The Red Cloud chief., 1913-10-30
INTERNATIONAL,
SUNDNSC|lO0L
LESSON
C3y E. o. SELLERS. Director of EvsninO
Department. The Moody Bib,e Institute,
ChicaRo)
LESSON FOR NOVEMBER Z
BALAk AND BALKAN.

6ALAk AND BAlAAM.
LESSON TExT-Numtcrs aid N:i0-
~. Read Numbers chs. 2l-2<
golden TExT--"A double minded
man. unstable In all his ways" Jas.
t8
Following our last lessen the lsreal
ties marched along tho borders of the
wilderness meeting with much opposi.
tion. In Mum. 20 We arc told Of
the death OF Aaron. They met Arad
(2l:1-3) and overthrew him. Moving
around Edom was n difiicult process
and the people became discouraged.
Again they murmured against God
and against Moses. Swift punishment
followed In the form OF fiery serpents.
Mum. 21:4.11. Confessing their sins
Moses interceded on their behalf and
the look at a brazen serpent suggest
ed to them the necessary attitude Of
faith towards God. After sundry wan.
derinEs, tho dwelling among the
Amorites and the overthrow OF sun.
dry tribes, we come to their encoun-
ter with Balak. As they journeyed
the report of their victories preceded
them and Balak sought to protect
himself against these strange 'peo
pie come out OF Egypt" by other
means than that Of war. for. said he.
they are towering tho face Of the
earth" See Fix. 1915.
Little Known About Balaam.
Here Balaam appears upon the
scene. Little is known about him.
He evidently had knowledge of
Jehovah and yet was sorcerer or
spirtist, dealing with evil spirits. and
was, probably, Il Midianite.
!. The Call 70 Curse, Ch. 22:t-6.
There are six personal prOnouns in
verse; Balak sought to fight fire with
fire. to save his own face. He feared
those whom God blessed. The world
today hates those whom God blesses.
Had Balak been wise he would have
cast In his lot with Israel and not
have miscrably perished In battle
along with his unwilling tool. Balaam.
(See Mum. 1913. Josh. 13:32)
Balaam at first refused Balak's in
vitation ". 13), but Balak sends more
exalted messengers and greater offerS
Of honor and rewards. promising him
honor In the kingdom II he would but
curse Israel ". ~. Balaam again,
returns word that this Is impossible
". 18) for he cannot go beyond the
word Of Jehovah, not that he was in
sympathy with that word at all. but
he was conscious Of Jehovah's power.
u. A Challenge by the way. Oh. 22:
22.35. The angel Of Jehovah. as the
agent of his anger. interposed to save
Balaam from himself. Lust had 10
blinded his eyes that even an ass
saw more clearly than he. God re-
buked him and those who traficked
with evil spirits in order to produce
results are m0cked by the fact that q
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 is permitted to proceed
with the princes of Balak."
eaIaam q Prophet.
III. The ehanseless message, ch. -
Read carefully the intervening chap.
ters. In them we have the account Of
Balaam meeting Balak and of his
brief but wonderful prophecy concern.
ing Israel. Balaam gives us q won
derful description Of one who II q
prdphet (24:16). He u) "heareth
the words Of God." (2) "knoweth the
knowledge Of the most high" (3)
"seeth the vision OF the almighty"
Verse II is q wonderful phophecy Of
the Lord Jesus. who IL "a star" for
he "lighteth every man who cometh
into the world" (See also Pet
1:19.) He is called u sceptre" be-
cause Of his kingly sway (see Lk. /:
80. 33. Heb. 1881. From the context
we read how once his lips were open
ed he declared wonderful prophecy
concerning these whom Balak consid-
cred his enemies and with prophetic
eye he sees the coming glory of
Israel. Balaks anger IL kindled. and
he seeks to drive Balaam away. but
each time there comes forth from his
lips one Of these unwelcoms prophe-
cies. These marvellous prophecies
which fell from Balaam's lips. AZ IN
instrument. taught that this entire un.
der world Of evil Is under control Of
Jehovah and its curses upon his peo-
pie are important. He may even COM
pei unwilling instruments. II needful,
to become agents for the accomplish.
ment Of his purposes. Balaam's sad
a man may admire the ideal OF right.
eousness and the beauty of holiness
and yet falling to yield his own life
to those principles fail utterly in the
contamination OF his life and his in.
duence. He taught Israel to sin.
The Golden Text. II would almost
seem that James must have had IL
laam In mind when he wrote these
words. Double-minded means two
vnfpdadp md npafo hIa vcoaua that MN