When God Blesses, Who Can Reverse It?

When God Blesses, Who Can Reverse It?

“How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?”

Balaam understood this, and he also believed it. He wanted to be a true prophet; therefore he spoke what the Lord wanted him to speak. Almost all those who consider themselves believers also know this. But why do they become so restless when they are backbitten? It has to be for one of two reasons: Either they do not have a living faith that it is so, or they are not certain that God speaks well of them. If God speaks well of us, all those who speak evil of us will be put to shame. They can only harm themselves.

“Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, so a curse without cause shall not alight.” Prov. 26:2.

“He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.” Num. 23:20. Balaam did not want to have anything to do with reversing God’s blessing. Many have tried to do that. They have denounced those whom God has not denounced, and it has gone badly with them, even very badly.

Why did God bless Israel? It was because He had not observed iniquity in Jacob. Therefore there was the shout of a King among them, and they had the strength of a wild ox. The only thing that endangers us is sin. Balaam also knew this, yet he loved the wages of unrighteousness. Jude 11; 2 Pet. 2:15. Now he would not receive any wages because he had blessed Israel instead of cursing them. Nevertheless, he knew how to help himself. He taught Balak to lead Israel astray by causing them to sin. This was the only way to bring a curse on them. Num. 31:16. It succeeded, and 24,000 died in the plague. Num. 25. Balaam went astray because he loved money. At the same time his evil counsel was turned against him. He was killed together with Balak when God avenged Himself.

“And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?” 1 Pet. 3:13. It is useless for anyone to attempt it, because God will turn it to the good. However, if they can get you to sin when they are evil to you, they will succeed in doing you harm. But the Lord is also an avenger of these things, just as we learned from the account of Balaam.

“Do not avenge yourselves . . . . Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Rom. 12:17-21. If we follow this exhortation, we will become like Abraham: “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Gen. 12:3. Christ is the Seed of Abraham. “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Gal. 3:16, 29. When the flesh with its passions and desires is crucified, we can bless people; then they cannot cause us to sin. Gal. 5:24. Then we are Christ’s and are in the same relationship to God as Abraham.

Sigurd Bratlie