Spiritual Warfare

Num 24:16-25:5         12/14/2017

Balaam, son Peor, left Balak to return to his home. Before he departed, he recited a prophetic poem concerning the nations around Israel. Almost immediately, certain men of Israel began to have relations with Moabite women, who encouraged them to worship their god.

The most interesting aspect of the Balaam story is that Israel is not directly involved. Balak, king of the Moabites, was pondering a military attack on the transient nation – but the Israelites were unaware of the danger. The entire episode took place without their involvement or knowledge.

Balak felt threatened and intended to attack, with the intention of driving out or destroying the nation of Israel. The Lord used Balaam to change the king’s heart. The battle was won in Israel’s favor before Israel was aware that a battle was imminent.

Paul once said, “For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens”

I’m running late for a meeting. Here comes the train. I can’t get across the tracks before it arrives and I find myself cursing the train and its driver, who isn’t making the blasted thing go fast enough. Never thinking, never remembering “that God works all things together for good”.

It’s the agenda. It’s my agenda – my focus on having my expectations met – that allows me to forget. That allows me to be thankless.

Usually you never know the why. And that’s a great part of the challenge.

Part of the strangeness of the Balaam story is how anyone ever knew that it happened. Who told the Israelites about Balak summoning Balaam to curse them? Who told Moses about this confrontation so that it could be written down? And how many times did something like this happen to protect Israel without them ever knowing it.

And so you begin to wonder: This train experience. Is there an accident that won’t happen because the train prevented me from being in the wrong place at the wrong time? Is there some opportunity in this meeting for which I will be late that I shouldn’t have taken?

And then, suddenly, I can be thankful for a train blocking my intended path and bless the engineer who is impervious to my frustration – or even my existence.

Givenness: Receiving as given brings the freedom to live well.

“for the battle is not yours but God’s” 2 Chronicles 20:15