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There is a saying in Latin Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo - If I cannot move heaven, I will solicit hell. A lot of Christians would say, “I’d never!” But then turn around and do that very thing through a plethora of seemingly minor things which result in major consequences. If you’ve lived long enough to know right from wrong and to understand the meaning of the word no, then you’ve experienced this.

We’ve been following Balaam for the past few weeks uncovering some unsavory things about the man, and a lot about human nature. Balaam discovered God is an immovable mountain according to His good purposes and according to His calling. Mankind finds this out in one manner or another, sooner or later. Balaam discovered this when he traveled all the way to Moab at the behest of King Balak, ostensibly to curse Israel as would please Balak, but according to God’s good purposes it was blessing in three part harmony for Israel. Therefore, we see God at work using a profane man who was in a profane business (sorcery and enchantments for fortune telling) to bless Israel instead of curse them.

We take up the story today in chapter twenty-four of Numbers. Balaam magnifies himself to the point of heavenly council, “So he took up his oracle and said: ‘The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened’” Numbers 24:15. Balaam’s problem is clear. His heart is still blind, much like Israel’s against Jesus the Messiah, and his mind is clouded with overwhelming pride. When a person can becomes so puffed up in pride and so abject in disobedience in such a way, he cannot possibly be a pleasing aroma to God Almighty; therefore God says, “I'll turn your cities into rubble; I'll clean out your sanctuaries; I'll hold my nose at the "pleasing aroma" of your sacrifices,” Leviticus 26:31.

The third and final blessing stirred Balak to great anger; and he clapped his hands in derision. [Sâphaq śâphaq (saw-fak', saw-fak) A primitive root; to clap the hands (in token of compact, derision, grief, indignation or punishment); by implication of satisfaction, to be enough; by implication of excess, to vomit: - clap, smite, strike, suffice, wallow] . Balak said: I have caused you to be here; and I called you to curse them, but you have blessed them these three times!

So often we crave the approval of our fellow humans, and even our siblings in Christ. Sometimes we look to their approval so we can assume we are doing right by God. It is rare a philanthropist who will give a million dollars to build a hospital wing without their name or the name of a loved one chiseled in stone above the entrance. It is very much like, “I did this!” The same utterance that Nebuchadnezzar stomps about the royal palace of Babylon and shouts out in his pride which lands him in the wilderness eating grass like a wild donkey Daniel 4:29-37. (We could probably learn a great deal from all the donkeys in the Bible.) Balaam was no different than most humans. He made a very good excuse as to why this had happened in an effort to divert the anger and the blame.

First Balaam said, “I told you I could not say anything ‘my’ God did not allow me to say, so I could not say what I would have said, and He forced me to say what I would not.” Then he said, “Don’t be mad at me, get mad at God. He made me do it.” Then Balaam tries to conciliate with some advice/council and some prophecy. We only know what kind of advice Balaam whispered in Balak’s ear from the first verse in chapter 25 and from Numbers 31:16 Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD, and from Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

There are numerous times throughout scripture where people have tried to “outdo” God, to hurry His plan along, and to circumvent Him.

· Lemech, Cain’s great-great-great grandson declared through his own arrogance the punishment for doing him wrong was seventy times the punishment God decreed for anyone who killed Cain. Lemech was also the first man recorded to take two wives concurrently.

· Abraham lied to protect himself but left his wife at the mercy of Abimelech.

· Lot’s daughters committed incest that resulted in the wicked nations of Moab and Ammon.

· Sarah gave her servant to Abraham resulting in the twelve tribes of Ishmael which surround Israel as enemies.

· Korah, Dathan, and Abiram gathered the Israelites against Moses and Aaron ending with them being swallowed into the Pit, lock, stock and barrel; although Korah’s children did not die.

· King Saul who prophesied and who betook himself to offer sacrifices bypassing the consecration and the priests which disobedience wrested the kingdom from him, numerous kings of Israel and those of Judah exhibited equal if not worse acts of disobedience drawing the people away from God.

· Simon the sorcerer who thought he could purchase the power of God for his own use.

· Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit. And the list goes on.

If we do not recognize the ways we try to dodge obedience to God’s will, or recognize how we try to bypass our waiting period for certain blessings then much worse happens than missing out on blessings God has stored up for us. What we do or do not do affects our children and our children’s children. Worry and fretting about tomorrow steals the joy of today and robs your family of peace. Stop it. Rest in the all powerful arms of the LORD who parted the sea, stacked up the waters of the Jordan River, calms the storms, and rose from the dead. He is alive and you are in the double grip of Him and the Father. There art thou happy!

Resist the devil and he will flee. I know it is a lot easier said than done, until you realize there is that double shield of the two-fold grip of the Son and the Father notwithstanding the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are protected from within and from without. How can we not be happy and blessed? The curses of Satan are nothing but impotent, paper darts unless we allow sin to encroach our minds and take root in our hearts.

"Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life" from Tom Kelley

The Curse is Gone