A Troubling Prophet

And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.  And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him.  And he took up his parable, and said,

“Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:   ‘He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:  How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
“As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.  He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.  He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.”

Numbers 24:1-9

The words spoken  by the false prophet Balaam were spoken after he had tried to curse the people of God who were over one million in numbers of all the people.  They frightened Balak who was king of the Moabites a the time, and Balak heard of the man named Balaam, who, when he said  something, it came about as he said.

Balaam was a man for hire.  He could curse a group of people, and would for a price.  However, the poem of song he writes above sounds as though he believes God will not allow him to curse Israel.  When the matter is all said and done there are 24,000 people are slain due to the mingling of Moabites with Israel.

Phineas, a grandson of Aaron, has the Spirit of the LORD upon him, and with the zeal of God, runs with a spear into the tent of an Israelite man, who has entered with a Medianite woman, and ran them through together.  This stopped the plague which came upon the due to their lustful actions (Numbers 25)

It would seem that Balaam is the cause of the mingling, because he told Balak where their weakness was, and Balak took note; and thus Balaam got his reward from Balak.  He would not, and will not ever be blessed by receiving reward from the LORD.  Even for the words which he spoke above; neither will he be remembered or blessed for the words spoken in verses 15 through 24 of this same chapter.

They are actually a curse to him.  He knew who God was and is, yet he refused to love Him.  Yet his bed has been made, and in that bed he remains; guilty as a false prophet.

Where do you stand with the LORD God?  Do you know and believe that God is?  If you do; have you called on the name of His Son Jesus Christ for salvation from sin, and death?

Jesus Christ came to earth as the Incarnation of God to die for our  sins, by becoming sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.  Jesus died on a cross, was buried, and He rose again the third day.  I you call on Him, He will hear you and deliver you.