seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Numbers 23:13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will not see them all but only the outskirts of their camp. And from there, curse them for me.” 14 So he took him to the field of Zophim on the top of Pisgah, and there he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offering while I meet with him over there.”
16 The Lord met with Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Go back to Balak and give him this word.”
17 So he went to him and found him standing beside his offering, with the Moabite officials. Balak asked him, “What did the Lord say?”
18 Then he spoke his message:
“Arise, Balak, and listen;
hear me, son of Zippor.
19 God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;
he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
hear me, son of Zippor.
19 God is not human, that he should lie,
not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
Does he promise and not fulfill?
20 I have received a command to bless;
he has blessed, and I cannot change it.
21 “No misfortune is seen in Jacob,
no misery observed in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them;
the shout of the King is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;
they have the strength of a wild ox.
23 There is no divination against Jacob,
no evil omens against Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;
they rouse themselves like a lion
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood of its victims.”
no misery observed in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them;
the shout of the King is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;
they have the strength of a wild ox.
23 There is no divination against Jacob,
no evil omens against Israel.
It will now be said of Jacob
and of Israel, ‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness;
they rouse themselves like a lion
that does not rest till it devours its prey
and drinks the blood of its victims.”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all nor bless them at all!”
26 Balaam answered, “Did I not tell you I must do whatever the Lord says?
Here's the link to the commentary I use.Rise up Balak, and hear: In this message, God rebuked Balak, and taught him about the Divine nature, that He is not a man, that He does not lie or change His mind, that He always performs His word, and that He has all strength.
He has not observed iniquity in Jacob nor has He seen wickedness in Israel: God also taught Balak about the people of God, Israel. He taught them that they were blessed, that they were walking in purity, that God was with Israel, had brought them out of Egypt, had protected them against all sorcery and divination, and that He would see them through to victory.
He has strength like a wild ox: The phrase wild ox (Numbers 23:22 and 24:8) is translated “unicorn” in the KJV. The Hebrew word here (reem) occurs nine times in the Old Testament. The idea behind the Hebrew word is either of one horn or a mighty horn. Some think it refers to a rhinoceros, others to a wild ox, or a strong goat. It is not out of the question that a unicorn may be in mind.
"Lions and tigers and bears oh my!" they said, "it's a unicorn I spy oh my!"King Balak wants Balaam to curse the Israelites. He paid him good money to do it. Balaam keeps saying "I can only say what God puts in my mouth!"
King Balak doesn't understand. He hired Balaam to be a mouthpiece. But Balaam is broken. He has lost control of his faculties. He can only say what God wants him to say.
Balaam can't go off script!
King Balak doesn't get it. A human talking is just everyday stuff. King Balak isn't listening. Maybe King Balak would have believed the donkey!
Come to think of it, King Balak would have made a better deal with the donkey. He wouldn't be out all that money... the donkey would have delivered the same message for free!
God told King Balak, through the prophet Balaam, God is protecting the Israelites.
God told King Balak that He brought the Israelites to the place where they were camped.
God told King Balak the He was better than a human. God doesn't lie. When God says He's got your back... There is no curse that can be uttered.
No unicorn was going to fly up and change the situation. Nothing King Balak or Balaam could do or say was going to change that.
God is God. What God says goes. Israel is the Lion! [Verse 24]. I googled it... The unicorn and the lion are destined to fight!
Balaam's second attempt.... Second bust....
Second try...It's a unicorn I spy!!!
