The Prophecy from Peor
1When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him. 3He took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened;
4The oracle of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered,
5How fair are your tents, O Jacob,
Your dwellings, O Israel!
6Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens beside the river,
Like aloes planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters.
7Water will flow from his buckets,
And his seed will be by many waters,
And his king shall be higher than Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted.
8God brings him out of Egypt,
He is for him like the horns of the wild ox.
He will devour the nations who are his adversaries,
And will crush their bones in pieces,
And shatter them with his arrows.
9He couches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a lion, who dares rouse him?
Blessed is everyone who blesses you,
And cursed is everyone who curses you.”
10Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times! 11Therefore, flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the Lord has held you back from honor.” 12Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying, 13‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the Lord, either good or bad, of my own accord. What the Lord speaks, that I will speak’? 14And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come.”
13The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;
14From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15He who fashions the hearts of them all,
He who understands all their works.
16The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.
18Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
19To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
20Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
21For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.
The Blessings of Redemption
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
1) Why does blessing belong only to those aligned with His will?
2) How does spiritual blessing outlast earthly success?
3) What defines a people chosen for praise of His glory?
PSALM 26
Protestation of Integrity and Prayer for Protection.
A Psalm of David.
1Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity,
And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
2Examine me, O Lord, and try me;
Test my mind and my heart.
3For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have walked in Your truth.
4I do not sit with deceitful men,
Nor will I go with pretenders.
5I hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
6I shall wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go about Your altar, O Lord,
7That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving
And declare all Your wonders.
8O Lord, I love the habitation of Your house
And the place where Your glory dwells.
9Do not take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with men of bloodshed,
10In whose hands is a wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of bribes.
11But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12My foot stands on a level place;
In the congregations I shall bless the Lord.
45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
46Then they *came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they *called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” 52And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.