Numbers 23:1-12 10 Let Me Die the Death of the Righteous
Balaam a Gentile prophet was hired by Balak, a Moabite king,
to “curse” the Israelites. (Failed) so the children of Israel were seduced to commit fornication by the women of Moab. As a consequence, 24,000 of them were slain (Numbers 25).
Num 24:3 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
BALAAM SAW:-
1. THE REALITY OF DEATH. 10 Let me die the death of the righteous,
(a) An Intelligent request - Balaam, did not dodge the fact of death. how you die will determine where you will spend eternity.
i. Death's Certainty - Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
ii. It's Complexity - "Death may come with a leap or a crawl. It comes, though, and it comes to all!"
iii. It's Cruelty -10 the death - Separation of body and spirit
iv. It's Culpability - 10 Let me die the death of the righteous,
(b) An Instructive request - all men do not die the same way.
(c) An Incompetent request - He did not die as the righteous.
2. THE RESPONSIBILITY TO DEATH. Balaam Knew There is a :-
(a) CONTRAST In Death - Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints (Psalm 116:15).
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
(b) CONSOLATION In Death - Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
(c) COMFORT In Death - Rev 14:13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
(d) CONSISTENCE In Death - Rev 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
3. THE REMEDY FOR DEATH - 10 Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! -
How we live determines How we die! - Balaam Saw:-
(a) The Protection of the Righteous -
23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel
(b) The Promise of the Righteous - 24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion: he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the slain (c) The Prosperity of the Righteous - Ch 24:5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles,O Israel! 6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.
(d) The Presence with the Righteous - 23 according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! (e) The Peace of the Righteous - 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!
4. THE RAPIDITY IN DEATH - He Lost All
Num 31:8 They slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; ... Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword
2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
