(from Good Word Online):

A Prophet for Profit (Numbers 24-25)

TEXT: Numbers 24:15-17,19

15 Then he uttered his oracle:
“The oracle of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly,
16 the oracle of one who hears the words of God,
who has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:
17 “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.
A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city.”

• How are the eyes and the ears of a prophet different from the eyes and the ears of the ordinary people?
• Whose rise to power did Balaam see in a distant future?
• Can this prediction be applied to Jesus Christ?

TEXT: Numbers 25:1-5

1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them. 4 The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”5 So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your men who have joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor.”

• What type of sin does this text describe?
• How were the Moabites and Midianites related to Israel?
• Balaam wished to die the death of the righteous. How did he die?

Lesson: It is dangerous to play games with the ultimate destiny.