Disciples of Jesus Christs' Memorial Parsha Balak

Greetings, welcome to the Memorial Parsha for the Disciples of Jesus Christ. The Parsha is called Balak and is comprised of Numbers 22 through Numbers 25.

In loving Memory of MICHAEL JACKSON: Sunrise August 29th, 1958 through Sunset May 25, 2009

2nd Peter 2:9-11

9)The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10) But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
11) Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

NUMBERS 22:

 ¹And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.

 ²And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

 ³And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

 ⁴And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

 ⁵He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, "Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:

 ⁶Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed."

 ⁷And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.

 ⁸And he said unto them, "Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam."

 ⁹And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?

 ¹⁰And Balaam said unto God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

 ¹¹Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out."

 ¹²And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.

 ¹³And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, "Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you."

 ¹⁴And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, "Balaam refuseth to come with us."

 ¹⁵And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.

 ¹⁶And they came to Balaam, and said to him, "Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:

 ¹⁷For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people."

 ¹⁸And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.

 ¹⁹Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more."

 ²⁰And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.

 ²¹And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

 ²²And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

 ²³And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

 ²⁴But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

 ²⁵And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

 ²⁶And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

 ²⁷And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

 ²⁸And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, "What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?"

 ²⁹And Balaam said unto the ass, "Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee."

 ³⁰And the ass said unto Balaam, "Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay." (Numbers 22, King James Version)

DISCIPLES REFERENCE:

2 Peter 2:15 - ¹⁵Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; (2 Peter 2:15, King James Version)
Jude 1:6 - ⁶And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. (Jude 1:6, King James Version)

Commnetary:

This chapter is very interesting because it tells us that we should let nothing get in the way of knwong when oour LORD God is speaking to us, not the church we attend, not the elders that we subscribe. Most importantly, we should never let the way we practice our religion get in the way of listening and then doing (serving) our LORD God. As a matter of fact, God took great pains to first show Balaam that the children of Israel were blessed. Then the next step was to convince Balaam that although he may be infront of a great, noble and or prestigious company that the most important lesson in this peradventure with Balaak and many other princes was to continue to do anything that is displeasing before the eye of God.

The other day I was reading a newspaper, and on the back of the Newspaper, I was immediately summons and converted all over again to knowing that man can speak a curse over me. I know that I should not be afraid of what man can do to me. To many times we are affected by the curses evil people want us to have because we give them our power, we let their (Balak's) curses effect us. If you don't have a job today, then don't let that curse affect you. If you don't have anywhere to live and you are living on the street, don't let it affect you. Say the exact words Balaam said, "I can not go beyond the command of the LORD my God" (verse 18). 

It is amazing how people seek gratitude in other paths that God did not choose. In order to abstain from choosing the paths that God did not choose you must not do anything that is not commanded of the LORD. Even if you want justice, revenge or love so bad that you would take matters into your own hands, or settle for what Balaak will give you, this is not the commandment of God, and this is not the path of salvation.

RECOMMENDED REFERENCES:

THE CHURCH AT PERGAMUM. The Book of REVELATION, Chapter 2:12-17. http://www.wcg.org/lit/bible/rev/rev2d.htm.