The Error of Balaam

The Error of Balaam

“[They] have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit . . . .” Jude 11.

Balaam was a prophet of the Lord, and God could surely have used him for great things in His ministry if he had been faithful. But, unfortunately, his heart clung to earthly goods and honor.

The children of Moab and Midian were terrified of Israel. They knew that God had led the Israelites out of Egypt by His strong arm, and now, here they were, camped right next to Moab. Num. 22:5. Good advice was hard to come by. Balak, the king of Moab, was willing to give whatever it took if only he could have Israel cursed and destroyed.

In his great need, he sent elders and nobles with a message to Balaam, and they carried the diviner’s fee in their hands.

Balaam loved money and honor as well as his work as a prophet, and now he was really put to the test. Of course he wanted to be faithful to God, but those noble messengers and the diviner’s fee! What should Balaam do? He wavered between the two: God on one side, riches and honor on the other.

If Balaam’s heart had been right before God, he would immediately have sent the messengers away. But now Balaam said, “‘Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.’ So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.” Verse 8.

The princes of Moab were men of high standing, and they brought costly gifts with them. Balaam’s heart was in a tumult. Just think if he should miss this wonderful opportunity to gain riches and honor! But what about God? He couldn’t simply forget about Him, could he?

Balaam should have been a spiritual authority, but now he was in dire straits. Little by little he gave in to Balak. The messengers increased in number and in standing; the gifts also increased, and Balaam was even more deceived. The end result was that Balak became Balaam’s lord, and Balaam became Balak’s obedient slave who faithfully followed his every command so that Israel might be cursed.

However, God hindered Balaam from carrying out his purpose. Balaam could not curse the people. Balak’s anger was aroused, and he went so far as to rebuke the prophet. These words were truly fulfilled: You become the slave of the one in whose service you present yourself. Balaam had been a servant of God; now he served Balak. What a tragic error! Gold and honor had deceived the prophet and robbed him of his power.

Since Balaam was not able to curse the people, he had to give Balak something in return for the honor and the gifts he had accepted. Therefore he taught Moab to seduce Israel to commit adultery and idolatry, and then the Lord’s curse would come over them. In this he was successful, for when the warriors of Israel returned from the slaughter of Midian, Moses said to them, “Have you kept all the women alive? Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.” Num. 31:15-16.

For the sake of money and honor, Balaam taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit adultery. Rev. 2:14. The love of money drove Judas to sell his Lord and Master for thirty pieces of silver.

Moses, however, chose rather to suffer evil with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. That is the reason his end was so blessed. God led him up on a mountain and showed him the Promised Land. Then Moses died, and God Himself buried him.

Balaam did the opposite. He forsook God’s people to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin with the princes of this world. He ended his life together with them.

God commanded Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites because of what they had done to the children of Israel. Then Moses told one thousand men from each of the tribes of Israel to prepare for war. These men warred against Midian as the Lord had commanded Moses, and they killed all the males. They also killed the five kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur and Reba. And Balaam, the son of Beor, they slew with the sword. Num. 31:8.

Balaam got what he wanted—he was honored with the princes, but he also had to die with them.

Balaam gave himself over to deception for the sake of gain. The apostle Jude says there are also such people within the church. They are shameful spots at the love feasts, feasting with the others without fear, serving only themselves.

Let us receive the exhortation in Rev. 3:18: “Anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.”