When Wrong Seems Right and Right Seems Wrong

Life stalks, waiting to pounce—the next bad thing.
Our enemy the lion prowls about, roaring. Kill. Destroy. Rob.

“Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up and as a lion it lifts itself…” (Num. 23:24).

Darkness seems to crush. Tangible weight. No light at the end of the tunnel.

The prince of darkness seems to rule.

“A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Num. 24:17).

Onto the stage of death and dark:

A man of God.

“Come and curse,” says Balak.”

“But thus says the Lord, I shall not go,” says Balaam’s mouth.

Man of God?

“Not for so small a price,” says Balaam’s heart.

“Go back and bargain for more.”

Honor.

“For I will surely do you great honor,” says Balak and sends more princes, of greater honor (Num. 22:17).

“Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the LORD,” through his teeth says the man of God (Num. 22:18).

Honor?

To whom is honor due?

Balaam’s feet voice the hidden heart as he saddles up, “Honor to me.”

Supernatural sight.

A man of magic dealing with the supernatural, he sets off to see the unseen, to call the future into being, to pronounce a curse.

Supernatural sight?

A donkey sees the angel of the LORD, and the seer’s eyes are blind.

Power over life.

Anger provoked, Balaam powerlessly ejects, “I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you!”

Power over life?

The angel, with a sword in his hand.

“Surely just now I would have killed you and let the donkey live.”

Word of power, grace, from the one who holds the power of life.

Evil.

“If it is evil, if, if it is evil, I will go back” (Num. 22:34).

Evil?

Who defines evil?

Has not the Lord just called it perverse? (Num. 22:32)

“But IF it is evil,” and Balaam’s heart remains unconvinced.

He goes.

Truth and lie.

“God is not man, that he should lie” (Num. 23:19).

Truth and lie?

The liar speaks the truth.

Truth set in the liar.

Right are words.

Wrong is heart.

Curse.

Curse?

But bless.

Richly.

When the world seems right to the evil and wrong to the righteous….

ISIS gains power.

The abuser wins.

Court rules in favor of the wrong.

Cancer comes back with a vengeance.

Promotion goes to the manipulator.

Depression seems stronger than hope.

Illness eats away.

Doors are closed.

All seems lost.

But the Lord will right the wrong!

Turn the upside down world rightside up!

He will bless

when evil means to curse!

It seems

Power goes to the mighty

But
Power is perfected in weakness.

The meek will inherit the earth (Ps. 37:11; Mat. 5:5).

It seems
Honor to the wise and opportunistic

But 
He who exalts himself will be humbled (Mat. 23:12).

“The bows of the mighty are broken,

    but the feeble bind on strength.

Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,

    but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.

The LORD makes poor and makes rich;

    he brings low and he exalts.

He raises up the poor from the dust;

    he lifts the needy from the ash heap

to make them sit with princes

    and inherit a seat of honor.

For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's,

    and on them he has set the world”

(1 Sam. 2:4-5a, 7-8).

Balaam’s actions look right

But his heart is wrong.

It shows

The world looks powerful

Evil looks like it will win

The curse seems imminent        

But power is in the hands of the Lord

And evil is inverted for good

And blessing will come to those who truly see

Beneath the seen

And live by faith

In Christ, who bore the curse

So we could have every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3).
In Christ, the very upside down of upside down,
the Eternal One died,
the King of glory on a criminal's cross,
the Pure One covered in shame,
the Almighty crucified in weakness
when evil was called good and good was called evil--
in this upside down
in this seeming crush,
the world was turned
rightside up!
Curse
was blessing.
Death
was life.
Despair
was hope.
And into this upside down world
The Son of God still comes
still works
in power
in weakness
in light
in darkness.

No matter what our world is,
no matter what your situation is

No matter what!

Greater is he.

And the Lord’s word will ring true

And right all wrongs
and bring every spiritual blessing
As far as the curse is found.