Blessing Blocker

Bound For A Blessing – Blessing Blockers

Last week, we learned that God's nature is to bless his creations. There is a common grace that god gives to all his creation.

This week, the foundational principle is that God chose a special blessing for God's special people. The chosen people of God have have a special covenantal blessing

I. God Has Special Blessing for His Special People | Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV)

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

• This blessing was that God would make a great nation, give you a great name, in you the families of the earth will be blessed.

• From Abraham came the nation of Israel, and when God gave the laws to Israel, God told the priests to pronounce a blessing to the people.

Numbers 6:22-27 (ESV)

22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 27 "So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them."

• Lord bless you and keep you: Keep = Guard, watch over me.

• Make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. I walk in favor because God's face is shining on me. How you get that job, that opportunity, that house god has been gracious to you. Got into that school.

Psalm 34:15 (ESV)

15 The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.

• Give you peace.

• A fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace.

John 14:27 (ESV)

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

• This is what God says about his people.

• There is a blessing on your life that no demon in hell, no enemy on earth, no hater in the crowd, and no curse spoken in secret can overturn. If God has declared you blessed, you are blessed indeed.

• Today we turn to one of the strangest stories in the Old Testament — the story of Balaam and Balak — a king trying to curse God's people and a prophet who can't say anything but what God allows.

II. The Blessing of God Bring Out the Haters

The children of Israel are journeying through the wilderness, on their way to the Promised Land. Their numbers are massive. Their reputation is spreading. And King Balak of Moab sees them coming and panics.

• Not everyone will be happy about the favor that is on your life. Now the Bible tells us to rejoice with you those that rejoice. But not everyone is happy for your blessing. Your success could turn one friend to rivals.

Numbers 22:4–6 (ESV)

4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, "This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5 sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, "Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. 6 Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."

Deuteronomy 2:9 (ESV)

9 And the Lord said to me, 'Do not harass Moab or contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar to the people of Lot for a possession.

• Balaam was a man that had a prophetic gift. He was not an Isrealite, but had a knowledge of the true God. He had reputation of a prophet, or seer. He would charge for his services.

III. Man Cannot Curse Who God Has Blessed

The Blessings of Balaam Oracles

Numbers 22:12 (ESV)

12 God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed."

Numbers 22:19-21 (ESV)

19 So you, too, please stay here 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 have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you." 21 So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.

• Sometimes God will stop you with animal or angel.

Numbers 22:22-35 (ESV)

22 But God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. 24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. 25 And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall. So he struck her again. 26 Then the angel of the Lord went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you." 30 And the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?" And he said, "No."

31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. 32 And the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live." 34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back." 35 And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you." So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.

The Blessing Oracles Of Balaam:

First oracle | Numbers 23:8 (ESV)

8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

Galatians 3:13-14 (ESV)

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Second Oracle | Numbers 23:19-21 (ESV)

19 God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? 20 Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.21 He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob, nor has he seen trouble in Israel. The Lord their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them.

1 John 3:2 (ESV)

2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Third Oracle | Numbers 24:8-9 (ESV)

8 God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows. 9 He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up? Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you."

Fourth Oracle | Numbers 24:17 (ESV)

17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.

IV. Don't Walk Away From the Blessing | Numbers 25:1-3 (ESV)

1 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

Numbers 31:16 (ESV)

16 Behold, these, on Balaam's advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.

• The Lord sent a plague throughout the land, and 24,000 people died. How is it that this blessed people recieved these consequences, the bible tells us in Rev 2:14

Revelations 2:14 (ESV)

14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.

• He is faithful and just to forgive.

• God is calling you back, the blessing of God

Discussion Questions

1. The message distinguishes between "common grace" (for all creation) and "covenantal blessing" (for God's people). How does understanding this distinction change your view of being chosen by God?
2. The Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6:24-26 speaks of God's face shining upon us and giving us peace. What does it mean practically for God's face to shine upon you in your daily life?
3. The notes state: "There is a blessing on your life that no demon in hell, no enemy on earth, no hater in the crowd, and no curse spoken in secret can overturn." How does this truth encourage you when facing opposition?
4. King Balak hired Balaam to curse Israel because their success threatened him. Why does the blessing and favor on God's people sometimes bring out haters and opposition?
5. God used a talking donkey to stop Balaam from pursuing a sinful path. What are some unusual ways God has redirected you or gotten your attention when you were heading in the wrong direction?
6. Balaam declared, "How can I curse whom God has not cursed?" What does this teach us about the power of God's declaration over our lives versus the negative words spoken against us?
7. God told Balaam, "Speak only the word that I tell you." Even though Balaam had prophetic gifting, he was tempted by money and influence. How can spiritual gifts coexist with wrong motives?
8. Despite being unable to curse Israel directly, Balaam advised Balak on how to lead Israel into sin through sexual immorality and idolatry. What does this teach us about how our blessings can be blocked by our own choices?
9. The Israelites were blessed but still faced consequences when they "yoked themselves to Baal of Peor." How can believers walk away from God's blessing even while remaining God's children?
10. The message ends with "God is calling you back, the blessing of God." If someone has walked away from God's best through sin or compromise, what are the steps to returning to God's blessing?

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