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Readings: Numbers 22:1, 4b-6, 12-38; 24:10-13, 25; Jude 1:3-5, 10-11, 19-21; Luke 6:20, 26
In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Towards the end of the 40 years in the wilderness Israel meets Balaam. He is a prophet of the Lord from Mesopotamia. (Deut. 23:4) They meet him when their distant relatives—the Moabites, descended of Lot (Gen. 19:36-37), Abraham’s nephew—do not meet them with bread and water (Neh. 13:2), but instead hire a prophet (or diviner, Josh. 13:22) to curse them. (Num. 22:5-6; Deut. 23:3-4) Balaam seems to be an actual prophet of Lord. He has a reputation for being able to actually accomplish things: to bless and curse in the name of the Lord. (Num. 22:6, 8, 18) It is not surprising that there would be prophets of the Lord outside of Israel as some in Moab and elsewhere may have continued to believe in the Lord over the years. Moabites were descended of righteous Lot—righteous (2 Pet. 2:7) not by works but because he believed God and the Lord credited to him as righteousness. (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:24) He believed the Lord would bless all the families on earth through Abraham’s family by taking on flesh through Abraham’s line (Gen. 12:3), so that He might be crushed for sin (Gen. 3:15), taking the power of sin away, utterly crushing Satan. For the Serpent cannot kill the Son of God. Death has no dominion over Him. (Rom. 6:9) Balaam seems to know this. He is a prophet of the Lord. He even seeks out the Lord, though his ways are bit beyond the pale. (Num. 24:1; 23:1, 14-15, 29-30) But as with so many who start out preaching God’s righteousness in Christ (Acts 20:29-30)—so that some might believe and by the gift of faith have life in His name, through Lord’s graciously crediting you with His righteousness—he had corrupted his ways. (2 Pet. 2:15) He was a prophet for hire. He took money to bless and curse. The Lord promised to bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who cursed him. (Gen. 12:3) The Lord blesses for the sake of Abraham’s family by which all families will be blessed when He became part of the human family, taking on our flesh in the womb of Mary, the virgin daughter of this family.
In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Towards the end of the 40 years in the wilderness Israel meets Balaam. He is a prophet of the Lord from Mesopotamia. (Deut. 23:4) They meet him when their distant relatives—the Moabites, descended of Lot (Gen. 19:36-37), Abraham’s nephew—do not meet them with bread and water (Neh. 13:2), but instead hire a prophet (or diviner, Josh. 13:22) to curse them. (Num. 22:5-6; Deut. 23:3-4) Balaam seems to be an actual prophet of Lord. He has a reputation for being able to actually accomplish things: to bless and curse in the name of the Lord. (Num. 22:6, 8, 18) It is not surprising that there would be prophets of the Lord outside of Israel as some in Moab and elsewhere may have continued to believe in the Lord over the years. Moabites were descended of righteous Lot—righteous (2 Pet. 2:7) not by works but because he believed God and the Lord credited to him as righteousness. (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:24) He believed the Lord would bless all the families on earth through Abraham’s family by taking on flesh through Abraham’s line (Gen. 12:3), so that He might be crushed for sin (Gen. 3:15), taking the power of sin away, utterly crushing Satan. For the Serpent cannot kill the Son of God. Death has no dominion over Him. (Rom. 6:9) Balaam seems to know this. He is a prophet of the Lord. He even seeks out the Lord, though his ways are bit beyond the pale. (Num. 24:1; 23:1, 14-15, 29-30) But as with so many who start out preaching God’s righteousness in Christ (Acts 20:29-30)—so that some might believe and by the gift of faith have life in His name, through Lord’s graciously crediting you with His righteousness—he had corrupted his ways. (2 Pet. 2:15) He was a prophet for hire. He took money to bless and curse. The Lord promised to bless those who bless Abraham and curse those who cursed him. (Gen. 12:3) The Lord blesses for the sake of Abraham’s family by which all families will be blessed when He became part of the human family, taking on our flesh in the womb of Mary, the virgin daughter of this family.
Balaam curses whoever he is hired to curse. Somewhere along the way he knew of the Lord. He refers to the Lord. But he seeks the Lord out by divination (Num 24:1; Josh. 13:22)—a method the Lord does not approve of. (Deut. 18:10; 1 Sam. 15:23) So Balaam seems to be an oddity. He once believed in the Lord. He may even have started as a true prophet. But he went bad. The New Testament mentions Balaam 3 times (2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 1:11; Rev. 2:14) always speaking of how he sinned by gaining money from wrong doing and misleading Israel. A true prophet preaches repentance and salvation in the Lord’s name. (Luke 24:47) Balaam makes money in the Lord’s name. He uses his reputation, possibly gained from being an actual prophet of the Lord, to get rich. He becomes a curse to Israel not by actual placing in front of Israel the Lord’s promises and blessings, but rather the temptations of this world: the sex cults of the local gods. (Num. 23:28; 25:1-3; 31:16; Rev. 2:14) Though the enticements of the world sometimes change there are many in our world today who have famous reputations for being preachers of God’s word, but if once they were faithful to the Lord they have departed into preaching self-help to get your best life now, pointing Christians to themselves and their present happiness, rather than to Christ, His righteousness, and His kingdom of righteousness. This is the sin of Balaam: preaching for gain. (2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 1:11) But his sin is a powerful temptation in our day. For you too have gotten seduced into thinking pastors should preach more timely tips on how to be good, be successful, how to have whole world and maybe not forfeit your soul (Mark 8:36), rather than point you to Him who is your righteousness, your salvation, your treasure where your heart is found. (Matt. 6:21) Repent.
Balaam is known in the Bible for sinning by preaching for gain, not for Christ. When to live is Christ and to die in Christ is gain. (Phil. 1:21) Not to live now is gain, to preach and be famous is gain. Or, to have a famous preacher at your church is a sure way to gain. But the other thing Balaam is known for is who the Lord sent to preach to him when he was a wayward preacher.
Balaam is known in the Bible for sinning by preaching for gain, not for Christ. When to live is Christ and to die in Christ is gain. (Phil. 1:21) Not to live now is gain, to preach and be famous is gain. Or, to have a famous preacher at your church is a sure way to gain. But the other thing Balaam is known for is who the Lord sent to preach to him when he was a wayward preacher.
You all heard it. Who preached to Balaam? Who pointed out the error of his way? His own donkey. (Num. 22:28-30) Balaam had made such a jackanapes of himself that the Lord had to humble him, and graciously call him unto repentance. And He did it how? By his own donkey.
The Lord opened his donkey’s eyes (Num. 22:23) to see the Angel of Lord—God in human form, the second person of the Trinity—standing there with what? A sword in His hand. It’s almost a surprise that sword was not coming from His mouth since the Lord appears other times with a sword coming out of His mouth (Rev. 1:12-16) since His Word is the sword of spirit (Eph. 6:17), and sharper than a two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12), slicing and dicing, judging and pardoning with the precision that only He who searches hearts and minds of all (Jer. 17:10; Rev. 2:23, etc.), who knows all and is justified when He speaks and righteous when He judges has. (Ps. 51:4)
The Angel stands in the donkey’s way. And 3 times the donkey stops. Three times Balaam mistreats his donkey. (Num. 22:23-27) Why? Because he is eager to go get paid. He’s got a primo speaking engagement to get to. But the Lord gives the last word to the donkey. He opens the donkey’s mouth. (Num. 22:28) The donkey shames Balaam. “Haven’t I always been faithful to you? Have I ever treated you this way before?” (Num. 22:30) No. So that by mouth of an ass Balaam sees what he is. And now humbled by preaching the Lord opens his eyes to see how the donkey had triply, Triunely, saved him. (Num. 22:31) For the Lord resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6) And humbled the Lord Himself speaks confirming what donkey spoke. (Num. 22:32-33) The donkey was Balaam’s salvation physically. The donkey’s preaching was Balaam’s salvation spiritually for that third time that the donkey saved his life God’s donkey preacher preached His wayward preacher unto repentance. (Num. 22:34) Back into faith. Balaam repents. Recognizes his wrong. Seeks the Lord and His ways. Becomes a servant of the Lord and His salvation for Israel (Num. 22:35), not cursing as hired, but blessing Israel three times and cursing Balaak who would curse Israel. So that Balaam is a preacher of God’s faithfulness to His own promises. By his preaching Israel is saved. And along with Israel all the world by Abraham’s seed, the son of Eve, taking on our flesh in the womb of the virgin Mary, a daughter of this family. He carried our sin to the cross where it is finished. He rose to preach blessing to all who by faith in Him are sons of Abraham.
The Lord opened his donkey’s eyes (Num. 22:23) to see the Angel of Lord—God in human form, the second person of the Trinity—standing there with what? A sword in His hand. It’s almost a surprise that sword was not coming from His mouth since the Lord appears other times with a sword coming out of His mouth (Rev. 1:12-16) since His Word is the sword of spirit (Eph. 6:17), and sharper than a two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12), slicing and dicing, judging and pardoning with the precision that only He who searches hearts and minds of all (Jer. 17:10; Rev. 2:23, etc.), who knows all and is justified when He speaks and righteous when He judges has. (Ps. 51:4)
The Angel stands in the donkey’s way. And 3 times the donkey stops. Three times Balaam mistreats his donkey. (Num. 22:23-27) Why? Because he is eager to go get paid. He’s got a primo speaking engagement to get to. But the Lord gives the last word to the donkey. He opens the donkey’s mouth. (Num. 22:28) The donkey shames Balaam. “Haven’t I always been faithful to you? Have I ever treated you this way before?” (Num. 22:30) No. So that by mouth of an ass Balaam sees what he is. And now humbled by preaching the Lord opens his eyes to see how the donkey had triply, Triunely, saved him. (Num. 22:31) For the Lord resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6) And humbled the Lord Himself speaks confirming what donkey spoke. (Num. 22:32-33) The donkey was Balaam’s salvation physically. The donkey’s preaching was Balaam’s salvation spiritually for that third time that the donkey saved his life God’s donkey preacher preached His wayward preacher unto repentance. (Num. 22:34) Back into faith. Balaam repents. Recognizes his wrong. Seeks the Lord and His ways. Becomes a servant of the Lord and His salvation for Israel (Num. 22:35), not cursing as hired, but blessing Israel three times and cursing Balaak who would curse Israel. So that Balaam is a preacher of God’s faithfulness to His own promises. By his preaching Israel is saved. And along with Israel all the world by Abraham’s seed, the son of Eve, taking on our flesh in the womb of the virgin Mary, a daughter of this family. He carried our sin to the cross where it is finished. He rose to preach blessing to all who by faith in Him are sons of Abraham.
For the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb. 13:8) He works His salvation in the same way He always has: through preachers of Christ and Him crucified. That is power of the preacher, the sufficiency of the preacher. (2 Cor. 3:4-6) Not his own eloquence, insight, or turn of phrase. But Christ and Him crucified for you. (1 Cor. 1:23) For a preacher who meets with Christ by His word can only speak of Christ the saviour from sin and death. That word which crucifies your flesh, turning you from your sin and giving you victory over it by Christ and His cross. For Christ is your righteousness. (1 Cor. 1:30) The only righteousness (2 Pet. 2:15; Jude 1:11) that avails before the Father. Given to you by what you’ve heard from preachers Lord has sent to you. (Rom. 10:14-15)
In +Jesus name, Amen.
—Pastor David Haberstock
Epiphany Lutheran Church
Thunder Bay, ON
In +Jesus name, Amen.
—Pastor David Haberstock
Epiphany Lutheran Church
Thunder Bay, ON
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