The Game, it has no Rules

1 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.

2 Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3 and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.

4 The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, "This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field."
So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5 sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the River, [b] in his native land. Balak said:
"A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6 Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed."

Numbers 22:1-6 NIV
(Story continues through chapter 24)

The Search for weapons of Mass destruction plagued our Televisions for months and still does from time to time. I do not want to talk about the politics or even if anything was right or wrong for the United States or what other countries have done, but What if these weapons were located in certain people(s) or countries hands and were operational (which more than likely some has them somewhere...)?

This could cause great panic in the world if others knew of the lingering threat upon their delicate body, surroundings, and family. This sense of Fear and searching for the last resort is what Balak is feeling. He sees a massing army of people threatening his countries well being. He has also seen what these people can do and acknowledges that this is the Weapon of mass destruction of the day. These people from Egypt Contain power over their surroundings and he is sacred.

So he calls on one man to curse these people so that he may live. The ironic part is, this man Balaam is from God (he receives his answers from God the same God as the Israelites, whether he Knows or acknowledges that or not…), the same Destructive power represented in the army he is trying to curse. So since He will not curse himself he instead blesses the destructive power knocking on Balak’s door.

I feel this is how we have begun to view Christianity.

We view it as me verse Satan, a type of game we’ve created using the Bible as the foundation. We see him crouching at our Door and we hurry and sweat to find a cure or a way to keep him out because we know he is more powerful than us. So we call on God to curse Satan, we call on him to hide us from his sight and to bestow on us great peace and prosperity.

Yet we have forgotten that he has given us what we need, he will keep from us what we cannot handle, yet he will not stop testing and strengthening our lives to fight the fight. We need to stop hiding in the hills calling on curses of Satan, but we need to go down and join God’s army.

Now Balak could not go down and join the Israelite, but we have been given that opportunity from God, and Christ.

But this is not the only Lesson that we can learn from this Story. In fact there are innumerable lesson, but I would like to point out one last thing. Balak and Balaam look down at Israel from a hilltop and Balak asks for Balaam to bring down his curse on the people that are laid out before him. It seems very similar to Satan when He tempts Christ on the mountaintop, but more significantly if shows that People are always watching. And Him being scared reveals that other people generally know how good of a job we may be doing, even more than ourselves. Balaam and Balak are watching the Israelites form above, and I am guessing Israel has no idea these men are even near by. Yet just their presence creates something significant where they go. So next time you enter your office or classroom remember you never know who is watching. How is scared of who could be effected by just you mere presence in their area could result in tremendous things, but that is not to say one should not confront others, that is also important to express feelings and grow a relationship and connection to spread the joy you know!