Sorry it’s been nearly two weeks since I had last written on here… even though I had said “tomorrow” on that last post on the 16th, I ended up getting so busy with work I actually forgot what I had written… I only just discovered it a few minutes ago, at the time of writing this, and I hope you can forgive me… I also hilariously spelled “screenshot” with three e’s there, but that’s sort of unrelated 😅😅 this passage is found in pages 93-94 of the NKJV Bible I have for this four-translation project, pages 119-120 of the NASB Bible (Old Testament), pages 190-191 of my VOICE copy, and pages 193-194 of my Amplified Bible (Classic Edition) copy.
There’s actually a lot to draw from in this passage, especially verses 19-21, and from the 80s Amplified version I just mentioned, I notice that the word “compunction” is mentioned, which I hadn’t thought of before, but I remember reading that version from start to finish from November 2016 up until a few years later, before I turned 30 during the pandemic, I think. It was the sixth translation I had read in its entirety. And knowing that Balaam, of all people, had been the first in all the Scriptures to say God never lies yet there’s no reference to Titus 1:2 or Hebrews 6:18 in the Amplified translations, this is saying two different things at the same time: Balaam spoke the truth, yet was a false prophet who taught Balak repeatedly to put a stumbling block before Israel, as Jesus would later mention in Revelation 2:14 when He was addressing Pergamum, the third church ⛪️ out of seven in Revelation, which also symbolises a church age that would happen after this was composed. But the fact Balaam was the first of all the people in the Bible to mention that God cannot lie is amazing! However, I think Satan may have been able to say that God lies to others during those times, especially after Moses died and after God had given the prophecy of doom in Deuteronomy 31:16-21 (which I’ll get into, God-willing, if I even have the chance) — the only news God had for His people, for the most part, given most of Deuteronomy… they’d be spit out of the land eventually, and while a split in the nation isn’t mentioned anywhere in the book, 1 & 2 Kings follow the chronology of Israel splitting in two and eventually being taken captive by neighbouring empires, which were later destroyed for this (sorry for the spoilers, for those who don’t know haha).
The Amplified version I referenced earlier on here mentions that God has forgiven Jacob of his sins (verse 21 explains it in that translation), and I think that word was of Him, and indeed, that version references Romans 4:7-8 and 1 John 3:1-2… if we are God’s children, yea, those who are reading this and love the truth in the fashion of 2 Thessalonians 2:10, that’s awesome 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 but none of us can see Jesus perfectly in this life, as 1 John 3:2 mentions (1 Corinthians 13:12 also mentions this). The good news is, perfection of anything isn’t required. However, it’s because of this and the fact we all have a sinful nature even after receiving Jesus that everything often seems botched, like a bad free-throw in a basketball 🏀 game to take the lead ahead of the other team. Yet everyone who has the hope in Him purifies themselves as He is perfect (1 John 3:3). And I’ll be the first to admit I don’t really know how to do that… I mean, a friend of mine has to go back to India 🇮🇳 because of a family emergency and I want to travel with him to show some support, but he has to return within a week and I don’t have a passport, which will take like two months at best to obtain, and it’ll cost hundreds (if not more than a thousand) bucks 💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸💸 — I hate being in student debt… but since it’ll drag on longer and longer until I’m several decades old and I can’t get a better pay rate at my job, I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place 😓😓😓😓😓😓😓 I hope he can return to the U.S. safe and sound, but he’ll be interrogated into caving to Trumpism, and that won’t be fair 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️ I really hate that this is a civilised dictatorship 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮 Jesus doesn’t approve of this. I should’ve gotten a passport when I had the chance.
I find it wild Balaam compared Israel to a lion 🦁 that devours its prey and drinks the blood of the slain 😳😳😳😳😳😳 in verse 24… but then again, God sometimes made holy war against those who hated Him through others… yet, again, it wasn’t His delight, and if He had indeed killed people, no one would be able to worship Him. But the saying is true: the falsehood-lovers’ evil will indeed boomerang back on them. I guess these three chapters are in the Bible because apparently, God can speak through sorcerers and magicians, too 😅😅🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️ and both are really weird, and I’m not talking Harry Potter ⚡️ stuff here. But on Balaam delivering these prophecies, sadly, I don’t think he enjoyed them… his end was disgraceful, for he tried to stop Israel from entering Canaan, so he was killed for it (Numbers 31:8). He also loved the wages of unrighteousness (2 Peter 2:15), and Jude mentions him in verse 11 of his letter. Thus Moses and the others had no recourse from God for this. And I’m really done with talking about retribution in the pre-Christ days twice, so I’m going to end with the fact that God never does renege on what He says, as 1 Samuel 15:29 also mentions. And with that, you can count on Him to fulfill the good He has promised if He’s said anything to you. I’ll see you again eventually for Balaam’s third prophecy…
Ron And His Stories 