Be Honest with Yourself
Death of the Upright
(#231 from Suffer Well Devotional Series©)
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Balaam understood that even if it required death to partake in the promises of Israyl, it was an inheritance to be coveted.
“Who can count Jacob’s descendants, as numerous as dust?
Who can count even a fourth of Israyl’s people?
Let me die like the upright; let my life end like theirs.” (Numbers 23:10)
Balaam recognized that those who were chosen to become heirs to the name of “Israyl” were inheriting something greater than land; he was seeing the eternal. It was not through the law that Abraham and his descendants received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. (Romans 4:13) For not all who are descended from Israyl are Israyl. Those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of the Almighty; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. (Romans 9:6, 8)
Who are the children of the promise; who then is Israyl? Israyl: one who prevails with or overcomes with the Mighty One. What a legacy! Balaam was seeing with prophetic eyes, not just natural eyes. It was more than worldly protection that inspired him; it was the promise of their everlasting inheritance. Yes, what Balaam saw in the prophetic was the inheritance of those who would walk with Yahweh through the shed blood (life force) of Yahshua. And he claimed that he would gladly die for it. “Let me die like the upright; let my life end like theirs.” Can you imagine? It was as if he could have professed, “For [I] died, and [my] life is now hidden with the Messiah in the Mighty One.” (Colossians 3:3)
Israyl was a protected and supernaturally guided people who had a destiny to be envied. They were blessed coming in and blessed going out (Deuteronomy 28:6). Balaam declared, “There is a people that dwells apart, not reckoned among the nations.” (Numbers 23:9) Yes, they are a people raised so high that they are not to be counted among the gentiles. [They] are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, the Almighty’s special possession, that [they] may declare the praises of Him who called [them] out of darkness into His wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9) And “they” means “you!”
Is your heart stirred like Balaam’s? Are you as excited about your inheritance as Balaam was desirous of it? Are you walking in the fullness of gratitude that you should when given such a spectacular gift, willing to die for it? Be honest; if you know you have diminished appreciation for what was offered to you by the shed blood of Yahshua, perhaps you might come naked and bare before the Father. Perhaps you might seek forgiveness for living as a pauper, when you really have royal (holy) blood (life force) coursing in your veins (pathways of thought).
Or, perhaps you are in danger of forfeiting your inherited identity because you, like Balaam, only claim a willingness to die for it, yet resist the actual death necessary to attain it. Balaam’s words and the true intent of his heart never merged as one, and this was a curse unto him (Deuteronomy 23:5, Jude 1:11, Revelation 2:14).
The journey to riches begins in the mind. Take some time today to contemplate your inheritance. You must first believe that you are royalty to become royalty. And royalty implies rulership; Yahweh requires much from His rulers. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:48)
Rulers must also understand that they are called to worship in the valleys, just as on the mountaintops. Embrace your inheritance, and like Solomon pray, “Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of Yours?” (2 Chronicles 1:10) Then, take your rightful portion and rejoice in it. Rejoice I say, rejoice!