When God speaks, He means it. He’s not a man that will say something this minute and in the next minute, tells you, I’m just joking. God doesn’t joke with His words. His words are yea and amen, 2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV). So, be careful to carry out His instructions when He gives them. Don’t pretend you don’t know what He is saying and go back to Him for more clarifications. He will do whatever He wants to do whether you cooperate with Him or not.
Balak the king of the Moabites, in Numbers 22, was afraid that the children of Israel on their way to the promise land, would destroy them as they did the Amorites. To forestall this, he sent for Balaam to curse the children of Israel so that they would not prevail against him because whosoever Balaam curses remain cursed forever and whosoever he blesses remain blessed forever.
When Balaam got the message from Balak’s emissaries, he told them to stay with him for the night so that he could inquire of the Lord. That was good and God spoke to him: “God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” “So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.” Numbers 22:12-13 (ESV).
That should have been the end of the story but unfortunately, it wasn’t. Balak sent more emissaries and gifts and instead of Balaam sticking to his story of not following them to the end, and shutting his eyes off the gifts, he decided to play games with God. He asked them to stay for the night and that he would inquire from God if He would have more information for him. What kind of information did he need again? God had spoken and He had spoken.
Of course, if you go to the Lord with an idol in your heart, the Lord will answer you according to the idol in your heart. Ezekiel 14:4 (ESV). God told him to go with them but that he should only say what He asked him to say. So, he went with them
God however showed His displeasure about his going with them and he would have been killed if not that his donkey turned aside when it saw the angel with the drawn sword.
Lessons
When God tells you not to do something, don’t do it.
Don’t be covetous and sin against God when you’re cajoled with gifts to go back to God to get a favourable answer when God has already given His verdict.
Stick with God at all times and only do what would please Him.
Don’t start on the right footing and mess up at the end.