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Hebrews 11:6:
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Once the miracle of the new birth in Christ takes place, the most marvelous, glorious, and purposeful journey begins. The journey is real and truly recognizable. The currency of exchange on this journey is faith and its buying power far exceeds the power of green recycled mud, commonly known as paper currency. This supernatural currency will satisfy all your needs. It will purchase finances, health, joy, fearlessness, purpose, and contentment. But, most of all, faith will purchase salvation and eternal life in Christ Jesus. This wonderful currency is accumulated according to the rule of supernatural wealth found in Romans 10:17:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The more our faith multiplies, the more buying power and ministering power we will demonstrate. III John:2 reads:
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Romans 12:6, reads:
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
NOW FOR TODAY’S SUBJECT.
GOD SAID, Numbers 22:1-7:
1 And the children of Israel set forward and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 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.
5 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:
6 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.
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
According to the Bible, unto this man Balaam was attributed the supernatural ability to bless and to curse. He was hired by Balak, the king of the Moabites, to curse the children of Israel as they trudged through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. This was the same Balaam who was spoken to by the ass after God had opened the animal's mouth. This was also the same Balaam who taught Balak to cast an evil stumbling block before the Israelites, which caused them to commit a terrible sin against God, resulting in heavy judgment against the Jewish offenders.
MAN SAID: The stories of miracles in the Bible are simply old folklore passed down from generation to generation—fairytales.
Now THE RECORD. The Bible is a reliable history book, starting from the very creation of the earth, to the accounts of Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, Sodom and Gomorrah, Balaam and the talking ass, the walls of Jericho, and so much more. It's all true, no matter how bizarre an account might sound. The record of the soothsayer Balaam will be just another example of the Bible's veracity.
Joseph ben Matthias, more commonly known as Josephus, was the famed Jewish historian who wrote in depth about Balaam in one of his historical records known as Antiquities of the Jews. The following excerpt is from the writings of Josephus:
But Balak being very angry that the Israelites were not cursed, sent away Balaam without thinking him worthy of any honour. Whereupon, when he was just upon his journey, in order to pass the Euphrates, he sent for Balak, and for the princes of the Midianites, and spake thus to them:–"O Balak, and you Midianites that are here present, (for I am obliged even without the will of God to gratify you,) it is true no entire destruction can seize upon the nation of the Hebrews, neither by war, nor by plague, nor by scarcity of the fruits of the earth, nor can any other unexpected accident be their entire ruin; for the providence of God is concerned to preserve them from such a misfortune; nor will it permit any such calamity to come upon them whereby they may appear to be brought low, may still befall them; but after that they will flourish again, to the terror of those that brought those mischiefs upon them. So that if you have a mind to gain a victory over them for a short space of time, you will obtain it by following my directions:–Do you therefore set out the handsomest of such of your daughters as are most eminent for beauty, and proper to force and conquer the modesty of those that behold them, and these decked and trimmed to the highest degree you are able. Then do you send them to be near the Israelites' camp, and give them in charge, that when the young men of the Hebrews desire their company, they allow it them; and when they see that they are enamoured of them, let them take their leaves; and if they entreat them to stay, let them not give their consent till they have persuaded them to leave off their obedience to their own laws and the worship of that God who established them, and to worship the gods of the Midianites and Moabites; for by this means God will be angry at them." Accordingly, when Balaam had suggested this counsel to them, he went his way.
In several places in the Scriptures, the treachery of Balaam against the children of Israel is cited. Numbers 25: 1-2 reads:
1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
Jude, verse 11 speaks of Balaam's lust for reward:
Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
In Revelation, chapter 2, verse 14, Jesus Christ speaks to the angel of the church of Pergamos and says:
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.
The following archaeological research was cited by the Christian Study Center and can be found on the web at www.christianstudycenter.com:
"In February and March of 1967, H.J. Franken was conducting excavations at Deir 'Alla in the Jordan River Valley when his vigilant foreman, Abu Abdul Rasul, noticed writing on pieces of plaster being removed from the remains of an ancient building. He brought the information to the excavator."This inscription, dated approximately 700 B.C., is a narrative concerning the Old Testament non-Israelite prophet Balaam, well known to Bible students as the prophet who dominates Numbers 22-24.The region in which the 119 total fragments were discovered is known as the biblical location of the Valley of Succoth (Ps. 60:8, 108:89) and near the proximity of the Plains of Moab where Balaam had an encounter with the Israelites.The plaster fragments record portions of biblical history that render even more credibility to the accuracy of the Bible. The fragments' text repeatedly refer to "Balaam son of Beor" and describe him as a "divine seer." Balaam gave us a fascinating non-Israelite perspective from those who conquered Caanan."From the language and directive of the tablets, we can clearly see that they seem to have been written not by an Israelite as was the biblical story of Joshua, but rather by a non-Israelite, probably a Moabite or Midianite.""What we have found," says the Jerusalem historian, "seems to dramatically confirm the Biblical narrative." This momentous discovery seems to confirm the existence of the prophet Balaam, an epic figure of the Bible and a contemporary of Moses."
GOD SAID: A wicked man named Balaam taught Balak, the king of the Moabites, to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel. God's word is a reliable history book.
MAN SAID: The stories of miracles in the Bible are simply old folklore passed down from generation to generation—fairytales.
Now you have THE RECORD.
References:
King James Bible
Carnagey, Dr. Glenn, Balaam – A Light to the Gentiles? Chafer University, chafer.edu/journal/98d-02.htm.
Complete Works of Josephus, Kregel Publications, pp 91-92.
Mazar, Professor Oyar, Hebrew University, quoted in Oxford's reference.
Oxford, Martin L., "3,000-Year-Old Fragments Parallel Biblical Narrative," Jerusalem Christian Review, securesite.net/ss2ad/past/main106.htm.
