Can you cajole
God?
“God is not man, that he should lie, or a
son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” – Numbers
23:19 [ESV]
Summarize in a Word: Cajoling God
Principle: God’s word is unchanging
Application: Do not try to tamper God’s word
Main point of the Passage: God will do exactly what He says whether we like
it or not.
Illustration: One Hindu tricked his god. Christian marrying
non-Christian
Once I
read a story of a sinful Hindu in front of Yama, the god of death. He took out
letters from Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva (top three gods of Hindu) addressing
Yama to treat him well. Months later Yama found out that the gods did not write
those letters. He got furious and asked him why he tricked him. The man
replied, “I never told you the gods wrote those letters. My children whose
names are Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva wrote them.” No one can trick the God of
the Bible, unlike this story.
This
passage is not primarily about God’s faithfulness to bless us. It is about
God’s unchanging nature that we can never trick or cajole God. The original
audience is Balak who thought he could change the mind of God by his sacrifices
to curse his enemies. In return, God blessed Balak’s enemies much more.
God does
not work according to what you think He should do. Nor are His words according
to what you think it should mean. You can neither improve it nor falsify it.
However, many times, we try to tamper with God’s word. I know some people who marry
non-Christians willfully, saying God will convert them. Yet the Scripture says,
“to obey is better than sacrifices or kind intentions.” God is not a man
to amend His laws.
I often
hear people say, “I hope God understands.” In fact, they misunderstand God. God
understands them as transgressors, not as acceptable. Like Balak, one should
expect not comfort but chastisement in such. Would you please submit to God’s
word and not tamper it? Blessing comes through Obedience, my friend!
_____________________________
Thanks for the time of
Reflection,
R. Solomon