The Narrow Path

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Gustave Dore "The Angel Appears to Balaam". 

My big takeaway for from the Messiah conference, (the one that gives direction and I'll keep coming back to), is wrapped up in two verses about our path in life.  Specifically, the narrow path.  These two verses became the focus of my readings, and of my thoughts:   

The first one tells us that this path that's God's best is narrow and limiting, requires us to shut things out, give things up.   But clearly we are to choose this path, it leads to the best life now, and in eternity.  We may not actually want to be on that path.  

Clearly it's counter-cultural to follow God and His calling.   Few will understand you or lift you up.  Few may support you.  So treasure the friends who do.  Circumstances may turn against you.  So train your thoughts with the promises God has made you.   We may not want to be on the narrow path sometimes.    Prepare yourself to go it alone when the need arises, as clearly not many people seem to choose it since Yeshua says:
For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.   Matthew 7:14  

The other view of the "narrow path" is something different altogether.    The background story is that Balaam, who is a pagan seer, has been offered a tremendous sum of money by Balak, a king neighboring Israel, to curse the Jewish people in battle.   Balaam lives a long way off (perhaps SE Turkey) so he must have been famous for his ability to effectuate blessings and curses.  He has some sort of prayer life, and God tells him not to go, but cash is king, and he decides to take the money and in the verse is on his way to do this cursing.   His donkey sees an angel and keeps trying to stray from the path that will lead her master to ruin, when the donkey final speaks out loud in words to him.   Somehow he doesn't think that is as noteworthy as the angel with a sword that bars the path

This second "narrow path"  is dynamic and expansive, with wonderful possibilities we can't even imagine.    The Angel of of the Lord is on that path and we want to be on THAT narrow path.   

Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.  Numbers 22:24    

We all love a good synchronicity, so by happy or divine coincidence (since I am generally too dense to notice angels brandishing swords), Rabbi David taught from the first verse, Matt 7.14 this week in his message and the second verse is in Parashat Balak, also read in services this week. 

Hmmmm ... 



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