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Sermon on Numbers 22+24, 06.02.2005
The Grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Spirit be
with us all. Amen.
Dear Congregation,
I want to read a Biblical
story to you which is written in a book of the Bible, at which most people
probably have never taken a look, the 4th Book of Moses, also
called Numbers. Now, how many of you have ever read something in the Book
of Numbers? Numbers, that is the reason why people give up quickly and do
not read on, because at the beginning of the 4th Book of Moses,
the names of the tribes are listed and the order of encamping of the
Israelites is reported, in the style of “the tribe of Gad: the leader of
the people being Eliasaph, the son of Reuel, his host as numbered being
45,650 “ (Numbers 2, 14), just to give you a taste. These are passages in
the Bible one should read when one cannot fall asleep, because nothing can
surpass their boredom.
However, you all know a part of the fourth Book of Moses. – The blessing
of Aaron, Numbers 6, 24-26:
24The LORD bless you and keep you;
25the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be
gracious to you;
26the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give
you peace.
And if you read the book from chapters 10 or 11,
then it would be already very different. Quite a number of stories are
found there about Moses and Miriam, which are actually really exciting and
interesting.
Today, however, I want to
read you a paragraph which focuses on a lesser known figure, the seer
Balaam. A seer is someone who sees things, actually like a prophet,
foresees things, but in this case, even the seer Balaam is blind, but
listen for yourself. I read longer excerpts of the story, which actually
extends over three chapters in the Bible (Numbers 22-24):
Numbers 22
1Then
the people of Israel set out, and
encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho.
2And Balak, the son of Zippor saw all that Israel
had done to the Amorites.
3And Moab was in great dread of the people, because
they were many; Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel.
4And Moab said to the elders of Midian: “This horde
will now lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licks up the grass
of the field.”So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that
time,
5sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor.
Which is near the river, in the land of Amaw, to call him, saying:
”Behold, a people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the earth,
and they are dwelling opposite me.
6Come now, curse this people for me, since they are
too mighty for me; perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them
from the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom
you curse is cursed.”.
7So the elders of Midian departed with the bfees
for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s
message
21So Balaam rose in the morning, and
saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22But God’s anger was kindled because he went; and
the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he
was riding on the ass, and his two servants were with him..
23And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in
the road, with a drawn sword in his hand; and the ass turned aside, out of
the road and went into the field; and Balaam struck the ass, to turn her
into the road.
24Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path
between the vineyards, with a wall on either side..
25And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she
pushed against the wall, and pressed Balaams foot against the wall; so he
struck her again.
26 Then the angel of the LORD went ahead, stood in a
narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the
left.
27When the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she lay
down under Balaam; and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the ass
with a staff.
28Then the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she
said to Balaam: What have I done to you, that you have struck me these
three times? c
29 And Balaam said to the ass: Because you have made
sport of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you!
30 And the ass said to Balaam: Am I not your ass,
upon which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Was I ever
accustomed to do so to you? And he said: No.
31Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he
saw the angel of the LORD, standing in the way, with his drawn sword in
his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.
32And the angel of the LORD said to him: Why have
you struck your ass these three times? Behold, I have come forth to
withstand you, because your way is perverse before me;
33and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me
these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I
would have slain you and let her live.
34Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD: I have
sinned for I did not know that thou didst stand in the road against me.
Now therefore, if it is evil in thy sight, I will go back again.
35And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam: Go with
the men; but only the word which I bid you, that shall you speak. So
Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.
Numbers 24
10And Balaks anger was kindled against Balaam, and
he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam: I called you to
curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times.
11Therefore now flee to your place; I said ‘I will
certainly honour you,’ but the LORD has held you back from honour.
12Balaam said to Balak: Did I not tell your
messengers whom you sent to me:
13If Balak should give me his house full of silver
and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do
either good or bad of my own will; what the LORD speaks, that I will
speak?
You see, isn’t that something? A talking ass, a
seer who does not see the right path, an angel with a sword in his hand, a
king, who instructs Balaam to curse the people, who blesses them instead!
It is getting even more interesting, when you
look at the other Bible texts which mention Balaam. For, even though he
does nothing else the whole time but executing God’s plan and blessing the
people, instead of cursing them, he is known in the New Testament as
someone who has left God’s path. He becomes the prototype for people who
do not care about God’s word. He is also mentioned in connection with
moral failings.
2.
Peter 2:
15Forsaking the right way they have gone
astray; they have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved
gain from wrongdoing…
Jude
1, 11:
11Woe to them! For they walk in the way of
Cain, and abandon themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error…
Or in a
letter to the congregation in Revelation 2, 14:
But I have a few things against you: you have some
there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling
block before the sons of Israel that they might eat food sacrificed to
idols and practice immorality.
How does that fit together? How can someone who
resists twice to accept money from Balak and to curse the Israelites, be
made into a galleon figure for greed and sin? How can someone who does
good deeds for the people of Israel and who even prophecies: “A star will
rise from Jacob…” be declared an enemy of the Israelites and of
Christians, who, as we learn from the Book of Joshua 13, 22, is even
killed: “Balaam also, the son of Beor, the soothsayer, the people of
Israel killed with the sword…”?
One has tried to explain it this way, that he
had ultimately been, as a Mesopotamian soothsayer, just interested in
Balak’s money, and, though the story clearly relates something else, in
the end, not God’s mission, but money was the reason why he went on his
way with Balak’s vassals; although in the text, God had clearly allowed
him to do this. This has to do with the fact that he admits in the story
of the ass, to have sinned, to have left the path – the right path or the
symbolic path of obedience, this remains unclear here. Nevertheless, he
does nothing but God’s will, he becomes the instrument and does not do
what Balak wants from him. He does not curse, he blesses.
Why do I tell you about this
story? Because it is important for me to point out, that even people in
the Bible jump to conclusions on account of contradictions which develop
within this story. Perhaps these conclusions are not without reason, for
instance, when Balaam admits to having sinned, he probably has done it.
Whereas the story of the ass merely speaks, in a humorous way, about the
fact that even the ass was able to see God, who placed himself in Balaam’s
way, however, he was not. The question which the text poses, is: Who is
the greater ass? – The interpreters, by the way, agree: that
through this occurrence, a clear emphasises is placed on the fact that
Balaam, should do only what God asks of him. The fear which Balaam has of
God or his angel, makes him into a compliant tool, which leaves, in view
of God’s action, a few questions open. Then it was assumed that Balaam was
unable to deal with the fact that Bakal let him go without payment and he
takes revenge through a few people of Israel who deserted God and prayed
to Baal-Peor (Numbers 25). However, Balaam, who belongs to this cult, is
not even mentioned in the story.
Something is assumed,
conclusions are drawn, connections made, which can be thus or very
different, and in the end, Balaam is given the label „greedy“ and labeled
for all time. I have asked myself what Balaam might say to this? I have
asked myself, whether statements like this are truly justified, even if
they are written in the Bible?
The only explanation which
I have, is, that something is breaking through in God’s word here, which
is really connected to people: We have certain ideas, we make
suppositions, and are no longer interested in the actual facts, but only
what we think or have heard counts. Perhaps people like Jude or John did
not have the facts before them. Perhaps it had become a saying, that when
someone does something wrong, he takes the path of Balaam.
In our life we do
something similar. We hear things and create our own ideas, without having
had contact with the facts at all, or without knowing the people at all,
who are involved. Sometimes we treat Biblical statements very carelessly,
in order to support our opinion. We, too, like to use words from the Bible
and connections in good faith, to serve the truth hereby. That seems to be
particularly extreme when it is about moral questions, which are always
hotly disputed. But what is truth and nothing but the truth?
Am I now saying the Bible
errs? No! – Am I saying, we should not orient ourselves according to the
Bible and develop guidelines for our life? No! – However, I say, that
Jesus Christ himself is the guiding principle, the way, the truth and the
life. But it was even Jesus who warned people, not to make the liberating
gospel of the justification of the sinner a law again. For us, it is about
bringing the will of Christ to light from the Bible. But that does not
simply function by stringing one Bible quote unto another. It is about the
meaning of the word, not about literal faithfulness, which can sometimes
become a terrible legalism and pharisee-like, and sometimes misses the
meaning of the text by the breadth of a hair. Jesus has, in his time,
sharply criticized and fought against such treatment of the Old Testament.
Think of the many disputes with the scribes and the pharisees. He has not
rejected the law, but clarified that this law is being fulfilled in him.
We shall be his successors, God’s children, and really not new pharisees
and slaves of a lawfulness, which, in the end, can only condemn us.
Jesus has warned us not to
do what Balaam is actually supposed to do here, namely, to condemn God’s
people, or individuals or a group of people. One example may suffice, and
is it not very clear when Jesus says (Matthew 7:
1Judge not, that you be not judged.
2For with the judgement you pronounce you will be
judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get .
5… first take the log out of your own eye, and then
you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
What
this means is: God places himself in Jesus Christ not in our way to simply
apply human measures and to judge others. Instead, we shall not ignore the
divine measure of mercy and grace. Jesus gives a chance particularly to
the sinners and urges us all to repent and turn back. Our existence rests
always on the question of the disciples during the last supper: Lord, is
it I? It is not our duty to say: “Here Lord, it is that one!”
Even
though we have often fear of the stranger, as Balak, or consider others as
a threat to our values and convictions, we do not have the right to curse
or judge them. Perhaps it is particularly then called for, to stand by
one’s own convictions and to make it clear in a positive way, why this
means so much to us, instead of getting stuck in matters and to sin, too,
by attacking others and to say nasty things about them. In the Sermon on
the Mount and elsewhere, Jesus has already pointed out very clearly, that
the manner in which we speak and what we say, is the cause of malice and
God’s judgement.
Even though we may have a
multitude of reasons to criticize and denounce what is happening in our
society, as Christians, it remains our mission not to sow hatred, but to
make a mark as Christians by loving others, which is difficult for us,
yes, certainly more difficult than to take part in the general condemning
and in nursing one’s prejudices, yes, and in the last consequence it is
always expected of us, whether we like it or not. The greatest commandment
is not to hate others or to curse others, which, if it happens in the
Bible, is always God’s concern, who pronounces judgement, who will
ultimately judge people, but to love God and our neighbour as we love
ourselves. Let us be wary, dear Congregation, that, in the end, we will
not perish through the sword which we use ourselves. Let us not confuse
God’s will with our own opinion! It will certainly become apparent what
will endure in God’s eyes and what will not, what he will, in the end,
consider to be blessing or a curse for mankind. I would wish for less
self-conceit and more searching for understanding and love, so that our
world can change.
May God use us, as Balaam,
as a blessing for the people. Amen.
And the Peace of God, which passes all understanding, may keep our hearts
and our minds in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
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