balak – Praying Pint

48.g. “Wilderness” – 12.m. “Balaam’s Final Oracle”

Num 24:15-25 And he took up his discourse and said, “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth. Edom shall be dispossessed; Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed. Israel is doing valiantly. And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the survivors of cities!” Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said, “Amalek was the first among the nations, but its end is utter destruction.” And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said, “Enduring is your dwelling place, and your nest is set in the rock. Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned when Asshur takes you away captive.” And he took up his discourse and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this? But ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Asshur and Eber; and he too shall come to utter destruction.” Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way.

The last four oracles of Balaam are curses – the kind of oracles that Balak wanted Balaam to deliver against Israel. Instead, they are spoken against Israel’s enemies. Previously Balaam prophesied of the beauty, strength, and blessedness of Israel; now God uses him to speak of the culmination of all Israel’s beauty, strength, and blessedness – the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Israel’s ultimate blessedness comes from Jesus, their Messiah. Martin Luther had a hard time seeing this as a messianic prophecy because Balaam was such an unworthy prophet of such a glorious message. Yet, “The truth of the Scripture could never be dependent on the worthiness of the writer or the personal piety of the speaker. Else we would have gradations in inspiration and shadings in trustworthiness. I say this reverently but strongly; the words of Balaam the pagan mantic, when he was speaking under the control of the Holy Spirit of God were as sure as the words of the Savior Jesus in a red-letter edition of the NT.” “A blind man may bear a torch in his hand, whereby others may receive benefit, though himself receive none; so here.”

The Messiah will eventually rule over all nations that surround Israel. Here, and in the following verses, God spoke about the neighboring nations of Israel (Moab, Edom, Amalek, and the Kenites) and their future through Balaam. Balak, the king of the Moabites, must have been both grieved and outraged to hear his paid-for prophet speak these words against Moab, cursing them instead of Israel. “This prediction of Moab’s total defeat at the hand of a future Israelite king is an appropriate point for Balaam to end. He had been called in so that through his curse Balak, king of Moab, might defeat Israel; Balaam declares that the reverse will be the case: Moab will be destroyed by a coming king of Israel.” (Guzik)

“Balak had not his will, nor Balaam his wages; God fooled them both, pulling the morsel out of their mouths, that they had well-nigh devoured.” (Trapp)

48.e. “Wilderness” – 12.k. “Balaam’s Second Oracle”

Num 23:11-30 And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” And he answered and said, “Must I not take care to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?” And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.” And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the LORD over there.” And the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.” And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the LORD spoken?” And Balaam took up his discourse and said, “Rise, Balak, and hear; give ear to me, O son of Zippor: God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it. He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them. God brings them out of Egypt and is for them like the horns of the wild ox. For there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel; now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God wrought!Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself; it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.” And Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.” But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the LORD says, that I must do’?” And Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the desert. And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

The king of Moab was understandably disturbed. He paid good money for a curse against Israel, and the prophet blessed them instead. Balaam spoke as a true prophet, but a corrupt prophet. We sense that he was disappointed that he couldn’t please the king who promised him lots of money. Balaam had already told Balak that he could only speak what the LORD told him. Balak wanted to change the word Balaam spoke over Israel from a blessing to a curse. Balak hoped that by changing the place where Balaam stood and changing the perspective he had as he looked out on Israel, then the prophecy would change. Because Balaam seemed so impressed by the size of Israel in the first oracle (Numbers 23:10), Balak thought it was better to put him in a place where he could only see a portion of Israel for the second oracle.

Once again, Balaam could only speak the word that God put in his mouth. Balaam either could not or would not create his own message and claim it was from the LORD simply to please King Balak.

God is not a man, and can’t be bribed or impressed with riches.

God does not lie, and He does not change His mind (that He should repent) as man does.

God always performs His word. If God has spoken, He will perform it.

God has all strength, and has the power to perform what He promises.

One important feature of the Mosaic covenant was its promise of blessing and cursing (as in Leviticus 26). God promised to bless a generally obedient Israel, and curse a generally or significantly disobedient Israel. When Balaam noted that God had not observed iniquity in Jacob nor has He seen wickedness in Israel, it was a way to say “Therefore, under God’s covenant with them, they will be blessed.” For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel: This was a strong and direct way for God to say to Balak (and Balaam), “You can’t curse Israel. Your sorcery can have no effect.” Instead of being defeated by sorcery or divination, Israel was like the lion that will devour its prey.

Balak was very frustrated and essentially said, “If you can’t curse them, then at least don’t go and bless them!”

Balaam is again presented as corrupt, but not a false messenger or prophet. Balaam’s greed and corruption were not a good example. Balaam simply could not shape God’s message to please his audience. (Guzik)

A person can study Scripture for years and gain much knowledge about them. They can quote them, hang them on the walls in their homes, and even make some decisions about how they interact with others based on them. It is not about knowing scripture but rather knowing Jesus Christ the redeemer and savior of which scripture speaks. Without this godly wisdom, all of the knowledge of scripture is fruitless in a person’s redemption. A person may know of Jesus through scripture but they do not know Him. They may know He is the Son of God, Lamb of God, Redeemer, Savior, and coming again King but they do not know Him. They have not seen the need for this savior. They have not seen their sin. They have lived in such a way that for all practical reasons, they are a great person void of vises others fall prey to. Yet their heart is void of Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Don’t get me wrong, knowing God’s Word, feeding on His Word, desiring to be taught by His Word so that you might live in such a way that continues to grow in a fuller understanding and knowledge of God’s grace, mercy, and love so that you will honor and glorify Jesus Christ in thought, word, and deed – this is not only good but beneficial to our faithful walk to eternity in heaven.

48.d. “Wilderness” – 12.j. Balaam – “How can I curse whom God has not cursed?”

Num 23:4 and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. And Balaam took up his discourse and said, “From Aram Balak has brought me, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains: ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!’ How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced? For from the top of the crags I see him, from the hills I behold him; behold, a people dwelling alone, and not counting itself among the nations! Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!”

God spoke to and through someone as obviously corrupt as Balaam. This shows us that spiritual giftedness does not equal spiritual maturity or holiness of life. God spoke through a donkey in the previous chapter and now He put a word in Balaam’s mouth. “Despite the pagan and unsavory actions of this ungodly man, the Lord deigns to meet with him and to speak through him. This is utterly remarkable. We often say that God will never use an unclean vessel. This is not quite accurate. God may use whatever vessel he wishes; the issue concerns what happens to an unclean vessel when God has finished using it for his purposes. It appears that such vessels are tossed aside, dashed on the road.”

When Balaam returned, Balak and all the princes of Moab were ready. They were ready to learn what their money bought them from Balaam. Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel: This was what Balak asked for. He wanted a spiritual curse against Israel so that they could be defeated in battle. Balaam or any other prophet could not curse Israel if God had not cursed them. Balak could not bribe God to curse Israel. Through Balaam God promised to bless Israel by making them a singular nation and blessing them with great size.

Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like his! Balaam was one of the many who long to die the death of the righteous yet have no desire to live the life of the righteous. The actual death of Balaam (Numbers 31:8) gives no hope for the fulfillment of this wish. His wish wasn’t wrong, but neither was it enough. (Guzik)

“Behold the vanity of mere desires. Balaam desired to die the death of the righteous, and yet was slain in battle fighting against those righteous men whom he envied.” (Spurgeon)

When a person sees and knows of righteousness and what it means in God’s eyes, it is important that they seek it with more than just curious words.

48.c. “Wilderness” – 12.i. “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD”

Num 23:1  And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram. And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height,

Proverbs 15:8    The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD

Isaiah 1:11-12   “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.  “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?

1 Samuel 15:22     And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

These were many altars ready to receive many bulls and rams. King Balak of the Moabites was ready to do whatever Balaam asked for, so long as he would curse Israel. Because Balaam sought to turn Yahweh against Israel, these seven altars and their sacrifices were intended to appease the LORD. But God never told Balaam to build an altar to Him, much less seven altars with seven sacrifices on seven different high places. These seven altars and burnt offerings were Balaam and Balak’s idea, not God’s. In the Numbers account, Balaam was a corrupt prophet but not a false prophet. He was greedy and ready to receive riches for trying to curse Israel. At the same time, he could not or would not create his own prophecies. He could only say, whatever the LORD shows me, I will tell you. (Guzik)

Seven — This being the usual number in the more solemn and important sacrifices, even among those worshippers of the true God who were not of the seed of Abraham, nor favoured with a written revelation, Job 42:8. Perhaps it was intended to show that they worshipped Him who had in a manner consecrated the number seven, by ceasing from his works of creation on the seventh day. It may not be improper to notice here how much the number seven is regarded in the sacred writings. The blood of atonement was to be sprinkled seven times before the mercy-seat, Leviticus 16:14; the consecrating oil was to be sprinkled seven times upon the altar, Leviticus 8:11; the leper was to be sprinkled seven times, and seven days were appointed for his cleansing, Leviticus 14:7-9; seven days were to be employed in consecrating the priests, (Leviticus 8:35,) and for purifying the unclean, Leviticus 12:2; Numbers 19:19; seven times Naaman washed in Jordan, 2 Kings 5:10; 2 Kings 5:14; seven days Jericho was besieged, and seven priests with seven trumpets blew, and the walls fell down, Joshua 6.; seven priests blew trumpets before the ark when David brought it home, 1 Chronicles 15:24; every seventh day was a sabbath; the seventh year a year of rest; and seven times seven years brought the jubilee. (Benson)

One heathen and one corrupt prophet can not make sacrifices to God that are right, true, or pleasing to God. Asking God to bless the work of your hands or actions resulting from your thoughts, while you are in sin and far from living to honor and glorify Jesus Christ, is foolish wisdom. And yet, this is what we do. We neglect God’s Word, we become deaf to the Holy Spirit, and we live lukewarm if not cold lives in reverence to God. And then, we seek God’s blessings for help, security, prosperity, health, relationships, safety, etc……. Rightly does the Word of God proclaim when Jesus said; “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; They worship me in vain.”

We do well to learn and know that a lukewarm commitment to honoring and glorifying God, will be in vain. It will give us no peace, rest, hope, joy, purity, love, generosity, etc…. It will only give worldly unsatisfying and unfulfilling results that will never satisfy the soul.

How many “Believers” neglect the wisdom and knowledge of God’s Word?

How many flounder like a fish out of water? How many have no peace, live in fear, or are anxious?

How many give more thought to worldly “stuff” and what it has to offer?

How many give no thought to honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ in “ALL” their thoughts, words, and actions?

How many are content with giving honor to God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him?????

48.b. “Wilderness” – 12.h. “Have I now any power of my own to speak anything?”

Num 22:35 And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak. When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, on the border formed by the Arnon, at the extremity of the border. And Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?” Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak.” Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth.

This showed how happy Balak was to have Balaam visit, so that this so-called prophet could curse Israel. Normally, rulers have people come to them. This time, Balak took the trouble to meetBalaam and pointed this out to him (Look, I have come to you!). The honor Balak had in mind was money. With almost his first words, Balak told Balaam what he wanted to hear – that he would be paid a lot of money to curse Israel. Balaam again warned Balak that the ability to curse Israel was not in his control. Perhaps he really believed and understood this, or perhaps this was his way of protecting himself in case he failed. Then he could say that it was God’s fault, and not his. (Guzik)

We need to be mindful of those who would tempt us to give thought to doing what is not right in God’s eyes or according to His Word, or that which we have been clearly convicted of and know it is not right. Satan has many devices at his disposal to tempt people away from doing what is right. He will use any opportunity and person and situation to tempt us to do that which is not right. He will gain a small foothold by placing a tempting thought in your mind. The problem is that we do not recognize it as a temptation – Why is that? It would be good if our mind’s eye could see the temptation and cast it out. I know the Holy Spirit can do this but are we committed to wanting to hear it and turn away from it?

I know that if our hearts compete desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all of our thoughts, words, and actions, we will become more and more aware of these temptations and be able to cast them out of our head.

47.z. “Wilderness” – 12.e. “Come, curse this people for me.”

Num 22:15 Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.’” But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the LORD my God to do less or more. So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me.” And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.” So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.

Balaam said the right words. He told his guests, the elders from Moab and Midian (Numbers 22:7) to return without him. Though Balaam told his guests to go, he said it in a way that told them that Balaam wanted to go, but God wouldn’t let him. The message from Balaam was, “Go back to your land. I would really like to go with you, but God won’t allow me.” It was as if Balaam told them, “God doesn’t want me to do this, but I can be persuaded.” The message would be clear to King Balak. The response of Balak shows that Balaam effectively communicated the message, “God told me no, but perhaps you can persuade me.” King Balak sent messengers more numerous and more honorable, with the promise of greater reward. No longer did they merely carry with them the diviner’s fee of Numbers 22:7; now they also brought a promise of great riches. Balaam refused to decisively put away a temptation the first time it came to him. Now the temptation came back to him stronger than it was before.

We can imagine Balaam’s tone of voice and expression when he said this. With a sense of longing, Balaam found a way to suggest a big offer from these richer messengers of Balak. “Balaam’s words echo the reality that he had indeed had an encounter with the God of Israel, through which the true Elohim had confronted and revealed himself to the pagan diviner. Yahweh God of Israel will use whatever means he desires to reveal himself to humanity.” This was proof that Balaam continued to entertain this sin. There was no need to seek God again when the will of God was clear both from his moral conscience (which troubled him from the beginning) and from the clear revelation of God.

We can say that God did not change His will. God had clearly spoken His will, and Balaam had decisively rejected it. Now God prepared Balaam for judgment, to both test and reveal the wickedness of Balaam’s heart. We know that sometimes, God says “no” to the prayers of His people, because He loves them. But sometimes God also says “yes” to the desires of the wicked because He will judge them.

“He was first forbidden, and afterwards commanded to go. The only explanation that is satisfactory is that, while attempting to maintain an external obedience to this supreme will of God, his heart was lusting after the riches offered to him by Balak.” God’s word to Balaam, rise and go with them was no more evidence of God’s approval of Balaam’s greed than the words of Jesus to Judas in John 13:27 (What you do, do quickly) were an approval of the actions of Judas. (Guzik)

I wonder how many times we court sin with thoughts of:

If God wants me to stop He will show me
God’s Word does not specifically say not to do this
I’ve not been convicted of it so it must be ok
Confusing worldly wisdom and Godly living
I’m good in many areas of my life, this one thing is not so bad
I don’t hurt anyone by doing it
It is accepted and tolerated by others
I’ll stop for a new years resolution

Clearly, when our hearts and minds are worldly focused there will be greed, pride, jealousy, hate, anger, bitterness, fear, lust, and tolerance of what is neither God honoring or right in His eyes.

47.y. “Wilderness” – 12.d. “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

Num 22:7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message. And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, ‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.’” God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your own land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you.” So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

Immediately, the heart of Balaam was revealed. Though he was obviously a man with significant spiritual gifts, he was not a man with a genuine heart after God. He was “seeking God’s will” regarding something that was plainly not His will. Balaam began on a dangerous course – entertaining, planning, setting his heart on something he knew to be sin, and looking for a spiritual excuse to pursue the sin. Because of his love for money, Balaam tried to manipulate God into granting him a special exception. God had no obligation to respond to a greedy, self-seeking heart like Balaam’s. But in mercy God did respond, warning Balaam to have nothing to do with these men. Balaam did know these were evil men who had come for an evil purpose – to hire a prophet – but Balaam did not act accordingly. (Guzik)

If Balaam had been a true prophet and a faithful servant of Jehovah, he would at once have sent the messengers away and refused their request, as he must then have known that God would not curse His chosen people. But Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness. This corruptness of his heart obscured his mind, so that he turned to God not as a mere form, but with the intention and in the hope of obtaining the consent of God to his undertaking. And God came to him in the night, and made known His will. (Keil)

When we know God’s Word and it is clear on right and wrong, and yet, we try to come up with a way to lessen our sin or tolerance of what is wrong, we fall into a path that will allow human reason and logic to cloud the Word of God. We do well to stand firm against taking part in any plans that we know are not of God, God-honoring, being an example for others to follow, or that cause us to lose unity within our fellowship with other believers. Just because we are weak in our understanding and knowledge does not give us room to play in the realm of what is wrong in God’s eyes.

47.x. “Wilderness” – 12.c. “Balak and Balaam”

Num 22:1 Then the people of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

Israel was, at this point, on the move. They had basically finished their 38-year exile in the wilderness, and then progressed towards Canaan, coming closer than the previous generation of unbelief. They would remain in this general area (the plains of Moab…across from Jericho) for about a year, when the book of Joshua describes their crossing the Jordan and attack on Jericho.

A man named Balaam suddenly appears in Numbers. We do not know how he came to be regarded as a prophet or a man with spiritual powers, but King Balak certainly knew Balaam’s reputation. As the account continues, it will be clear that Balaam had some knowledge of the true God, the God of Israel, that went beyond a vague spiritual connection (such as the specific mention of the LORD in Numbers 22:8). How Balaam came to know the true God is unclear; he was (in this regard) like Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18) and Jethro (Exodus 18), men who were not Israelites, but they came to some knowledge of the true God. King Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel, to cripple them spiritually so they could be defeated in battle. Balak seemed to know the strength of Israel was spiritually rooted, and they had to be cut off from their source of power if they were to be conquered. (Guzik)

None had so great a reputation as Balaam; and Balak will employ him, though he send a great way for him. It is not known whether the Lord had ever spoken to Balaam, or by him, before this; though it is probable he had, and it is certain he did afterwards. Yet we have abundant proof that he lived and died a wicked man, an enemy to God and his people. And the curse shall not come upon us if there is not a cause, even though men utter it. To prevail with Balaam, they took the wages of unrighteousness, but God laid restraint upon Balaam, forbidding him to curse Israel. Balaam was no stranger to Israel’s cause; so that he ought to have answered the messengers at once, that he would never curse a people whom God had blessed; but he takes a night’s time to consider what he should do. When we parley with temptations, we are in great danger of being overcome. Balaam was not faithful in returning God’s answer to the messengers. Those are a fair mark for Satan’s temptation, who lessen Divine restraints; as if to go against God’s law were only to go without his leave. The messengers also are not faithful in returning Balaam’s answer to Balak. (Henry)

11.b. “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.”

Micah 5:15 And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey. Hear what the Lord says: Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, you mountains, the indictment of the Lord, and you enduring foundations of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against his people, and he will contend with Israel. “O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, remember what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 32:1    “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.

Luke 19:40    He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Jeremiah 22:29    O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!

Isaiah 1:2   Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the LORD has spoken: “Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me.

Give ear creation for God is proclaiming His anger against disobedience. God asks a very good question, “How have I wearied you?” “What have I done to you?” He is asking them what part of life is detrimental when following and obeying God? What part of being in the protective, powerful, and loving arms is bad for their life on earth? What part of promised eternal life with Him is not worth giving Him all our hearts, minds, and souls? What part of His provisions is so bad that we want to turn away and shun Him? If we give this any thought at all and look into how we are living our lives we might be ashamed of how we honor, glorify, follow, worship, obey, trust, and rely on Him.

6.c. But I have a few things against you:

Revelation 2:12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

Pergamum was known for a few things; Satan’s home and dwelling place, the altar to Zeus, and Asclepius the god of healing )also known as Asclepius the Savior). This is the place where these Christian believers lived. This is the culture they were surrounded in, day in and day out. Every day their faith was being tested and it took conviction and courage to fight them. It appears that some of the people in the church at Pergamos were thinking they could indulge in the pagan practices around them without harm to their own spirituality. Though they had been courageous in maintaining their faith they were beginning to compromise their faith by adding pagan practices to it. They were slowly adopting these practices into their daily lives. When you read this do you think about what has crept into your life that you have adopted because others have adopted into theirs? Do you wonder why there appears no to be a difference between how non-believers and believers live out their lives? Christ gives a clear warning. Repent of these practices and walk worthy of your calling in Jesus Christ.