All that the LORD Says, That I Must Do! - Numbers 21-24

 Numbers 23:25-30 (ESV)

And Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.” But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the LORD says, that I must do’?” And Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.” So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which overlooks the desert. And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

The theme of the above verses and this entire section on Balaam and Balak is summarized by the statement, “All that the LORD says, that I must do.”    Balaam says that to Balak on three occasions.   KIng Balak sent for this unknown prophet Balaam and asked Balaam to curse Israel, a new people that were invading his land.   At first Balaam refused to go.  But, when he was tempted by all the “honor” (money) that Balak was going to give him, Balaam’s heart was filled with envy and desire.  God stops him in his tracks, but never-the-less he still goes and pursues these riches of King Balak.   But, each time he is given a chance to curse Israel, he instead blesses Israel.   Balak is, of course, furious.  But, Balaam’s defense to this powerful king is, “All that the LORD says, that must I do.”   Now, later we read that Balaam gave Balak some advice on how to compromise Israel by having their women marry into the Israelite nation and turn the hearts of the men to Balak’s gods.   So, we see that Balaam’s heart was NOT with God, but he had ulterior motives all along.   But, that does not diminish the vow, commitment and/or principle of life he was supposed to operate under:  “All that the LORD says, that must I do.”   That would be the best creed to follow in life.    If we had to have a tattoo, that would be the one we should get tattooed into our hearts.