Seize the Moment – Day 601

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08
Nov '21

Seize the Moment – Day 601

Posted on Nov 8, 2021 by Jerry Ingalls in Devotions, General |

08
Nov '21

A Ripple Effect!

Numbers 25

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, November 8.

What happens when you throw a small stone into a lake?

It causes a ripple effect from the point of impact.

One of the things that makes Balaam’s story confusing is that Numbers 22—24 tells the story of a man who heard from God and faithfully refused to curse Israel as he was hired to do, but the ripple effect of his influence was a plague of judgment.

Even though Balaam’s name is not mentioned in Numbers 25, the impact of his story ripples into the Israelite community as described in Numbers 25:1-3:

While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry against Israel (cf. Psalm 106:28-31).

Israel was seduced to become unequally yoked with a foreign people and their god. This heavy burden crushed them as God’s wrath turned against them in a righteous judgment of their false worship. God’s plague killed 24,000 Israelites (4-9).

How do we know this was a ripple effect of Balaam’s impact?

Numbers 31:16 explains,
“Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord.”
Furthermore, Jesus used Balaam’s name as a condemnation against the Church of Pergamum in Revelation 2:14:
“But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.”

Seize the moment and leave a lasting impact on people’s faith and faithfulness through the choices you make today.

God bless your day!
 
 
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YOUTUBE:

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