Let us look into the background before we look into the verse: Israel have come out of Egypt and now they are wandering in the desert and Balak saw them and feared them as they have already brought the kingdom and its kings to an end. So Balak went to Balaam, a Prophet, who speaks to God and lay a curse or blessing upon people based on the complete judgement of God as God is holy and he knows what is there in the people’s heart. The intention of Balak is for Balaam to lay a curse on the Hebrews so Balak can defeat them, so he sent men to Balaam. But Balaam said, “I can only do what the Lord wants me to do. So, I will enquire of him and do it accordingly.” When he enquired the Lord, the Lord said,
Numbers 22:12, God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” So, Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.” The leaders of Moab arose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
But Balak sent his higher officials, than the ones who came before, and offered much more pay and asked Balaam to lay a curse on the Hebrews. Then Balaam said, “I will not do anything even if Balak give his house without the Lord’s approval. So, stay the night, and I will enquire the Lord. “
Numbers 22:20, God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.” So, Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.
So, we see that the Lord has approved for Balaam to go with the officials of Balak. What we read from the verses from 22 onwards is that God was angry and sent his angel. WHY? Why was God angry when he approved?
Well, God did say no when Balaam enquired the first time. But did Balaam really KNOW God? Go to the next chapter.
Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Balaam himself said, “God is not a man to lie – to say one thing, but in really, he wanted another.” Why did God say something else the second time when Balaam waited for God? Maybe to teach Balaam a lesson so he will speak what was written in Number 23:19, that God doesn’t change his mind. For us to read and understand the same – to know God. So, in reality, When God has said, “yes”, there is no “no” in it and when God has said, “no”, there is no “yes”, in it. His decision is final. So, when we go to God back again to inquire the Lord for what we have asked, we need to be aware of the first answer. If God has already answered, then there is no changing his mind. I do not see a reason to ask God again. In the case of Gideon, who asked 3 times for God’s approval, he was asking if God was with him to do something great and mighty. Like wise with Moses when he encountered God for the first time. In both cases, God’s answer did not change.
Is this the only instance recorded in the bible? No. There are more. Let’s look into a few more.
Exodus 32:10, “Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.”
When the Hebrews made a golden calf while Moses was with the God receiving the commandments, God said the above to Moses saying “i will make you, Moses, a great nation. Moses then interceded for them. But if you see the whole picture of that moment till today, God’s word is true! First, the rebels did not enter the promised land of Israel. Only those who obeyed God like Moses and not then not rebel against God and his son, Lord Jesus, for the last 2000 years, will inherit the kingdom of God. Do you see it? That’s the big picture of the filter/narrow path that God installed. Ezekiel 20 talks in detail about the iniquity of mankind. Verse 38 gives the image of that filter that still exists. Lord Jesus reaffirmed this in Matthew 7
Ezekiel 20:38, and I will purge from you the rebels and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they will not enter the land of Israel. Thus, you will know that I am the LORD.
Matthew 7:21, Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
God looks for those who willingly obey God and do as he says. Of course, we are humans, and our flesh wages war against the spirit. That’s why we have forgiveness through his son, Lord Jesus. That is good news, but can we keep disobeying? No. Why?
Moses did not enter the promised land because he did not regard God as holy in front of the nation at the waters of Meribah. Because he is the leader, leaders are judged strictly. Are you a leader? If so, do not disobey! With regards to Moses, see more detailed explanations: here.
Before I quote words from the second section of the bible, that is, the New Testament, let’s look at another leader who disobeyed and was judged strictly.
The incident of a prophet and his disobedience in 1 Kings 13, a prophet went to Jeroboam and laid a prophesy of what is to come. When Jeroboam saw that he was the man from God, because his hand became shrivelled and then healed again, read this chapter for the whole background, he said, come and dine with me. The prophet said, “I am commanded not to eat or drink on the way and until I return. I am also not supposed to take the same way back but another way.” The prophet did as the Lord commanded and went back through another way without eating and drinking from people. While he was heading back, another man (old prophet) came to the prophet saying, “Come and dine with me before you continue your journey.” The prophet repeated the same story to him as well, and this man said, “the Lord spoke to me through an angel and asked for you to come with me, I am a prophet as well.” The bible also says that the man lied. When the prophet heard that, he went along with him, ate, drank, and then continued his journey, and he was struck by a lion. The lion did not eat him but simply stood near him until the man who fed him came and took his body and buried him. The prophet didn’t enquire God if there was a change of plan, nor did he say, “the Lord will never change his mind, so I am not coming.” Hence, he was judged.
According to the word of God, and from these incidents, the leaders are strictly judged. There is little to no room for them, the leaders and teachers, to make mistakes.
James 3:1, Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such, we will incur a stricter judgment.
Because I am writing all these, that verse from James is for me as well. I was not under that until I started to speak and write. I will be judged much stricter than those who don’t teach. May God be with me so I may not disobey him, I pray. If you too teach others, take caution to be holy, set apart for God. To live in his son, Lord Jesus, and not rebel against him, like the Israelites who rebelled against Moses in the desert. We are in the desert. Lord Jesus, our King, is the one who brings food and water now and will also bring beyond death and resurrection. God loves the ones who obey him, that is the will of the Father, to obey him in his son.
So, KNOW your God. Know how he operates. Know what his will is. Know him personally. Lord Jesus does everything that his Father, who is his God (read Rev 3:12,13 which supports this statement), wanted him to do. Hence, he is the king over all. We, too, must KNOW our Father, who is our God who is also his Father and God. Because the Father doesn’t change, Lord Jesus doesn’t change as well. If we have seen the son, we have seen the Father. John 14:8-9.
Rev 3:12, He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
John 14:8, Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?
Is God an angry God? No, he is a holy God and disobedience is unholy which is from the devil and not from God. So, know your God!
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