Whenever fear and envy are your driving forces, disaster abounds. However, know that no one can curse what God has blessed.
In the book of Numbers, Balak’s fear and envy of the Israelites prompted him to request that Balaam curse them. He cited the claim that blessing and curse would fall upon whomever Balaam decided.
Numbers 22:5-6 (NLT):
“Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and are threatening me. 6 Please come and curse these people for me because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse.”
Balak wanted Balaam to curse the Israelite, but God ordered him not to do so, stating that: “You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed” (Numbers 22:12).
LESSONS ON WHY NO ONE CAN CURSE WHAT GOD HAS BLESSED
Lesson 1: Blessing/Curses come from God. No man has control over your life except God. This includes high priest or voodoo priests.
Lesson 2: Whatever God has blessed, His character will NOT let Him curse.
Balaam told Balak’s messengers that God did not want him to go with them, and He (God) did not want him (Balaam) to curse the Israelites. When Balak heard this, he was angry and sent more messengers. That night God came to Balaam and told him to go with the men (Numbers 22:13-17).
Lesson 3: God is sovereign. When he says yay or neigh, he has considered ALL the evidence. You CANNOT bring him new insight that will sway his decision.
When He told Balaam not to go, He was serious. He did not want him to go. However, He allowed him. Whenever we pray, God has a definitive answer. He has considered ALL factors and scenarios. However, sometimes we go back to him in prayer, hoping that he will change his mind. He does NOT. He may allow us some latitude, but his response remains.
The Bible says God was angry that Balaam was going (Numbers 22:22). So, He sent an angel to block his way.
Lesson 4: God’s word must prevail. Therefore, God has to protect the integrity of his Word. If Balaam were to try to curse the Israelites, he would be going up against God’s Word—God Himself. Therefore, he would have surely died because that would have been a battle that he could not have won. God sent his angel to stop him.
The angel was the intermediary between:
Balaam v. The Word
Or
Balaam v. God
The angel was sent to be the protector of the Word. His orders were to defend, perhaps kill for the integrity of the Word.
Psalms 91:6-12 (NLT) says:
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
God will send His angels to protect you. The angels are on God’s command. God enabled the donkey to see the angel. The angel was sent to protect Balaam. He was sent to prevent Balaam from going up against the Word.
Lesson 5: Question resistance. Revisit the last instructions that God gave you, and ask God whether the resistance coincides with His last directives.
Lesson 6: God will protect His Word and promises at any cost.
Opposition to God’s promises will ALWAYS fail.
Numbers 22:33 (NLT):
33 Three times the donkey saw me and shied away; otherwise, I would certainly have killed you by now and spared the donkey.”
Lesson 7: Thank God for those roadblocks because those very roadblocks often save us from sorrow, pain and sometimes, death.
Numbers 23:19-20 (NLT)
19 God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
20 Listen, I received a command to bless;
God has blessed, and I cannot reverse it!
Again, when God has blessed someone, be careful how you go up against that person. Don’t let envy bring you to your demise. When you go up against that person, you might be going up against God Himself. Remember, God has to defend His promise. It is who He is.
Psalm 105:15 (KJV) says:
Touch not my anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
Hebrews 13:8 (NLT) says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Therefore, promises that were made yesterday must be fulfilled. Be careful when you try to derail God’s plan for another. God will preserve the integrity of His Word. Technically, it is not you that God is after, as evidenced by the story of Balaam. God loves us and is full of mercy. God seeks to annihilate any threats to His promise.
Because God does love us, He sends us many ‘donkeys’ to stand between us and death. However, we must take heed. As in the story of Balaam and the donkey, the angel did say that had Balaam not taken the final warning, he would have met his death.
Lesson 8: Be careful when you try to unhinge God’s promise to another person. When you try to unhinge God’s plans, you set the hands of justice in motion.
The good news is that God is the ONLY person in charge of our destiny.
Hebrews 13:6 (NLT):
So we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper,
so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?
Final lesson:
When you curse those that God has blessed, you may end up cursing yourself (Numbers 24:9).
“…Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel, and cursed is everyone who curses you.”
Take home message:
1. God’s plans will ALWAYS prevail.
2. Never go up against God’s promise, for you will surely lose.
3. Question resistance, and compare it to God’s previous message.
4. Curb your envy. Do not curse what God has blessed because you too will be cursed.
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