God's Masterpiece

“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted..” – 1 Corinthians 10:1-6

A friend of mine recently commented that he had never read the Old Testament because it is not applicable to his daily life. He believes that it was obsolete, and the New Testament is all he needs. Through my daily interactions, I have come to realize that this mindset is fairly common. Many people only read the New Testament, if they even read the Bible at all.

This viewpoint is disappointing, because God has produced a masterpiece for our enjoyment and instruction. God is a master artist, and His Word is a tapestry of amazing beauty. When we simply focus on the gospel and the New Testament, we only see a portion of God's canvas. On the contrary, as Paul points out above in 1 Corinthians, the Old Testament books and the figures they document give us insight into God's character. Through them, we are familiarized with the inclinations of the human heart, and the holiness of God. They provide illustrations, instructions and warnings.

I have studied a man in the Bible whose life at first glance does not appear to be applicable to our lives (Numbers 22-25). The man is Balaam. He was from a pagan and idolatrous people. He was well-known for the power and accuracy of his divination. Balak, Moab's king, greatly feared the Israelites who came out of Egypt because they had utterly destroyed all of the people who they faced. Thus, Balak sought to hire Balaam to curse Israel and sent him the customary fee for divination. Balaam replied to the offer by saying that he would consult with the Lord God and get back with Balak.

Yahweh spoke to Balaam and told him in Numbers 22:12, "And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed." So, Balaam obeyed God and told the messengers that he could not go with them to curse Israel.

Balak believed that Balaam was just playing "hard to get," so he sent more distinguished messengers. They promised Balaam great honor and whatever wealth he desired. It is comical to me to picture Balaam at this moment. God told him not to go, but the offer of wealth and fame started to affect his hearing. I can see how he might have reasoned within himself, "Did I really hear God say not to go or was it my imagination?" So, after hearing God’s voice, Balaam decided to ask God again. God knew Balaam's heart was not right, yet He relented.

Balaam chose greed over his obedience to God's will. God had told him not to go, but He later granted Balaam his heart's desire. Although God gave permission, He was angry with Balaam and was going to kill him. If not for Balaam's donkey, who refused to travel close to the angel of the Lord, Balaam would have died. God knew that one day Balaam would give Balak the key to defeating Israel through sexual immorality and idolatry (Numbers 31:6).

Balaam is a warning, and if we are wise, we can see the correlation to the New Testament as Matthew 7:22-23 illustrates. Jesus said that not everyone who calls Him Lord will be saved. He told the disobedient to depart, called them workers of iniquity, and said that He never knew them. It appears that they put their will over the relationship that God desired.

God calls us into a relationship with Him. We are to put the desires of the flesh to death, walk by the Spirit, and love God with our whole heart. Throughout the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, we see people who are offered as examples of both what to do and what not to do. We can see that we all make mistakes and often utterly fail. The critical factor is not our failure but our relationship to Jesus and putting Him first.

God's masterpiece presents both the beauty of a life well-lived and the lessons of immortality and idolatry. The Old Testament is not obsolete, but it reveals the wisdom and faithfulness of God who will see His plan through to the end. The Old Testament foreshadows the Messiah, leads us to faith in Him, and reveals God's salvation.

Balaam is only one stroke on His canvas. God gives us His Word as a gift. Will you open and enjoy its beauty.