The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-10-30
INTERNATIONAL.
SUNDMS01O0L
LESSON
cBy ID. o. SELLERS. Director Of EvssanO
Department, The Moody B,bse Institute
ChicaGo)
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER

LESSON FOR NOVEMBER z
aALAk AND sAlAAM.
LESSON rExT-Nsmbers n:i-s, ME-
10. Read Numbers chs. INA
GOLDEN TExT-~A double minded
man. unstable IN I'll his ways" Jas.
lie.
Following our last lesson the Isrsal-.
ties marched along the borders Of the
wilderness meeting with much opposi-
ton. In Mum. 20 We are ted Of
the death Of Aaron. They met Arad
(21:1-s) and overthrow him. Moving
around Edom was . dificult process
and the people became discouraged.
Again they murmured against God
and against Moses. Swift punishment
followed in the form Of fiery serpsnts.
Mum. 21:411. Confessins their sins
Moses interceded on their behalf and
the look at = brasen serpent suggest
ed to them the necessary attitude Of
faith towards God. After sundry wan
derings. the dwelling among the
Amorites and the overthrow Of sun
dry tribes. We come to their encoun-
ter with Balak. Az they jouynsyed
the report Of their victories preceded
them and Balak sought to protect
himself against these strange 'pso-
pie come out Of Egypt" By other
means than that Of war, for, said he.
they arc covering the face Of the
earth" See E1. 1915.
uttis Known About Balaam.
Here Balaam appears upon tAe
scene. Little 10 Known about him.
He evidently had . knowledge Of
Jehovah and yet was . sorceree or
spiritist dealing With evil spirits. and
was. probably. . Midianite.
!. The Call - Curss, Gu. 22:tS.
There Are SIX personal prons9ns In
verse: Balak sought TO fight IRE with
frs. to save his own face. He feared
those whom God blessed. The world
today hates those whom God blesses.
Had Balak been wise he ve1la have
cast In his lot with Israel an not
have miserably persisted in battle
along with his unwilling took Balkan
(See Mum. SIS. Josh. 1S:31.)
Balaam at flrst refused BalAlHs in
vitation ". 49,. but Balak ssnAs moro
exalted messenger and greater onsss
Of honor and rewards. promising Nm
honor in the Kingdom II he vsald bat
curse Israel ". ~. Balkan again
returns word that this 10 impossible
". ls) for he cannot 90 beyenA the
word Of Jehovah. not that he vas In
sympathy With that word 1t al. bot
he was conscious Of Jehovah's power.
u. A Challenge BY the way. Gu. a:
22-ss. The angel Of Jehovah, - the
agent Of his anger. interposed TO save
Balaam from himself. Lust had %
blinded his eyes that even an as
saw more clearly than he. Coz 70
buked him and those who trameked
with evil spirits in order to produce
results are Knocked BY the fact that
dumb ass found voice and spoke.
Finally. after repeating his condi-
tional permission that he was to
SPEAK only the word Jehovah was to
give him. he 10 permitted to proceed
with the princes of Balak."
eaisam Q Prophet
10. The ehanes,sss msssaes. Gu ~.
Read carefully the intervening chap
tiers. In them We have the account Of
Balaam meeting Balah and Of His
brief but wonderful prophecy concern
ing Israel. Balaam gives ~ . won
derful descriptiea Of one who b .
prophet (il:1O. He IN "1eareth
the words of God" ~ 'hnowsth The
knowledge Of The most high" 90
"seeth the vision of the almighty
Verse IL 10 . wonderful phopheey Of
the Lord Jesus, who 10 - star" for
he '1ighteth every man who coneth
into the world" (See also 4 Pet
1:1s) He 10 called - sceptre" BE-
cause Of his kinsly sway (see LII. 4:
80, 50. Heb. 1:O. From the eoAtsxt
we read how once his lips weSe open
ed he declared q wonderful prophecy
concerning these whom Balak consid+
cred his enemies and with prophetic
eye he sees the coming glory Of
Israel Balak's anger Is minded. and
he seeks to drive Balaam away, but
each time there comes forth nom his
lips one Of these unwelc0me Dr0phe-
cies. These marvellous prophecies
which fell from Balaam's lips. a. an
instrument. taught that this entire un-
der world Of evil IL under control OF
Jehovah and its curses upon his peo-
pie are important He may even com
pei unwilling instruments. n needfui.
to become agents for the accomplish
ment Of his purposes. Balaam's sad
end strikingly illustrates the fast that
a man may admire the ideal OF right
eousness and the beauty Of holiness
and yet failing to yield his own life
to those principles fail utterly n the
contamination OF his life and his In
fiuence. He taught Israel 10 ain.
The Golden Text. II would almost
seem that James must have had b.
laAm in mind when he wrote these
words. Double minded means two
minded" and unstable means that We