Of the most spectacular events, the earth opening its mouth and swallowing up Korah and those in his rebellion takes to prize. What an amazing event to behold. And yet, on the next day the whole assembly is complaining again.
The cursing of Israel by the prophet Balaam is humorous to me. The King of Moab wants Israel cursed and keeps trying to get Balaam to do it and yet every time, he ends up blessing them.
If all we had were these chapters, we might think Balaam wasn't half bad. The New Testament doesn't allow us to take anything but the worst view of him. Both Peter and Jude tell us that he was a religious mercenary who prophesied for money. We are also told in Revelation 2:14 that the it was Balaam who told the Moabites how to harm Israel by seduction. So, the he would not prophesy against Israel, but he would, for a price, give Moab some practical advice on how to do them harm.
Great thoughts Lawrence! Grumbling and complaining seemed to be a common theme with God's people. As I reflected upon this thought, it seems to be a constant theme: difficult conditions arise, the people are agitated, they turn to vent out their frustration, and most often it is targeted upon the leader. Even David, the famed king, had the hearts of his peopled turned against him (2 Sam. 15). Leaders seem to acquire targets when they step into their position. Do you believe this is a reason why many men today shy away from rising into leadership roles? - Jordan Shouse
ReplyDelete