Temptation
1) Fear can cause people to do some interesting things.
2) One man who had great was a king from long ago.
3) Tonight we turn our entire attention to an Old Testament book, the book we call Numbers.
4) Our study starts with Num. 22:1.
a) God’s people (Israel) had traveled to “the plains of Moab” (22:1) and camped east of the Jordan river.
b) They were on the opposite side of Jericho.
c) Israel had previously overcome the Ammonites (Num. 21:25).
d) Now they were marching into the land of Moab.
e) A king came to realize that Israel was on the way to his kingdom.
f) He knew how Israel had destroyed other areas so he was worried.
g) Not only was the king worried, his subjects were in a state of fear and terror.
5) Let’s start with Num. 22:4 – READ.
a) A crisis was looming so the Moabite king swung into action.
b) Verse 5 continues the thought – READ.
c) Balaam was a prophet. According to verse 6, this prophet was asked come and curse Israel.
d) This was a pretty big request.
e) Verse 5 likens the number of Hebrews to a group that “covered the face of the earth.”
f) Asking someone to say a curse that would wipe out such a massive amount of people was a lot to ask.
g) The king was not quite asking for an annihilation – just help to reduce the group’s power (verse 6).
6) The king didn’t expect the prophet to curse Israel for free – verse 7 – READ.
a) Money can be a very tempting item.
b) People have killed or injured someone for it. People have lost their lives for money.
c) Balaam did not need to kill anyone.
d) He was only asked to “curse” a group of people so others could move in and really do the dirty work.
e) Our young people are studying about temptation, and this account says a lot about this subject.
7) Balaam did not give an immediate answer to what he was asked to do – verse 8 – READ.
a) It seems best to say that at this juncture in the story Balaam made the right choice.
b) If he had told the people “no,” he may have been guessing about God’s will.
c) Seeking God’s will about cursing Israel insured he had the right answer.
d) When we are faced with temptation, this same approach can be helpful.
8) We can look at the temptation and pause long enough to reflect on it.
9) Is what we are being asked to do right or wrong? Is it in harmony with the Scriptures?
10) Baalam sought God’s will and he received an answer – verse 12 – READ.
11) Everyone had a direct answer from heaven.
12) Those who came to see the prophet were told to go home (verse 13).
13) Temptation can be a funny thing.
14) If we say “no” to something, it often has a way of returning.
15) When Jesus was tempted by Satan, temptation returned again and again.
16) Such also happened in the life of Balaam.
a) Verse 15 says King Balaak tried to again get the prophet to curse Israel.
b) This time the king sent more messengers to the prophet and these men were more distinguished.
c) When temptation comes back, it can be stronger than the previous time.
d) Just because we resist once or twice does not mean we will resist the third or fourth time.
17) As day or weeks pass, the desire to accept the temptation can grow.
18) If the temptation is from a person, some additional pleading may soften the defenses.
19) Verses 16-17 – READ.
a) Additional pleading was done. Balaak was promised great honor plus any payment he wanted.
b) Sometimes people are told to just “name their price” and they will have it.
c) Here is an example of that.
d) Balaak still stood his ground (verse 18).
e) He said if the king’s palace were filled with silver and gold, he would not go contrary to God’s will.
20) Here is the kind of faith we want to develop in our Christian lives.
21) This is our goal for when temptation comes our way. We say “no” and stick by our answer.
22) In verse 19 we find an additional thought; the prophet said he would again check with God.
23) This time a different answer was received – verse 20 – READ.
24) The text tells us something about the prophet’s attitude; now he was eager to go.
25) Very possibly he was thinking he would now be able to get the wealth and honor.
26) 2 Pet. 2:15 says he “loved the hire of wrongdoing.”
27) Here was a temptation that Balaam really wanted to explore.
28) God’s anger at the prophet is expressed in verse 22 – READ.
a) God allowed the animal to see the angel that had been sent (verse 23) and the animal left the road.
b) Balaam got angry and hit his transportation – verse 23 –READ.
c) This didn’t make things any better – verses 25, 27 – READ.
29) Balaam really got a surprise when the animal started to talk (verse 28).
30) Balaam talked back to his donkey and said he was so angry he was ready to kill the creature.
31) Balaam came to realize (verses 31-33) that the donkey he had beaten had saved his life.
32) It was not God’s will for the prophet to go and curse Israel.
33) Balaam may have finally concluded that it was somehow okay to curse Israel.
34) At least going with the men sent from the king was acceptable.
35) Being stopped on the road showed him that his thinking process had been defective.
36) He finally failed to show right judgment in dealing with his enticement.
37) Balaam said he was willing to go back home, but the angel said no (verses 34-35).
38) King Balak heard that Balaam was on the way (verse 36) and came to meet him.
39) We can only imagine how pleased the king must have been.
40) Balaam arrived and said he would not speak anything but what God told him (verse 38).
41) That must not have made the king too happy.
TURNING NOW TO NUMBERS 23, WE FIND THAT SEVEN ALTARS WERE BUILT (VERSE 1), AND SACRIFICES WERE MADE.
a) Balaam said he would again consult God to see what he should say (verse 3).
b) Balaam’s message (verse 7) was that Israel would NOT be cursed.
c) The king was clearly not happy with this news.
d) Today when we turn down temptation, people are often not happy with us.
2) When temptation comes, we are going to displease someone.
3) It may be ourselves or someone else. Someone is not going to get what they want.
4)
The
only one who truly matters is God; if God is pleased with our response to
temptation we have succeeded.
5) If the king we are looking at can be credited with anything, it is determination.
6) He took Balaam to another area and said, “let’s offer another sacrifice.”
7) His thinking was that a different place could mean a different answer.
8) Temptation often takes this form; if we don’t get the answer we want, we tweak the situation a bit.
9) After the changes, maybe something is now okay whereas it was not right before.
10) Satan did this with the Lord; if food wasn’t the right thing, maybe money and power were.
11) Balaam did as the king asked and this brings us to Num. 24.
12) Balaam uttered a prophecy (verses 3-9) that made the king even angrier.
13) The king wanted Balaam to go back home but the prophet gave another message – verses 17-19 – READ.
14) At the end of Num. 24 we find that both men went home.
15) Balaam did not end up pronouncing a curse on Israel.
16) He did, however, serve as a kind of teacher at some point.
17) Two passages help us realize this.
a) Rev. 2:14 says Balaam “taught Balaak” (the king) to cast a “stumbling block” before Israel.
b) Israel could not be openly cursed, but they could be shown a few things about sin.
c) We might say a prophet taught a course on sin—not how to avoid it but how to do it.
d) A prophet knew that if Israel accepted what they were shown, they would curse themselves.
e) Balaam basically said to the king, “here is back door approach to defeat Israel.”
18) His instruction shows us that temptation may come in the front door, back door, side door, or a window.
19) Temptation is like an insect that will get into a house any way it can; it is always looking for an opening.
20) When temptation is accepted, there are consequences.
a) If you have been following along in Numbers, let’s look at the next chapter.
b) Num. 25:1b-3 – READ.
c) Israel was camped out and part of the group became involved with fornication.
d) Men from Israel became involved with “women from Moab.”
e) Here were God’s people mixing with people from the world in an unhealthy environment.
21) Temptation often comes from unhealthy environments.
22) Bars, late nights and dark places are all prime spots for temptation.
23) We are not to cut off contact with people from the world, but we should realize something about them:
24) People from the world are often a premium source of temptation.
25) Notice from verse 2 that people from the world called Israel to join them.
26) The world says, “we’re having fun and we have room for you too. Come join us.”
27) Before long the nation was quite familiar with the tempting sins and fully involved in them.
28) Heaven’s anger was kindled against the very people God wanted to bless.
29) Temptation comes to all, and this Old Testament story shows us how to handle it.
30) It also shows that if we do not manage it, consequences will come. Are we striving against temptation?