WHEN GOD SAYS “NO”
NUMBERS 23-24
***This message tagteam preached with Jesse (layperson in our church)
INTRODUCTION (Erik)
-Does anyone remember Y2K? For those that were too young let me explain.
-When computers were first being made they were programmed to assume that the year always started with 19.
-They weren’t thinking ahead to the 2000s.
-So as the new millenium drew closer some experts predicted that when the date changed from Dec 31, 1999 to Jan 1, 2000 that the computers wouldn’t know what to do and would simply shut down.
-Of course this led to the speculation that worldwide shipping, government, and everything else would be thrown into utter chaos.
-Some predicted power loss, food shortages, looting, and rioting in the streets.
-I knew some guys that were storing barrels and barrels of drinking water.
-For a few months they skipped church while they were stockpiling flour, rice, beans, and ammunition up in the hills.
-I was a bit skeptical, but I didn’t want to be caught unprepared. So I bought, 2 gallons of water, a bag of rice and a box of ammo.
-You can never be too prepared! Well then, we all waited.
-When Jan 1, 2000 arrived nothing happened. Nothing.
-All of the things we were sure would happen...didn’t happen.
-And some of those preppers are still eating rice and beans.
-Sometimes...things don’t go the way we plan them to go.
-No matter how hard we try or how much we plan…
-No matter what we think or what we speculate….
-No matter how smart or prepared we are….
Now matter how hard we might work for something...
-Sometimes things don’t go the way we expected..
-Disappointments, setbacks, unexpected obstacles...that’s part of life!
-But here’s the surprising truth about all that: sometimes the reason things don’t go our way...is because God simply said “no.”
-That’s always easy to accept.
-We believe that God loves us. We believe he is working on our behalf.
-But we struggle to believe that what he wants is best, because we think we know what’s best for us.
-So why doesn’t God give us what we want? Why doesn’t he say “yes” to everything we ask for?
-That’s what we’ll discuss today in Numbers 23 & 24. There are 3 chapters in Numbers that tell tell this story from the Moabite perspective.
-If you’ve missed the last two weeks you can catch the previous messages on Balaam and Balak on the website...but a lot has transpired leading up to this point in our story.
-King Balak was trying to hire Balaam to curse Israel but God told him not to.
-Our story today begins when Balaam arrives to hear the kings proposal.
-And we’re going to see what happens to King Balak, when God says, “No.”
NUMBERS 23:1-12 (Jesse)
23:1 Then Balaam said to King Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.” 2 Balak followed his instructions, and the two of them sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.
-At this time King Balak felt like he was at the end of his rope.
-He was surrounded, outnumbered and scared.
-He thought his kingdom was about to fall, he felt hopeless.
-King Balak was ready to do anything to find a way out.
-Balaam suggested he make sacrifices
-These sacrifices were his way of trying to seal a victory in the face of overwhelming odds.
-The offerings were meant to gain favor from god to save his kingdom.
-This was a normal type of offering that even the Israelites gave.
-Balak was used to dealing with pagan gods who needed to be appeased…(bought off)
-In their way of thinking, giving the right offering to your god would POSSIBLY help you with your issues.
-But Balak wasn’t used to dealing with the one true God...
-Our GOD cannot be bribed, our GOD cannot and will not fail us even though the outcome may not always be what we want it to be.
-But you can be sure that the outcome is always ultimately what HE WANTS IT TO BE.
-I think Balak knew this, I think he knew he was outmatched not just physically but spiritually and that is what brought him to his outsourced sorcerer.
3 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go to see if the Lord will respond to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So Balaam went alone to the top of a bare hill, 4 and God met him there. Balaam said to him, “I have prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.” 5 The Lord gave Balaam a message for King Balak. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and give him my message.”
-King Balak was waiting to see what God was going to say.
-You can imagine him pacing down below while Balaam was on the mountain talking to God.
-SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR GOD TO GIVE US AN ANSWER.
-I’ve had many opportunities to argue with GOD.
-When you listen to God it’s an “AHA” moment when you argue with God it’s a “HAHA” moment: there is no arguing with God.
-But King Balak was arguing with God.
-We’ve all thought, “Why isn’t God giving me what I asked for?”
-How does that make us feel? Is god mad? Did we mess up?
-Just because God says, “no” doesn’t mean he’s against us. Or mad at us.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
-He’s working out things for the good of his people even when we can’t see it.
-The Israelites probably didn’t even know that the king was trying to curse them, but God was on the job working for their good even when they couldn’t see it.
6 So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. 7 This was the message Balaam delivered:
-This speech may seem a bit strange...but remember he is saying exactly what God told him to say
“Balak summoned me to come from Aram; the king of Moab brought me from the eastern hills.
‘Come,’ he said, ‘curse Jacob for me! Come and announce Israel’s doom.’ 8 But how can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn those whom the Lord has not condemned? 9 I see them from the cliff tops; I watch them from the hills. I see a people who live by themselves, set apart from other nations.
-Balaam was very famous, if you wanted someone cursed or needed a quick blessing, for the right price he’d get it done!
-He was not a good guy...he cursed people for money!
-Being a prophet for hire doesn’t scream “Good Morals” to me.
-But even Balaam knew better than to oppose God.
-WHEN GOD SAYS “NO” HE MEANS “NO.”
-When Balaam had an encounter with God the reality of who HE IS became apparent.
-Even this pagan prophet knew not to mess with God.
-People close to me know I am DEATHLY afraid of sharks.
-I know it sounds a bit crazy, seeing how the possibility of ever encountering a shark is very slim, especially if you don’t go into an ocean...AND I NEVER go into the ocean.
-There’s not a dollar amount you can write on a check to get me into shark infested waters or into the ocean above my knees.
-The shark is the king of it’s domain! It is the apex predator of the sea, if a shark came onto land to challenge me, I think I could probably win!
-But people don’t stand a chance against sharks in the water.
-Balaam was asked to go up against the God of Heaven and he knew he could not win.
11 Then King Balak demanded of Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies. Instead, you have blessed them!”12 But Balaam replied, “I will speak only the message that the Lord puts in my mouth.”
-Imagine being the KING, you have the money, the power, the fame, the cool hat.
-You’re used to having things your way, yet in this moment, probably the worst possible moment you’ve ever been in, your money, your fame, your power CANNOT buy your way out.
-Your enemies are bearing down on you, you feel something that you’re not used to feeling POWERLESS.
-To even out the playing field you bring in a ringer (Balaam) and even with your high priced sorcerer on your side, GOD’s will could not be stopped.
-Not only did Balaam not curse God’s people, Balaam actually blessed them!
-Balak did not want to know the will of GOD, and when he heard it he rebelled against it.
-He tried using everything in HIS power to make things go his way and we will see how well that turns out for him.
NUMBERS 23:26 (Erik)
-From the time I was a teenager I always wanted to be a cop.
-I joined the Police Explorer Scouts, I went to Law Enforcement camps, I did ride alongs on my weekends all through my Junior and Senior year.
-I was the guy with the big sleeve for the police dogs to attack.
-I was a practice hostage for the SWAT team.
-I even started attending a college with a Public Administration degree knowing that this was what I WANTED TO DO.
-But all through that time I knew that I was supposed to be a pastor.
-But at 18 years old being a cop sounded much cooler than being a pastor.
-And maybe it is! But looking back I can see that God had me on a path for a purpose.
-My job is no more important than any of yours. My life is no more blessed than yours.
-I spent a year disobeying God because I wanted to do what I wanted to do.
-And can I just say that was the worst year of my life.
-But God was directing me in the way that he wanted me to go.
-And I’m so glad that he did.
-I think sometimes we forget that our good God really is up to good things.
-That when he says “no” it’s not to harm us.
-This story highlights something really interesting for all of us to consider.
-God was trying to bless people and and his enemies were trying to curse people.
-Balak wants Israel cursed, God want them blessed.
-And who was getting frustrated? It wasn’t God.
-Who was really bummed out because things were going against him? Not God.
-PEOPLE WHO ARE OPPOSING GOD ARE ALWAYS FRUSTRATED.
-Some of us maybe frustrated with the way things are going in life right now.
-Let me ask me a pointed a question? Are you going with God?
-Things go much better when we go with God.
-Going on against him always leads to frustration.
-Look at what happens in our passage.
13 Then King Balak told him, “Come with me to another place. There you will see another part of the nation of Israel, but not all of them. Curse at least that many!”
-He’s thinking maybe we could just curse part of them.
14 So Balak took Balaam to the plateau of Zophim on Pisgah Peak. He built seven altars there and offered a young bull and a ram on each altar. 15 Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here by your burnt offerings while I go over there to meet the Lord.”
-We know the man was afraid. We know he thought he was in danger.
-But talk about a guy who just couldn’t take a hint!
-He sent word to Balaam...and God said “no.”
-He sent a delegation and God still said “no.”
-He had Balaam look from one vantage point and God said “no”.
-And now he walked him down the road to look at the same people and what does he expect is going to happen?
-Suddenly God is going to change his mind and let Balaam curse his own chosen people?
-So Balaam has him make the sacrifices again, and once again he goes to confer with the Lord.
-It’s like the car salesman that keeps taking your offer back to the “manager” for approval!
-Here’s my offer. You stay here I’ll talk to the manager. They come back to say he said, “no.”
-Balaam was making offers, well offerings, but God wasn’t accepting them.
16 And the Lord met Balaam and gave him a message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and give him my message.” 17 So Balaam returned and found the king standing beside his burnt offerings with all the officials of Moab. “What did the Lord say?” Balak asked eagerly.
-Balaam was probably getting a little nervous at this point.
-You don’t want to be the bearer of bad news...too many times with those ancient kings.
-But he said from the beginning, that he could only say what God told him to say:
18 This was the message Balaam delivered:
“Rise up, Balak, and listen! Hear me, son of Zippor. 19 God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? 20 Listen, I received a command to bless; God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it! 21 No misfortune is in his plan for Jacob; no trouble is in store for Israel. For the Lord their God is with them; he has been proclaimed their king.
-And it goes on a ways more.
-When God tells us “no” we’re often discouraged, we sometimes lose heart, but what does Balaam’s speech tell us about our God?
-That his will is not necessarily for us to get our way.
-That while he gives us freedom in life, our freedom can never undo his Sovereign plans.
-That while we may strive to make things happen, that if God says “no” it won’t happen.
-Prov 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
-Sometimes Christians are disappointed when God doesn’t deliver the way we wanted.
-But if anyone should understand this it’s us. We know that God is good, and that he is up to good, so we should trust in his goodness...even when he tells us “no.”
-And he says, “no” to requests that we can’t always understand: Job opportunities, financial stability, healing from illness….why doesn’t he do what we ask him to?
-Prov 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
-As people of faith we have surrendered our wills to him.
-We’ve laid down our ambitions at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ.
-And we struggle with this, but we’re trying to be the people who believe that God’s will is best.
-And if we stick with it, and keep at it, we find in time that God’s ways are better than our ways.
-That what he purposes in us, though we may fight it, is better!
-Balak, was apparently, reluctant to learn that lesson.
-When Balaam tells him a second time that it’s not going to happen.
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Fine, but if you won’t curse them, at least don’t bless them!”
-He’s getting desperate here! Don’t bless those people...they’re my enemies!
26 But Balaam replied to Balak, “Didn’t I tell you that I can do only what the Lord tells me?”
NUMBERS 23:27 - 24:14 (Jesse)
27 Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come, I will take you to one more place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them from there.” 28 So Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, overlooking the wasteland. 29 Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars, and prepare seven young bulls and seven rams for me to sacrifice.”
-Balak was very persistent...maybe the third time's the charm.
-Maybe if I curse them in the “wasteland” it will work...
-Balak is very persistent, because he doesn’t want to lose.
-And for anyone who is a stats person, everytime this happens it’s 7 bulls, 7 rams, now we’re up to 3 different altars …that’s 21 bulls and rams, that’s a lot of bull!!!
-It’s HUMAN nature to not know when to quit...to not want to accept “no” for an answer.
-There was a point in time that Balak knew his plan wouldn’t work, yet he refused to accept what God was saying.
-Instead, Balak turned away from God, using his own power to try and resolve the issue.
-He apparently didn’t know what Balaam had learned...that he COULD NOT and SHOULD NOT oppose God.
-King Balak may have know deep down that GOD was at work in that place at that time.
-That GOD had other plans but he wouldn’t take “no” for an answer
-I know there are people here today...struggling with this
-There are people here today that are acting like King Balak.
-God has been telling you his will loud and clear but you don’t want to hear it.
-WHEN WE OPPOSE GOD AND HIS WILL FOR OUR LIVES...WE ARE BOUND TO FAIL.
-We are out there acting on our own...apart from him.
-When we take the lead in our lives, when we grab the reigns, we lose sight of everything that God has planned for us.
-Our pride may tell us that things are going our way when we experience “little wins”.
-But often those “little wins” come at the expense of the victory we have in Christ.
24:1 By now Balaam realized that the Lord was determined to bless Israel, so he did not resort to divination as before. Instead, he turned and looked out toward the wilderness, 2 where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him, 3 and this is the message he delivered:
“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor, the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,
4 the message of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open: 5 How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob; how lovely are your homes, O Israel! 6 They spread before me like palm groves, like gardens by the riverside. They are like tall trees planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. 7 Water will flow from their buckets; their offspring have all they need. Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. 8 God brought them out of Egypt; for them he is as strong as a wild ox.
He devours all the nations that oppose him, breaking their bones in pieces, shooting them with arrows. 9 Like a lion, Israel crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to arouse her? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel, and cursed is everyone who curses you.”
-In the first attempt, Balaam fails to curse Israel; in the second, he blesses Israel, and in the third, he curses Balak!
-When God says “no” he means “no”.
There was a time in my life where I had given up on many things.
-My health, many jobs, and even my wife and kids.
-My marriage had crumbled and I had turned into the complete opposite of what God had planned for it to be. I had given up on reconciling with my wife.
-I knew what God wanted me to do, but I didn’t want to do it.
-I may have given up on God but God had not given up on me.
-My plans were very different from his, but looking back I’m so thankful that his plans prevailed. -God brought me back to Adventure, his plans brought me back to my wife and kids, his plans gave me back to him and although I haven’t walked his path everyday...my faith is firmly planted in the one who gives life. Jesus Christ.
-And am not stuck in the life that would have led me to my physical and spiritual death.
-God told me “no”, that my way was wrong and his way was best and as soon as I listened, even the least little bit, he gave me better things that continue to this day.
-We don’t know what would’ve happened to Balak or Balaam if either of them would have just listened to God’s will. But I’m sure it would’ve been better then how this all ends.
10 King Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, “I called you to curse my enemies! Instead, you have blessed them three times. 11 Now get out of here! Go back home! I promised to reward you richly, but the Lord has kept you from your reward.”
-How funny is this ending, we see the once proud king banging his hands together, screaming, yelling, completely losing it because his surefire plan has failed.
-Balak is throwing a big temper tantrum, telling Balaam “the Lord has kept you from being paid”
-So he sends Balaam home because the Israelites will not be cursed by him.
-Balak was left alone, unsatisfied and without any hope.
-When we don’t follow God’s plans we too are left with a sense of unfulfillment.
-The Israelites were trying to go with God and were blessed, Balak was going against God and he was suffering for it.
CONCLUSION (Erik - 5 min)
-Chapter 24 closes down with a frustrated King Balaam and questions about what happened to Balaam.
-You have to do some digging but you find out that while Balaam did not curse Israel, he was behind the scheme to lead Israel astray in Numbers 25.
-We have one more message in Numbers next week to close down this series.
-But as we close today, I want to remind us of something important.
-IF GOD SAYS “NO” IT’S FOR OUR GOOD.
-God is not out to harm us, he’s not working to trouble us.
-He doesn’t delight in denying us the things that we ask for.
-And every time we get down on God, and question God’s goodness we’re turning a blind eye to the what God is doing and has already done.
-Like King Balak we can be so focused on what we’re asking God to do, that we miss what he’s doing.
2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!”
-If God said “no” to everyone of our requests, he’s still said “yes” to us with Jesus.
-If God never blessed us again, we’d still have the greatest blessing of all in Jesus.
-If everything in our lives went against us, we’d still have God’s favor revealed to us in Jesus.
-It was always God’s plan to bless and preserve Israel...not because they were special people, but because they were the people with a special purpose.
-They would be the people from which the Savior would come. God didn’t and wouldn’t curse Israel for King Balak, because he he intended to bless the whole world through Israel...by sending his son Jesus.
