I have been absent a bit due to an emergency situation I had to deal with. In my absence a few awesome essays were sent my way. One that has captured my interest was an essay by Ari Bussel that uses Biblical analogy filtered through the eyes of Judaism to Israel’s current existence.
The analogy is of Balaam trying to become rich by cursing Israel for King Balak. God stops the attempted curse each time and Balaam blesses Israel. Balaam is greed and wants that dough from Balak so the wicked prophet (some would rather use sorcerer) devises a plan in which a curse is not pronounced by Balaam. That plan is for the Israelites to curse themselves by engaging in actions that is disobedient to the will of God.
The sin of Balaam is teaching Balak to hand over his kingdom’s babes to entice male Israelites to have sex, marry and succumb to foreign gods.
Bussel brilliantly weaves the analogy to the present utilizing prophetic people and nations as modern types that could cause Israel unmentionable deaths that a repentant Israel can recover from just as the Israelites of Balaam’s day also recover.
Read Bussel’s story with a heads up: Bussel is Jewish so my fellow Christians should exchange the name “Bilam” for “Balaam”.
JRH 7/15/10
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