What can we learn about obedience from Balaam's response in Numbers 23:26? Setting the Scene Balak, king of Moab, entices Balaam to curse Israel. Twice Balaam receives word from God that only blessings, not curses, must be spoken. After the second oracle, Balak is frustrated, but Balaam responds: “Did I not tell you that whatever the LORD says, I must do?” (Numbers 23:26) What Balaam Actually Said and Meant • “Whatever the LORD says” – Balaam recognizes the absolute authority of God’s word. • “I must do” – Not optional advice, but binding command. • Balaam’s words reveal that obedience is defined by fidelity to revelation, not personal preference or external pressure. Core Principles of Obedience Highlighted • God’s word sets immovable boundaries. Balaam could utter only what the LORD allowed (Numbers 22:38; 24:13). • True obedience resists human manipulation. Balak offered honor and reward, yet Balaam stuck to God’s message (Numbers 22:17–18). • Obedience is verbal and behavioral. Balaam’s lips and actions aligned with God’s instructions. • Accountability is to God first. Balaam implies personal liability if he deviates from divine command (cf. Acts 5:29). Lessons We Can Take Home Today • Listen before acting. Balaam heard from God each time before speaking—reminding us to seek Scripture’s guidance first. • Refuse to compromise, even when reward or popularity beckons. Earthly incentives lose their pull when God’s glory is our aim (Matthew 6:24). • Speak truth under pressure. Cultural or relational tension never nullifies God’s directives (2 Timothy 4:2). • Stand on revealed truth, not shifting emotion. Obedience rests on what God has said, not how we feel (John 14:15). • Understand partial obedience equals disobedience. Balaam’s consistency in this scene contrasts with King Saul’s failure (1 Samuel 15:22–23). Other Scriptures Reinforcing These Truths • Deuteronomy 5:32 – “So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.” • Psalm 119:60 – “I hurried and did not delay to keep Your commandments.” • James 1:22 – “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” • 1 John 2:5 – “Whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected.” Putting Obedience into Daily Life • Begin each decision by consulting Scripture; let God’s voice set the agenda. • Identify pressures—people, ambitions, fears—that tempt compromise, and submit them to God’s authority. • Guard your speech: align every word with biblical truth, just as Balaam could speak only what God allowed. • Celebrate small acts of obedience; each one strengthens readiness for bigger tests ahead. |
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