Give Attention to the Voice of The Lord
The Lord says: “Greater love hath no man than this, than he lay down his life for his friends. Herein is the entrance to praise! There is a way that seems right to a man, but the way of love you would not follow. For I have set thee apart this day as a land of renown. For I would reveal Myself unto thee this day says the Lord of hosts, that no man may be ashamed on that day when I take up My own. Herein is the entrance to praise!” (* from John 15:13)
No Lie Comes From God
The Lord had promised the land of Israel by right of covenant with Him, that He would give them the Promised Land they were about to possess. But when Balak was afraid because of the people of Israel, he sought to send a curse against them.
“Then the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho. Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed”.
(Numbers 22: 1-6)
Although Balaam, against the will of God, eventually went to see Balak at his request and twice sought to use sorcery against Israel (See Numbers 24:1) – He could not curse what God had blessed!!
Balaam said:
“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and i cannot reverse it” (Numbers 23: 19&20).
“Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight”.
(Proverbs 26:2)
- God of my victory! God of my praise! The curses of others could not alight upon Israel!
- What the lord had blessed, the Lord had blessed!
- But the power of this blessing, the enemy of God (Satan) sought to undermine.
The word ‘undermine’ means: ‘to sabotage, weaken, or lessen the effectiveness of something in order to make it collapse’.
He is the Spirit of Truth
When the Lord God made Adam and placed him in the garden of Eden, He commanded him: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2: 16&17).
But when deceived by the serpent, both Adam and Eve did eat of that fruit. In so doing they brought a curse to the ground and death to all mankind. What the Lord had said – it surely came to pass.
“Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:17-19).
The life and blessing that God had given to Adam, through deception, the enemy had undermined.
In the same way, when Balaam, through sorcery, could not curse the children of Israel, he taught Balak how to place a stumbling block before Israel. He told Balak:
“He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel. The Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them. God brings them out of Egypt; he has strength like a wild ox. For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor any divination against Israel. It now must be said of Jacob and of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’.
(Numbers 23:21-23)
No sorcery or divination could work against Israel because God had not observed any iniquity or wickedness in her. Through Moses, the Lord had instructed the Israelites: “And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them” (Exodus 20: 1-5).
So Balak enticed Israel to sin against God by inviting the people of Israel to attend the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to them. The people of Israel became Joined with Baal of Peor when they worshipped their gods and committed harlotry with the people of Moab.
“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality”.
(Revelation 2:14)
“Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was Joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel” .
(Revelation 2:14)
Understanding the Curse of the Law
The moment the people of Israel stepped out of the will of God, a door opened in the spiritual realm to the greatest enemy of their souls. By committing harlotry with the people of Moab they joined themselves to Baal of Peor, whose full intent was to destroy the people of Israel. Though the Lord’s full intent was to bless the children of Israel, through deception, the enemy had undermined the blessing that God had planned and a generational curse was given cause to alight upon the children of Israel.
“For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity (bestowing, punishing or calling to remembrance the perversity, sin, evil, or faults – Strong’s concordance) of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments”.
(Exodus 20: 5&6)
Concerning the breaking of even one of God’s commands, listen to what the Apostle James has to say regarding the law: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all”
(James 2:10).
Similarly, the Apostle Paul says regarding the outward appearance of holiness: “For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision” (Romans 2:25).
“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God”.
(Romans 2:28 & 29)
Again, Paul says: “For not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified” (Romans 2:13)
The Apostle Paul explains that the purpose of the law is not to justify man, but to bring ALL men to an understanding that all have sinned: “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20).
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
(Romans 3:23)
“But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away”.
(Isaiah 64:6)
The Good News of the Gospel of Christ
But here is the good news!!! What the enemy succeeded in doing through deception to the people of Israel and the rest of all mankind, God has made full provision for through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Christ who knew no sin, was made to be sin for us. He became the spotless passover lamb, totally removing our sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ!
“The next day John (John the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
(John 1:29).
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”.
(2 Corinthians 5:21)
“For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us”.
(1 Corinthians 5:7)
Through Jesus Christ, we can experience a brand-new spiritual birth, enabling us to live a life according to the Spirit of God. Jesus said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again” (John 3: 5-7).
There is No Condemnation in Christ
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new”.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit”.
(Romans 8: 1-4)
Praise God!!! Whether it was a curse that alighted because of the sins of our forefathers (being a generational curse); or whether it was a curse because of our own sin, every curse of the law has been totally redeemed by the power of the cross and the precious blood of Jesus Christ, who became a curse for us!
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (See Deuteronomy 21:23) that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”.
(Galatians 3: 13&14)
Christ Has Made the Invitation and Awaits Our Response!!!
Jesus said: “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11: 28-30).
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me”.
(Revelation 3:20)
Christ has already done everything that is required to redeem us from the curse of the law, but there is a response each one of us must make in order to appropriate it or make it our own. We must first receive from Christ this free gift of eternal life.
The Apostle John said: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His Name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12).
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”.
(Romans 10:9-13)
When We Turn to Christ the Veil is Taken Away
Only in receiving Jesus Christ, and in believing in His finished work on the cross on our behalf, is the veil over our hearts taken away.
“Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord”.
(2 Corinthians 3: 13-18)
This unveiling in Christ is an ongoing process in the hearts of all women and men. When we come to God in prayer, we must come with praise at the forefront of battle, confessing the redeeming blood of Christ and all that Christ has done on our behalf. It is as we continue to press through in the power of His Name, that Christ will begin to show us deeper mysteries and greater things.
The author of Hebrews warns all men not to refuse Christ when He speaks: “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven” (Hebrews 12:22-25).
Again, the Lord said to me while writing this word: “The Passover is finished says the Lord, for the sacrifice has been made. That which you sought has been done on your behalf. By My blood I have redeemed the people of Israel. They are a redeemed Israel. They are a redeemed land.”
Will you take advantage of Christ’s redeeming work by saying yes to Him today?
Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
If you would like to respond to Christ’s invitation by saying yes today, please continue by praying this prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, I come to you in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ your Son. I confess that I am a sinner and that my sin has separated me from you as a loving God. I believe that you sent your only Son the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross on my behalf, to totally remove my sin. I believe that what I could not do to fulfil the law on my own, the Lord Jesus Christ has done on my behalf. I have chosen this day to believe in His Name, that He is the Son of the living God. Today I make Him my Saviour by receiving Him and making Him my own. I thank you heavenly Father that because of my acceptance of Christ’s blood on my behalf, you too have received me as your own. Thank you that I now stand totally clean before you – my sins having been washed away by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the lamb of God. Amen.
