SCRIPTURE:
32 The angel of the Lord asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.”
34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back.”
…
27 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there.” 28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland.
29 Balaam said, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.” 30 Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
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50 because they all saw him and were terrified.
Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
Numbers 22:32-24, 23:27-30, Mark 6:50-52
OBSERVATION:
The Bible is a long book. A book of 66 books, 1,189 chapters, 1,102 verses, and two testaments. Easily over 1,000 pages in most printings, the Bible is a lengthy text. Growing up, I used to think that the Bible is long because God is a complicated God. “He has a lot of rules and expectations, and it takes a lot of pages to detail everything we have to follow,” I used to think. However, as I grew older, spent more time with the text, and especially after reading it in its entirety in a month, I’ve come to realize that the Bible isn’t long because God is complicated and demanding; it’s long because humans are prideful and stubborn. These passages testify to this statement.
In Numbers 22, it takes Balaam three times to listen, realize, and obey the sign God sent Him through His donkey to listen. Just a chapter later in Numbers 23, Balaak tries three times to get Balaam to disobey God and curse the Israelites, not understanding that our role is to obey God. And even the disciples––Jesus’ closest friends and the ones who spent the most time with Him––even they did not realize and understand the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, so Jesus had to display His power once again by walking on the water––and even then, they were still shocked and amazed at Jesus, for they still hadn’t come to understand who He truly is and what He can do.
APPLICATION:
The Bible is not long because God is complicated; it’s long because humans are stubborn. God Himself is straightforward; it is humans who fail to understand the simplicity of God’s love and grace, choosing to rebel, disobey, and falter time and time again. However, I am grateful that the Bible is long because I too am human and have flesh that stinks just as much as the day I was born. The length of the Bible is a testament to God’s love for humanity––continuing to pursue, forgive, and love us even after we fail to love Him––and a testament to His grace––reassuring us that even after we continuously fall into the cycle of obedience and disobedience, that there is grace. The Bible begins with grace––with God providing a pathway back to Eden––and ends with grace––with John ending the Bible with the benediction “the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen” (Rev. 22:21).
Today, remember and receive God’s love and grace. Forgive others, and yourself, as He continues to forgive all of us. Accept the fact that it is okay not to be perfect, and, like the Israelites, continue on the long-yet-simple journey back to Eden that traverses through life on this Earth.
PRAYER:
Father God,
You are gracious, loving, and forgiving. I thank You and praise You for constantly pursuing us despite our failure to pursue You. I repent for the times I have stubbornly failed to see Your signs, listen to Your voice, and do things my way, and I receive Your forgiveness. I thank You that You willingly choose to use imperfect people like us to do extraordinary things, and I ask that You use me, refine me, prepare me, and enable me to fulfill the present and future assignments You have given me with Your heart. Lord Jesus, I can’t and don’t want to do anything without You. Come, Lord Jesus, come. I need You, I want You, and I desire for myself, my church, my pastors, my family, and this world to know your simple-yet-profound love and grace for us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
