Title: A DECLARATION OF WAR

Focus: The Lord protects, preserves, and guides his people.

Function: To encourage the people to covet the Lord’s blessing as we pilgrimage toward the new heavens and earth. God loves his church. Do not hold the Lord’s people in contempt.

Text: Numbers 22:1-20

Before I asked Rosanne to be my wife in 1976, I wrote her parents a letter, asking for their blessing or “permission” to marry their daughter. By that time, both Rosanne and I were adults, able to make decisions for ourselves without the consent of our parents. But that’s not the route we chose. We chose to seek the blessing of our parents. Why?

There’s power in a blessing. In my case, receiving the blessing of Rosanne’s parents to marry their daughter opened the door for cordial, respectful and loving relationships. And all of us family members have flourished because we sought the blessing of our parents. There is positive, wholesome power in giving and in receiving a blessing.

If that’s the case with blessings given by people, how much more so if the blessing comes from the Lord, our God! Consider this afternoon’s Scripture reading. There we learn that Israel’s God protects, preserves and guides his people as he seeks to bless them in the midst of nations that seek to curse or harm them.

In a series of 5 messages, I want to explore with you some of the wilderness shenanigans of nations, kings, and a sorcerer—all bent on destroying God’s people. And I want to encourage us to covet God’s blessing as we pilgrimage through life to inherit the new heavens and earth. God loves his people, the church. Do not hold the church in contempt. For God’s blessing rests upon his people. He protects, preserves and guides us in the wilderness of life.

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First, we shall consider the setting of the story. Numbers 22:1 tells us that “…the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.” In other words, Moses and the Israelites are stationary; they are resting. From what? Well, they had just won two decisive battles. They conquered the Amorites and their king (Sihon) in the north of Canaan. And then they defeated the king of Bashan (Og) and his men.

These two kings had wrested their territory from the Moabites, and Balak the King of Moab feared these rulers and their tribes. But the Israelites fought them and conquered them. God gave these Amorites and Bashanites in the hands of his people. For Israel was to inherit their territory as part of the Promised Land.

Now the Israelites have positioned themselves near the Jordan River, overlooking the city of Jericho and seeing in the far distance the city of Jerusalem. They are ready for God to give them the command to enter the Promised Land. They are resting or camping at a strategic location and they live under the umbrella of God’s covenant promise to Abraham: (Gen. 12) “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Such is the setting of the story.

Now we must consider the situation. The Moabites did not bother the Israelites when Moses and his people passed along their borders. The Moabites figured that the Amorites and the Bashanites would defeat this mob called “Israel” the moment they would come in their territories.

But Balak, the king of the Moabites, got scared when he learned that the Israelites had killed Sihon and Og and overran the territory of Bashan and the Amorites. Now Balak feared that he would be next (Though Israel initially had no plan at all to make the Moabite territory part of the Promised Land). Balak consulted with the Midianites who lived south of the Moabites and Edomites. He sought their assistance to overthrow God’s people.

Balak, however, realized that Israel’s victory was not so much because of Israel’s military might, but because of Israel’s God, whose favor seems to rest upon the Israelites. What Balak and the Midianites needed was not only a strong military force, but also some divine, religious force on their side to overthrow the Israelites. “We need a diviner, a sorcerer, the best there is! We need Balaam, the top professional curser and black magic sorcerer in the known Mideastern world! Call for Balaam! Engage his services! Let him bind the Israelites with a curse from the gods. Then we’ll defeat them with our military forces!”

In short, Balak, with the help of the Midianites and especially with the help of Balaam the sorcerer, is declaring war on Israel—and thus also on Israel’s God! Such is the situation in the story.

Thirdly, let’s consider Balak’s summons to Balaam the sorcerer. The text tells us that Balak sent messengers (not very important dignitaries, we might add) to Balaam, all the way in Iraq near the Euphrates River. The messengers hand Balaam the summons of Balak, which reads: “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 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.”

Perhaps you and I who live in the western, scientific, highly rational world, may be a bit skeptical of shamans and sorcerers who curse people. But let me assure you that people in third world countries would argue differently. They take curses very seriously. And so do the people in Moses, and Balak’s and Balaam’s days.

Just as blessings come with power, so it is true that curses—pronounced in the name of a particular god, by a professional priest of black magic or sorcery are greatly to be feared. Curses, too, come with power that binds and that leads to destruction and, at times, to death. We are dealing here with serious stuff. This is spiritual, satanic warfare played out on the plains of Moab.

When Balaam receives that first summons of Balak, he learns of the stakes: Moab is threatened. The Israelites are strong. Do something Balaam! Bind them with a powerful curse. And we’ll do the rest. There’s one thing missing in the summons, however. Even though the messengers have with them the fee for divination, the summons itself does not indicate how valuable Balaam’s services of pronouncing curses really are. You and I may miss that little detail in Balak’s first summon, but Balaam does not. His work of cursing and prophesying evil is all about financial rewards. It’s all about Balaam’s self-interest and his pocket book.

Balaam, however, plays his role and he assures the messengers that he will consult the Lord—the God of Israel—during the night. For surely, if he is going to be successful in pronouncing a curse, Balaam needs to be able to manipulate or have the service or favor of Israel’s God on his side.

It is God, however, who takes the initiative. After all, God’s people are being threatened. So we read that God came to Balaam. And God asks him: “Who are these men with you?” By asking this question, the Lord God forces Balaam to indicate whose side he is on. Balaam knows that these men are Israel’s enemies. Now God forces Balaam to choose sides.

Balaam responds: (vs.10) “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: ‘A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.’” By asking the question, the Lord God forces Balaam to state the issue as clearly as possible. Then the Lord said: “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”

Now ask yourself: who is in control? Is the God of Israel on the side of, or under the control of Balaam, or is Balaam under the authority of Israel’s God? The answer is clear: Balaam knows that he cannot manipulate this God of Israel to change his mind and serve Balak in pronouncing curses upon Israel. So, Balaam tells the messengers “Go back to your own country, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”

This must be disappointing to Balaam, for that’s not how you make a living as an independent sorcerer. You need the gods on your side in order to make a buck and develop a world-wide reputation as a top sorcerer.

Balak, the king of Moab, however, does not take “No” for an answer. He ups the ante, and he sends VIP messengers—“more numerous and more distinguished than the first.” Surely, that gesture will whet Balaam’s appetite and persuade him to come to Moab. Listen to the second summon: “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.”

Balaam knows that he is under the authority of Israel’s God. Thus he says, “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God.” But….but Balak’s self-interest and personal prestige press him and push him to add this hopeful, second thought: “Now stay here tonight as the others did, and I will find out what else the Lord will tell me.” In other words, maybe the Lord will change his mind. Maybe I will still have an opportunity to seize this moment of gravity.

And sure enough. The text tells us that “That night God came to Balaam and said, ‘Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you.” In other words, you—Balaam—are in my service. You, Balaam, are not playing with me or using me for your own ill-conceived schemes. You are under my authority. Now go! Here is the lingering question: will Balaam serve the Lord God or will he serve the king of Moab and thus serve his own self-interests as a sorcerer?

So far, we noticed the setting, the situation and the summons in the story. Now I want to share one insight with you, and then we’ll consider some applications.

Here’s the insight: Unbeknownst to Moses and the Israelites, God uses Balak and Balaam—a Gentile king and a pagan sorcerer—to broadcast to the nations surrounding Israel in this wilderness that God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendents stands firm: “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

The nations’ shenanigans and evil desires toward the people of God will encounter the iron fist of God’s curses in defense of his people Israel.

As the Israelites are about to conquer and inherit the promised land, the message to all the surrounding nations becomes clear: “Hands off Israel! Israel is my covenant people, the apple of my eye. You mess with the sons and daughters of Abraham, you mess with me, the Lord God Almighty. If you bless my people, however, you also will be blessed through them, and also by me. You curse them, I will curse you.” That’s the message that God drives home as the Moabites and Midianites and Balaam want to declare war on God’s people.

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So what may we take away from this story today? Well, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we too are sons and daughters of Abraham. We are now part of that nation or priesthood or building or body called the “church of Jesus.” As Christians who make up the people of God today, I suggest that we do the following:

1) Seek God’s favor and blessings at all times. How? Pay attention to his Word; believe the Scriptures; embrace them as truth; obey God’s instructions; follow his direction; live by his Word. The favor of God rests upon all who take to heart his Word.

That Word is not only the Bible or Holy Scriptures; it’s also and in particular God’s Word-in-the-flesh. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate. And he calls us to take him seriously. To believe in him and to seek our salvation in him and in his accomplished work on the cross and in the tomb. Seek God’s favor and blessings. Embrace his Word—The Bible, and yes, the Lord Jesus Christ himself.

2) Thank God for his protective love and care for his people. Time and time again we observe how often we wander away from God, how often we disappoint and betray our God. But God does not abandon his people. God’s covenant love expressed to Abraham and his offspring endures and abides forever. It culminates in Jesus Christ.

That covenant love also shines in Jesus’ high priestly prayer for all God’s people. Praying for his disciples, for example, we hear the Lord Jesus say (John 17:11ff) “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me.” Congregation, thank God for his protective, covenant love and care for you and me.

Last but not least, draw strength and encouragement from this marvelous truth in the story: God is sovereignly in control of the shenanigans in the world. The nations may connive against God’s people; kings and queens and Jihadists may threaten our lives; and godless politicians and idolatrous peoples may make life miserable for us. Persecutions may abound; Christians may be martyred for their faith—yet, this truth stands: the shenanigans of the world cannot overthrow the designs of God for his people.

Curses, blasphemies, and mockery, swords and thousands of cultural intimidations may come our way. Yet, God sovereignly rules and overrules, protects and brings to completion all he has ordained. God uses ordinary Christians like you and me; God can also use pagans and cultists—crooked sticks—to draw a straight line. God’s love for his people, the church, never ends.

Let all who declare war on God and his people know this: A mighty fortress is our God. Do not mess with God and his church.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.