Balaam and Today's Church

2/9/2009 7:45 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  Balaam and today’s Church

 

Bible Reading & Meditation     Reference: 2 Pe. 2:16-16; Jude 11; Rev. 2:14

 

            Message of the verses:  “15  forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16  but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.

            “11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

            “14  ‘But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.”

            At the end of the chapter in Dr. Wiersbe’s book he goes on to write more about Balaam from what is found in the NT, for he is mentioned three times in NT writings, of which are seen above.

            The Way of Balaam:  “The way of Balaam is Balaam’s lifestyle as a soothsayer and false prophet.  Is motive was to make money and he used his opportunities not to serve God and His people, but to satisfy his cravings for wealth.”

            Balaam’s error was not only thinking that he could disobey god and get away with it, but also in thinking that those he enticed to sin would get away with it too.”

            The doctrine of Balaam or the teaching of Balaam:  This is the doctrine Balaam followed when he enticed Israel to attend the idolatrous feasts at Baal Peor and commit immorality with the Midianites (Numbers 25).  The world would express it, ‘When in Rome do as the Romans do.  Don’t be a ‘holier than thou’ isolationist.”

            This is how Dr. Wiersbe describes these three errors of Balaam as found in the New Testament.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  One of the things that has been convicting to me is the importance of money, although it is not nearly as important as it use to be, it sill has some importance to me.  I want to live with the attitude that money is something that is needed on this earth, but the most important thing is to use what the Lord has given me in a way that will be pleasing to Him.