Brother Anthony K. Wutoh Information on several slides courtesy of Christ.aspx

 Has God ever tried to prevent you from doing something foolish and destructive to yourself, but you were insistent on doing it anyway  How does the Lord send messengers to help guide and direct out paths?  How do we respond to God’s forgiveness and a second chance?

 The Crucifixion - Luke 23:26-34  Balaam’s Donkey - Number 22:1-35  The Bronze Snakes - Number 21:1-9  The Stoning of Stephen – Acts 7:54-59  Daniel Prays for Forgiveness - Daniel 9:1-21

 The willingness to accept God’s concept of forgiveness in my heart, and to repent for closing my spirit with false substitutes, knowing that true forgiveness gives me the compassion to keep my spirit open to others, to cancel their debts, release them from bondage, and set them free to go!  Old Self Love ParadigmNew Self Love Paradigm  Worthlessness-Greatness  Rejection-Choseness  Abandonment-Atonement  Abuse-Purpose

 22 Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho.  2 Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, 3 and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites.  4 The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.”  So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5 sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the Euphrates River, in his native land. Balak said:  “A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6 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 land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”  7 The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said.  8 “Spend the night here,” Balaam said to them, “and I will report back to you with the answer the L ORD gives me.” So the Moabite officials stayed with him.  9 God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”  10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: 11 ‘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.’”  12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”  13 The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the L ORD has refused to let me go with you.”  14 So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”  15 Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. 16 They came to Balaam and said:  “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, 17 because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.”  18 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the L ORD my God. 19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the L ORD will tell me.”  20 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.”

 21 Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. 22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the L ORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 When the donkey saw the angel of the L ORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.  24 Then the angel of the L ORD stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the L ORD, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.  26 Then the angel of the L ORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the L ORD, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. 28 Then the L ORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”  29 Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”  30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”  “No,” he said.  31 Then the L ORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the L ORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.  32 The angel of the L ORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. [a] 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”a  34 Balaam said to the angel of the L ORD, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”  35 The angel of the L ORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.” So Balaam went with Balak’s officials.

 9 God came to Balaam and asked, “Who are these men with you?”  10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: 11 ‘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.’”  12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”  Was the Lord unclear in his message to Balaam?

 12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.”  13 The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak’s officials, “Go back to your own country, for the L ORD has refused to let me go with you.”  14 So the Moabite officials returned to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”  15 Then Balak sent other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. 16 They came to Balaam and said:  “This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, 17 because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.”  18 But Balaam answered them, “Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the L ORD my God. 19 Now spend the night here so that I can find out what else the L ORD will tell me.”  Why did Balaam invite the second delegation to spend the night so that he could inquire of God again?

 But what did Balaam say to the messengers? “Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.”  What does that mean? He wishes he could go, but “God won't let him.” Remember those “fees of divination”?  Balaam got paid for his work. There wasn't anything strange about that in those days - it was customary to bring a gift when you sought the word of God from a prophet.  Balaam knew there was some big money to be made, and what he was really saying was, “I'd like to go, but I can't.”

 Balaam was obviously open for temptation, so Balak sent a more “tempting” temptation, greater in quality and quantity.  Balaam wanted to go despite what he was told by the Lord.  A poll was taken in the U.S., and they asked men and women how much money it would take for them to agree to sleep with a stranger. The average amount for the men was $ The average for the women was $10,000. But as the dollar amount got higher, almost everybody said, “Yes, I'd sleep with a stranger for a million dollars.” And what I'd say to all of them is - you're willing to be a prostitute. All you're changing is the price.  You're willing to set aside your convictions for money. If you can be bought at any price, then God doesn't care about the price. He only cares that you can be bought.  Imagine there is something you would really like, and you have prayed for it, and it appears. There's only one hitch - God has told you “No.” Got the picture? What's your price? At what point are you willing to disobey God? What is there that can buy you. Are you for sale? Is God for sale in your life? Is obedience for sale?

 Thus says Balak, “Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me; for I will indeed honor you richly. Please come then, curse this people for me.”'” So what's Balaam going to say? Remember, he was a prophet of God. He really was! He wasn't a devil worshipper. “Balaam answered and said, `Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the Lord my God.'” Well, that's a very zealous statement, but it's his next line that gets him in trouble. “`And now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the Lord will speak to me.'”  Balaam should have said, “Go away. Get thee behind me. Split! I won't do this, and I don't even want to be tempted.” The Bible says to flee temptation; to resist the devil, and he will flee from you. But Balaam is essentially saying to these guys, “Hang out and let me go talk to God. Let me pray about it. Maybe God will change His mind by the morning.” The error of Balaam is - obedience to God, plus. Or obedience to God, but. Or obedience to God, and... something else. It's saying, “Yes Lord, I'll obey You, but...”  How many people have gone to hell “praying about it”?  How many people have disobeyed God saying, “Well, I really have a burden for this,” or “I really feel led to do that.”  What is important is what did God tell you?  Praying about something is not necessarily spiritual. Mormons pray. Krishnas pray. Buddhists pray. Hearing from God and doing what God says is spiritual.  Don't ever say, “Well, I'm gonna do this, because I've really prayed about it,” unless you can finish the statement: “I prayed about it, and God has answered me. He told me I'm supposed to do this.” It doesn't impress me that you've prayed about it. And it doesn't impress God that you prayed about it, because the most selfish prayer is one-way prayer. It's like picking up the phone, dialing a number, and doing all the talking - then hanging up before the person can talk back.  Balaam thinks, “Maybe I can get the consolation prize. Maybe I won't get the riches and the honor and the house full of silver and gold, but I might be able to tell them a little something and get a pig. You know, maybe instead of a million dollars, they'll give me a thousand.”

 “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.'”  Now, on the surface it doesn't seem like there's anything harmful or angry in God's answer to Balaam. But Balaam had asked God once, was told “No,” and then asked a second time. “We'll find out what else the Lord will speak to me.” “God, I know you told me `No,' but what else can you tell me about this?”  Balaam said, “I want to go find out what else.” God gave him “what else.” When Balaam came back a second time, what I consider a disobedient and greedy man, God and told him what he wanted to hear. “Sure, go ahead.” Why?  “So Balaam arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab. But God was angry because he was going.” Now, why would God tell Balaam to do something, and then be angry when he did it?  Let this be a warning. God will never tell you to do something He once told you not to do, unless He explains why He's changing His path. God told Abraham, “Go offer your son as a burnt offering,” but later said, “Do not harm the boy, for now I know you fear Me. Now I know you love Me more than anything else.” (Gen. 22:2- 12) God said, “I'm changing My direction, and this is why.”  But here God says “No” to Balaam one time, and the next time He just tells him, “All right, go,” without giving any reason. Beware. If God says “No,” and then you keep asking, He may say, “All right, if you're not going to be obedient, go ahead. Do what you want.”  Watch out - if you keep whining and whimpering to God about that cute guy, after He's already told you “No,” you'd better be very careful...you just might get what you're after. He may finally say “Yes,” and you will have to live with the disastrous results.

 1 Samuel 8:6-20  6 But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the L ORD. 7 And the L ORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”  10 Samuel told all the words of the L ORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle [c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the L ORD will not answer you in that day.”c  19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”  21 When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the L ORD. 22 The L ORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”

 It reminds me of 2 Timothy 4:2-5  2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage— with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

 So Balaam is riding on his donkey with the leaders of Moab, “And the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword, the donkey turned off and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back.” Three times this happened - the donkey saw the angel and got out of the way, fast! Finally, she just laid down right in the middle of the road. “Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick. And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, `What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?'” And Balaam is so shocked that he answers her! “`Because you have made a mockery of me!'”  Picture this - Balaam is riding with the officials, the princes, the president of Moab General Chariots, and they're about to have a “pileup” because Balaam's donkey has stopped dead in the road. And this guy is supposed to be a prophet? He doesn't even know how to handle his donkey! “`Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.'” That's how mad he was. He was foaming at the mouth. He'd never been so embarrassed in all his life! “And the donkey said, `Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?' And he said, `No.'” Here he is, having a conversation with his donkey again!  Then God opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing there with his sword drawn. “And the angel said to him, `Why have you struck your donkey? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me. But the donkey saw me and turned aside. If she had not, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.'” God speaks to him and says, “Look buddy, your donkey just saved your life. She was trying to keep you out of trouble.” “And Balaam said to the angel, `I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.'”  Now, when I first read Balaam's statement here, my impression was that he had a pretty good attitude. It showed that he was willing to turn back. But now I see that it's actually a wicked answer. Total wickedness. What did he mean by, “If it is displeasing to you”?! What more do you need? Your donkey is talking to you, and you've got the angel of the Lord Himself standing before you with a drawn sword telling you that your way is contrary, and you're saying, “If it is displeasing I will turn back”! God wrote Balaam off right there. That was the ultimate. He should have said, “God, I've sinned. I'm repenting, and I'll meet You back at the cave. You told me not to go, and I'm turning back right now.” But he doesn't repent, and he's written off; he's had it. He's not God's chosen anymore.

 31 Then the L ORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the L ORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.  32 The angel of the L ORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. [a] 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”a  Balaam was being measured for death.  God intervened through the Donkey to spare his life.

 The error of Balaam was twofold: He used the gift and calling of God for his own selfish gain, and he asked God a second time after He had already said “No” the first time.  Balaam did his best to find a way around being obedient to God. He spoke God's words, but he didn't have God's heart.  And if you don't share God's heart, you might think you're doing what He wants you to do, but you'll only be going through outward motions of obedience. You might read your Bible and say your prayers and keep the rules, yet in your heart be a wicked, wicked servant.  You must know His heart and His attitudes; share His hatred toward sin, and His love for souls... His love for others and His love for you.  God forgave Balaam, and gave him another opportunity though he was heading for death.

 Has God ever forgiven you, and given you a second, third, fourth or multiple chances?  How do we respond to forgiveness? How do we treat our brothers and sisters and others in need of forgiveness?  How do we learn to forgive?

 Confront the sin properly, deal with it privately, humbly, and spiritually,  True forgiveness requires the offender to own sin repentantly,  True Forgiveness is given graciously and generously,