  Speaker 3: be awaiting him. Like small sparks to drying wood, God's
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  Speaker 3: anger ignited towards Balaam. God went before Balaam on the
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  Speaker 3: road to stand against him as an adversary. Though Balaam
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  Speaker 3: was ignorant to the presence of God on the road,
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  Speaker 3: Balaam's donkey was not. The donkey saw an angel of
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  Speaker 3: God standing in front of the path with his sword drawn.
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  Speaker 3: The donkey cried out in fear. Immediately, The donkey turned
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  Speaker 3: away from the angel and ran toward the field. Balaam
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  Speaker 3: grew frustrated and ran after the donkey. He grabbed his
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  Speaker 3: donkey by the reins and struck her to turn her
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  Speaker 3: back to the road. As they continued forward, the angel
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  Speaker 3: of the Lord appeared again between the vineyards and walls
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  Speaker 3: on either side. The donkey trembled again and pressed Balaam's
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  Speaker 3: foot against the wall. Balaam screamed in pain and began
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  Speaker 3: hitting her again. As they continued, A third time the
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  Speaker 3: donkey saw the angel of God with sword drawn. The
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  Speaker 3: donkey heeled backwards and fell on top of Balaam. Balaam
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  Speaker 3: laid there underneath his oaf of a donkey. Groans of
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  Speaker 3: pain and annoyance could be heard from under her. Balaam
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  Speaker 3: wiggled out from underneath the donkey, took his staff in
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  Speaker 3: his hands, and began beating her. God had done miraculous
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  Speaker 3: things to speak to his people. He has sent signs
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  Speaker 3: and wonders, burned bushes, parted seas, and sent clouds to
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  Speaker 3: surround mountains. God has spoken through whispers in the wind,
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  Speaker 3: piercing words of thunder and rushing waves. Yet this time,
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  Speaker 3: to match the absurdity of Balaam's heart, God spoke through
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  Speaker 3: his donkey.' What have I done to deserve you hitting
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  Speaker 3: me three times?' the donkey yelled at Balaam.' Because you
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  Speaker 3: have made a fool of me,' Balaam said ironically. considering
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  Speaker 3: that he was now speaking to a donkey as if
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  Speaker 3: it wasn't totally insane. If I had a sword in
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  Speaker 3: my hand, I would kill you, Balaam said in a
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  Speaker 3: mad rage. Slowly, he was beginning to come to the
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  Speaker 3: reality of the situation. He was speaking to his donkey.
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  Speaker 3: The donkey spoke again to Balaam, saying, I have been
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  Speaker 3: your donkey for your whole life. Have I ever steered
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  Speaker 3: you wrong or treated you this way? It is hard
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  Speaker 3: to describe the amount of shame associated with being scolded
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  Speaker 3: by your own donkey. Balaam shrugged with his head down
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  Speaker 3: and replied no. Balaam lifted his head, and before him
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  Speaker 3: he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the
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  Speaker 3: way with his sword drawn. As his donkey had three
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  Speaker 3: times before, Balaam trembled in fear. He bowed and fell
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  Speaker 3: on his face. The Lord spoke to Balaam with scalding rebuke, saying,'
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  Speaker 3: Why have you struck your donkey? I have come out
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  Speaker 3: to oppose you because your mission is perverse. Unlike you,
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  Speaker 3: your donkey was perceptive enough to see my warnings.' If
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  Speaker 3: she had not veered from the path, I very well
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  Speaker 3: may have killed you. Balaam was coming to grips with
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  Speaker 3: what his heart was truly after. Though God had given
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  Speaker 3: him permission to go, Balaam was anticipating treasures and rewards
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  Speaker 3: for cursing the people of Israel. No secret desires of
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  Speaker 3: his heart were kept hidden from God. Balaam was still
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  Speaker 3: on his face as he spoke, saying, I have sinned. Please,
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  Speaker 3: if it is evil for me to go, I will
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  Speaker 3: turn back. The angel of the Lord said to Balaam,
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  Speaker 3: You may still go, but only speak what I tell
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  Speaker 3: you to say. So Balaam departed with the princes of
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  Speaker 3: Balak to the kingdom of Moab. Balaam rode his donkey,
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  Speaker 3: still in shock from what had just occurred. His destination
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  Speaker 3: was the same, yet his desires were different. Now Balaam
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  Speaker 3: would not be flippant with God's permission to leave. Balaam
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  Speaker 3: remained silent, desiring to hear the voice of God, for
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  Speaker 3: he knew he would be tempted to do wicked things ahead.
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  Speaker 4: Today's story begins as we've become accustomed with Israel wandering
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  Speaker 4: in search of a new land. This nomadic nation without
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  Speaker 4: a home is growing in number. Their mere presence in
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  Speaker 4: the area is enough to make some kings nervous. King
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  Speaker 4: Balak of Moab feared that if the Israelites wanted to
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  Speaker 4: overthrow his kingdom, he couldn't stop them. He went to
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  Speaker 4: the elders of Midian and filled them with the same fear.
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  Speaker 4: Balak knew a military approach wouldn't save him, so he
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  Speaker 4: turns to another tactic, to a dark world that's unseen
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  Speaker 4: but very real. It's a world that's still very present today,
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  Speaker 4: a spiritual world, an invisible world with invisible battles with
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  Speaker 4: the unseen forces of good and evil. Balak intended to
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  Speaker 4: engage the evil forces of darkness for his cause. He
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  Speaker 4: sends messengers from Moab and Midian with Balaam, a soothsayer
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  Speaker 4: believed to be able to bring curses on people. They
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  Speaker 4: offer him money for his services. Balaam says he must
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  Speaker 4: seek out the Hebrew God. So God speaks to Balaam
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  Speaker 4: and tells him he must not take part in what
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  Speaker 4: Balak is asking of him. It's important to note that
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  Speaker 4: it was not Balaam who summoned God near. but God
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  Speaker 4: who drew near to Balaam. Balaam tells Balak's men he
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  Speaker 4: cannot help them, and this initial refusal only causes Balak
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  Speaker 4: to offer more money. Balaam refuses again, though he is
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  Speaker 4: tempted by the increased offer. He says he can't go
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  Speaker 4: against God, but he asks the men to stick around
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  Speaker 4: for the night. This is a move motivated by greed.
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  Speaker 4: He's hoping God might just change his mind. So God
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  Speaker 4: appears to Balaam and says he can go with these
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  Speaker 4: men only if they come looking for him in the
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  Speaker 4: morning and that he's to do only as God instructs.
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  Speaker 4: Balaam doesn't listen to God and the next morning saddles
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  Speaker 4: up his donkey to go meet the delegation. What follows
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  Speaker 4: is a very peculiar story. God sends an angel to
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  Speaker 4: block Balaam's progress on the road. Three times the donkey
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  Speaker 4: sees the angel in steps or veers from the path.
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  Speaker 4: Each time, an angry Balaam strikes the animal. Finally, God
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  Speaker 4: opens the donkey's mouth and Balaam carries on a conversation
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  Speaker 4: with this animal. Now, I have to admit, this is
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  Speaker 4: a strange and even funny picture as you imagine this exchange.
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  Speaker 4: But the topic of conversation is anything but a joke.
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  Speaker 4: The donkey skulls Balaam for his actions. Then finally, the
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  Speaker 4: angel appears to Balaam and God rebukes him. He tells
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  Speaker 4: Balaam it was God who was stopping the journey. Balaam
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  Speaker 4: is truly moved. Listen to his response in Numbers 22,
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  Speaker 4: verses 34 and 35. Balaam said to the angel of
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  Speaker 4: the Lord, I have sinned, for I did not know
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  Speaker 4: that you were standing in the way against me. Now then,
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  Speaker 4: if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.
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  Speaker 4: But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, Go
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  Speaker 4: with the men, but you shall speak only the word
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  Speaker 4: which I tell you. So Balaam went along with the
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  Speaker 4: leaders of Balak. This strange and supernatural story reminds us
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  Speaker 4: of the great lengths God will go in order to
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  Speaker 4: get through to us. He sent signs and wonders to Pharaoh.
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  Speaker 4: And here, a donkey, a talking donkey to Balaam. And ultimately, much,
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  Speaker 4: much more. God wants us to hear from him so
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  Speaker 4: much that he sent his son, who is the living
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  Speaker 4: word of God. And God has spoken through his son,
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  Speaker 4: Jesus Christ, perfectly and permanently. It is the relentless pursuit
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  Speaker 4: of a God who stops at nothing, even a cross,
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  Speaker 4: to bless those that he loves. Balaam goes on his
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  Speaker 4: way to meet Balak, and the next time we'll learn
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  Speaker 4: what he says. So let's pray. Dear God, thank you
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  Speaker 4: for the extraordinary lengths you go in order to reach
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  Speaker 4: us and draw us to you. Thank you for that
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  Speaker 4: reminder today. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening
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  Speaker 4: to today's Bible in a Year podcast. And before we go,
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  Speaker 4: I wanted to let you know that the Bible in
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  Speaker 4: a Year podcast is an outreach of PowerPoint Ministries and
• 16:06
  Speaker 4: can only come to you each week through the support
• 16:09
  Speaker 4: of listeners like you. Your support today is so important
• 16:14
  Speaker 4: that we want to thank you for your gift by
• 16:16
  Speaker 4: giving you a copy of my book called The Jesus Book.
• 16:20
  Speaker 4: This book is a powerful guide that shows how every
• 16:23
  Speaker 4: book in the Bible points to Christ and how you
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  Speaker 4: can better read and understand the Bible. And How God's
• 16:29
  Speaker 4: Word Transforms Our Lives. So to get your copy of
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  Speaker 4: the Jesus book, simply go to jackgram.org slash Jesus. That's
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  Speaker 4: jackgram.org slash Jesus. And thank you for your support.
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• 16:50
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