FIVE SMOOTH STONES - The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherds Bag

FIVE SMOOTH STONES — The Five Ascension Gifts in the Heavenly Shepherd’s Bag

I think it is interesting that there are three examples of prophets riding on donkeys in judgment. The young man of God was immature, although anointed, and he died as he rode his donkey toward his destination. Balaam, the great prophet who rode toward earthly glory, was rebuked by his donkey, and was then saved from earthly judgment by the angel of the Lord that he could not, at first, even discern. And lastly was Jesus Christ, who rode an unbroken donkey into Jerusalem amidst glory and hosanna, only to exchange the earthly glory for a heavenly and eternal glory. When Balak heard that Balaam was coming he went out to meet him. This alone was an extreme honor, for the king to personally greet him. The payment he offered to Balaam was truly extravagant, basically a king’s ransom. He took Balaam up to the high places of Baal where he could see some of the Israelites and there gave sacrifice to the false gods and he expected Balaam to curse the people. Rather than curse them, Balaam blessed them, as he knew his power was from speaking the truth from Jehovah, and also there is a principle that a curse causeless cannot come to rest (Proverbs 26:2), so if he were to send a curse and there was no sin allowing entry, then the curse would return to him (Numbers 23:21-23). He did not want this. Three different times Balak took Balaam to a high place of idol worship and offered extravagant sacrifice, but each time Balaam’s prophecies blessed Israel. Balaam even went so far as to ask that he receive the blessings of Israel as he saw they were great and good, Numbers 23:10 “ Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my end be like his !” This is not too unlike the old prophet in 1 Kings 13, who had not been anointed for years and longed for the anointing through the young man of God, but his selfish desire hindered the young man, and he did not help the young man of God as a father in the faith would. Balaam saw the anointing of God and the promises for Israel and wanted the blessings, but would not accept any of the responsibility along with those people, but rather used his spiritual knowledge to teach Balak how to cause Israel to bring judgment upon themselves by causing them to sin, and thereby removing themselves from under the protection of the grace of God (Numbers 24:14). Numbers 31:15 “ And Moses said to them: "Have you kept all the women alive? 16Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, t o

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