When God Says No; Don’t Push!

I had wondered for a while, why the Lord was upset with Balaam, after all the Lord told him to go.

If you are not familiar with the account, it can be found in the book of Numbers chapters twenty-two to twenty-four.

Recently l  saw why the Lord was upset with Balaam.
​
Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel and sent messengers unto Balaam to curse the people of Israel. Balak was the King of the Moabites at that time. Balaam told the messengers of Balak that he would bring the word of the Lord to them. Later that night, God told Balaam not go.
.

---

“9 Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
10 So Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, 11 ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.’ ”
12 And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” (Numbers 22: 9- 12).


The messengers returned to tell Balak what Balaam said. Balak then sent more honourable messengers to Balaam repeating his request. At this point, you would have expected that  Balaam would have just said “sorry l cannot help you, the Lord has told me that the people are blessed neither will l go and enquire of the Lord about the matter”.


Instead, Balaam said that he cannot go beyond the word of the Lord but offered to hear what God would say again.
“Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.” (Numbers 22: 19).


This was a heart issue, there was no need to find out the mind of God again on the matter because he already knew the mind of God.


This can be confirmed in the book of Jude.


“Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. “ (Jude 1: 11)


When God says no; He knows best; just leave it.


Balaam was told to go however the Lord was upset with him (Numbers 22: 22) and the Lord sent an adversary his way (Numbers 22: 22).


The lesson we can learn from this is, when God says no, just leave it, don’t push. If something is not right, no amount of manipulation will make it right.


Remember that Saul was given to the children of Israel as King because the people insisted that they wanted a King which was not God’s plan for them ( 1 Samuel 8:7). 


The Lord has our interest at heart. When He says no; be rest assured that there is a much better plan ahead!


If the Lord tells you not to take that job; just leave it, if the Lord tells you not to marry that person; just drop it.


We can never know better than the one whose sees the future and knows the heart of all men.


Prayer: Lord you know best, l agree and say yes to whatever you want.
Bisi Oladipupo ©​ 23rd March 2023 

---