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Reflection for Balak

“Beware the Balaams”

2 Peter 2:1-22; Jude 1;
Revelation 2:14-15

excerpted from TorahScope Apostolic Scriptures Reflections

The transition from Chukat last week (Numbers 19:1-22:1), to this week’s Torah reading Balak (Numbers 22:2-25:9), takes into account a considerable leap in time—as the Ancient Israelites now find themselves on the plains of Moab overlooking the Jordan, preparing to enter into the Promised Land. A number of military victories since the incident with the brazen serpent are recorded, including: an encounter with the Canaanites,[1] a confrontation with the Amorite kingdom of Sihon,[2] and a conquering campaign against King Og of Bashan.[3] As our previous Torah portion came to a close, the encampment of Israel on the steppes of Moab is mentioned, and readers are introduced to King Balak of Moab—and his obvious fear of Israel:

“Balaam said to Balak, ‘Build here seven altars for me, and prepare here seven bulls and seven rams for me.’ Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bull and a ram. Balaam said to Balak, ‘Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you’” (Numbers 22:1-3, WMB).

From this point to the end of this week’s Torah portion, where the Israelite men are found in blatant idolatry with Moabite prostitutes—the descriptions of Balak’s appeal to Balaam to curse Israel, and Balaam’s oracles which instead bless Israel, are delineated. Ultimately, despite Balaam’s inability to curse, many of the men of Israel chose to follow after lust, and cursed themselves by falling into promiscuity. They also incurred execution for their rebellion against the Lord and His ways:

“Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way. Israel stayed in Shittim; and the people began to play the prostitute with the daughters of Moab; for they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods. Israel joined himself to Baal Peor, and the LORD’s anger burned against Israel. The LORD said to Moses, ‘Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up to the LORD before the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel’” (Numbers 24:25-25:4, WMB).

Interestingly enough, it is not until the Torah reading Mattot (Numbers 30:2[1]-32:42), two weeks from now, that readers see that while Balaam could not directly curse Israel—he advised King Balak on how to tempt the Israelite men into sexual misconduct, causing them to curse themselves:

“Moses said to them, ‘Have you saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD’” (Numbers 31:15-16, WMB).

What important message do we see indicated from the above statements? We see that there is often a persistent and repetitious attempt, for a “spirit” of Balaam to enter among God’s people, instigating temptations which will cause self-cursing. Within the Apostolic Scriptures, there are three specific references made to the figure Balaam, demonstrating how the Torah portion Balak indeed does need to be heeded—if followers of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob wish to avoid various pitfalls and problems in their spiritual walks.

In the following passage from the Apostle Peter, he specified what some of the negative traits are of persons, who follow after the example of Balaam. He made a direct link to things like fleshly desires, deception, being full of adultery, a love for the wages of unrighteousness, and a never-ceasing desire for sin:

“But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed, receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, spots and defects, reveling in their deceit while they feast with you; having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin, enticing unsettled souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing; but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A speechless donkey spoke with a man’s voice and stopped the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error; promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him. For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, ‘The dog turns to his own vomit again’ [Proverbs 26:11], and ‘the sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire’” (2 Peter 2:12-22, WMB).

As Peter’s words here conclude, the warning is that those under the influence of the spirit of, or the example left by, Balaam, have the additional problem of becoming grossly entangled in their deceptions. They can actually reach the point of being overcome by their fleshly desires, that they walk away from their relationship with the Messiah—which in and of itself, brings a worse spiritual state to them, than when they walked in total ignorance of the truth of the gospel.

The second key reference made to Balaam is seen in the Epistle of Jude. The error of Balaam is connected to the way of Cain and to the rebellion of Korah. Balaam was used as an example of someone who drives people away from the Holy One—clearly to be identified and avoided like a severe plague. Those who follow after the ungodly ways of these sinful characters, are described as being not only like unreasoning animals with not much of a mind, but also as those who enter into the love feasts of Believers with vile and sordid intentions:

“But these speak evil of whatever things they don’t know. They are destroyed in these things that they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason. Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Korah’s rebellion. These are hidden rocky reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you, shepherds who without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. About these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’ These are murmurers and complainers, walking after their lusts—and their mouth speaks proud things—showing respect of persons to gain advantage” (Jude 10-16, WMB).

As you reflect on Jude’s words, the overwhelming thought which comes to my mind, is how these ungodly charlatans who bring their grumbling, lust, arrogance, and flattering ways into the assembly—are utterly disgusting—especially if you have ever personally witnessed some of these types of people. You might remember how these people caused divisions in the Body of Messiah, with their worldly mindedness devoid of the Holy Spirit—and yet some of your friends or acquaintances were totally buffaloed by what they said. Jude admonished his ancient audience to have mercy on these evil doers, because in their ignorance they might not even know that they have committed sin because of extreme spiritual blindness. As Jude put it,

“On some have compassion, making a distinction, and some save, snatching them out of the fire with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh” (Jude 22-23, WMB).

The final example of Balaam for us to consider, is found in the Book of Revelation. In his message to the assembly at Pergamum, Yeshua the Messiah said that there were some who held to the teaching of Balaam—meaning that they were committing actions by which they cursed themselves. Apparently, some of the Believers in Pergamum—a place described as a dwelling of Satan—were caught up in similar sexual sins, as had originally ensnared the Israelite men:

“To the angel of the assembly in Pergamum write: ‘He who has the sharp two-edged sword says these things: “I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and didn’t deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality”’” (Revelation 2:12-14, WMB).

If there is any one thing consistent about the human race down through the ages, it is the propensity to sin. If you travel back some 3,500/3,300 years, and review what was going on with Ancient Israel—or even note what occurred around 1,900 years ago at the opening of Revelation—sinful activities were continuing. It is pretty obvious, to me at least, to conclude that sinful problems will unfortunately exist today in modern-day assemblies. We know from a bevy of Scripture passages, that we have each been given clear warning when it comes to various deceivers, false teachers, false prophets, and false messiahs.

Brothers and sisters, I implore you to beware of any Balaams among us! Beware of any false brethren who interject themselves into the assembly of faith, with their sole intention being a promotion of various sinful and ungodly activities, which will only take you away from the Messiah Yeshua.

As we encounter unrighteous people, let us also not forget how some of them have been attracted into the assembly (with their vile intentions), because ultimately the Lord has a purpose in mind to save them and to use them for His glory. We may consider the example of the Apostle Paul, who because of his zeal for his own Judaism (cf. Galatians 1:14), set out with wicked intentions to root out and ravage the ekklēsia. After participating as a willing bystander in at least one murder of a Believer, Stephen (Acts 7:58), he was brought to saving faith on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:10-22). Should current sinners and deceivers come into our midst—those for whom God has a bigger plan—we should try to approach them by following Yeshua’s advice, “be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16, WMB). We should implore the Lord for wisdom and discernment, so that we might appropriately direct our attention and energies, as He desires to see no one perish. Considerable good for the Kingdom of God can be accomplished through sinners who become repentant.

The sad reality is that, in spite of how many sinners do come to repentance and salvation, most of these are the deceived—as opposed to those people who have been deliberate deceivers. Even though both the Bible and history are full of examples of how those who were once engrossed in ungodliness, came to redemption and made a considerable difference for the Lord—most do not come to their senses. In reading Balak this week, and the references made to Balaam in the Apostolic Scriptures, our primary duty as Believers is to be on the lookout, so that those who follow after Balaam are stopped. So I ask you: Do you know of any “Balaams” among us?