How can we apply Balaam's experience to discern God's will in our lives? Setting the Scene Balak ushers Balaam to “the field of Zophim, on the top of Pisgah” and piles up seven altars, bulls, and rams (Numbers 23:14). From this high perch Balaam can see a slice of Israel’s vast camp, but the vantage point—and the lavish sacrifices—cannot bend God’s word. What unfolds in the next verses offers a lasting tutorial on how to recognize and obey God’s will. What Balaam Did Right—And Where He Went Wrong • He insisted on speaking only what God put in his mouth (Numbers 22:18; 23:8). • He listened for fresh instruction each time Balak moved him (22:19; 23:3–4). • Yet he allowed greed and honor to tug at his heart (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11). • He tried to manipulate the setting—new peaks, new altars—hoping for a different word, forgetting that God “is not a man, that He should lie” (23:19). Timeless Principles for Hearing God Today • God’s will never contradicts His written Word. If Balaam could not curse whom God had blessed, neither can we pursue any path Scripture forbids. • Changing externals won’t change divine truth. New geography, rituals, or emotions cannot rewrite God’s decree. • Motives matter. The lure of reward blurred Balaam’s perception; pure motives clarify our hearing (Matthew 5:8). • God speaks clearly when He chooses. Balaam heard unmistakably; we receive the same certainty through Scripture illumined by the Spirit (John 16:13). • Obedience protects us from spiritual harm. Balaam’s later compromise with Moab (Numbers 31:16; Revelation 2:14) shows that head knowledge without surrendered obedience breeds disaster. Putting It into Practice This Week 1. Prioritize Scripture: read, meditate, and measure every impression against the text (Psalm 119:105). 2. Ask boldly for wisdom (James 1:5), expecting God to answer. 3. Examine motives—ambition, fear, desire for approval—and confess anything that clouds discernment (Psalm 139:23–24). 4. Seek godly counsel; Balaam traveled alone, but God embeds us in a body for protection (Proverbs 15:22). 5. Watch providence without forcing outcomes. If doors stay shut, accept the stop sign instead of building “seven more altars.” 6. Act on what you already know. Clarity often follows obedience to the last directive (John 7:17). Warnings Worth Remembering • Compromise may look insignificant at first: a flattering offer, a small concession. Yet “the way of Balaam” ends in ruin (2 Peter 2:15). • Spiritual-sounding activity—sacrifices, ceremonies, even prayer—can mask disobedience if the heart is set on its own plan. • Partial obedience is disobedience. Balaam spoke God’s words but still schemed for Moabite gold. Anchoring Promises When You Need Guidance • “Trust in the LORD with all your heart…He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5–6). • “Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths” (Psalm 25:4). • “You will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). • “God is not a man, that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19). The voice that guided Balaam still guides every willing heart today. |
    |