Who’s the Jackass here?
Numbers 22 “The Israelites journeyed and encamped in the plains of Moab, on the east side of the Jordan [River] at Jericho. 2 And Balak [the king of Moab] son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was terrified at the people and full of dread, because they were many. Moab was distressed and overcome with fear because of the Israelites. 4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. So Balak son of Zippor, the king of the Moabites at that time, 5 Sent messengers to Balaam [a foreteller of events] son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the [Euphrates] River, even to the land of the children of his people, to say to him, There is a people come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the earth and they have settled down and dwell opposite me.”
Notation: See this 21st century parallel. Our earth, including our nation, is inhabited by people of two basic and opposing viewpoints – paradigms – perspectives. To our left we have the people whose views accommodate the perspectives of this world system as it is heavily influenced by satan to exclude God from public influence. To the right of that position are people who, to some degree, honor God, honor God’s Word and honor God’s values. It is their position their world views would – and should – come from their values and perspectives. As it stands today, so it stood in the days of Israel on their journey from Egypt to Canaan.
Israel came out of Egypt by the strong and judicial hand of God on them. Word of the fate of those who would stand in their way spread throughout the region. Then, as now, the powers on the left did not want to allow the influences of those on the right to displace whatever power, prestige and control they (on the left) had carved out for themselves. And, yes, I’m aware of the characterization of those in Canaan as ‘the left’ and the people of God on ‘the right’.
Today we see a great fear with our ‘leftists’ who perceive a power shift toward those of the right side of ‘value and perspective’. They, the left, have presented a position that a threat to their ‘reign’ of governance is a threat to democracy. Since the United States of America is a Democratic REPUBLIC our governing officials are ELECTED officials. Each side (left or right) campaigns to get elected and to either maintain or change the perspectives of governance. Now, let’s be brutally honest about one point. Should the ‘right’ be the dominant party being threatened by the left taking the reigns of government, the message would be similar – that such a change will add one more nail to the coffin wherein lay democracy.
That said, Balak, king of the Moabites, hatches a plan to engage a hired mystic to put a curse on this multitude of people who have encamped next to Moab. It must also be understood these Israelites were being led by God out of Egypt INTO CANAAN. Balak drew his conclusions without any consultation with Israel or the leader of Israel. Their characterizations with regard to Israel’s intentions did not give God any consideration at all.
The CHRISTIAN right is misunderstood because of the simple fallacy that our intentions are the same as the intentions of the left, which is to serve its (our) own interests rather than govern to the benefit of the governed. Sadly, that is too true of both of Americas’ dominant political parties, the Democrats (leftists to one degree or another) and Republicans on the right – at least to the right of the Democrats. To be clear, ‘right’ equates to ‘conservative’ and we seem to put both tendencies in degrees. We have the right and far right (could be called extremists) and the left and the far left (could be call radical left). But one ‘side’ favors giving God and His Word due influence, whereas the other thinks God should butt out of America’s public affairs and recite the ‘separation of Church and State’ mantra. Now, having made my comparisons, we return to Balak, Balaam and the Moabite ‘crisis’.
“6 Now come, I beg of you, curse this people for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.
7 And the elders of Moab and of Midian departed with the rewards of foretelling in their hands; and they came to Balaam and told him the words of Balak. 8 And he said to them, Lodge here tonight and I will bring you word as the Lord may speak to me. And the princes of Moab abode with Balaam [that night]. 9 And God came to Balaam, and said, What men are these with you?
10 And Balaam said to God, Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11 Behold, the people who came out of Egypt cover the face of the earth; come now, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out. 12 And God said to Balaam, You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Go back to your own land, for the Lord refuses to permit me to go with you. 14 So the princes of Moab rose up and went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuses to come with us. 15 Then Balak again sent princes, more of them and more honorable than the first ones. 16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus says Balak son of Zippor, I beg of you, let nothing hinder you from coming to me. 17 For I will promote you to very great honor and I will do whatever you tell me; so come, I beg of you, curse this people for me.
18 And Balaam answered 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. 19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry here again tonight that I may know what more the Lord will say to me. 20 And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, If the men come to call you, rise up and go with them, but still only what I tell you may you do.
21 And Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab. (My note here – there is no mention of ‘the men’ coming to beckon Balaam. It appears Balaam rose and made himself ready and went to them.)
22 And God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the [a]Angel of the Lord stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23 And the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way and His sword drawn in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey to turn her into the way. 24 But the Angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall on this side and a wall on that side. 25 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she thrust herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against it, and he struck her again. 26 And the Angel of the Lord went further and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam, and Balaam’s anger was kindled and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, What have I done to you that you should strike me these three times? 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, Because you have ridiculed and provoked me! I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you! 30 And the donkey said to Balaam, Am not I your donkey, upon which you have ridden all your life long until this day? Was I ever accustomed to do so to you? And he said, No.
31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His sword drawn in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell on his face.
32 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, Why have you struck your donkey these three times? See, I came out to stand against and resist you, for your behavior is willfully obstinate and contrary before Me. 33 And the ass saw Me and turned from Me these three times. If she had not turned from Me, surely I would have slain you and saved her alive. 34 Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. But now, if my going displeases You, I will return.
35 The Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, Go with the men, but you shall speak only what I tell you. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. 36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab on the border formed by the Arnon [River], at the farthest end of the boundary. 37 Balak said to Balaam, Did I not [earnestly] send to you to ask you [to come] to me? Why did you not come? Am not I able to promote you to honor? 38 And Balaam said to Balak, Indeed I have come to you, but do I now have any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak. 39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent [portions] to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.
41 And on the following day Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high places of Bamoth-baal; from there he saw the nearest of the Israelites.”
NOW, is that not an interesting story? There is more, but we will stop and ponder this question I put to you. But first know the donkey is the symbol, in our time, of the Democratic party. Today’s problems coming out of that party is not with the party itself, nor the rank-and-file members. It is the (pardon this analogy) the jackass riding the donkey that is the problem. So, here is the big question in my mind: WHEN on earth is the donkey gonna tell this jackass he’s headed straight for destruction by pursuing his course? When will God give voice to the donkey – the party?
The result was simply God would not allow a curse to be placed on Israel from this outside source. HOWEVER, Balaam later counseled Balak on a plan whereby Moabites would intermarry with the Israelites and secularize their culture. And they did that. And that worked. My my: I’m STILL seeing parallels here. So now, who in our present dilemma is the culprit? BOTH the right and the left capitulate to pressures to drive our culture in a perverse ‘woke’ direction. Now, that’s my story. Now, I’m stickin’ to it. I can’t find anyone here I trust to right the ship of state except God. Neither party really likes that solution, but only one party will give me and mine a voice. And the voice I’m given is NOT crying over the ‘woe is me’ cry of the victim. Rather, this voice given me is declaring the existence of corruption(s), perversions, disregard for God and His plans together with the declaration that God’s WORD is being performed before us. This voice declares and decrees victory is God’s.
We find ourselves at the very beginning of year 2023. As always society is geared to putting away the old year and embracing the new year. I’ve seen 81 ‘new’ years and it is my experience the end of one year and the beginning of a new year is strictly a calendar event. The years progress and the actual circumstances of December of one year and January of the next year are not noticeable. Yet I can, with assurance, predict / foresee / visualize with accuracy events of 2023 based on where we are and the trajectory (God’s trajectory) of 2022. Ready to indulge me some prognostications?
Let’s start with the world economy in general and America’s economy in particular. Seeds have been sown in 2022 that parallel a family maximizing their available credit and suffering great losses in the value of their largest investments. For families and individuals this indicates a spiral headed for bankruptcy. But some of the world’s richest families prospered most – at least here in America – during the time (era) of the great depression. If God is involved in world economics (and trust me when I declare He IS involved) He will grace His own with the wisdom necessary to know how to prosper in terrible economic environments. In the year 2023 I see God showing up bringing victory in the midst of apparent financial defeat for many individuals – even communities, states and regions who follow after God’s direction(s).
From there let’s look at cultural morality. The trajectory of this world system under the influence of satan is drawing the USA and the world closer to demanding individual citizens to legitimize, accept and agree with a total departure of Biblical – even traditional – values. Another effect of social debauchery is the division that results. Even the least traditional among us are quickly tiring of all the woke posturings and demands coming from government, from corporate America and, perhaps more than any other, Public Education structures. It has become easier than ever to finally awaken to the fact the culture of the left is hell-bent on indoctrinating all school age children. We even see where parental interference with the woke agenda being a curriculum in our public schools as criminal behavior. In short a preponderance of our society is quickly becoming satiated with these perversions and its’ indoctrinations. Suddenly we see an agenda driven by a putrid form of pedophilia. God has systematically drawn back the curtain on how radical leftists view our (OUR) children. My view of 2023 is these actions of God, heretofore, will complete the processes of exposure to bring about justice for our children. I see that continuing for many years to come, all the while being opposed by ‘the system’.
POLITICS – is God going to ‘interfere’ with politicians, political parties, political structures and policies? YES – He will CONTINUE what He has already started bringing it to completion. Will political corruption be forever destroyed? I don’t see that. I DO see the conflict and the division intensifying with many more victories manifest in God’s favor than that of the enemy. Will the Republican party dominate and crush theDemocrat party? I don’t think so. If God gives voice to the ‘donkey’ and opens the eyes of those riding the donkey it is probable that party will dominate. The Republican party is the party feigning allegiance with God and to the degree they hold to that they will, eventually, be dominant. Here is something you can be sure about. ANYONE claiming allegiance to God – the Republican party, the Church, ‘Christian’ colleges or companies all have this in common. ALL will be held to a standard that requires ‘pruning’, ‘refining’ and ‘purifying’.
I have been praying since 2015 that God would expose the truth of what is behind governing ideologues. As it turns out I am only one of a multitude driven to that line of praying. But God will not expose the corruption of secularists without illuminating the hypocrisies and corruption of His own. You and I should do these two things:
1) Submit and surrender to God, His agenda, His leadership and His values immediately. I know these come through God processing the realities of our lives to us but I encourage you to join me in the exercise of submission and surrender in advance to anything God reveals to us; and
2) Learn the fun of prayer. Get that symbolic bucket of popcorn, get a comfortable place to observe what God is about to display before us and respond. Is that an image of how you pray – or how you were taught to pray? Whatever I see as a need or whatever may be wrong or unjust is something God has shown me and is something He is eager to address. If I don’t bring the matter up to Him I won’t see what His activity in processing the matter to His glory. I have come to the place that prayer is more a matter of me tuning in than broadcasting. Then, when I do broadcast my petitions to Him, I pray FROM a place of victory rather than praying FOR victory.
Bottom line, I think we’ll enjoy2023.