Read 2 Pet. 2:15-22
In Numbers 22 we find the story of Balaam and Balak. Balak was the king of the Moabites who hated the Israelites. He wanted to curse the people of Israel because he was afraid of them so Balak sent servants to hire Balaam to curse Israel. Even though Balaam was a false prophet, God spoke to him and told him not to go and curse these people because they were blessed by him. When the king got his message he sent more prestigious soldiers with greater promises to bribe Balaam to come. So, he decided he would ask God again. This time God told him to go but he could only say what God wanted him to say. On the way God got mad because he didn't obey his first word so he sent his angel to stand in the way. Only the donkey saw the angel so it veered off the path to avoid the sword of the angel. Balaam, oblivious to the angel, got mad and hit his donkey and turned her back to the path. The angel then stood in the path where there was a wall on either side and there was not room to pass. The donkey crushed Balaam's foot into the wall trying to avoid the angel again. Finally the donkey fell at the foot of the angel and Balaam got really ticked and hit her again. God then opened the mouth of the donkey and it explained to Balaam his strange behavior. Balaam's spiritual eyes were opened and he could see the angel which put the fear of God in Balaam. God would not let him speak a curse over Israel so he ended up blessing them instead.
Balaam was a false prophet who made his money being able to "see" prophetically. He used his gift to make money, not to help people. Verse 17 says that these false prophets are wells without water. They are deep in that they have a prophetic gift, but they are motivated by the wrong spirit so they can produce no life from their words. They are clouds carried by a tempest. They have been clouded by darkness and evil and are moved by the spirit of Satan. They are deceived and they deceive others with flatteries and false words of encouragement and grandeur. They can offer no hope because they live in a prison in their own mind. Their warden is the devil. If God reveals to them his power like he did to Balaam and they still go back to their ways then there end will be worse than ever. That is what happened to Balaam.
Lord, put your fear in us that we would never seek the power of the enemy and never be deceived by the power of money or false prophecy. May we seek your words alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment