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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 22
LESSON #26
THE NATURE OF GODS PERFECT WILL AND HIS PERMISSIVE WILL
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 10:3
v NUMBERS 22-25 INCLUDES THE STORY OF BALAAM, THEPROPHET. HE IS A VERY STRANGE PERSON, BUT GOD CONSIDERS HIM VERY IMPORTANT. WE KNOW THISBECAUSE HE IS MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT.
Ø IN MIC 6:5 GOD TELLS ISRAEL NOT TO FORGETBALAAM. BALAAM IS SO IMPORTANT THAT THERE IS MORE IN THE BIBLE ABOUT BALAAM THAN THERE ISABOUT MARY, THE MOTHER OF JESUS, OR ABOUT ANY OF THE DISCIPLES. BECAUSE HE IS SOIMPORTANT, WE MUST TRY TO UNDERSTAND AS MUCH ABOUT HIM AS WE CAN.
v READ NUM 22:1-6 BACKGROUND
Ø ISRAEL IS READY TO ENTER THE PROMISE LAND.BALAK WAS KING OF MOAB. HE HAD SEEN ISRAEL DEFEAT THE AMORITES AND THE KING OF BASHAN (NUM21). HE WAS AFRAID HIS PEOPLE WOULD BE NEXT.
§ BECAUSE HE DID NOT KNOWWHAT TO DO, HE DECIDED TO PAY FOR THE SERVICES OF A PROPHET. HE SENT FOR BALAAM, THEPROPHET. HE WANTED BALAAM TO CURSE ISRAEL, SO THAT WHEN BALAK ATTACKED, ISRAEL WOULD BEDEFEATED.
Ø WHO WAS BALAAM?
§ HE WAS A MIDIANITE WITH AWELL-KNOWN REPUTATION AS A PROPHET WHO GOT RESULTS. WAS HE A PROPHET OF GOD OR A HEATHENPROPHET? WE WILL FIND OUT THE ANSWER TO THIS DIFFICULT QUESTION.
v READ NUM 22:7-13 BALAAMS GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY
Ø THE ELDERS OF MIDIAN BROUGHT GIFTS OF WEALTHTO HIRE BALAAM.
§ WHAT WAS BALAAMSRESPONSE?
· HE DELAYED HIS ANSWER UNTIL HECOULD CONSULT GOD. FROM THIS WE CAN ASSUME HE EVIDENTLY KNEW ABOUT GOD. GOD WAS NOT ASTRANGER TO HIM.
¨ GODS ANSWER TO BALAAM:
Ø GOD TELLS HIM THAT ISRAEL IS BLESSED. HE MUSTNOT GO WITH THE MIDIANITES TO CURSE ISRAEL. GODS ANSWER IS VERY CLEAR.
¨ WHAT WAS WRONG WITH BALAAMS ANSWER TOTHE ELDERS OF MIDIAN?
Ø BALAAM DID NOT MENTION GODSPROHIBITION. THEREFORE THE MIDIANITES THOUGHT THAT BALAK HAD NOT OFFERED ENOUGH WEALTH TOBALAAM.
v READ NUM 22:14-20 BALAAMS SECOND OPPORTUNITY
Ø BALAK WAS VERY PERSISTENT. HE THOUGHT THAT IFHE PAID BALAAM ENOUGH, BALAAM WOULD CURSE ISRAEL. THEREFORE, HE OFFERED HIM GREAT PRESTIGEAND HONOR.
§ SOME PEOPLE WILL DOANYTHING FOR MONEY, HONOR, AND POWER.
§ GOD OFTEN TESTS TO SEE IFWE WILL DO HIS PERFECT WILL.
· THIS SECOND OPPORTUNITY IS A TESTFOR BALAAM.
¨ BALAAMS RESPONSE:
Ø ON THE SURFACE BALAAM SEEMS TO BE CONSISTENTIN HIS REPLY WHEN HE TURNS DOWN THE OFFER. HOWEVER, WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS THINKINGABOUT IN VERSE 18. HIS MIND WAS ON GOLD AND SILVER.
§ HE ALREADY HAD THE ANSWERFROM GOD REGARDING GODS PERFECT WILL. HE DID NOT NEED TO ASK GOD AGAIN WHAT WAS HISWILL.
· AS CHRISTIANS WE DO THIS VERYSAME THING ALL THE TIME. WHEN WE HAVE GODS ANSWER AND KNOW HIS WILL, WE CONTINUE TOASK BECAUSE WE ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH GODS PERFECT WILL. WE SECRETLY HOPE HE WILLCHANGE HIS MIND OR THAT HE WILL MAKE AN EXCEPTION FOR US.
¨ GODS RESPONSE:
Ø GOD HAD ALREADY STATED HIS PERFECT WILL. NOW,BECAUSE OF BALAAMS PERSISTENCE, GOD TELLS BALAAM HIS PERMISSIVE WILL. BALAAM WILL GOWITH THEM BUT HE MUST SAY ONLY WHAT GOD TELLS HIM.
§ AN IMPORTANT TRUTH:
· WHEN WE ARE LIVING IN GODSPERMISSIVE WILL, HE PERMITS US TO GO ONLY SO FAR BEFORE SEVERE CHASTISEMENT COMES.REMEMBER THAT GODS PERMISSIVE WILL BRINGS LEANNESS TO YOUR SOUL.
v READ NUM 22:21-27 THE ANGEL IN THE WAY
Ø HOW DO WE KNOW THAT BALAAM IS IN GODSPERMISSIVE WILL WHEN GOD TOLD HIM TO GO?
§ THESE VERSES TELL US GODWAS ANGRY (22,32).
· READ JAM 4:6
¨ GOD PERMITTED HIM TO GO, HOWEVER, JAM 4:6SAYS GOD RESISTS THE PROUD PERSON. WHEN YOU ARE IN GODS PERMISSIVE WILL, PRIDE ISYOUR PROBLEM BECAUSE YOU ARE SAYING THAT YOU KNOW THE WAY BETTER THAN GOD.
Ø WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN IT SAYS GOD RESISTSYOU?
§ IT MEANS GOD FRUSTRATES ANDOPPOSES YOU.
§ GOD SENT THE ANGEL TOOPPOSE BALAAM. IF YOU DISCOVER GOD IS OPPOSING YOU, BY THAT YOU WILL KNOW YOU ARE IN HISPERMISSIVE WILL.
· WHEN BALAAM WAS IN GODSPERMISSIVE WILL, HE WAS NOT AS SPIRITUALLY PERCEPTIVE AS HIS DONKEY. HE HAD CLOSED HISHEART TO GOD.
v READ NUM 22:28-35 THE MIRACLE OF THE TALKING DONKEY
Ø BECAUSE OF GODS LOVE FOR BELIEVERS, HESENDS WARNINGS. THESE ARE THE FRUSTRATIONS THAT HINDER OUR WAY. GOD WILL USE WHATEVER ISNECESSARY TO DISSUADE US FROM OUR PATH OF DESTRUCTION.
§ GOD ALLOWED BALAAM TO SEETHE ANGEL AND HEAR THE DONKEY SO THAT HE WOULD KNOW EXACTLY WHERE HIS LIMITS WERE.
v READ 2PET 2:15-19 THE WAY OF BALAAM
Ø 2PET 2 SPEAKS IN DETAIL ABOUT FALSE PROPHETSAND FALSE TEACHERS. IT SAYS THESE FALSE PROPHETS AND TEACHERS HAVE LEFT THE STRAIGHT ANDNARROW PATH TO FOLLOW THE WAY OF BALAAM.
§ WHAT IS THE WAY OFBALAAM?
· IT IS LIVING IN GODSPERMISSIVE WILL, WHICH INCLUDES LOVING THE SIN OF THE WORLD.
· IT ALSO INVOLVES LEADING OTHERBELIEVERS INTO GODS PERMISSIVE WILL, AS WELL.
v READ NUM 22:36-41 BALAAMS PAYMENT
Ø BALAK PAYS BALAAM WELL FOR HIS SERVICES.
§ READ HEB 11:24-26
· THIS PASSAGE CONTRASTS MOSESLIFE WITH THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WAY OF BALAAM.
¨ THE WAGES OF SIN ARE PLEASURABLE FOR ASEASON. BALAAM CHOSE THE PLEASURES OF THE WORLD IN GODS PERMISSIVE WILL. MOSES CHOSEGODS PERFECT WILL AND THE REWARDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
v REVIEW:
Ø WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT THECHARACTERISTICS OF BALAAM?
§ HE DESIRED THE RICHES OFTHE WORLD MORE THAN HE DESIRED GODS PERFECT WILL.
Ø WHAT LESSONS DO YOU LEARN ABOUT GODSPERMISSIVE WILL?
§ GODS PERMISSIVE WILLANGER GOD. IT MAY APPEAR PLEASURABLE FOR A SEASON, BUT IT ENDS IN LEANNESS TO YOUR SOUL.
v HOMEWORK
v NUMBERS23
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION OF NUM 22
Ø HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN GODS PERMISSIVEWILL?
§ HOW DID GOD FRUSTRATE ANDOPPOSE YOU IN THAT SITUATION?
§ WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROMTHAT SITUATION?
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 23
Ø READ NUM 23
§ WHAT WAS BALAAMSFIRST PROPHECY?
§ WHAT WAS BALAAMSSECOND PROPHECY?
Ø READ JUDE 10-13
§ WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THEERROR OF BALAAM?
v MEMORY VERSE: 2PET 2:15
