I’ve heard them called “yes men” but I guess more accurately you could just call them the “right answer people.” You know these people, they exist in every level of business, every sphere of politics and every rung of society. People that know what answers the world wants and are willing to deliver those answers. It usually manifests itself in people that hang around the boss like a puppy and hand out the compliments, flattery and proper answers like food samples at Costco. But where exactly is this behavior rooted? Well, it’s a rather simple unstated worldly agreement. I’ll tell you exactly what you want to hear, and you give me exactly what I want to satisfy my own desires. Instead of kissing up, you could simply call it "pleasing the world."
Today we continue in our study of Balaam. More screen time is given to Balaam than Mary, the mother of Jesus and every single one of the 12 disciples. When God gives this much page space to any individual we need to study carefully. Today will be our third chapter on Balaam, if you missed chapters 22 and 23, you can easily go back and catch them at the5MC.com under the Numbers tab.
Chapter 24 starts out with Balaam atop the third mountain peak still trying to achieve the curse upon Israel that Balak has hired him to secure. In the definition of insanity, the first two tries were identical and delivered the same results, although Balak greatly hoped for a different one. But alas, God blessed His people instead of cursing them. You see what God blesses is blessed and what God curses is cursed. No man can change or alter what God declares.
“How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I condemn whom the Lord has not condemned? Num 23:8
“Behold, I received a command to bless: He has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.” Num 23:20
This third time Balaam also delivers a blessing instead of the desired curse. And Balak comes unglued. Now figure this up. Each time Balaam sacrifices to God, he commands that 7 altars be built and upon those altars, 7 bulls and 7 rams be offered. So by now, Balak is 21 bulls, 21 rams and 21 altars into this deal. No small price as livestock was big money in this day. But our study culminates here in the exact moment after Balaam delivers the third prophecy directly from the Lord.
“Then Balak’s anger raged against Balaam. He angrily clapped his hands and shouted, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times. Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.” Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me, ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord—and I must say only what the Lord says?” Numbers 24:10-13
If the story ended here, I would offer up a big Amen for Balaam. He has refused to be a yes man to Balak and instead boldly says that he can only speak what the Lord instructs him to speak. But as we’ll see in chapter 25, our next chapter, the story doesn’t end here. Once again, Balaam will do great damage to himself, his belief and his relationship to God through his pursuit of one thing…money. You see Balaam was promised great wealth from Balak for this job. It was a payment upon completion kind of job and by only speaking the truth of God, Balaam missed out on his big fat paycheck. You see Balak basically tells him, “I was ready to pay you, but your God cost you the paycheck buddy.” But never fear, an evil heart will get it’s payday as we’ll see in our next study of Numbers chapter 25.
Question. As the world wants your yes, what do you do? As your boss asks you to compromise your Christian standards and morals to get the big promotion, what is your answer? As the flirting with that woman at work goes way too far, what is your answer? As your buddies ask you back to the bar for the fourth time this week instead of going home to the family, what will your answer be? You see, the world and the sin that lies within it can ask us some extremely difficult questions. And they can ask them at some difficult times. As those answers flow from our mouths, our hearts for the Lord are exposed.
You see, the way of the world and the things within it are polar opposites of the ways of the Lord. In fact, God takes a pretty hard line about us dealing with the world:
“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4
Just as Balak demanded a certain answer from Balaam, the world and the people within it will demand certain answers from you. The world wants the same responses from all that play on its field and folks, those answers will not be the answers that God would give. You see, Balaam’s answers were not what the world demanded, and it cost him. The things of God will never please this world. The truth will never satisfy those that do not desire it.
You see, God is truth. (John 14:6, Eph 4:21) and the world lacks truth. (1 John 5:19) And as Kipling says, “and never the twain shall meet.” God is in the world but not of the world. We therefore, as followers and believers in Jesus Christ, are as foreigners in this world. We speak a different language, believe in different principles and follow different rules. If you truly follow the life of Jesus Christ, you cannot ever hope to give this world what it wants because the truth cannot exist outside of itself. The truth is firmly moored to its own dock, that cannot ever change.
Today, live in Jesus and live in His truth. Refuse to please this world and give the answers that the people within it desire. The great thing about the truth is that no matter how many times you tell it, it never changes. It is as constant as the promises of God. And the great thing about Jesus is when you follow Him, you follow truth. Walk in the ways of Jesus Christ and you will walk in the ways of truth. And as you do, the world will seem strange indeed, just as it did to Jesus.
The truth and this world are like oil and water and you can please only one. Stand firm today in Jesus and speak of His truth. As you do, you will be a light in a dark place. May God bless you as you illuminate whatever place Jesus might place you in today.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5
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