Dr. Barclay with Something to Think Aout - BALAAM

 Balaam

In the Book of Revelation, Christ makes a comment concerning the church at Pergamos in which He states that: “…I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam…” (Revelation 2:14). 

Now Balaam was a prophet who was apparently hired by the king of Moab to curse the Israelites. Balak, the Moabite king was fearful of the advancing Israelite army which had already defeated two other kingdoms, and so sought to obtain an advantage by having this prophet curse the Israelites. However, under God’s direction, Balaam only managed to pronounce blessings on the Israelites rather than curses even though he had taken the fee offered by Balak to curse the Israelites. This is all recorded in Numbers 23-24.

Thus it seemed Balaam was unable to curse the Israelites and Balak was becoming more upset with Balaam who was still eager to receive the fees further promised to him. As a result, Balaam decided that since he was unable to curse the Israelite people, he would devise a plan to deceive them. He apparently persuaded the Moabite women to be available in such a way that the men of Israel would prostitute themselves with them. Likewise the Median women were also there to seduce the Hebrew males. This is all believed to be due to the inducements of Balaam. (Numbers 31:16)

As a result of all this, the Israelite people:

…began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab… 

…[who] invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, 

and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

(Numbers 25:1-2)

So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, 

and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.

…And those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand.

(Numbers 25:3,9)

So Balaam was considered the cause of, and the reason for, the severing of the power the Israelites had from God. And this occurred because the Israelite men became seduced by the women of Moab and Midian, and all this due to the counsel of Balaam. Where he could not curse, he corrupted. He counselled that, because the Israelis were the covenant people of God, they could sin with apparent immunity.

And such apparently is the case still today. There are teachings that indicate that, because we are saved by grace nothing can remove that from us. The Bible teaches that we, in fact, run a race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) and are engaged in a conflict (2 Timothy 2:4, Ephesians 6:10-18) in which we must be victorious to obtain the “crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:8).

As Paul put it in Romans: “…Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!” (Romans 6:1,2). The idea is that, just because we have been saved by grace, we are not free to sin at liberty. As such practices brought down the Israelites, so may we suffer the same fate. And this idea that, because we have been chosen (or saved) we are free to engage in any moral or pagan ritual without penalty is really the doctrine of Balaam.

And it really is something we should all think about.