On Balaam, Part 2

            Fear is part of human experience. We all fear something (or many things)—a specific situation or person or task or that which we have no control over (like death or sickness). Life in this world is inherently risky. This is why people invest so much time and money and effort into making everything “safer”. This is also why people have turned to religion—so secure some kind of assurance of a safety net from the visible and invisible forces in this world.

The story of Balaam reminds us of the danger we face for simply being disciples and seeking to be faithful in this life. Balaam lived his life in what I call “worldly fear.” He was chiefly concerned with wealth and status and he feared losing these. This is the opposite of “holy fear” that the Holy Spirit develops in those who become disciples of the Lord Jesus. Peter the Apostle described this attitude: “If you call on the Father, who judges each person impartially according to the deeds of each one, conduct yourselves with [holy] fear during the time of your sojourn.” (1 Peter 1:17, my translation from Greek) Balaam’s example shows a stark contrast to a faithful response to God and his gracious covenant promises.

Regardless of what anyone or any one culture in history dictates to us as necessary, the Lord comes to us saying: I am on a mission and you are to travel with me in my Kingdom on earth. “Come and follow me in the path of righteousness.” This is a great risk indeed and to accept it is to give up all illusions that one can keep oneself safe without the protective hand of God. More than that, to join in with the Lord Jesus in God’s work means we will endure many trials—many difficult situations and challenges.

The Lord taught the disciples to pray (Matt 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4): “And do not lead us into trials but deliver us from the evil [one].” (Matt 6:13) The fact that our Lord taught us to pray regarding trials demonstrates how crucial our understanding of difficulties and hardships are for the development of spiritual maturity. The point which this petition (apparently) makes is that God will lead us into trials if he deems it necessary. For God will frequently lead us into situations and relationships with people that we would never have wanted or chosen. Indeed, my experience has been that often God leads us directly to situations where we come face to face with our fears. Look at the Israelites: They were moving into a land that was already inhabited and among people who feared and hated them; they did not have state of the art weapons nor were they well trained in combat.

Hardships reveal to us what God already knows: Our fear puts a spotlight on who and what we trust and depend upon. The true intent of our hearts are laid bare before God and other people. What do you fear? To what do you give ultimate sacrifice to preserve your own life? When God “leads us into trials” we are forced to see the truth regarding ourselves.

During the American Civil War, the Union term “shotty” was coined. The national government has purchased new uniforms for the Union army from the first day the men began to wear them they quite literally shredded and fell off the bodies of soldiers when it rained. Here is the parallel I would draw: Israel was tested by God and found to have “shotty” faith because their faith was in themselves or perhaps Moses but not in God alone—thus they did not enter the promised land. This is the point of God’s tests—they reveal to us our character and are intended to lead us to humility.

This petition to “lead us not into trial” also teaches us that at least some hardships or trials can be avoided. For much of the difficulties we find ourselves are the consequences of our own making. If we insist on doing our own will and following our desires then God will lead us “into trials” so that we can learn to obey him. Faith is an expression of trust. From Scripture, we discover that Israel had some measure of faith in God but they had not learned that God actually expected from them trust in all concrete life circumstances. When they insisted on fearing other people or things besides God he led them “into trials” so they may learn to obey him alone.

What will ultimately determine our path in this life is the kind of blindness we have (John 9:39-41). Is it blindness of arrogant presumption—like Balaam? He encountered God and walked away the same person—never having his spiritual blindness removed (Isaiah 56:10). Or is it the blindness of true faith? This kind of blindness enables one to see only God’s truth and to follow in God’s path exclusively (Isaiah 42:19).

The Lord himself came to induce both kinds of blindness: To free from the bondage of sin and to confirm the choice people make to walk through life by sheer self-will and worldly wisdom. This work of God is an expression of God’s love and justice and an opportunity for all to turn and put trust in the living God. And God’s will for us is to practice radical faith; which is like blindness in its exclusive focus on understanding and valuing the Kingdom of God. One becomes “blind” to all else in the world and can only “see” through God’s eyes. This is the spiritual freedom that the Lord longs to give to his all.

There is an priceless statement in Deuteronomy (10:12) which is instructive for our understanding of how to respond to God’s grace. Here Moses parallels a faithful human response to God as involving love, fear and service to God. How can that be? To equate these is almost heresy for modern Christians. But there is something crucial in this teaching that we must understand if we are going to mature in faith and service to God.

Let me try to use an illustration to explain the importance of this. When I was a child I was afraid of my father because he was the one who disciplined me when I did bad things. I did not actually know him as a person but as the main authority figure in my life.

As I have grown into maturity as a man, and had some parenting experience myself, I have come to understand what he was doing for me when he disciplined me. And further, as an adult I have made efforts to know him as a person and figure out why he has made key life decisions. I do not directly depend upon him for things now, he does not discipline me or correct me and I no longer share the same home with him. But he remains my father and he will always carry weight with me. As the years pass my respect and love for him becomes stronger. I am not afraid of my father but I have a healthy deep-seated respect for him.

I think that there is some parallel between my experience with my earthly father and how spiritually maturing persons perspective on God develops. We need to recognize God as the Authority in life. This will always be so no matter the depth of knowledge one has of God and his ways. Submitting to the authority of God is necessary for human health and spiritual development. As we submit to him as the authority, the Holy Father, we love him more. 

For this we must come to a point where we come to understand who God is by practicing faith through hard fought experience. And God is to be feared because he is God even as we learn to love him because he reveals his character and kindness to us. Thus we come to a point of experiencing healthy holy fear and love for God (Luke 12:4-7). This is a wonder and a joy for a disciple of Jesus.

There are many lessons we can draw from this intersection of Balaam and the ancient Israelites. Here are a few.

First, avoid the way of Balaam! For he had no fear of God—that is, he put his trust in himself and did not trust in the living God. Rather, seek to learn to have a healthy fear of God by faith—that is, have radical faith in God as powerful but good.

Second, let us simply acknowledge to God that we have held onto concepts of God that make him less than holy as he is; to make him like ourselves and follow our rules. We must recognize and reject all attempts to “manage” and “negotiate” with God concerning what he requires of us. We need to practice radical faith and believe in God as God is revealed in Christ and in Scripture.

And the Lord Jesus offers to all the true knowledge of the living God in himself as one puts oneself under the shelter of the Almighty in him. And then we can join hands with God’s people in serving in the Kingdom and enter into the good promises he has made for his people.

This is the invitation of God in every generation.