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Numbers 23-24 – Praying through the Bible #53 – A Prayer is not a Bribe
God cannot be bought. God cannot be bribed by prayers, sacrifices, or worship. Yet do we devalue God’s holiness, thinking Him vulnerable to our petty gifts? “God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes His mind. Does He speak and not act, or promise and not fulfill?” (Nm 23.19).
Numbers 23-24 contains some of the Bible’s most beautiful poetry, yet soaked with evil intentions. The beauty comes from God imposing His holy will by not allowing Balaam to impose his own evil will onto God. Balaam’s true self is revealed, disguised as holiness. As Balak tries to bribe and buy Balaam, Balaam tries to buy and bribe Yahweh. Balak wants Yahweh persuaded to curse Israel. Balaam is the prophet who wanted to profit (Nm 24.11; 31.16; Dt 23.5; 2 Pet 2.15; Jude 11; Rv 2.14). Everyone has a weakness, right? Including God? What will God get in exchange for the curse? Worship!
Balaam says to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me” (23.1). The animal sacrifices are a type of prayer as Balaam is appealing to God. Three times they try the same tactics (23.14, 29). They are trying to buy God with “love” as if God is as petty, greedy, and needy as they are. At best they are making God co-dependent; and at worst making God gluttonous for attention, for meaningless adoration as any false god, as any human being. Do we ever think we can buy and bribe God? Do we think we can change God’s mind if we simply worship Him harder, longer, better, give more money and offer more prayers? Is that what God craves?
Then there’s Balaam’s fake holiness: “Shouldn’t I say exactly what the LORD puts in my mouth?” (23.12). “Didn’t I tell you: Whatever the LORD says, I must do?” (23.26). “Didn’t I previously tell the messengers you sent me: If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the LORD’s command, to do anything good or bad of own will? I will say whatever the LORD says” (23.12-13). The words of Balaam’s mouth are not the desires of his heart. He wants to curse Israel, to hurt others, in a “holy” cause, so he can profit personally. Saying one thing and wanting another is not holy. Has a preacher ever changed his message for salary? Have Christians softened beliefs to attend a church with more business contacts? Have we tried to profit, not necessarily with money, but from hurting others through gossip or some other base motive or method? Do we want to curse good reputations? Is that what we crave?
God is truly and fully holy, and not pretending, not greedy, or needy just to get what He craves – our worship, adoration and love. We need to worship; God does not need our worship. Worship changes us for the better; it doesn’t change God for the worse.
Prayer Challenge: Bless with our actions and prayers those God has blessed, regardless of personal profit. Want what God wants. Never think of prayers, or any kind of worship, as a bribe. Crave to be like God, and thank God that He is not like us.
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