Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

Numbers 23 tells the story of Balaam and how he proceeded after his donkey stopped him from being killed.  They build altars again and again as Balak wants the Prophet to curse the Israelites.  Remember the Moabites are afraid of this great number of humans who have come from Egypt and destroyed others that they encountered.

The curses turn into blessings because Balaam would only do what Jehovah would allow him to do.  He was smarter than some of us Christians in the twenty-first century.  It is very easy to become politically correct because homosexuals do not want their life choice to be called a sin.  We are better off avoiding this controversy when we can than violating God’s law.  Those who compromise will feel the wrath as much as those who disobey the Lord.

The last time Balaam was supposed to curse the Israelites in Numbers 24 he did not bother to consult with Jehovah.  When he saw the camp, the Spirit of God came on him and he once again blessed Moses and his people.  He also saw a King in Israel greater than any in that area at that time.

To add insult to injury, before he left, he prophesied about what the future held for Moab and Israel.  He even added a word against the Amalekites and the Kenites.  When God is followed, the speaker will always tell the truth.  You must rebel against Him to speak falsehood and if you do not tell the truth, it is against Yahweh’s instructions.

Numbers 25 tells of another case of the Israelites violating the law of Jehovah against idol worship and marrying outside of the Jewish nation.  Midianites encouraged these marriages because they felt countries that intermarried with them were more likely to be their friends.

Phinehas, a grandson of Aaron, stopped the plague that was killing the children of Israel.  He ran a spear through a man and a Midianite woman while they were in his tent together.  The enforcement of the law stopped the deaths at twenty-four thousand.  Without this priest, the number of dead would have been higher.

Some believe that much of the disease in our time is the result of sin.  As Christians we need to be careful to not develop a holier than thou attitude.  We are all sinners and are saved by God’s grace, not be any action of our own.  While we know some sinful actions help to spread disease, condemning others is not our purpose.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger