What's Happening to the Church: The Error of Balaam Jude 11

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

2 Peter 2:2 NKJV

And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

2 Peter 2:3 NKJV

By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

covetousness - pleonexia greediness, the excessive and immoderate desire of acquiring more and more (wealth)

Their Aim is Wealth

Matthew 21:12 NKJV

Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

Matthew 21:13 NKJV

And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

Many are covetous in the Lord’s Church today.

They have gone the way of Balaam!

Balaam was gifted!

God actually spoke to Balaam

Balaam’s love for money superceded his gift and his relationship with God!

Balaam was basically a prophet for hire!

Context

After wondering 40 years in the wilderness the people of God are about to enter into Canaan.

As they got closer to Canaan they began to encounter conflict with certain people.

One of the tribes they were having a problem with as the Moabites.

Balaak was the king of the Moabites who tried to hire Balaam to curse Israel.

Balaam and his desire versus God

Balaam is Hired by Balaak Numbers 22

God tried to stop Balaam but Balaam had to make up his own mind!

1 Corinthians 14:32 NKJV

And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

God told him directly

Numbers 22:12 NKJV

And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

The Donkey Encounter

Numbers 22:22 NKJV

Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

Numbers 22:23 NKJV

Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.

Numbers 22:24 NKJV

Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

Numbers 22:25 NKJV

And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again.

Numbers 22:26 NKJV

Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

Numbers 22:27 NKJV

And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

Numbers 22:28 NKJV

Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

Numbers 22:29 NKJV

And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”

Numbers 22:30 NKJV

So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.”

Numbers 22:31 NKJV

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.

Numbers 22:32 NKJV

And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me.

Numbers 22:33 NKJV

The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

2 Peter 2:16 NKJV

but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

Point 2 Numbers 23

Point 3 Numbers 24

Point 4 Balaam still Betrays God’s People

Numbers 31:16 NKJV

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.

Revelation 2:14 NKJV

But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

2 Peter 2:15 NKJV

They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;