articlesforchristians

THE BALAAM STRATEGY (Numbers Chapters 22-25)
The story of the prophet Balaam offers an important spiritual lesson relevant for believers today. God grants a unique gift to speak blessings or curses into existence. The King of Moab, Balak, tries to hire Balaam to curse the people of Israel.

• Numbers 22:5-7 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
• Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
• And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.

However, every time Balaam opens his mouth to curse, blessings pour out instead. Balak keeps pressuring him with rewards, but Balaam tells the king, “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? Or how shall I defy whom the Lord has not defied?” (Num. 23:8). After several attempts, Balaam cannot speak evil against Israel. So why is his name viewed so negatively in Scripture? The New Testament mentions Balaam in three passages, and when we put them together, a different side of the story emerges.

• 2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
• Jude 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
• Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

The plan involved introducing some Moabite women to the young Hebrew men in the Israelite camp. These women could entice the men into acts of sexual immorality, leading to a plague on the nation. Numbers 25:1-3 describes how this unfolded.

• And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

As believers, when we walk in love and live by the New Covenant, we enjoy God’s blessings in every area of life—spirit, mind, soul, family, finances, and health.

• 3 John 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

When we drift from the truth and fall into sin, we not only give the enemy an opportunity but also cut off the flow of spiritual blessings. Knowing he can’t curse believers—since we’ve been “redeemed from the curse”

• Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

The enemy works to tempt us into disobeying God and His Word. Without repentance, we open ourselves to discipline and judgment for our sins.

• Hebrews 12:5-8 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
• For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
• If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
• But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.