And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed. Leviticus 22:12
One of the most despicably mistreated men in history was William Tyndale. An English priest who was saved through reading the Scriptures, Tyndale developed a deep passion to have the Word of God made available to everyone in England. Denied permission by the bishop in London, Tyndale moved to Europe where in 1525 he produced his first translation of the New Testament. Hounded by his enemies, he continued his translation work until a traitor handed him into the hands of authorities who the following year had him executed as a heretic. As they prepared to burn him alive at the stake, Tyndale prayed aloud, ‘Lord, open the king of England’s eyes’. Only three years later, King Henry VIII ordered every church in England to make a copy of the English Bible available to anyone who wished to read it. Tyndale’s great translation work lives on today as the translators of our King James Version relied on Tyndale’s translation for 90 percent of their material. Rome’s desire to curse Tyndale led to the blessing of untold millions.
Balaam the prophet faced a huge dilemma: a huge payday lay before him although he knew before he asked God that what he was being hired to do was wrong. And in our text today, we really God’s plain answer. We know what Balaam eventually did about it, how he tried and failed to curse the Israelites. Regardless of how much Balak the king of Moab was offering him, he should have simply refused the offer from Balak’s messengers. Because he did not, he eventually perished with Israel’s enemies. There are those today who are seeking to destroy God’s Word and God’s people. How far will they succeed? We don’t know, but we do know they will perish as God’s enemies.
The Bible that William Tyndale translated is under subtle but powerful attacks today, as are those who believe and preach it. Perhaps the most powerful and vicious attack is from those who despise the Bible for its clear condemnation of their abominable lifestyle, of which they proclaim to be proud. This increasingly influential movement is attempting to have the Bible categorized as hate literature, and to have those who teach it labeled as hate mongers. Our text today is a reminder that they will eventually fail because of God’s blessing on His Word and on His people.
God’s people today are blessed. His hand is upon us for good, both now and for eternity. If we are called upon to suffer for our faithfulness to Him, He will turn that suffering into blessing. -Jim MacIntosh