What can we learn about obedience from Balaam's response to God's instructions? Meeting at the Altars “And God met with Balaam, and Balaam said to Him, “I have prepared seven altars, and on each altar I have offered a bull and a ram.” (Numbers 23:4) What Balaam Actually Does • Builds the precise number of altars God required (cf. Numbers 23:1–2). • Offers the exact sacrifices commanded—one bull and one ram on each altar. • Waits where God told him to wait so he can relay only what God puts in his mouth (Numbers 23:5). Lessons in Prompt, External Obedience • God’s presence follows simple, specific obedience: God “met with Balaam” only after Balaam carried out the instructions. • Obedience often begins with ordinary tasks—stacking stones, arranging wood, laying a sacrifice—before we receive further revelation (John 14:21). • When God speaks, delay is disobedience; Balaam acts immediately, modeling the urgency later echoed in Psalm 119:60: “I hurried without hesitating to keep Your commandments.” The Danger of Half-Hearted Compliance • Balaam’s hands obey, but his heart still gravitates toward Balak’s reward (Numbers 22:17, 24:11). • 1 Samuel 15:22 reminds us that “to obey is better than sacrifice”; ritual without surrender displeases the LORD. • James 1:22 warns against being “hearers only.” Balaam hears and acts, yet his motives will unravel him (Numbers 31:16). God’s Unbending Standard • Balaam cannot curse whom God has blessed, no matter his private wishes (Numbers 23:8). • Obedience is measured not by outcome we desire but by faithfulness to God’s word (Deuteronomy 4:2). • God’s sovereignty overrules human schemes, reinforcing why wholehearted obedience is the safest, wisest course (Proverbs 19:21). Walking in Full Obedience Today • Start where Balaam started—do the clear, simple things God has already said in Scripture. • Guard motives: invite the Spirit to expose any Balaam-like craving for recognition, power, or gain. • Replace ritual-only religion with relationship-driven responsiveness: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) • Remember that obedience positions us to hear God’s next word; disobedience silences that intimacy (Isaiah 59:2). Summary Snapshot Balaam’s quick construction of seven altars teaches that God treasures prompt, precise obedience. Yet his story also warns that outward compliance without inward surrender eventually collapses. True obedience blends right actions with a loyal heart, aligning us fully with the unchanging will of God. |
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