Big Idea - In the account of Balaam and Balak, the question is raised as to how God blesses or curses. Balak is convinced God can be paid off to do the bidding of kings. Balaam has better theology and knows that God cannot be bought, but his understanding of God also falls short in that he thinks God might easily change His mind as people do. We may have other ideas about how God blesses based on how deserving we are. Modern thinking is that God will bless those who deserve it. But, all of these prove false. God is Sovereign so He cannot be controlled by men. He is not fickle and does not change His plans as we do. And there is no one who is worthy of His blessing - certainly not Israel! God’s blessing is fully a matter of grace which God bestows on those He freely chooses. One of His greatest blessings is the gift of revelation, that He reveals Himself, His promises, and His plans to those He chooses. His revelation is not dependent on the holiness of the messenger but on His goodness and He more than able to reveal His exact Word and purpose through any means. Therefore, His Word and His promises are reliable and we can count on them. For those He promises to bless, nothing can stand in the way of God keeping His promise in every detail. What remains for us is to have faith in Him and in His power to fulfill all that He promises.
