In Man We Trust? – The Saturday Morning Post
Today’s Passage – Numbers 22 – 24 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Romans 1 – 4; Proverbs 23; Psalms 116 – 120)
Read the “0223 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. And 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. He 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: Come 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.” (Numbers 22:1-6)
Good morning. Balak, king of the Moabites, had a problem: Israel was coming. Balak was probably a Baal worshiper. Numbers 22:41 tells how he viewed the uttermost part of Israel from the high place of Baal. So he did not know the One, True, Living God. Baal never answered Balak’s prayers, so he turned to a man: Balaam. The king noticed that whoever Balaam blessed was blessed, and whoever Balaam cursed was cursed. Balak told Balaam to curse Israel. Balak put his trust in a man. What’s wrong with that? Everybody needs to trust somebody sometime, right? I like the sign in a store I saw once. “In God we trust, all others pay cash!”
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…” (Romans 3:10)
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23)
You can’t trust a sinner, and even the best man is liable to mess up.
“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” (Psalm 118:8)
Jesus even mentions Balaam in the New Testament…
“But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.” (Revelation 2:14)
It appears that Balaam got into trouble with the Lord…
“And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand. And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males. And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.” (Numbers 31:6-8)
Today in America, those who don’t believe God are clinging to godless Socialism, which includes Fascism (Nazis) and Communism. And what do you get from godless Socialism? Lies, murders, schools teaching you are evolved from a glop of goo, and not made in the image of the Living God. In some states you can abort a baby anytime in the womb. Some states will even abort after the baby comes out of it’s mother.
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2Timothy 3:1-5)
Don’t trust men.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” (Proverbs 3:5-8)
Peace.
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