Numbers Lesson #28

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 24
LESSON #28
DETERMINING A TRUE OR FALSE PROPHETIC MESSAGE

v     MEMORY VERSE: MAT 7:15

v     REVIEW:

Ø      WE HAVE STUDIED WHAT THE BIBLE CALLS “THEWAY OF BALAAM” IN CHAPTER 22. THE WAY OF BALAAM IS A PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE WHERE APERSON LOVES THE PLEASURES OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS MORE THAN THE WAY OF GOD. (2PET 2:15).

Ø      IN CHAPTER 23, WE STUDIED WHAT THE BIBLECALLS “THE ERROR OF BALAAM”. THE ERROR OF BALAAM IS A PRIDEFUL, DEFECTIVEUNDERSTANDING OF GOD.

§         SUCH A PERSON ENJOYSWORLDLINESS AND ASSUMES GOD WILL ALLOW HIS UNRIGHTEOUS PLEASURES WHILE JUDGING OTHERS FORTHEIR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.

Ø      IN CHAPTER 24, WE WILL LEARN ABOUT THE NATUREOF TRUE AND FALSE PROPHETS AND THEIR PROPHECIES.

v     READ NUM 24:1-9   BALAAM’S THIRD PROPHECY

Ø      IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTICE THAT THE SPIRITOF GOD CAME UPON BALAAM AND GAVE HIM A PROPHETIC MESSAGE.

§         “THE MAN WHOSE EYESARE OPEN SAYS…”

·        IN OTHER WORDS, BALAAM FALLS INTOA TRANCE AND RECEIVES THIS MESSAGE FROM GOD. HIS PHYSICAL EYES AND HIS SPIRITUAL EYES AREOPEN TO SEE CLEARLY GOD’S INTENT.

Ø      THE PROPHECY:

§         THE ISRAELITES ARE BLESSEDBY GOD EVEN THOUGH THEY COMMIT SIN. NOTICE THAT HE CALLS THEM “JACOB” IN VERSE5. JACOB WAS A SELFISH DECEIVER MUCH LIKE BALAAM UNTIL GOD TOOK HOLD OF HIM AND CHANGEDHIS LIFE.

§         IN VERSE 6 HIS PROPHECYLOOKS FORWARD TO THE ISRAELITES IN THE PRODUCTIVE LAND THAT GOD FIRST PROMISED TO ABRAHAM.

§         ISRAEL’S KING SHALL BEHIGHER THAN KING AGAG AND HIS KINGDOM SHALL BE EXALTED. (7)

·        THIS REFERS TO JESUS CHRIST, THEKING OF KINGS WHO WILL ONE DAY RULE HIS KINGDOM FROM EARTH DURING THE MILLENNIUM.

§         ISRAEL WILL BE VICTORIOUSOVER ALL ITS ENEMIES (8)

§         THE REFERENCE TO A LION (9)IS AGAIN A REFERENCE TO JESUS, THE LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH.

§         GOD WILL BLESS THOSE WHOBLESS THE JEWS AND CURSE THOSE WHO CURSE THE JEWS. (9)

·        THIS STATEMENT WAS FIRST MADE TOABRAHAM IN GEN 12:3. AND THIS PRINCIPLE HAS REMAINED TRUE THROUGH THE HISTORY OF MANKIND.A NATION WHO BLESSES THE JEWS WILL BE BLESSED. YOU CAN TRACE THE HISTORY OF THE RISE ANDFALL OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE AS WELL AS OTHER NATIONS ACCORDING TO HOW THEY TREAT THE JEWS.

v     READ NUM 24:10-14   BALAK’S RESPONSE

Ø      BALAK WAS ANGRY WITH BALAAM. HE WAS PAYINGHIM A BIG PRICE TO CURSE ISRAEL. HOWEVER, BALAAM’S PROPHECIES BLESS ISRAEL INSTEAD.

§         BALAAM REMINDS BALAK THATHE IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF THE BLESSING AND THE CURSING, GOD IS IN CONTROL. BALAAM CAN ONLYSPEAK WHAT GOD PERMITS HIM TO SAY.

·        A SPIRITUAL TRUTH:

¨      SATAN AND HIS WORKERS CANNOT BRING ALEGITIMATE CHARGE AGAINST GOD’S PEOPLE. GOD’S PEOPLE ARE FORGIVEN OF THEIR SINSTHROUGH THE SERPENT ON THE POLE IN NUM 21 AS THEY LOOK FORWARD BY FAITH TO THECRUCIFIXION.

Ø      IN THE SAME WAY, NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS AREFORGIVEN OF THEIR SINS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AS WE LOOK BACK BY FAITH TO THE CRUCIFIXION.(ROM 8:31)

v     READ NUM 24:15-19   BALAAM’S FOURTH PROPHECY

Ø      PART OF THIS MESSAGE IS A BEAUTIFUL PROPHECYTHAT WE OFTEN HEAR AT CHRISTMAS.

§         THE PROPHECY ABOUT ISRAEL,CHRIST, AND BELIEVERS:

·        “I SHALL SEE HIM BUT NOTNOW…”

¨      WITH THE EYES OF FAITH ALL BELIEVERS CAN SAYTHIS. WE DON’T SEE JESUS HERE PHYSICALLY, BUT WE KNOW ONE DAY WE WILL SEE HIM FACE TOFACE AND KNOW HIM IN THE PERFECT WAY THAT HE KNOWS US.

Ø      (1COR 13:12)

·        A STAR OUT OF JACOB AND A SCEPTEROUT OF ISRAEL.

¨      THIS IS A REFERENCE TO JESUS BIRTH ANDULTIMATE RULERSHIP. (17)

Ø      ABOUT 1500 YEARS AFTER THIS PROPHECY, A GROUPOF MEN CAME OUT OF THIS LAND WHERE BALAAM WAS AND FOLLOWED A STAR TO BETHLEHEM.

§         BALAAM WAS A WELL-KNOWNPROPHET IN THE EAST. THE WISE MEN IN THE EAST KNEW OF THIS PROPHECY.

·        ISRAEL SHALL POSSESS THE LANDS OFTHEIR ENEMIES. (18)

¨      THE PROPHECY ABOUT THE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL:

Ø      THE AMALEKITES:           

§         THEY WERE FIRST STRONG BUTWILL END UP WEAK. THEY WILL NOT SURVIVE AS A NATION.

·        THERE IS NO AMALEKITE NATIONTODAY. (1CHR 4:43)

Ø      THE KENITES:

§         THEY TRUSTED IN THEIRMILITARY POWER TO PROTECT THEM, BUT THEY WOULD BE TAKEN CAPTIVE BY THE ASSYRIANS.

·        THIS WAS FULFILLED DURING THETIME OF NEBUCHADNEZZAR IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL.

Ø      THE ASSYRIANS:

§         THEY WOULD BE DESTROYED BYTHE BABYLONIANS WHO WOULD BE DESTROYED BY THE GREEKS WHO WOULD BE TAKEN OVER BY THEROMANS. THROUGH ALL THIS THE ISRAELITES (EBER) WOULD BE AFFLICTED, BUT THEY WOULD NEVER BETOTALLY DESTROYED.

§         ALL OF BALAAM’SPROPHECIES SEEM TO COME FROM GOD. ALL HAVE ASPECTS OF FULFILLMENT IN HISTORIC PAST, ORTHEY LOOK TO GOD’S FULFILLMENT WHEN JESUS COMES BACK AGAIN.

§         ALL OF BALAAM’SPROPHECIES LINE UP WITH THE REST OF SCRIPTURE.

·        THESE SAME PROPHECIES AREREPEATED ELSEWHERE IN THE BIBLE.

v     DISCUSSION:  WEHAVE SOME THEOLOGICAL PROBLEMS:

Ø      WAS BALAAM A BELIEVER IN GOD OR NOT?

§         HE WANTED TO CURSE ISRAELFOR HER SINS AND GET PAID FOR IT.

·        BUT, THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME UPONHIM AND GAVE HIM MESSAGES FROM GOD.

Ø      HOW CAN WE TELL A TRUE PROPHET FROM A FALSEPROPHET, AND HOW CAN WE TELL A TRUE MESSAGE OF GOD FROM A FALSE MESSAGE?

Ø      FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION:

§         PERSONALLY I BELIEVE BALAAMWAS INITIALLY A BELIEVER, BUT HE WAS IN GOD’S PERMISSIVE WILL.  AS WE WILL DISCOVER IN NEXT WEEK’S LESSON,THIS TYPE OF PERSON IS OFTEN THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

·        NOTICE NUM 24:25. IT SAYS THAT HE“RETURN ED TO HIS PLACE AND BALAK ALSO WENT HIS WAY”.

¨      THERE IS ONLY ONE OTHER PLACE IN SCRIPTURETHAT THIS KIND OF PHRASE IS USED. 

Ø      READ ACT 1:25.

§         IT REFERS TO JUDAS WHOBETRAYED CHRIST. LATER IN NUM 31:8 WE WILL READ THAT BALAAM WAS KILLED IN BATTLE ALONGWITH THE MIDIAN KINGS. LIKE JUDAS HE DIED A VIOLENT DEATH.  THEREFORE, WE COULD SAY THAT BALAAM IS A PREFIGURE OF JUDAS WHO BETRAYEDJESUS.

v     THE TEST OF A TRUE PROPHET AND HIS MESSAGE:

Ø      READ MAT 7:15-16 AND 2PET 2:1-4, 10-22

§         IS THE MESSAGE TRUEREGARDING JESUS CHRIST?

·        REV 19:10  JOH 16:13-14  DEU 13:1-3  1JOH 4:1-3; 2:21-22  1COR 12:3  JOH15:26

Ø      IS THE MESSAGE TRUE TO THE REST OF SCRIPTURE?

§         2TIM 3:16  ISA 8:19-20  2PET1:20-21

Ø      DOES THE PROPHET’S MESSAGE COME TO PASS?

§         DEU 18:19-22

Ø      DOES THE MESSAGE PRODUCE INTERNAL PEACE?

§         COL 3:15  DEU 13:1-5  1JOH2:20,27

Ø      IS THE MESSAGE CONFIRMED BY OTHERS?

§         2COR 13:1

Ø      DOES THE MESSAGE LEAD PEOPLE INTO SPIRITUALLIBERTY OR BONDAGE?

§         ROM 8:1,15  2PET 2:15-19  1COR 14:3 

Ø      IS THE MESSAGE CONSISTENT, OR DOES IT CONFUSEAND CHANGE DOCTRINES?

§         DEU 18:20-22

Ø      IS THERE AN ANOINTING FROM GOD ON THE MESSAGEAND THE MESSENGER?

§         1JOH 2:20

Ø      DOES THE LIFE OF THE MESSENGER LIVE UP TO HISMESSAGE?

§         GAL 5:22 1TIM 3:1-13 MAT7:15-20

v     CONCLUSION:

Ø      BALAAM’S FIRST FOUR PROPHECIES ARE FROMGOD. THE MESSAGES PASS THE TEST. HOWEVER, BALAAM WAS A FALSE PROPHET BECAUSE HIS OWN LIFEWAS PERVERTED.

v     HOMEWORK

v     NUMBERS25

THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.

v     APPLICATION OF NUM 24

Ø      MANY PEOPLE ARE FALSELY LED INTO CULT GROUPSAND FALSE DOCTRINES BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO TEST A MESSAGE.  THEY BELIEVE EVERY WORD THEY HEAR SIMPLY BECAUSETHEY PUT THEIR TRUST IN A MAN AND NOT IN GOD.

§         USING THE “TEST OF ATRUE PROPHET AND HIS MESSAGE”, PRACTICE TESTING MESSAGES YOU HEAR IN CHURCHES, ON THERADIO AND TV., ETC.

v     PREPARATION FOR NUM 25:

Ø      READ NUM 25 AND REV 2:14

§         WHAT DO YOU THINK IS “THEDOCTRINE OF BALAAM”?

§         WHY DO YOU THINK THISDOCTRINE IS SO DESTRUCTIVE TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD?

§         WHAT IS THE NEW TESTAMENTSIGNIFICANCE OF “THE DOCTRINE OF BALAAM”?

v     MEMORY VERSE: ROM 12:2