Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

The Prophet Who Wouldn’t Bless — and Couldn’t Stop

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“I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel…”
Numbers 24:17

Balaam is one of the most perplexing figures in the Old Testament. He was a prophet for hire, famous for his spiritual reputation and willing heart. Balak, king of Moab, summoned him to curse Israel, convinced that spiritual weaponry would succeed where the military failed. Balaam was happy to accept the commission, there was gold to be earned, provided that God permitted it.

And this is the great tension of Balaam’s story: he longed to curse, but was only able to speak what God gave him to say.

Three times from the mountaintop he opened his mouth hoping to condemn Israel, and three times blessing poured out instead. Not because Balaam loved Israel. Not because his heart was pure. But because God had set His favor upon His people and would not allow their blessing to be reversed.

Then, in one of the most remarkable moments in Scripture, this compromised prophet becomes the mouthpiece of one of the clearest Messianic prophecies of the Pentateuch.

“A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.”

Balaam, hired to destroy Israel, ends up proclaiming Israel’s greatest glory: the coming of the Messiah King.

There is holy irony here, the kind only God can write. A prophet driven by greed is compelled to announce a Savior driven by grace. A man seeking personal gain announces the triumph of the true King who will reign not through conquest but through sacrifice. Balaam foresaw the rise of a scepter, yet never bowed to it himself.

This moment teaches us something essential about God’s sovereignty: the Lord accomplishes His purposes not only through willing servants, but even through unwilling vessels. Balaam spoke better than he believed. His lips preached Christ while his heart remained unchanged.

And yet God’s Word came forth unhindered.

The coming Christ is described as both Star and Scepter, radiant glory and royal authority. The Star that would guide Gentiles centuries later to Bethlehem. The Scepter that would establish not merely an earthly kingdom, but a dominion of righteousness, peace, and everlasting life.

Ironically, Balaam stood among the Gentiles and spoke of the Jewish King sent for the salvation of the world, including men like Balaam himself. And still he walked away.

This is where the account grows sobering. It is possible to speak the truth of Christ without loving Him. It is possible to proclaim the gospel while missing the grace of it altogether. Balaam reminds us that proximity to truth does not equal saving faith. Ministry knowledge is not the same as a transformed heart.

Yet even this does not dim the glory of God’s purposes. If God could use a prophet motivated by profit to announce the promise of Christ, how much more will He use ordinary, stumbling believers yielded to His Word?

The Messiah does not need perfect servants, only faithful proclamation. The power is not in the messenger, but in the message.

Balaam meant to curse — God compelled blessing.
Balaam sought gold — God revealed glory.
Balaam spoke Christ — but never trusted Him.

And still the Star rose. Still the Scepter reigns. Still the gospel advances, unstoppable by human sin, weakness, or hypocrisy.

God will accomplish every word He has spoken, even when His servants do not understand the weight of what they proclaim.

May we not be like Balaam, content to speak truths we will not submit to. Instead, may we behold the Star not only with our lips, but with faith, and bow before the Scepter not only with words, but with our lives.

“We have the prophetic word more fully confirmed… until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (2 Peter 1:19)

SDG

Stand Firm in the Truth

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When you live in a day where the prevailing philosophy tells you there is no such thing as absolute truth (an absolute statement if ever there was one) it is hard to know where to stand. Everyone is encouraged to claim “their truth,” but that only ends up in chaos, because what is true for you might not necessarily be true for me. We’re left with Pilate asking, “What is truth?”

There are certain truths passed along in your education that you can bank on, and don’t have to rediscover for yourself. Pythagorean’s Theorem, for example, used in finding the longest side of a right triangle, A2 + B2 = C2. There’s also Newton’s Third Law of motion, which seems to apply in every realm of life: for every action there is an equal but opposite reaction.

There are also shared truths, or axioms, that you come to learn through experience. One that I learned early was, “broken people do broken things.” The venomous, toxic and hate-filled people you encounter in life are often unhappy in their own lives, and their lips show the overflow of their hearts.

I recently came across an interview with Tom Hanks, when he said that one truth he wished he would have known this earlier in life was: “This too shall pass.” When you’re feeling down, defeated or bad about yourself, remember that “this too shall pass.”  When life doesn’t seem great, work is challenging, or your personal life is challenging, remember that with hard work and discipline it will change and get better. All of this is momentary.  When you’re feeling good about yourself, your personal life is great, business is amazing, feeling on top of the world, guess what? “This too shall pass.”Sometimes we feel like we have it all together, then the next, we feel out of control and like things are falling apart. Both those feelings will pass. That’s why it’s good to stay confident during challenging times, knowing that you’ll work your way through it. On the flip side, when things are going well and you feel on top of the world, remember to stay humble. That too will pass, and you’ll be wondering where all the answers are.  

More that these scientific theorems and axioms of life, there is a greater truth upon which you can build your life: The truth revealed in God’s Word. Here are just a few:

  1. There is a God, and it’s not you. There is an Almighty God who is sovereign, gracious, good, faithful, and true, righteous in all his deeds. There is a center of the universe, and it is not you. God’s ways are higher than our ways, His wisdom is not ours. But God has made himself known to us in His word, and the Bible reveals all we must know for our salvation
  2. We, as God’s creation, have fallen from God in our sin, and are deserving of God’s righteous anger and wrath. Romans 3:23 tells us, “All have sinned and fall from the glory of God.” Also we read in Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.”
  3. God loves and saves His people from sin and wrath. In John 3:16 “God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, so that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but would have everlasting life.” Jesus came to demonstrate the love of God (Rom 5:8), and to show us how we are to love one another (John 13:33-35). The love of God was seen from the very beginning of the story of salvation (Gen 3:15; Deut 4:37; Isa 63:9), but His loving-kindness appeared in full in Jesus (Titus 3:4). 1 Timothy 1:15 “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
  4. We know that Jesus is the only way to salvation. 1 Tim 2:5 teaches, “There is one God, one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ.” Jesus himself said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one may come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). And Romans 10:13 reminds us that “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

These are just a few of the absolute truths of God’s Word, but this truth is the solid rock upon which we can build our lives. All the world may be like shifting sand, but this truth, the truth of Christ, is the very rock that will never be moved. Build your life upon Him!