When a Curse is Not a Curse

Numbers 24-25:18

This passage and the one before it, Numbers 22:21-23:30, show that it is not what others are doing on the outside that can destroy us, but what that man/woman is doing who looks back at us in the mirror that counts.

 ¹ Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness. ² And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
³ Then he took up his oracle and said:     

      “The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, 
      The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,
 ⁴  The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
      Who sees the vision of the Almighty, 
      Who falls down, with eyes wide open:
 ⁵  “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
      Your dwellings, O Israel! (Numbers 24:1-5, New King James Version)

 Too often, especially in this country, we rant and shake our little fists at the “other” believing that they are bring our “community” of believers down, but it is what is in our own camp that destroys us. Then when we do see what is bringing us down, we fail to act decisively to root out what is destroying our community.

 ¹ Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove,^[a] and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. ² They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. ³ So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel.
⁴ Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”   
⁵ So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”   
⁶ And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. (Numbers 25:1-6, New King James Version)

Footnotes:

1. Numbers 25:1 Hebrew Shittim

               

Sin in the “camp” is a no-no, and is a sure fire way to step out from under the protection of God.  There is no amount of figure pointing toward the “other” that will bring the protection back.  We just need to make sure we understand what is considered inside the camp and what is considered the “other.”