Tag: Lord God
Gods Ten Commandments
What do you believe about the Ten Commandments, are they still to be obeyed in our world today; or did they get replaced by Jesus or someone else with some other commandments?
Sometime things that we believe to be true are not always true and finding what is true is very difficult because people put their own tradition and belief in way of truth.
As a minister I want to make sure what I am saying or telling someone is what the Bible defines to be truth, and not what I think or anyone else. Come with me and let’s open the word of God the Bible and let’s find out about the Ten Commandments and see if we should or should not still be following them in our world today 2000 years after Jesus death on the cross.
The Ten Commandments are listed in the Bible in two places, first in the book of Exodus: 20: 2-17 and also in the book of Deuteronomy: 5: 6-21.
You can also find in the new testament outlines of the Ten Commandments in the book of, Mark: 10: 19, Matthew: 5: 27, Matthew: 15: 4, Matthew: 19; 18&19, Romans: 13: 9. You will also find Jesus keeping the Ten Commandments through His entire life, even while dying on the Cross He made sure His mother was to be cared for, commandment number 5
Jesus was teaching the people to keep His Fathers Ten Commandments, if He planned on changing them or changing any one of them surely somewhere in the New Testament there would be a scripture lettering His people know, God does not keep things a secret especially when He told you to remember something. Amos: 3: 7: Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
OK So first let’s look at each one of the Ten Commandments and see what they are asking or telling us and if they still apply to Gods Holy people in our time.
***Commandments: # 1: Exodus: 20: 2-3: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
The very first of the Ten Commandments starts with a brief reminder of God power followed by the command that we are not to have other Gods before or in the place of the Lord God. Should we as Gods holy people today have other Gods in our life. I would say No, look at Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
The Lord Gods is still the same God of Creation of Adam, the same God of Abraham, the same God of Israel, the Father God that Jesus came to show mankind Gods love to His creation, the same God of the Gospel today. From everlasting to everlasting, You are God, so I would say commandment number 1 is still to be obeyed by Gods Holy people in our world today.
***Commandments: # 2: Exodus: 20: 4-6: You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Throughout history man has always worship something or some God, many times a statue or carved image was made out of stone or wood and worship as a god.
Even in today’s world there are some Christians religions who still practice the worship of carved image. But Gods 2nd Commandments strictly forbids the worship of anything like an idol.
Deuteronomy 4:35: To you it was shown, that you might know that the Lord Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.
1 Kings 8:60: that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.
Mark 12:32: So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.
The Bible is very clear on this matter, the Lord is God and He alone is God and there are none others like Him. In our world today people make a lot of different things their god or Idol. Some worship their money, others worship their cars or things that they have, people have other people who the worship as god for whatever reason. Anything that gets in the way between you and the Lord God is an idol, and guess what even Church can become an idol, when people love their Church more then they love the Lord God. So the 2nd commandment is still in force for Gods people today.
***Commandments: # 3: Exodus: 20: 7-You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
We are not to make little of the name of the Lord God. That can be anything from idle speaking to full blasphemy of any of God names or His character; we are not to use Profanity or dragging God’s name through the mud of human emotion and joking.
When I was baptized I made a commitment a promise to God to serve Him and to show the world I want to be Christ like.
Acts 11:26: And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Why because they were Christ like inside and out.
To be a Christian is to show the world Gods character living inside of you by doing the things He told us to do. When we don’t do them or wend we act more like the world then Christ we use His holy name in vain. So the 3rd commandment is still in force for Gods people today.
***Commandments: # 4: Exodus: 20: 8-11: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
Is the Sabbath important? What does the Bible say?
Ezekiel 20:12: Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.
The Sabbath is a sign between Gods holy people and Himself
Will we be keeping Sabbath in heaven and in the new earth? Read what Isaiah says Isaiah: 66: 22” For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the LORD, “So shall your descendants and your name remain. 23And it shall come to pass That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the LORD. 24: And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
According to the Bible, Gods Holy People will be keeping the Sabbath in the Earth made new, that is what Isaiah is saying
Did any of the Disciples keep the Sabbath after Jesus went to heaven: Looking at the book of Acts: 18: 4: And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
The Disciples Paul (Saul) did not come into the Christian Church for almost 3 years after Jesus went back to His Father, then he spent another 3 years in studying. So Paul was still keeping the Sabbath for many many years and was in the Church or synagogue on Sabbath teaching about Jesus.
Also if you read in the book of Genesis chapter 1 & 2 you will find and account of God creation from day one to day seven, and on day seven God does something He did not do on any of the other days.
Look at Genesis 2: 2: And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3: Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
God blessed it and He made it Holy
Exodus 31:13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
So the Sabbath was a sign between Gods and His Holy people, are we not His holy people today the Church that Jesus started. Also did you notice that Jesus die on a Friday, sleep in the grave during the Sabbath or Rested and woke up on Sunday. God rested after He finished His creation of our World on the Sabbath, Jesus rested on the Sabbath after He finished the plan of salvation and got the Victory over Satan and Sin.
Matthew: 5: 17&18: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Jesus tells us plainly that He did not come to do away with any of Gods Commandments Law but He came to for fill what was spoken by the Prophets about Him. Jesus kept His Fathers Commandments, should we not be doing what Jesus did. He was our example because no man comes unto the Father but through Jesus. So the 4th Commandment is still in force for Gods people today.
Now there were some Laws that were nailed to the Cross when Jesus died, they were called the Mosaic law. They were a list of Ceremonical Laws dealing with the sacrificing of animal and their blood. These thing were a shadow of things to come. When Jesus died on the Cross all these Mosaic Laws were done away with, Why? Because they were fulfilled in the death of Jesus the ultimate sacrifice in man behalf. Under that the Mosaic law and Gods Ten Commandments Law were two completely different laws. The Mosaic law was written by man on animal skin or something, Gods Ten Commandments were written on Stone by God Himself. The Mosaic law was placed on the outside of the Ark but Gods Ten Commandments Law was placed inside the Ark.
So where did Sunday come from: That is another subject that we will take up later.
***Commandments: # 5: Exodus: 20: 12: Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
This is a commandment with a promise, if you obey Gods commandment and take care and respect your Mother & Father God will also take care of you and add years to your life.
But it goes on further than just that, we should honor and respect all who are older than we are and those who are in authority. Just think how wonderful our world would be if all people had respect and love for each other.
Let’s look at Matthew: 15: 1-9 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2: “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3: He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.5: But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”—6: then he need not honor his father or mother. Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7: Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8: These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9: And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ How sad for God to say to man that our worship of Him is in vain because we would rather keep the traditions of our Church over His Commandments
They were so up on keeping their traditions that they could not see they were making void Gods Commandments with their traditions. Much like the Christians Church today. We want to place copies of the Ten Commandments on the Court House in our City’s and on our front lawn.
But where does God want to put them? Hebrews 10:16: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”
God wants His Laws and Commandments to be in one place, and that is living inside of you so that you can be an example reflecting the life and love of Jesus to others around you every day. So the 5th Commandment is still in force for Gods people today.
***Commandments: # 6: Exodus: 20: 13: “You shall not murder.
When Man was created he was created in the image and likeness of his creator. He was not created to die; death came in only after man sinned buy not obeying his creator command.
Genesis 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
God gave mankind a warning that his life was a gift from his creator on a condition of perfect obedience to His creator laws. By keeping them he would live forever but by braking them he would die.
Genesis 3: Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
So the question came down to who do you believe, do you believe your Creator or some snake in the grass you just met.
Look at John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Not only was Satan a murderer but the father of all lies.
Murder take the life of an innocent person and causes grief and hardship on his wife, children or on his parent and family. God never design mankind to die and never design man to fight and kill one another; all that was because of his Sin in not obeying his creator Commandments.
So the 6th Commandment is still in force for Gods people today.
***Commandments: # 7: Exodus: 20: 14: “You shall not commit adultery.
When God created man he was not created to be alone in a perfect world all by himself. God had something more wonderful in mind, the perfection of His master piece was in the creation of a Woman; in her and from her was to be life. God created her body specifically for the need of man and to bring life into the world by his seed. But man was not to be a whoremonger, he was to have one wife and they together were to be one in flesh.
Matthew 19:6: So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
The intimacy between one man and one woman is so beautiful that words cannot explain. When you truly love someone it brings in perfect trust to the relationship, that is what God wants from us, perfect trust that He will do what He says, perfect trust in His love for His creation.
In our world today perfect trust is extremely hard to find and that is why there are so many devoices. People get married for looks not love, for money not poverty for a good time not sickness. But perfect trust will lay down one’s life for the other, now maybe you can understand why Jesus came and gave His life on the cross.
The Church is Gods bride and when He comes back to our world it will be to marry all who gave their life by faith and perfect trust in Him as their Creator and Savior. So the 7th Commandment is still in force for Gods people today.
***Commandments: # 8: Exodus: 20: 15: “You shall not steal.
Stealing is not just the taking money, in fact there are many ways in our world todays that a person can steal. Stealing is the taking anything of value that belongs to someone else. You can steal time if you are working for someone and don’t give them all the time they are paying you for. You can steal information off of the internet these days; and of course there is money.
If you know your neighbor has lost something and you found it but don’t give it back to him, it is a form of stealing, because you know who it belongs too. Did you know you can also steal from God, when you read His Commandments the 4th one says it is a Sabbath day of rest and worship a special time set aside every week to be with your God and savior. You can steal Gods time by not worshiping Him on the day He set aside for worshiping
John: 14: 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. So the 8th Commandment is still in force for Gods people today.
***Commandments: # 9: Exodus: 20: 16: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
A lie is anything that is not 100% percent truth. So if it is 99.9% percent true and .01% lie it just as well be a 100% a lie. With God only 100% truth is good enough everything else is a lie. Where did lying start look at the book of John and see what Jesus had to say about it while talking to the Pharisees
John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Lying hurts people, and can ruin a person’s character for life. Satan lied to the angles about God the Son all because he was jealous and wanted to be like God. But it is impossible for a created being to be God or to be like God.
So the 9th Commandment is still in force for Gods people today.
***Commandments: # 10: Exodus: 20: 17: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
God has giving to each person everything that is needed to follow his Lord God. But when we are not satisfied with what God has provided but want more and will do anything to get it; that is coveting
Luke 3:14: Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”
Be careful of coveting don’t try and live like your next door neighbor, don’t try and keep up with toys like everyone else at the office. Don’t worry about having to be dressed in the best that money can by just so you can fit in with others. Love the things that God has giving and put in your way and thank God every day for life.
Hebrews 13:5: Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Have you ever had what is called New Car fever, you want that new Car so bad that nothing and no one can make you see that it will be bad for you. Maybe because it will be too expensive or because it is not as good as the dealer clams it is, or it is something you just don’t need right now. There are a lot of reasons but you want it so bad you don’t care what anyone says. That is only one form of coveting
1 Timothy: 6: Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certainc we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Being rich is not as good as you think is it, there are more rich people committing suicide than any other group, why is that. You would think having all that money they would be the happiest people in the World. Money can buy you friends but Money can’t buy you Happiness.
Jesus is coming back and very soon, all the signs of His coming are being fulfilled, just read the book of Revelation and the daily Newspaper. This old world does not have much longer; where will you be? Where will Jesus true Church be, look at Revelation: 14: 12: Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Rev: 19: 10: And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Revelation: 12: 17 : And the dragon was wroth with the woman (Church), and went to make war with the remnant (Few) of her seed, which keep the commandments of God (Gods Ten Commandments Law), and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (the Spirit of Prophecy: See Revelation 19:10)
Revelation: 13: 8: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Go to the Book of Daniel Chapter 7:25-28
Read about a religious power that will try and Change Time and Law, Who’s Time and Who’s Law
Gods time and Law? it would not be prophetically significant for the little horn (religious) power to attempt to change human time and laws, for this is commonly expected in a struggle for world dominion. The conflict described here is between earth and heaven. The little horn intends to change Gods time and laws, most clearly seen in His Ten Commandments.
One obvious illustration of Gods time is His Sabbath, His Law the Ten Commandments: Any attempt by an earthly power to change Gods Sabbath is an attempt to change Gods Law, the heart of which is the Sabbath itself.
Gods true Church will be the ones doing what He ask of them to do, If you love me keep my commandments John: 14: 15: Don’t be fooled by the great Religious Leaders of our world saying oh don’t worry about those old Ten Commandments they have been done away with. Remember Jesus keep them all Ten of them. He did not come to do away with the Law but to fulfill the Law.
Remember this: The Ten Commandments were written by God Himself on two tablets of stone and place inside the Ark, they were not written by man.
Jeremiah 9: 13 And the LORD said, “Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it, 14 but they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts. Evil men with evil intention who’s only goal is money in their pockets. They refused to preach the truth to their congregation because it is not the popular thing to do, Jesus called them a wolf in sheep’s clothing. But soon and very soon the day of God judgment will fall on all who refuse to do as God says, it will fall on all these false teachers and leaders, what will they do then.
*** What do you think, what one of the Ten Commandments did Satan brake, if you said all of them you are right. *** Jesus kept all ten of them and Satan broke all ten of them, that’s the different.
The wisest man who ever lived said these words below
Ecclesiastes 12:13: Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14: For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, amen.
Elder Tim McNab
Restoring Gods Truth Ministry
The Prophet and the Donkey
Numbers 22: 31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
Do you sometime feel you are standing in your own way?
![60-wrong-way[1]](http://www.restoringgodstruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/60-wrong-way1.jpg)
Have you ever wanted to go some where and all most went to the wrong place, because you found you were going in the wrong direction.
I missed my plane at an airport in Paris once, I wanted to get on a plane going to Brussels but somehow I was waiting at the gate for one going to Brazil. Has this ever happen to you while you are traveling, don’t feel you are all alone. We are born going the wrong way because of sin, and it is Jesus who puts us back on track.
How many time do we miss the Signs that God has giving us to direct and guide, all because we become careless as Christians.
In the Bible we are told that there is only one thing that is importance, and that is to follow Jesus. There is nothing else that Matters.
But it is so easy to become careless, when place ourselves on satanic ground
We sometimes try to get things that God know it not good for us, because it will not lead us closer to Him; but father away from him.
The world strive for more everyday, everyday you see people who are court up in a world of making more, weather it is more Cars, more Houses, more Land, more Crops, more Investments, More, More, More, MONEY.
I once asked a rich man how much is enough, he look at me for a while and then said, until, I said until what, he said until I have it ALL.
So I then asked, when you get it all, what are you going to do with it. Try to get more?
Mark:8: 36:
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
As Christ representative how are we supposed to look each day? How are we supposed to act each day?
Many times a person life may be determined just but the way we act or look in a giving situation.
One day the Pastor told me that there was a complaint about me, I ask him what is was, he told me that a cretin Man who told him he will never come back to Church again because of the way I looked at him. I was floored by what he said; I don’t understand I told him.
He told me that one Sabbath after study service was over; I was coming down the hall getting ready to go up and start the worship service with the other Elder. This Man was standing in the Hall and he looked at me and said I looked back at him, and he could read the expression on my Face “by the way I looked back at him” that I did not want anything to do with him, that I through little of him.
This all happened a few years ago while I was in the middle of Radiation and Chemo treatment the second time.
I know I was not the best persons to be around at that time in my Life, even my Children moved out of the house. Most days I should have not even came to Church, but I did because it made me fell better then just sitting at home. But I wish now that I would have stay home that day, because of an expression of my face there is a person who may never come to know Jesus.
It is hard, but it is true; that it does not matter if the expression on my face was because of Pain, Sorrow, Sickness, Suffering, or just Contempt. He read something in my Face that should not have been there, and a soul may become lost because of it.
How about with doing Gods will, do we sometime jump the gun, and take off running with our fully listening to what Gods is saying.
How easy is it to misinterpret what Gods real plan is when we are bent on doing something we want to do. I am sure that no one here has that problem.
Lets go to the Book of Numbers Chapter 22: and see if any other Christian had this problem
1: And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
We find here that the Children of Israel had not yet intern into the promise Land, for we are told that they were still on the other side of the Jordon in the plains of Moab.
Now if you were the King of that country and all of a sudden a large amount of People just showed up and camped in your back yard, how would you fell about it?
To make matters worse, you hear all kinds of stories about them and how there God goes before them. In fact you hear stories about how they have walk through Rivers of water on dry-land, how they eat food that come down from the Heavens, and how there God goes before them into battle.
This would make you pretty up-set would it not? Balak was indeed up-set!
2: And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
The Amorites were a strong people in the Land, but were powerless to stand before the Children of Israel when God was with them. Notice: I said when God was with them
This is a good lesion for us today, we should only fight the battle for God when he is with us, don’t try and do it on you own
3: And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
They were afraid and they were scared because they have seen what had happen to the Amorites and figure it will also happen to them next.
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.
Normally when an approaching army comes and besieges a City, they pretty much eat off the Land and do what ever they want. Because there were no re-enforcement in those days
But this was not Balak main concern, his main concern was that Israel was going to defeat all the Kings round about them, and it would only be a matter of time before he to would have to defend his kingdom.
Now let me ask, was God fair in his dealing with these Kingdoms?
Did they have the opportunity to know who God was?
Did they have the knowledge of the great God of Creation?
How do we know that the knowledge of God existed in that part of the world, look at verse #5, what does it say the King did.
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:
I just love the way this King describes the people of God, there is a day coming when the people of God will again cover the face of the whole earth.
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.
The King knew and understood one thing, he had a big problem on his hand and this Man was in contact with the one person who could help.
What he did not know was that this same God was the one bringing these people into his homeland because they had refused to acknowledge him as there Lord and Master.
Moab was a descendent of Lot, Abraham’s nephew. So they had ever opportunity just like we do today to know God, but they do just like we do, they choose to turn away from God and serve another Master.
Jesus well said in the Book of Matthew 12:
30: He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
The people of Moab knew who Jehovah was but they choose the pleasures of sin for a season rather then to serve the God of creation, so the cup of there transgressions had finally reached it limit.
We too have the same problems; we too choose the pleasures of sin, rather then to give God not only our Life, but our Time, our Money, and our, Heart.
The Day of Judgment will come when we lease expect it, and rather then asking God for his forgiveness the world like Balak will search and hope to find someone who can curse the people of God who dire stand in there way.
Now the King is sending his delegate, his diplomat, his representative, his ambassador, what every you may want to call them; on a very special mission.
Numbers 22:
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.
So they are doing what the people of this world would do when in trouble and need a quick fix.
How many times when you are having a problem do you look for a quick fix. You don’t need to raise your hands; it is just about all of us at times, right.
We are always looking the fast way out rather then having to stay in for the long hall. The King of Moab was no different he needed a quick fix so he is sending now for Balaam’s help.
Now let’s take a close look at the Man of God and what he is going to say to this envoy of people from the Moab
8: And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. Way to go
As Christian we should never take matters into our own hands. Always before entering into a matter we should make it a time of prayer and seeking to know God will. Here we have a very good example of how to handle every type of situation.
9: And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
I am sure God did not need to ask Balaam who these men were or what they were doing there. But God always gives us a chance to explain the matter in clarity, so that God and Man are talking on the same terms and we can’t say later “I did not understand”.
10: And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
11: Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
Balaam also knew who these people were and he also knew that the Lord God was bringing them out of Egypt to possess the land before them.
12: And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
Case is now settled and the matter is closed, right.
13: And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
Now I have a problem here with the way Balaam handles this, I think he should have used better words then the Lord refused to give me leave.
Maybe something like; you better get home and get your house in order because the Lord God of Israel is going to give your Land to the people before you, and don’t call on me again.
In the way Balaam answer these men he left an opening for the King of Moab to come back. He left an opening for satin to inter, for he wanted to please God but he also wanted to please the King of Moab, who was to give him a very lard reward.
14: And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
Balaam just needed to find a way around God not letting him go to claim this reward; after all he could do a lot of good with that kind of money.
He could build a School, go on a missionary trip, and maybe even hold some evangelistic seminars right there in the mist of all these Idolatry nations. BUT God does not need Money he needs a people who are faithful to him in every aspect.
15: And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
16: And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:
When people are bent on doing something there way, they will stop at nothing, even selling themselves to achieve what they want
17: For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
This is the reward Balaam was hoping for; if he could curse these people for the King of Moab and get paid before the children of Israel invade Moab he could take is easy for the rest of his live.
But Balaam knew one thing, it was not up to him, he must inquire of God.
18: And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
Does God change his mind, do we need a second time to go and ask God it is still Not OK to go.
How do you feel when your Children come to you and ask?
Dad I know you said No on this; but I want to check to see if it is now OK.
People may change, but God does not, if God told you to go,
you need to ask what’s stopping you, and if God told you to not to go,
you need to shut it down fast.
19: Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
Balaam knew who these people were he knew that God was with them and he knew God was going to answer him the same way.
20: And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
Now please notices what God told him” If these men come to call thee, rise up” and go with them
Here is a big problem with many of good Christian people of God
These men knew that God would not give Balaam permission to go with them and so they did not go to inquire of Balaam but broke camp and made ready to depart.
When Balaam learned this what did he do?
![RidingDonkey[1]](http://www.restoringgodstruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/RidingDonkey1.jpg)
21: And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam did not wait for the men to come and ask, he was ready that morning to go with them; He was standing in the wrong line, waiting to go to the wrong place.
This happens when we know what God will is but we try and input our own will instead. Balaam did the same thing we do; and that is to try and rationalize what God said.
Good Christian people everyday try and explain what God is saying rather then just paying attention to the words in God Holy Book, just read it for yourselves.
God was not pleased with the actions of Balaam.
Balaam was double-minded, pursuing a course to gain and retain the favor and honor of the enemies of the Lord, for the sake of rewards he received from them.
At the same time he was professing to be a prophet of God. Because the Idolatrous nations believed that curses might be uttered which would affect individuals, and even whole nations.
22: And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
If there were every a Man between a Rock and a Hard place I believe Balaam found it.
23: And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
Any one here have a Donkey, not only are they ugly but they are about the most stubbing animal there is; the only reason to ride one is because it is better then walking.
I am sure in Gods eyes sometimes we are just like Donkeys
24: But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
25: And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
Balaam did not know what was happing, but that pore little Donkey new, and he wanted nothing to do with the Angle who stood in the path he was going in.
26: And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27: And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
This kind of reminds us of what happen when we are in traffic and there is a slow poke in front of you and you just want to beat them out of the way.
Now please notice what the Lord does here.
28: And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
Balaam is so mad that he does not even realize he is talk to the Donkey,
29: And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
30: And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
As he now starts to realize what is going on by the way the Donkey is speaking to him, God open his eyes
31: Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
32: And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
The Angle told him, Because your ways was wicked before me:
33: And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
34: And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
Balaam sure changes his tune now. Why do we have to wait for an Angle of God to knock us off our Donkey before we start to go the right way. (And there is another word I would like to use in place of the word Donkey), Paul had to get knock his Hose
35: And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
Here is a solemn warning for the people of God today, to allow no un-Christian trait to live in our hearts. A sin which is cultivated becomes habitual; and, strengthened by repetition, it soon exerts a controlling influence, bringing into subjection all the nobler powers.
Balaam loved the reward of unrighteousness. The sin of covetousness, which God ranks with idolatry, he Balaam did not resist and overcome.
Satan obtained entire control of him through this one fault, which deteriorated his character, and made him a time-server. He called God his master; but he did not serve Him; he did not work the works of God
There are a lot of times in life we try and go our own way and do our own thing, forgetting that God is right there everyday watching his children.
We sometimes go where we should not go, and do things we should not, even look at someone the wrong way.
We as Christian must always be on guard against the attack of satin, sometimes when we know the will of God we too like Balaam want to go when God is saying stop.
We are sometimes just like Balaam when we want to follow our own way rather then following God way. Sometime we make excuses or try and put words in God mouth of what he has not told us to do,
We need to make sure we are following Jesus, following the Cross and not following the world.
If you follow the world it will lead you to destruction just like it did to Balaam, but if we follow Jesus he will lead us to eternal life is a land that eye’s have not seen and ear’s have not heard of.
God Bless
Elder Tim McNab
Restoring Gods Truth
D5 Creation
