圣经问答：咒诅变为祝福
民数记第七课：巴勒、巴兰和以色列——咒诅变为祝福：民数记二十二至二十四章
摩西是《圣经》里的重要人物之一。摩西带领以色列人从埃及吃苦之地出来前往迦南地。在途中，以色列人面对一些不欢迎他们的敌人。怎么办？
一。民数记22章：摩押王巴勒召巴兰来咒诅以色列人：请参看地图，说明以色列人离开迦南地有多远。3节：“摩押人因以色列民甚多，就大大惧怕，心内忧急”。摩押人用不用这样害怕？（ 不用。）为什么？因为摩押人并不是以色列人攻击作战的对象（参看申命记2:8-9）。摩押王巴勒说，“这民比我强盛”，所以巴勒王想要用什么办法使得他能打败以色列人？
巴勒王请谁去咒诅以色列人？他是哪里人？解经家对巴兰有不同看法。有些解经家认为巴兰信仰耶和华真神，但是他的信心不全。又有《圣经》学者认为巴兰完全不相信耶和华神，但是他“利用”耶和华神的名字实现其目的。无论如何，巴兰被神使用为“工具”实行神自己的旨意；巴兰也发现人不能咒诅神所要祝福的子民。
二。民数记22:1-14：请求诅咒：摩押王巴勒向巴兰说什么好听的话请他过去？巴勒的使者口袋里带了___ ___准备给巴兰。（历史学家和考古学家告诉我们这是当时人的习惯。）当晚，___向巴兰说话，指示他：“你___可同他们去，也___可咒诅那民，因为那民是___ ___的”。第二天早上，巴兰告诉摩押王巴勒的使者：“你们___本地___吧，因为耶和华___容我和你们同___”。到此为止，巴兰态度不错，人似乎诚实。本来，此故事也应该到此结束。因为神已经表示他的旨意和吩咐，不应该有以下的几段话。巴兰应该留在家里。
三。民数记22:15-41：与神作对：摩押王巴勒还没有放弃计划，所以他用什么引诱巴兰？18节：巴兰明明知道“巴勒就是将他满屋的金银给我，我行大事小事也不得___ ___耶和华我神的命”，但是巴兰的确想得着做什么？20节：神为什么让巴兰去？22节：神为什么发了怒？神对巴兰的真正目的一清二楚。请述说巴兰在路上所预见的。
巴兰自以为是个“开着眼的人”（民数记24:3, 4, 15），但是在路上巴兰看不见神的使者，只有他的___才能看见他。民数记22:31：耶和华___了自以为是‘开着眼的人’的眼睛。民数记22:22：“敌挡”一词希腊原文是satan。在以后的日子，此字变成 “Satan”——撒旦——那“敌挡”神和人的。（诗篇109:6：“对头”也是此字。）读者，可能您对民数记22章感到惊讶。神为什么告诉巴兰“不可去”但是以后还让他去，而当巴兰去了之后，神还发了怒。请问，今天，我们明明知道某见事情不合乎神的旨意，但是我们很想去做，难道神会拦阻我们吗？（举例：酒后开车，偷钱，撒谎，骂人，打人等都是神不喜悦之事，但是他给我们自由，让我们做。后果我们自己要负责，不是吗？）
四。民数记23:1-26：巴兰头两个预言：3节：巴兰说了一句话，含义比他想象的还深，是什么？“他___ ___我什么，我必告诉你”。摩押王巴勒期望听巴兰诅咒以色列人，但是巴兰说什么？请一句一句地解释巴兰的预言。
巴勒反应如何？
请解释巴兰第二个预言，特别是民数记23:19-22。
民数记23:2, 14, 29, 30等：巴兰为什么要献祭？（请参看民数记24:1。)
请背诵19节：“神非___，必不至说___；也非人子，必不至后___。他说话岂不照着___呢？他发言岂不要___就呢？” 注意：1844年5月24日，Samuel Finley Breese Morse（萨缪尔·芬利·布里斯·摩尔斯）， 坐在美国华盛顿国会大厦参议会里面发了全世界第一次正式的电报。内容就是民数记二十三章23节：“What hath God wrought” “神为他行了何等的大事！”
五。民数记24:1-25：巴兰第三和第四个预言：请述说巴兰第三个预言和摩押王巴勒的反应。11节：巴勒把巴兰送回家时，向他说：“你快___本地去吧！我想使你得大尊___，耶和华却阻___你不得___荣”。民数记24:12-13：巴兰知道真理和真情，但是他让他贪财的心取代一切。
民数记24:15-25：请阅读巴兰第四个语言。17节：“我___ ___却不在现时，我望他却不在___ ___。有___要出于雅各，有___要兴于以色列，必打破摩押的四角，毁坏扰乱之子”。此句话明明是个预言。何时应验？1）当大___做王；2）当米赛亚耶___做王。
六。巴兰：如果巴兰有任何值得赞扬之处，可能是什么（参看：民数记22:18, 23:3, 26, 24:12-13)? 但是，由民数记24:1可知，在心里深处巴兰不愿意侍奉耶和华；巴兰___财。巴兰的结局记载在民数记31:7和约书亚记13:22；巴兰的结局是什么？巴兰这个人应该让我们学习何事？
读者：欢迎您把这篇短文下载，复印，用在您的《圣经》班里。
Numbers/07: Balak, Balaam and Israel: Curses Turned into Blessings
Numbers chapters 22-24
1. Numbers 22: Balak Calls Balaam to Curse the Israelites: Look at a map and determine how far the Israelites are from Canaan. Vs. 3: “Moab was terrified because there were so many people,” Did the Moabites need to fear? (No.) Why? Because the Moabites were not the object of Israel’s war attack (see Deut. 2:8-9). Balak, king of Moab, said: “they are too powerful for me,” so what method did King Balak determine to use against Israel? Who did Balak ask to go and curse Israel? Where was he from? Biblical scholars are divided on their opinion of Balaam. Some commentators say that Balaam had faith in the true God. Others say that he had no faith whatsoever in Jehovah God, but that he “used” the name of the LORD to achieve his own ends. Whatever the case, Balaam was used by God to achieve God’s own will; Balaam discovered that man cannot curse a people that God wants to bless.
2. Numbers 22:1-14: A Curse Requested: What pleasing words did Balak, king of Moab, say to Balaam to get him to go? The pockets of Balak’s messengers contained (what) for Balaam? (Historians and archaeologists tell us this was normal practice in those days.) That night, G___ spoke to Balaam and instructed him: “Do n___ go with them. You must n___ put a curse on those people, because they are b___.” The next day, Balaam told Balak’s messengers, “G__ b__ to your own country, for the LORD has r___ to let me g__ with you.” Up to this point, Balak’s attitude is not bad and he seems honest. Actually, this story should end at this point. Since God has already expressed his will and bidding to Balak, the following paragraphs should not have happened. Balaam should have stayed home.
3. Numbers 22:15-41: Opposing God: Balak, king of Moab, has not yet given up on his plan. What did Balak use to entice Balaam? Vs. 18: Balaam clearly understands “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go b___ the command of the LORD my God,” but Balaam really wanted to obtain the m___. Vs. 20: Why did God allow Balaam to go? Vs. 22: Why did God get angry? God fully understood Balaam’s intention. Describe what happened on the road. Balaam saw himself as one “whose eye sees clearly” (Num. 24:3, 4, 15) [but note the translation in the Chinese Union Version: “eyes are closed”; alternate translation says “open”]. However, on the road Balaam could not see the LORD’s angel; only Balaam’s d___ could see him. Vs. 31: The LORD o__ the eyes of he who thought himself to be one “whose eye sees clearly.” Numbers 22:22: The word “oppose” in the original Hebrew is “satan.” In later years, this word became “Satan”—the one who “opposes” God and man (or is the “adversary”); see Ps. 109:6. Reader, perhaps there are things in Numbers 22 that surprise you. Why did God tell Balaam that he could not go and then he allowed him to go? And after Balaam went, God became angry. Ask yourself: are there times today when we know clearly that such-and-such is against God’s will but we really want to do it, does God prevent us from doing these things? (For example: drinking and driving, stealing, lying, cursing people, hitting people, etc, are all things of which God does not approve, but God gives us the freedom and allows us to do them. But we must accept the consequences, no?)
4. Numbers 23:1-26: Balaam’s First Two Oracles: Vs. 3: Balaam said something that was a lot deeper than he realized; what was it? “Whatever he r_______ to me I will tell you.” Balak expected Balaam to curse the Israelites, however what did Balaam say? Explain his oracle sentence-by-sentence. What was Balak’s reaction? Explain Balaam’s second oracle, especially vs. 19-22. Numbers 23:2, 14, 29, 30, etc: Why did Balaam offer sacrifice? (See Num. 24:1.) Memorize v. 19: “God is not a m__, that he should l___, nor a son of man, that he should c___ his mind. Does he speak and then not a__? Does he promise and not f____?” Note: On May 24, 1844, Samuel F. B. Morse sat in the Capitol in Washington, D.C., USA and sent the world’s first official telegram. The contents were from Numbers 23:23: “What hath God wrought.”
5. Numbers 24:1-25: Balaam’s Third and Fourth Oracles: Describe Balaam’s third oracle and Balak’s reaction. Vs. 11: When Balak sent Balaam home, he said, “Now l__ at once and go home! I said I would r___ you handsomely, but the LORDS has k___ you from being r______.” Num. 24:12-13: Balaam knew the truth and the true situation but he allowed his avarice [greed or covetousness] to overcome everything. Num. 24:15-25: Read Balaam’s fourth oracle. Vs. 17: “I s___ him, but not n___; I behold him, but not near. A s___ will come out of Jacob; a s____ will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.” This statement clearly is a prophecy. When would it be fulfilled? 1) When D__ became king; 2) When the Messiah J___ became king.
6. Balaam: If there is anything praiseworthy about Balaam, it is (what) (see Num. 22:18; 23:3, 26; 24:12-13)? However, from Numbers 24:1, we know that deep in his heart, Balaam did not want to serve the LORD, but rather he c____ m____. Balaam’s end is recorded in Numbers 31:7 and Joshua 13:22; what was his end? What lessons should we learn from Balaam?
圣经问答
民数记第七课：
巴勒、巴兰和以色列——咒诅变为祝福：
民数记二十二至二十四章
Bible Study Questions: Numbers Lesson Seven
Numbers/07: Balak, Balaam and Israel: Curses Turned into Blessings
作者：谢德华 ©By Edward Short
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