Hello and welcome to broadcast number nine in this series of understanding the times in which we live. Stay tuned, we'll try to make it plain and we'll try to make it simple. Well, we've seen in our studies that this fellow, Balaam, was a hypocrite. He sounded like a solid fundamentalist, but he was anything but. The Bible says in Jude that he went to hell. Jude's little book number, chapter 1, verse number 13. Joshua said he was a soothsayer. Moses said he was responsible for the plague that came upon Israel. Nehemiah right out said that He was against God's people, and Peter said he was the lover of the wages of unrighteousness. He was nothing at all like he sounded. Talk is cheap. It's the walk that makes the difference. Well, the Bible says these things are written for our admonition, so let us see what we can learn and be admonished in this age in which we are living, because the Bible says it's written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. And so Balak decided that he needed a soothsayer and he wanted the best one he could get his hands on. Therefore, he traveled 400 miles or had his men travel 400 miles to go and get Balaam. And he says that he understood that whom he blessed was blessed and whom he cursed was cursed. He wanted the best soothsayer he could get. Balak knew exactly who and what Balaam was. Sometimes the unsaved have more insight than Christians. 16 and 8 tells us the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. Well the Bible tells us that Balaam was a soothsayer. Deuteronomy 23 and 4 says they hired against the Balaam. Nehemiah 13 too says they hired Balaam against them. In 2 Peter 2 15 we read Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness. He was a soothsayer who was for sale. Verse 7 tells us they came to Balaam with the rewards of divination in their hand. The Hebrew word for divination is translated witchcraft in 1 Samuel 15, verse number 23. Balaam eagerly entertained the big shots who knocked on his door. He loved the wages of unrighteousness. Therefore we read, and he said unto them, Lodge here this night, verse number eight. Well, God commands his people today, if they're come unto you, any, and bring not this doctrine, that is, the doctrine of Christ, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God's speed, for he that biddeth him God's speed is partaker of his evil deeds." 2 John 1 verse 10. If there come any, one has to wonder what part of any is too difficult to understand. The difference between the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of Christ was very obvious, and birds of a feather do flock together. Verse 9 says, And God said unto Balaam, What men are these with thee? This is one of those questions recorded in the Bible that God already knew the answer to. In Genesis 3, 9, he asked Adam, where art thou? God knew where Adam was. However, he was given Adam an opportunity to confess where he was. God did not ask Balaam who the men were that visited his home that night. He asked them what they were. You can tell what a person really is or who he isn't by who they allow to be their friends. God, in his mercy, was showing Balaam what he really was. He was giving him an opportunity to confess what he was and what he wasn't. However, like Judas, Balaam remained on his determined course to doom, which Jude 1 and 13 says was the blackness of darkness forever. Well, those men that were with Balaam were against God and so was Balaam. The phrase with thee is found 15 times in the book of Numbers. All but one deals with God's people and who they were with. One deals with Balaam and who he was with. Balaam just ignored God's question concerning those men that were with him. And in his stupidity, he thought he would bring God up to date concerning Balak's problem. If you read verses 10 through 11. Well, verse 12 we read, and God said unto Balaam, thou shalt not go with them. Thou shalt not curse the people for they are blessed. And Balaam rose up in the morning and said unto the princes of Balak, get you into your land for the Lord refuses to give me leave to go with you. And the princes of Moab rose up and they went back to Balak, that's 400 miles, and said, Balaam refuses to come with us. Well, King Balak had been waiting for an answer for about two months now, and however, he was not about to give up hiring this famous soothsayer, so Balaam obviously had no interest whatsoever in the will of God. He was simply using this situation as a negotiating tool to get more money from Balak because he loved the wages of unrighteousness, 2 Peter 2.15. Well, the negotiation continues in verse 17, and Balak sent yet again Prince is more and more honorable than they. And they came to Balaam and said unto him, Thus saith Balak, the son of Zipporah, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me. For I will promote thee unto very great honor, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me. Come, therefore, I pray thee, and curse me this feeble." Yeah, that's what Balaam was looking for. He's doing a great job on this negotiation thing. Well, it was a risky response by Balaam. In verse 18, 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. Well, the Lord was not his God. He's just negotiating here. Again, Balaam is not the least bit interested in the will of God. He's simply enjoying playing the money game with Balak. And Balaam realized that Moab was sore afraid, and they were distressed because the people of God had come out of Egypt and were now on the borders of Moab. That is why we read Balaam said, now therefore I pray thee, tarry also here that night, this night that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more. God had already said, don't go, don't have anything to do with them. No, it's all a big game. Well, it's only by the mercy of God. that God deals with Balaam at all. However, like Balaam's New Testament counterpart, Judas Iscariot, Balaam ignores all of God's mercy and continues with his focus on finances. John 12, 6 tells us that Judas was the same. He was a thief and had the bag and bear what was put therein. Well, what was God's response to Balaam? Verse 20, And God said unto Balaam at night, If the men come to call thee, rise up and go with them. but yet the word which I say unto thee, that shalt thou do." Balaam did not get God to change his mind. He didn't read this very carefully. Verse 21, it says God's anger was kindled because he went. God was simply giving Balaam another chance to make a right decision. Balaam was only interested in continuing his negotiation with Balak, and he only heard what he wanted to hear. God said, plainly, The men come to call thee, rise up and go with them. We read nothing of them coming to call Balaam that morning. All Balaam heard was what he wanted to hear, which was rise up and go with them. Well, verse 21, Balaam rose up in the morning, saddled his ass and went with the princes of Moab. Balaam was in his glory as he left town with these high officials from Moab. Remember, Bethor was a hotbed of soothsayers and Balaam was chosen above them all. If this was happening in our day, the cameras of CNN would be reporting the story of these princes and Balaam leaving town and Balaam saddled his ass and went with the princes of Moab and he was just in his glory. Well, we read that God was upset. And so in verse 22, it says, and God's anger was kindled against him because he went and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Well, from this point on, verse 22, the Lord becomes Balaam's adversary. From this point on, the Lord's dealings with him change completely. The Bible tells us plainly in Genesis 6, verse number 3, my spirit shall not always strive with man. Balaam crossed the line. God's anger was kindled to the point that he was ready to kill Balaam. In verse 33, the Lord said, unless she, that is Balaam's donkey, had turned from me, Surely now also I had slain thee and saved her life. God had more respect for Balaam's donkey than he did for Balaam. No doubt Balaam was very embarrassed as he lost control of his little donkey before those high officials of Moab. They were probably laughing at him and wondering how Balaam could possibly defeat the nation of Israel. He couldn't even handle his donkey. The story of Balaam's donkey is recorded between verses 22 and 31. And in verse 31, we find Balaam flat on his face. The Lord tells Balaam that his way was perverse before him. Perverse before him. To be perverse is to show a deliberate and obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unacceptable in spite of the consequences. To be obstinate is to be stubbornly refusing to change your opinion or chosen course of action despite attempts to be persuaded to do so. That's Balaam. That is the Lord's description of Balaam. Keep in mind that Balaam talked like a fundamentalist. However, the Lord saw him as he really was. Samuel 16, 7 says, Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart. Well, verse 34, 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 displeased thee, I would get me Back again, what a hypocrite. Balaam and Judas Iscariot both said, I have sinned. However, neither of them were forgiven. What a lesson is recorded here for us. We seem to think that we can live the way we want. And when we are ready, God will surely be standing patiently there ready to forgive. One other person in the New Testament said, I have sinned. And that person was forgiven. And that person was the prodigal son. who was in the wrong place and he knew it, and unlike Balaam and unlike Judas, he repented and he was forgiven. That story can be found in Luke chapter 15. First of all, we need to understand concerning the doctrine of forgiveness that there can be no forgiveness without repentance. In Luke 17, 3 and 4, Jesus said, if thy brother trespasses against thee, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him. There can be no forgiveness without repentance. Second, we need to realize there can be no sincere repentance unto salvation if the Holy Spirit is not involved. When Peter preached in convicted by the Holy Spirit, and as a result, we read, they repented. Third, the Spirit of God does not always stride with man, Genesis 6 and 3. Example, Hebrews 12, 17 says, For ye knew how that afterward, when he, that is Esau, would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. Balaam and Judas both crossed the line. At some point they grieved the Holy Spirit once too often and their fate was doomed. Once again, these things are written for our admonition. Let us be warned that from that point their lives would only serve as a bad example. Let me read it again, 1 Corinthians 10, 11. Now all these things happen unto them for examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come. 1 Corinthians 10 verse number 11. God was not interested in Balaam's prayer to get out of trouble. Balaam said, if it displeased me, I would get me back again. Our prayers to get out of trouble or to stay out of hell do not impress God. Jesus said, I tell you nay, but except you repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13 and three. Well, from this point on, Balaam becomes God's puppet. Like Pharaoh, like Herod, and others in the Word of God, Balaam was about to become another one of God's puppets to teach a lesson to those who would be willing to learn. That is the reason that the Lord said, Go with the men, but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that shalt thou speak. So Balaam went with the princess of Balak, and we will see in our next broadcast that God is using Balaam in the same way he used his donkey. He is speaking through him, and Balaam doesn't even have any control over what is being said. Listen again tomorrow. We'll try to make the program plain and simple. you you