What can we learn about obedience from Balaam's actions in Numbers 23:14? Setting the Scene Numbers 23:14: “So Balak took Balaam to the field of Zophim, on the top of Pisgah, where he built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.” Walking Through the Text • Balak moves Balaam to a new vantage point, hoping a different view will produce a different prophecy. • Balaam cooperates outwardly—he climbs the mountain, watches the sacrifices, and prepares to speak again. • Yet Balaam knows he must declare only what the LORD puts in his mouth (22:18; 23:12). • The verse captures a tension: external obedience to Balak versus internal responsibility to God. Key Insights on Obedience • Obedience is not location-dependent. – Balaam changes places, but God’s word does not change (Malachi 3:6). • Partial compliance can mask divided loyalties. – Balaam’s actions look submissive, yet his heart remains tempted by Balak’s reward (2 Peter 2:15). • True obedience resists pressure to manipulate outcomes. – Balak tries a new strategy; Balaam must resist altering the message for human approval (Galatians 1:10). • God values wholehearted devotion over ritual performance. – Seven altars and costly sacrifices impress Balak, not God (1 Samuel 15:22). • Compromise now invites greater failure later. – Balaam’s willingness to stay with Balak sets the stage for the counsel that will later ensnare Israel (Numbers 31:16; Revelation 2:14). Putting It Into Practice • Keep God’s word central—context, setting, audience changes do not alter His commands. • Examine motives: Are we obeying for God’s glory or to please people or gain advantage? • Refuse “small” compromises; they open doors to larger disobedience. • Measure obedience by faithfulness, not by outward impressiveness or religious activity. • Stand firm when others pressure you to adjust God’s message to fit their agenda. Related Scriptures • Numbers 22:18; 24:13—Balaam’s repeated confession that he can only speak what God says. • 1 Samuel 15:22—“To obey is better than sacrifice.” • 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11—warnings about the “way of Balaam,” loving the wages of unrighteousness. • James 1:8—double-mindedness makes a person unstable in all ways. |
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