聖經問答：咒詛變為祝福
民數記第七課：巴勒、巴蘭和以色列——咒詛變為祝福：民數記二十二至二十四章
摩西是《聖經》里的重要人物之一。摩西帶領以色列人從埃及吃苦之地出來前往迦南地。在途中，以色列人面對一些不歡迎他們的敵人。怎麼辦？
一。民數記22章：摩押王巴勒召巴蘭來咒詛以色列人：請參看地圖，說明以色列人離開迦南地有多遠。3節：“摩押人因以色列民甚多，就大大懼怕，心內憂急”。摩押人用不用這樣害怕？（ 不用。）為什麼？因為摩押人並不是以色列人攻擊作戰的對象（參看申命記2:8-9）。摩押王巴勒說，“這民比我強盛”，所以巴勒王想要用什麼辦法使得他能打敗以色列人？
巴勒王請誰去咒詛以色列人？他是哪裡人？解經家對巴蘭有不同看法。有些解經家認為巴蘭信仰耶和華真神，但是他的信心不全。又有《聖經》學者認為巴蘭完全不相信耶和華神，但是他“利用”耶和華神的名字實現其目的。無論如何，巴蘭被神使用為“工具”實行神自己的旨意；巴蘭也發現人不能咒詛神所要祝福的子民。
二。民數記22:1-14：請求詛咒：摩押王巴勒向巴蘭說什麼好聽的話請他過去？巴勒的使者口袋裡帶了___ ___準備給巴蘭。（歷史學家和考古學家告訴我們這是當時人的習慣。）當晚，___向巴蘭說話，指示他：“你___可同他們去，也___可咒詛那民，因為那民是___ ___的”。第二天早上，巴蘭告訴摩押王巴勒的使者：“你們___本地___吧，因為耶和華___容我和你們同___”。到此為止，巴蘭態度不錯，人似乎誠實。本來，此故事也應該到此結束。因為神已經表示他的旨意和吩咐，不應該有以下的幾段話。巴蘭應該留在家裡。
三。民數記22:15-41：與神作對：摩押王巴勒還沒有放棄計劃，所以他用什麼引誘巴蘭？18節：巴蘭明明知道“巴勒就是將他滿屋的金銀給我，我行大事小事也不得___ ___耶和華我神的命”，但是巴蘭的確想得着做什麼？20節：神為什麼讓巴蘭去？22節：神為什麼發了怒？神對巴蘭的真正目的一清二楚。請述說巴蘭在路上所預見的。
巴蘭自以為是個“開着眼的人”（民數記24:3, 4, 15），但是在路上巴蘭看不見神的使者，只有他的___才能看見他。民數記22:31：耶和華___了自以為是‘開着眼的人’的眼睛。民數記22:22：“敵擋”一詞希臘原文是satan。在以後的日子，此字變成 “Satan”——撒旦——那“敵擋”神和人的。（詩篇109:6：“對頭”也是此字。）讀者，可能您對民數記22章感到驚訝。神為什麼告訴巴蘭“不可去”但是以後還讓他去，而當巴蘭去了之後，神還發了怒。請問，今天，我們明明知道某見事情不合乎神的旨意，但是我們很想去做，難道神會攔阻我們嗎？（舉例：酒後開車，偷錢，撒謊，罵人，打人等都是神不喜悅之事，但是他給我們自由，讓我們做。後果我們自己要負責，不是嗎？）
四。民數記23:1-26：巴蘭頭兩個預言：3節：巴蘭說了一句話，含義比他想象的還深，是什麼？“他___ ___我什麼，我必告訴你”。摩押王巴勒期望聽巴蘭詛咒以色列人，但是巴蘭說什麼？請一句一句地解釋巴蘭的預言。
巴勒反應如何？
請解釋巴蘭第二個預言，特別是民數記23:19-22。
民數記23:2, 14, 29, 30等：巴蘭為什麼要獻祭？（請參看民數記24:1。)
請背誦19節：“神非___，必不至說___；也非人子，必不至後___。他說話豈不照着___呢？他發言豈不要___就呢？” 注意：1844年5月24日，Samuel Finley Breese Morse（薩繆爾·芬利·布里斯·摩爾斯）， 坐在美國華盛頓國會大廈參議會裡面發了全世界第一次正式的電報。內容就是民數記二十三章23節：“What hath God wrought” “神為他行了何等的大事！”
五。民數記24:1-25：巴蘭第三和第四個預言：請述說巴蘭第三個預言和摩押王巴勒的反應。11節：巴勒把巴蘭送回家時，向他說：“你快___本地去吧！我想使你得大尊___，耶和華卻阻___你不得___榮”。民數記24:12-13：巴蘭知道真理和真情，但是他讓他貪財的心取代一切。
民數記24:15-25：請閱讀巴蘭第四個語言。17節：“我___ ___卻不在現時，我望他卻不在___ ___。有___要出於雅各，有___要興於以色列，必打破摩押的四角，毀壞擾亂之子”。此句話明明是個預言。何時應驗？1）當大___做王；2）當米賽亞耶___做王。
六。巴蘭：如果巴蘭有任何值得讚揚之處，可能是什麼（參看：民數記22:18, 23:3, 26, 24:12-13)? 但是，由民數記24:1可知，在心裡深處巴蘭不願意侍奉耶和華；巴蘭___財。巴蘭的結局記載在民數記31:7和約書亞記13:22；巴蘭的結局是什麼？巴蘭這個人應該讓我們學習何事？
讀者：歡迎您把這篇短文下載，複印，用在您的《聖經》班裡。
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?
聖經問答
民數記第七課：
巴勒、巴蘭和以色列——咒詛變為祝福：
民數記二十二至二十四章
Bible Study Questions: Numbers Lesson Seven
Numbers/07: Balak, Balaam and Israel: Curses Turned into Blessings
作者：謝德華 ©By Edward Short
本文所問的問題使用漢子聖經。
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A series of Bible lessons, written in Chinese
and based largely on the text of the Chinese Bible.
You may download and print copies of this lesson
for use in your Bible class.
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