Balaam beat his donkey three times. According to Balaam's experience, his donkey is not obeying his command and is acting weird, so he beat his donkey for obedience. Meanwhile the donkey was acting weird because its path was being blocked by an angel and so it was just trying to continue walking by swerving right and left to avoid collision with the angel. Balaam cannot see the angel and so he didn't understand why the donkey did what it had to do.
In the end, the donkey suffered beatings it doesn't deserve. This is not fair and God opened the donkey's mouth that it could ask Balaam why it deserved the beatings. Balaam simply replied that the donkey deserved the beatings because it wasn't obeying and threatened slaughter as well. The donkey asked again if Balaam is now doubting its loyalty and service over the years and if it was in the habit of doing this and Balaam replied No. It was then that God opened Balaam's eyes to see the angel. God further explained that had not it been for the donkey, Balaam would have been killed and so not only the donkey didn't deserve the beatings, he had actually saved Balaam. Balaam confessed his sin soon after.
Having read the passage, it seems that some of us Christians are called into the ministry of Balaam's donkey or the ministry of receiving torment we do not deserve for God's glory to sow the seed of salvation in the individual who tortured us. This usually happens when we are the first one to be a born again christian in our family and we are not the highest authority in the family's hierarchy. Like the donkey our eyes has been opened and we could see the angel and walk accordingly to avoid calamities, but before the eyes of the world, we are acting weird and even not obeying the authority. Perhaps it is the situation where we are not following our parents' dark business practices which is acceptable in the eyes of the world but not before God or it is the case of lifemate selection where before the eyes of the world riches are far more superior than God's promises.
God's time however, is always ready to reveal the truth and if we humbly serve with persistence, God will 'open the person's eyes to see the angel' and it will be revealed that not only we do not deserve the treatments we receive, but we have actually saved him/her, just like Balaam's donkey. Confession of sin, and a new born-again disciple will be the sweet closing dessert of the ministry. Now are the beatings worth it for the donkey? I think definitely! Someone's salvation is totally worth the every single stroke lashed and besides, what could be be worse (and greater) that what Jesus went through on the cross???
For God is not unjust to forget your work and love that you have shown to His people and continue to show to His people
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Friday, May 27, 2005
The Faith of Abraham vs Lot
The pursuit to understand decision making by faith has brought me to Genesis 13, where the story of Abraham and Lot unfolds; Abraham and Lot were going to go their own separate ways and so Abraham let Lot chose which direction Lot was going, which land Lot desires and then Abraham will settle down in other place.
So Lot begin looking, setting his vision and in the middle of the desert Lot saw a land where water was flowing, the plain of Jordan. The perfect place to settle down, despite its nearness to Sodom, the sin city and so off he went with his train to settle there. Abraham was left behind to choose from the rest of the well..., practically dry land. God then spoke to Abraham; 'Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.'
After some time, Lot had troubles with the neighbouring city of Sodom and Gomorah and in the end he lost everything including his wife who turned into a pillar of salt while Abraham not only obtained the land promised unto him but also descendants like that of dust particles. Today, if we were to stand on Mount Nebo, we can see that promised land, the very dry land Lot had left Abraham with is now green and 'full of flowing milk and honey'. Ironically, the land that Lot chose, what was once full of water is now a dry dessert. It is indeed hard to see from God's eternal point of view.
It is very intriguing how Abraham rested his faith on the power of God and dwell on His promises even when he sees nothing but dry, dusty land. The only thing Abraham has was God's promise and that is enough. He 'walked by faith and not by sight' He didn't chose to live near the wicked. He'd rather live in a dry land with God's promise than in a land of water but full of sin. Meanwhile, Lot chose to live near the wicked and before long, he committed incest with his daughters and lost his wife because of her greed. (I figure that would be an Hermes bag that would turn me into a pillar of salt had that same Lot's wife be repeated on me ;p)
Though the story maybe thousand ages old, but the situation that demands the same principle of decision making remains; to be in the light or in the dark, to have God's promise or the world's promise. It seems unfair at first, be it the big family business that was taken over by first-born uncle leaving our father with very little share or dating a righteous guy who will probably never get you an Hermes bag or being stuck in a small city to tend over factory operation while our sibling get the better job of merely entertaining guests or being the only child to inherit the recessive genes of diseases and on and on. But if we seek God and dwell in His promises, what was once a dry deserted land could be the land full of milk and honey, in His time and in His way. 'Call unto me and I will answer you and tell you great and mighty things, things you do not know...'
Walk by Faith, not by Sight
So Lot begin looking, setting his vision and in the middle of the desert Lot saw a land where water was flowing, the plain of Jordan. The perfect place to settle down, despite its nearness to Sodom, the sin city and so off he went with his train to settle there. Abraham was left behind to choose from the rest of the well..., practically dry land. God then spoke to Abraham; 'Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.'
After some time, Lot had troubles with the neighbouring city of Sodom and Gomorah and in the end he lost everything including his wife who turned into a pillar of salt while Abraham not only obtained the land promised unto him but also descendants like that of dust particles. Today, if we were to stand on Mount Nebo, we can see that promised land, the very dry land Lot had left Abraham with is now green and 'full of flowing milk and honey'. Ironically, the land that Lot chose, what was once full of water is now a dry dessert. It is indeed hard to see from God's eternal point of view.
It is very intriguing how Abraham rested his faith on the power of God and dwell on His promises even when he sees nothing but dry, dusty land. The only thing Abraham has was God's promise and that is enough. He 'walked by faith and not by sight' He didn't chose to live near the wicked. He'd rather live in a dry land with God's promise than in a land of water but full of sin. Meanwhile, Lot chose to live near the wicked and before long, he committed incest with his daughters and lost his wife because of her greed. (I figure that would be an Hermes bag that would turn me into a pillar of salt had that same Lot's wife be repeated on me ;p)
Though the story maybe thousand ages old, but the situation that demands the same principle of decision making remains; to be in the light or in the dark, to have God's promise or the world's promise. It seems unfair at first, be it the big family business that was taken over by first-born uncle leaving our father with very little share or dating a righteous guy who will probably never get you an Hermes bag or being stuck in a small city to tend over factory operation while our sibling get the better job of merely entertaining guests or being the only child to inherit the recessive genes of diseases and on and on. But if we seek God and dwell in His promises, what was once a dry deserted land could be the land full of milk and honey, in His time and in His way. 'Call unto me and I will answer you and tell you great and mighty things, things you do not know...'
Walk by Faith, not by Sight
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