RISE UP

When Adonai ordains something, nothing can rescind it. Amen?

When Adonai establishes something, nothing can cancel it.

When Adonai promises something, it’s a done deal!

And when Adonai blesses, oooh when He blesses something it is indeed blessed pressed, packed, and overflowing.

In Numbers 22-25, Adonai uses a man named Bilam to bless the children of Israel three times.

A portion of one of those blessings is still sung in synagogues today in a beautifully haunting liturgical prayer called Ma Tovu.

“מַה טּבוּ אהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקב מִשְׁכְּנתֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל

Mah tovu ohalekha Ya’akov, mishkenotekha Yisra’el!                     Oh how lovely, are your tents, O Jacob, your tabernacles, Israel! 

Funny enough, Bilam (the vessel used to bless Israel) wasn’t even a godly man. Referenced elsewhere in scripture and Jewish writings, we actually see him as a money hungry sorcerer! Yes, Adonai will EVEN use the ungodly to accomplish His purposes if need be.

Why? Because He can and because nothing can thwart His sovereign plan. Can I get another amen?!

In any case, back to Israel being blessed three times over…

When our God repeats something three times, it means that it is established. Meaning, there is no changing it. So, as delivered by the mouth of Bilam, Israel was blessed, is blessed and will be blessed.

But here’s the thing, just because Adonai ordains, establishes, promises, or blesses something doesn’t mean His authority won’t be challenged. It doesn’t mean that the Adversary won’t attempt to thwart, derail, and hinder God’s purpose for His people.

Think about it, it’s been this way from the beginning.

In the beginning He ordained that mankind would live in His presence. He walked in the garden with Adam and Havah. But, His authority was challenged and man fell from God’s presence for a time. In His sovereignty though, He sent Messiah Yeshua to bridge the gap back to Himself. And now man can live in His presence again. For now we must behold this reality only in a spiritual sense, but soon and very soon we will be able to behold it physically as well.

So Adonai’s role is to establish His perfect and sovereign will.

The Adversary’s goal is to thwart, derail, and hinder.

But where does that leave us? Surely we weren’t created to just complacently go along for the ride.

Well, reading further along in the story of the three blessings, we find a man named Pinchas. His zeal for the Lord embodies what our spiritual posture should look like.

You see, Bilam tried yet again to curse the children of Israel. This time with seductive cunning, luring them into fornication and idol worship with Midyanim women. 

A plague ensued.  

Just as the children of Israel began weeping at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, one of the leaders of the tribe of Shim’on brought a leading Midyanim woman to his family.

This is Pinchas’ response:

Numbers 25:7-8 says,

“When Pinchas the son of El‘azar, the son of Aharon the cohen, saw this, he rose up from the middle of the crowd, took a spear in his hand, and pursued the man from Israel right into the inner part of the tent, where he thrust his spear through both of them — the man from Israel and the woman through her stomach. Thus was the plague among the people of Israel stopped;”

So what did Pinchas do when the enemy tried to steal away Israel’s God ordained blessing?

HE ROSE UP!

What should we do when the enemy tries to steal away our God ordained blessing? 

RISE UP!

And just to give us a play-by-play:

IDENTIFY- Pinchas identified the root cause of the chaos.

REFUSE- Pinchas refused to get caught up in the seductive trap.

ACT- Pinchas arose from the assembly and took the issue straight into the presence of Adonai.

So, Adonai, we thank you that You are the Author and Finisher of our faith…

that before the founding of the world, You knew us and prepared for us good works to do and a calling to fulfill. 

We ask You to raise us up by Your Spirit to be of a zeal like Pinchas’…

to be zealous for You and discerning to the schemes of the enemy of our souls who stalks about like a roaring lion looking for someone to consume.

We ask for the strength to be bold and unwavering in refusing the lustful lures of the flesh that try to hinder us.

And we receive with eternal gratitude  the blessings and glory that You have lavished on us because of the bloody sacrificial death of Messiah Yeshua on our behalf. 

To Him be the praise for ever and ever, amen!