In the morning after having received the Lord’s message, Balaam rose, and said to the princes of Balak, “Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.” So the princes went back and told, their king that Balaam had refused to come with them. No doubt this word troubled Balak, for great fear had fallen on him in connection with the vast army encamped in his borders. He was too much in earnest to allow matters to stand thus, so he sent out messengers again to Balaam; and this time he sent princes more honorable than those who had gone before. This was the message that King Balak sent by them: “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, curse me this people.”
Shall Balaam go when such an offer as this comes to him; or will he be content with the positive word of the Lord that he shall not go? His answer was certainly a fine one, and would seem to show that he desired at that time to be governed by the word of the Lord. He said, “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God to dd less or more.”
But alas! alas! the offer of money and honor proved too much for Balaam. God had told him that he should not go, and that he should not cure the people whom He had blessed. And had he heeded this plain and positive word, what sorrow he might have been saved. But when the second set of messengers arrive and present him tempting offers, he is overcome. And now, when he goes to God about it, he is told that he may go.
Too often God’s people are like Balaam in their ways. Their heart is set on something which His word condemns, but notwithstanding this, they do not give it up; they. even go to Him, perhaps, again and again about it; and He, alas! sometimes grants them their desire, as He gave Balaam his. But what will the end be? To Israel of old, God gave their request after having long been tried with them, but with it “sent leanness into their soul.”
Dear Christian, if you will have your way, God may allow it; but, oh, could there be anything sadder than to be given up to leanness of soul! It would be loss here and loss for eternity. Learn rather to be willing to let God have His way. No more valuable lesson than this can be. learned.
May all take it to heart.
Messages of God’s Love 3/19/1905