DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- BLESSING ISRAEL

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – BLESSING ISRAEL

"Then Balak said to Balaam, 'What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully?' " (Numbers 23:11)

The setting for this incident begins in Numbers 22. The Moabites, under Balak, the son of Zippor, saw how Israel had defeated the nations on their journey to the Promised Land. So they went to Balaam to get him to curse Israel. "And God said to Balaam, 'You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." (Numbers 22:12)

Balak kept trying to persuade Balaam to come. God did eventually give Balaam permission to go (22:20), and so Balaam saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.

When Balaam came to Balak, they went to an altar of Baal where Balaam was supposed to curse Israel. Instead, God put words of blessing into Balaam's mouth. Balak was not happy with that, so he urged Balaam to try again. And again, Balaam pronounced blessing on Israel. The same thing happened a third and fourth time, and each time Balaam blessed Israel instead of cursing them.

Israel was and still is a special nation chosen by God. Israel has its enemies who would curse and try to destroy the nation. But God has special plans for Israel. It is a dangerous thing to curse someone or a nation that God has pronounced blessing upon.

As Christians, we honor Israel because they are God's chosen people, and also because Jesus came to this world through the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A part of Balaam's blessing on Israel includes this prophecy: "A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel" Numbers 24:17). Balaam saw into the future when Christ would come from the nation of Israel. We bless the nation of Israel as the people through whom God provided the Savior.

May our hearts bless Israel – God's chosen people and the womb of the Savior.

Love, Dad