The False Prophet Used By God

Transcript

GR 2-33
4/30/2006
The False Prophet Used by God
Numbers 21-25
Gil Rugh

We’re studying the Book of Numbers together and we are at Chapter 21. So if you turn in your Bibles to the Book of Numbers, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. The 41st chapter, we are in a section dealing with the wilderness wanderings of Israel because of rebellion against God. They have been closed off from going into the land that God promised them confined to wander in this desolate area for almost 40 years waiting for an entire generation to die. All those 20 years of age and older had to die, tremendous number of people. The men alone 20 years old and upward numbered just over 600,000 so this becomes one long funeral procession if you will as they simply wander around waiting for that generation to die.

Chapter 20 recorded the death of two of those who were very close to Moses, were part of his family, his sister Miriam and his brother Aaron both died in Chapter 20. Interesting how the Bible doesn’t go into an elaboration of all that would interest us, how did this impact Moses, what was going on in his mind, after all he has been through and all he has done to lose these family members so close to him in his ministry. But the Bible has not taken up with that, simply the unfolding of God’s work and his dealings with his people.

We come to Chapter 21 and this gives us an overview of some victories that the Israelites won over enemies who opposed them and it tells the story of the bronze serpent because one more time we have to put up with the grumbling of Israel complaining about a lack of food, a lack of water that they don’t like the man from heaven and for that rebellion 24,000 of them will die including some of the key leaders in Israel. In the first three verses record Israel’s first victory over the Canaanite which is an indication of what is yet to come.

When the Canaanite the king of Arad who lived in the Negeb heard that Israel was coming by the way of the Atharim then he fought against Israel and took some of them captive so an initial setback. So Israel made a bow to the lord and said if you will indeed deliver this people into my hand then I will utterly destroy their cities. The lord heard the voice of Israel delivered up the Canaanite, he utterly destroyed them and their cities thus the name of the place was Horma the thing devoted to destruction. Interesting Horma, names ring a bell, probably not so these Old Testament names are so different then the names we’re familiar with.

Turn back to Numbers Chapter 14 verse 45. In Numbers Chapter 14 that’s when the spies went into the land then came back with a negative report, God said all right, you’ll not go in verse 34 of Chapter 14; you’ll spend 40 years knowing my opposition till this whole generation dies. But then when Israel heard about the judgment then they decide oh, let’s go into the land after all. Moses says, you better not do you’ll lose but verse 44 says went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country and the Ark didn’t go with them, Moses didn’t go with them, the lord didn’t go with them. Verse 45 then the Amakalites and the Canaanite who lived in that hill country came down and struck them and beat them down as far as Horma here we are. And there is a great victory now at the place where almost 40 years earlier they had suffered a great defeat. When they tried to go forward in rebel against the lord there is no chance of victory. But now they have the first of what will become a series of victories for them as they move to take the land.

Back in Chapter 21, it seems like you just can’t get a pattern for Israel here, a good pattern. Here it seems in verse 2 they make a bow to the lord, the lord responds, they keep that bow. Verse 4, they set up from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom and the people became impatient because of the journey, to go from great victory to stunning defeat. The people spoke out against God and Moses, why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness. Come on, been 40 years they are still under pressure longing for the good old days. Why did you bring us out of Egypt, we didn’t want to come? They forgot all the grumbling they did in Egypt when they cried to the lord and he mercifully responded. For there is no food and no water, that’s not quite true. There is food but we loath this miserable food.

Even God’s blessing, we get tired of them. When they first come, oh we so are so filled gratitude and isn’t it wonderful. Somehow even those blessing if we’re not careful become a source of complaint and grumbling and discontent, sad. The lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people so that many of Israel died. Wildest region there is a home for half of dozen, five or six kinds of viperous snakes, very poisonous. There may have been an outbreak of these viper snakes. They are called fiery serpents, may have been due to a coloration of the snake, probably more likely have been due to the painful bite that is experienced when the people were bitten. Now here you realize you’ve got couple million people of all ages from the littlest babies to the oldest adults they are out in this wilderness region wandering, sleeping on the ground and now you have infestation of these poisonous snakes. The people came to Moses and said we have sinned because we have spoken against the lord and you.

A little doubt there in their mind what has happened and why the serpents were there, intercede with the lord that he may remove the serpents from us. And Moses who becomes an example of graciousness, neatness, interceded for the people. The lord said the Moses make a fiery serpent set around a standard and it shall come about that everyone is bitten when he looks at it he will live and Moses made a bronze Serpent set it on the standard. It came about that if a serpent bit any man when he looked to the bronze serpent he lived. So that’s God’s provision. We say that’s strange but what it did there was nothing they could do but trust the lord. So their responsive faith to what God said manifested itself when they turned and looked to the serpent that God had Moses make and so their lives were spared.

In the New Testament Jesus uses this very event and correlates to himself and he is being lifted up on the cross so that all who looked to him fait might have life. Turn to life John Chapter 3. John Chapter 3, and this is just before John 3:16. John 3 verses 14 and 15, verse 13, “No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven the son of man.” As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up and that’s almost a technical term for crucifixion because you’re aware they laid the cross on the ground then they laid the person who was to be crucified on that cross as it was laid on the ground and attached him to the cross, then they raised the cross with him on it and set it in the hole that had been dug for the cross. So if the son man must be lifted up so that whoever believes in him will have eternal life. So he is lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent all who turned to him in faith will have eternal life. Those who turned and looked in faith to that bronze serpent were given physical life and those who turned and looked to Christ in faith as the crucified one will have eternal life.

Come back to Second Kings. Second Kings, Chapter 18, many years later in the reign of Hezekiah as Hezekiah brings reform reformation to the nation Israel, I believe the southern kingdom, the kingdom has divided by this time. He has to do away with the bronze serpent that still is in existence but it has been corrupted into an object of worship and the people had been paganized. So verse 4, he removed the high places, broke down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah, he also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it and it was called Nehushtan. So even there and instead of being a reminder of their sin and God’s faithful provision for them it was corrupted into an object of worship itself and thus replaced the living so it destroyed. The value was not in that object. The value was that God provided the opportunities for them to express their faith in his provision so that his power might heal them. But they lost their perspective over the passing of the centuries.

Come back to Numbers 21, verses 10 to 20, record the travel and we won’t go through this. Israel is going to go around and they are making a detour around the land of Moab, a large portion of it to avoid conflict as much as possible. They are going to go up the eastern side of the Dead Sea and up to the portion of the Jordan river where they will cross over and the battle taking the city of Jericho and the other cities so they’re being to move up around the bottom of the Dead Sea and then up along the side and verses 10 to 20 records some of that trip and they are taking a little wider part to avoid as much as they can to the land of Moab and the conflict that that would bring.

Verse 21, Israel sent messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites saying let me pass through your land we won’t turn off in the field or vineyard, we won’t drink water from your wells, we will go by the king’s highway so a major travel route, trade route we will stay on that route and we won’t go off, we won’t take things from your fields, we won’t be a problem. But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his border. So Sihon gathered all his people went out against Israel and fought against Israel, Israel verse 24, struck in with the edge of the sword. And verse 25, Israel took all these cities and Israel lived in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, in all her villages for Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites who had fought against for formal king of Moab and taken the land out of his hand. So you have the record of the defeat of Sihon king of the Amorites.

What happens here there is no alternative route so Israel has been willing to go around odd portion of Moab but when they come up to the land of the Amorites there is no good route for them to take as an alternative to avoid the conflict and so in the plan of God they do battle and of course they are victorious. Verses 33 to 35 talk about Og the king of Bashan. Verse 33, they came, they turn went up the way of Bashan and Og the king of Bashan went out with all his people. The lord said to Moses don’t fear him I have given him into your hand all his people and all his land. You will do to him like you did to Sihon king of the Amorites. So they killed him, his sons, all his people there was remnant left in. They possessed his land. And when you get to Deuteronomy Chapter 3, there is a fuller account of this battle and read Chapter 2 as well and get some of previous battle. And then Chapter 3 the first 11 verses unfold in greater detail the battle Og the king of Bashan.

That brings us to Numbers 22, and really Numbers Chapter 22, 23, 24 and the events of 25 have to do with a false prophet. It’s amazing the amount of attention, primarily Chapters 22, 23 and 24 have to do with the ministry of the man who becomes the example in the New Testament of a godless false prophet. He is a remarkable person in the sense he is given revelation of a kind and to a degree that a human was ever privileged to have. He is going to have a face to face confrontation with the angle of Jehovah and converse with him. He is going to give a series of tremendous prophecies relating to the nation Israel and yet he is a godless prophet as the New Testament describes him. We’ll note that as we after we move through this.

Chapter 22, then the sons Israel journeyed and came in the plains of Moab beyond Jordan opposite Jericho. So we have journeyed up past the Dead Sea and now we are across the Jordan River from Jericho. So here in the area now where the crossing to the Jordan to take Jericho will take place so we have come to the area where Israel will move into the Promised Land. Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had to the Amorites. I think he might sue for peace but no. Moab was in great fear because of the people for they were numerous and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel. Moab said to the elders Midian now this horde will lick up all that is around about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor which is near the river in the land of the sons of his people to call him saying behold the people come out of Egypt, behold they cover they cover the serpents of the land. They are living opposite me, now therefore please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, he whom you curse is cursed. So Balak is seeking help from a prophet.

Now God had said he would not give Israel the land of the Moabites. Back in Genesis 19, you find out the Moabites are the descendants Lot and God had promised that land to his descendants. This is reiterated in Deuteronomy Chapter 2 verse 9. However, Balak is determined to oppose the Israelites. He could have just had an agreement and let them come through and he could have gone on with his life. So he sends for a false prophet. I don’t have a map up here but it’s, you can go to your map in the Bible, you have to go all the up above Palestine you know where you the Mediterranean Sea comes around and down, around and then along the coast Palestine up were the Mediterranean Sea turns and goes east, the coastline. You come across you are approximately you’ll see the city of Carchemish 12 miles south of Carchemish is the city of Pethor.

Now interesting is that’s 300 miles from where Balak the king of Moab is. He is a prophet of well known renowned in the area, perhaps travel down there and Balak was familiar with him because of his being from that region up there. The river is the River Euphrates so Carchemish is up on the Euphrates up north of where you are crossing Jericho and if you find Carchemish, Pethor won’t be on the map if you look but Carchemish will on the Euphrates there and it’s just 12 miles south. So this is the prophet of some renowned, Balak is familiar with him, knows of him and has confidence that if he pronounces a curse you will be cursed. Now if he pronounces a blessing you will blessed so come down and curse Israel. And that will enable for perhaps to have victory.

So the elders of Moab go up and approach Balaam and they bring with him verse 7, peace for divination. In other words, he has omens in divination and they would use a variety of things, the entrails of animals and you lay out the intestine and organs and you divine the will of God that you would use either items depending and so on determining the will of God and still being able to supposedly to pronounce blessing and curses. You note they bring money; this becomes key here. He said in verse 8, spend a night here I will bring back word to you as the lord may speak to me. Verse 9, and then God came to Balaam and said who are these men with you. Remarkable, God speaks to Balaam. Balaam said to God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab has sent word to me and behold there is the people who have come out of Egypt they cover the surface of land now come curse them for me that I may be able to fight against them and drive them out. God said to Balaam don’t go with him. You shall not curse the people for they are blessed. And at this point things seem to be going well because Balaam arose in the morning said to Balak’s leaders go back to your land the lord has refused to let me go with you. I didn’t tell them I can’t curse them because they are blessed so he doesn’t close the door tightly, he just says the lord will let me come.

Well verse 15, Balak is persistent so he sent leaders more numerous, more distinguished than the former, they came to Balaam and said to him this is Balak the son of Zippor let nothing I beg you hinder you from coming to me. And note he sent more distinguished leaders and he offers to honor him richly verse 17. Verse 18, Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, though Balak would agree to give me his house full of silver and gold I could not do anything either small or great country to the command of the lord my God. Now please you stay here tonight I find out what else the lord will say. God came to Balaam at night and said to him if the men you have to come to call you rise up and go with them but only the word which I speak to you, you shall do. So Balaam arose in the morning sat on his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab, sounds well, sounds all right. Still its okay with God but it’s not okay. Sometimes we get an overview that doesn’t give us all the details later details in the scripture reveal some of the motivation of Balaam here. He really in his heart wants the money and that’s what’s moving him.

Let me just say something here. I keep mentioning that Balaam is not a prophet of God yet we have to be impressed with the fact that God keeps speaking to him. And what it is truly God speaking to this false prophet but this is not the only time God speaks to those who have no relationship with him in the Old Testament. We won’t to take the time to the passage but Abimelek king of Gerar in Genesis Chapter 20 verses 6 and 7 God speaks to him about Abraham and Abraham’s wife Sarah. In Genesis 41:25 God speaks to pharaoh in a dream, Nebuchadnezzar great revelation from God. Can’t understand it without with Daniel’s input but God speaks to him and speaks to him directly, the vision in Chapter 2 and then to tell him of his coming insanity in Chapter 4. God spoke to Pilate’s wife in a dream. Remember she sent word to Pontius Pilate and said don’t have anything to do with man; I have suffered in dreams about him during the night God troubling her.

Versus 21 and following pick up the account now remember God said all right go ahead, go but verse 22 God was angry because he was going so this will be confusing. Well God had told him not to go. These are all blessed people and there is no reason for Balaam to go because these are all people that can’t be cursed and Balak wouldn’t want Balaam to come if he couldn’t curse the people. And later revelation reveals that the reason that Balaam went was he wanted the money, we’ll look at that in a moment, but just so you have that in your mind. Then you had this striking account where you have an unusual occasion. There are two times in the Old Testament where an animal speaks. One is in the serpent in the garden in Genesis 3 and the other time is here in Numbers Chapter 22 when the donkey speaks three times. The Lord was angry because he was going and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as an advisory against him.

Now he was riding on his donkey and two of his servants were with him so here is going along and the donkey and there maybe something for us to take note of here that the donkey has more spiritual sight than Balaam has because the donkey saw the angle of the angle of the lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand. The donkey turned off from the way and went into the field. Balaam of course is all upset and he starts hitting the donkey. I mean, here you are riding down the road all a sudden the donkey takes off out into the field. Balaam is all upset. He didn’t see the angle standing in the way with a drawn sword. And continuous on, then the angle of the lord stood in the narrow part of the vineyard with a wall on this side and a wall on that side where the donkey saw the angle of the lord she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall so he struck her again. I mean here is nowhere to go and the angle of the lord there the donkey sees it so moves to the side and bangs against the wall and Balaam’s foot it’s pressed against the wall.

The angle of the lord went further and stood in a narrow place where there was no place to turn the right hand or the left. The donkey saw the angle of the lord, she laid down under Balaam, Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick then the lord opened the mouth of the donkey and she said toe Balaam what have I done to you that you have struck three times. Amazing Balaam talks back to the donkey. I mean, you might say, would you repeat that. You are a donkey, donkeys don’t talk. He responds to the donkey. Balaam said to the donkey because you have made a mockery of me. If there had been sword in my hand I would have killed by now. The donkey said to Balaam, am I not your donkey and what you’ve ridden all your life to this day. Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you, he said no. Then the lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the angle of the lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand and he bowed all the way to the ground.

We’re not told why Balaam didn’t think this was strange. You know perhaps Balaam has experiences in the spirit realm before we don’t know. Perhaps he wasn’t giving any thought to what’s going on here. You are caught up and what’s taking place and it was God’s intention to him to listen to the donkey and to have this conversation. The angle of the lord said to him verse 32, why have you struck your donkey three times. I’ve come out of an advisory because your way was contrary to me. The donkey turned aside three times. If the donkey hadn’t turned aside, I would have killed you. So the donkey spared your life. Clearly this trip is viewed as rebellion even though the lord could tell him to come. The lord is giving Balaam permission to do what is hard and hard once to do. So like Romans 1 God turned over for their desires. He turned them over to their own lusts. But this is an issue dealing with God’s people and Balaam is coming with a desire to reap the rewards that had been offered for cursing God’s people that makes you the enemy of God. Balaam said in verse 34, I have sinned, I didn’t know you were standing in the way, now because it’s displeasing to you I will go back, I’ll turn back but the lord is going to tell him do continue on.

Turn to Second Peter Chapter 2, Second Peter Chapter 2 as you are aware of false prophets verse 1 of Second Peter 2 says, false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly introduce destructive heresies even denying the master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves, an example of God’s judgment. We’ll break into a sentence here verse 14, having eyes full adultery that never cease from sin enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children forsaking the right way having the followed the way of Balaam son Beor who loved the wages of unrighteousness but he received rebukes for his own transgression, a mute donkey speaking with a voice of a man restrained the madness of the prophet. So you see when Balaam on this trip with his donkey it was because the desire and longing of his heart was to be able to get the reward so what he was mouthing with his lips did not reflect his hear. Oh, the Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold I couldn’t do it. But in his heart he longed for it and wanted it and that’s why he comes again to the lord to seek if he can go. So it becomes the example here one who has called a cursed at the end of verse 14 and it becomes an example of all those false prophets who loves money, aiming for greed, bring immorality, they are deceptive and on it goes.

So you come back Numbers 22, well sometimes I think this is confusing why would God do this, tell him to go and then oppose him. Well New Testament tells he loved the wages of unrighteousness so his donkey had to rebuke him so that’s love for unrighteousness is reflected before the rebukes him and that’s why the donkey has to rebuke him. Now the angle of the lord does tell him to proceed but gives him a strong warning about what he is allowed to say. Verse 35, the angle of the lord said to Balaam go with the men but you’ll speak only the word which I tell you. Balaam went along but his heart is not changed. Remember the issue is the heart. Here is a man who has had dramatic supernatural experiences. God has spoken to him, in a dream, a vision we’re told that God has spoken to him. Then he has brought about a supernatural occurrence of his donkey speaking with him and then he has seen the angle of the lord and had a conversation with him. You understand this man’s heart is not changed one bit. He still loves the wages of unrighteousness. He will not be allowed to curse Israel. But he longs for the money and the rewards of unrighteousness.

He meets with Balak down in verses 36 to 41 and Balak went out to meet him in verse 37, Balak is upset. He says to Balaam did I not urgently send you to call you, sent to you to call you. Why did you not come to me? Am I really unable to honor you? Isn’t it interesting how people are. Here he calling for Balaam because he thinks he has supernatural power but he doesn’t have any problem lecturing him because people want to control God and they want to control those that they think have some kind of relationship with God. Well, verse 38, Balaam said to Balak behold I have come now to you. I am able to speak anything at all the word that God puts in my mouth that I shall speak. So they go Balak brings sacrificial animals, sacrifice takes place and then verse 41 it came about in the morning Balak took Balaam, brought him up to the high places of Beor. There he saw a portion of the people then Balaam said to Balak bring the seven bulls and the seven rams and the offering of the altar and so on. Then the lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth verse 5 of Chapter 23, and it’s a word of blessing and here you’re going to have a series of four Oracles over these next chapters where Balaam will speak great prophetic trues regarding Israel. An unbelieving man with the word of God put in his mouth.

Verse 7, he comes and here is what he pronounces to Balak and to the leaders of Moab. From Aaron, Balak has brought me Moab’s king from the mountains of the east, come curse Jacob for me, come denounce Israel. How shall I curse whom God has cursed, how can I denounce whom the lord has not denounced because I see him from the top of the rock, I look at him from the hills, behold the people who dwells apart who will not be reckoned among the nations. Balaam can’t curse Israel; God won’t let him. God controls his lips he has determined him to bless him. Verse 9, he has said behold the people who dwells apart who will not be reckoned among the nations. What he is saying is Israel has been chosen from all the nations, they are unique, they are special, they belong to God. Verse 10, who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? I mean they are going to be like the sand of the sea, like the dust of the earth as Genesis prophesied. Then he concludes, oh, let me die the death of the upright, let my end be like his. Israel’s are righteous nation.

I mean Balak beside himself, verse 11, what have you don’t to me. I told you to curse my enemies, you actually blessed them. He replied, must I not be careful to speak with the lord puts in my mouth. Some of what Balaam says sounds so good. Maybe it’s him somewhat of an interest in character if I can put it that way. Well Balak’s not given up, maybe it’s the location. When you’re driven by superstition and Balaam is part of this, maybe it’s the location. Let’s change our position, let’s move to another site and maybe there you’ll be to able to curse Israel. And so verses 14 to 16 there is another set of sacrifices and then Balaam goes to get a message from the lord and verses 18 to 24 he gives his second Oracle or pronouncement. Rise oh, Balak and hear, give hear to me oh, son of son of Zippor, God is not a man, that he should lie nor a son of man that he should repent. Listen up my first message stands; God doesn’t change his mind. What I said to you in my first Oracle is the message from God. He is not a man that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should repent, has he said and will not do it, has he has spoken will he not make it good. Behold I have received the command to bless. When he has blessed then I cannot revoke it.

And on the God’s blessings on Israel, down in verse 23, there is no omen against Jacob, nor is there any divination against Israel. I mean, there is nothing is could conjure up against these people. And here you have and what is involved here and perhaps it’s involved in the sacrifice of the animals using the entrails of the animals for divination and so on, there is no omen against Jacob, there is no divination against him because when Balaam opens his mouth to speak out comes blesses on Israel because that’s what God will do. Verse 24, behold, a people rises like a lioness and as a lion lifts itself, it will not lie down until it devours the pray and drinks the blood of the slain. I mean that’s not good news for Moab, not good for Balak. Israel is like a lion and this won’t be over till it eats you up, that is you don’t have a chance. Israel will devour its enemies.

Verse 25, Balak says stop it, don’t say anything. If you can’t curse them don’t bless them. Balaam again says I have to do what the lord says and then Balak says to Balaam come I’ll take to you another place; perhaps it will be agreeable with God that you curse them there for me. You see Balak and Balaam and neither one has any true concept of a living God. They are going to just keep changing places as though that would mean God would change his mind. As we already heard in verse 19, God is not a man that he would change. So you come to Chapter 24, when Balaam saw that it pleased the lord to bless Israel he did not go this other time to seek omens. And now you see what he was doing. Here God is using Balaam this pagan prophet as his spokesman but Balaam has been going and using omens in divination to try to discern the will of God here.

Problem comes that God uses him as his mouthpiece because he wants to communicate a message here even to the pagan peoples of his plan for Israel. He did not go as at other times to seek omens. But he set his face towards the wilderness and so Balaam is going to try something else. He would like something else to come out of his mouth I guess. Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe and the spirit of God came upon him. Remember the spirit of God came up of Saul and he said Saul is among the prophets. The spirit of the lord comes upon Balaam, Balaam speaks again. Verse 4, the Oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the almighty bowing down yet having his eyes uncovered, how fair are your tents, O Jacob, you dwelling, O Israel. And then the prosperity and blessings that will come out upon Israel are unfolded down through verse 9.

In verse 7 they mention his king shall be higher than Agag, his kingdom shall be exalted. Agag is the name of the king of the Amalekites that is conquered by Saul and then Samuel will kill him, remember Saul will lose the kingdom because he didn’t slay every last person among the Amalekites as Samuel told him and Samuel comes and well, Saul says, oh, yes I’ve honored the lord and I’ve done what he has said, Samuel what does this mean, I hear sheep, I hear cattle. You were supposed to kill everything. Well, he killed everything but the people kept the animals and of course we didn’t kill Agag either. This is either a prophecy of what will do to Agag or it may be that Agag is a name used by the kings of the Amalekites. So he has mentioned his king shall be higher than Agag, his kingdom shall be exalted it might be a name that Amalekite kings used of themselves, Agag, like pharaoh in Egypt or it could be prophecy of that will take place hundreds of years later.

Before we go on maybe we’ve to remind ourselves false prophets can’t speak truth, you need to be careful. Turn over to Deuteronomy Chapter 13. Deuteronomy 13, verse 1, if a prophet a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign of wonder and the sign of the wonder comes true concerning which he spoke to you saying let us go after other gods and let us serve them you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams for the lords you’ve got is testing you to find out if you love the lords your God with all your heart, with all you soul, with all your mind. You shall follow lord’s regard and fear him and keep his commandments cling to him but that prophet a dreamer of dream shall be put to death before his counsel rebellion against lord but what about the miracles he did, what about it.

The lord is testing you. The lord is allowing him to do the miraculous perhaps in the power of demons we don’t know, but that’s not the issue. The issue, the issue is, is whether he is doing biblical, does it measure up to the biblical standard not to say that it does allow that prophets would come on the scene with the ability to do supernatural things. Remember in John 11 we won’t turn there for the time but in John 11, Caiaphas was high priest and he prophesied that is better for one man to die for the nation than that the whole nation dies. But he didn’t speak this of himself but God was using his mouthpiece because he was high priest and godless man who would be a leader in the crucifixion of the son of God but God used him as a mouthpiece to forth a prophecy that Christ would die for the whole nation. So you do have these occasions.

Matthew 7, Jesus said many will say to me in that day Lord, Lord, didn’t we do many mighty miracles in Your name and prophecy in Your name. He will say I never knew you, you never belonged to Me. Let’s see, they did many wonderful things and prophesied in His name if He never knows them. Balaam would be one of those kind of people. So we don’t want to get confused. We sometimes get caught up and say well, how could this be. There must be something. We stay anchored in the word what God has revealed and everything is measured by that.

All right, let’s move on in Chapter 24. In verses 4 to 19 Balaam gives his prophecy of what and it really focuses on what God will do for Israel in the days to come, in the latter days and he concludes in verse 9, blessed is everyone how blesses you, cursed is everyone who curses you. Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together. Balak said to Balaam I called you to curse my enemies, you have persisted in blessing them three times. Now flee to your place. I said I would honor you greatly behold the lord has held you back from honor. And Balaam said to Balak, didn’t I tell you, I couldn’t do anything but what God told me to do and to say even if you would give your house full of silver. It sounds like he has learned a lesson but there is nothing that he has learned here.

He says in verse 14, I am going to my people, I will advise you what this people would do to your people in the days to come. And he gives his prophecy here of what is going to take place. And the coming ruler that will rule will come from Israel. Verse 17 last part, the captor will arise from Israel could crush through the forehead of Moab, tear down all the sons of Sheth ultimate victory of Israel. So you have the fourth Oracle and he gives continuing discourse on Amakal and its destruction. Verse 25, Balaam arose departed, returned to his place, Balak also went his way, it seems like well it’s over. But you note verse 25, while Israel remained at Shittim the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab where they invited the people to the sacrifices of their Gods, the people ate and bowed down to their Gods and the Moabites and the Midianites were joined together in this action to bring about the destruction of Israel.

What is interesting in the connection the end verse of Chapter 24, the beginning of Chapter 25 is what happens at the beginning of Chapter 25 where Israel gets involved in harlotry with the daughters of Moab and they become involved in their sacrifices, their immoral practices of their religion. That was the advice of Balaam. You know what he did, he told Balak look I can’t curse these people God won’t let me. Every time I open my mouth blessing comes out. But I’ll tell you what you do that will require God to curse these people. Send you attractive women out and draw them to paganism, your worship. Make them to come eat and worship your Gods, have sex with your women and God will have to judge them.

Turn over to Numbers 31. Numbers 31, verse 16, behold, these caused the sons of Israel, now note this, through the counsel of Balaam to trespass against the lord in the matter of Peor so the plague was among the congregation of the lord. Now note this account Moses is angry because some of the Midianites were spared who would join with the Moabites at the counsel of Balaam. Behold these caused the sons of Israel through the counsel of Balaam to trespass against the lord. It’s almost beyond belief that even a pagan like Balaam whose has experienced all that he has experienced would end up determined to oppose the will of God regarding Israel and so counsel Balak there is still a way, I can’t curse for you, God won’t let me but if you do this and entice the Israelites into this kind of relationship and in this kind of worship God will judge them. You’ll do what you can do, you’ll do what I can do. Remarkable, just absolutely stunning the corruption of the un-generate heart.

Come back to Numbers 25, we’ll wrap this section up. John in verses 17 and 18 God told Moses to be hostile to the Midianites and strike them because they have been hostile to you with their tricks and Baal of Peor so you have the Midianites join with the Moabites in this conspiracy. So Balak can go back and say look, Balaam told me what we have to do so they do. Verse 3 to go back now and give the overview, Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor the lord was angry against Israel. The lord said to Moses, take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the lord. I mean this is dramatic. Gather all the leaders because they should not have allowed this to happen execute them in broad daylight so everybody sees it. This is a serious matter this requires death.

And then Moses said to the judges of Israel verse 5, “Each of you slay his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor” now each of the judges in Israel are responsible to go through the people that they are responsible for and kill everyone who was involved in this idolatrous immorality. And then in the midst of all this one of the sons of Israel came and brought to his relatives a Midianite woman in the side of Moses and the side of all the congregation of Israel while they are weeping so Israel is weeping over the tragedy of this sin here comes a man bringing along a Midianite woman taking her to his tent for sex. Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, rose up the midst of the congregation took a spear in hand went after the man of Israel into the tent pierced them both through the man of Israel and the woman through the belly, so the plague on the sons of Israel was checked 24,000 people died.

If it hadn’t been for Moses and the leaders of the judges responding with him to do what God said the whole nation could have been wiped out. Balaam who was right, God has to judge his people for their sin. Here is a man who knew that who has enough confidence of what God will do but is not afraid of counsel against the revealed will of God. And God has given him four messages regarding his intention to bless Israel and he still things he can counsel Balak to do something that will result into destruction of Israel. We talked this morning about the issue is the heart. You see you can’t change the heart of sinful unregenerate man. That takes a special action of God, most tremendous actions and who could speak with the angle of the lord and walk away unchanged, Balaam could. He could have become God’s mouthpiece and then counsel advice to oppose God Balaam could and he is not unique here because we saw in Peter he becomes an example; Jews uses them as an example. Verse 11, and I believe it is in the book of Jews of the kind of people we have to deal with, warning the church about there will be false teachers among you even as there were false prophets among the people of Israel.

Go to Revelation Chapter 2 and we will close. Revelation Chapter 2, God is speaking, Christ is peaking as the lord of the church as he is evaluating his churches and the message to the church at Pergamum and gives them a word of commendation but then in verse 14, but I have a few things against you because you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam who kept teaching, who kept teaching, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel to eat things, sacrifice to idols and to commit acts of immorality. So Balaam wasn’t a onetime occasion. There are people and the church at Pergamum was tolerating some teachers who walked in the footsteps of Balaam and directed people toward idolatry and immorality and the church of Pergamum is tolerating it. The church at Pergamum is tolerating it.

We look back and shake our heads at Balaam in the account in the Old Testament, but it is even more confounding and dumbfounding to read Christ addressing the church of Pergamum and find out that they tolerate teachers who do the same thing that Balaam did in leading God’s people astray. So there are lessons for us to learn from Balaam, lessons that are applied to us by Peter, by Jude, by Christ and we don’t want to take these things lightly. Now, we’ve to be very careful that we might have lies and ministries and church that is honoring to the lord in every way.

Let’s pray together. Thank you lord that your purposes cannot defrauded, you called Israel as your own personal possession, the people among all the peoples of the earth that belong to you as a nation and you have promised great blessings for them, you have promised ultimate victory, you have promised salvation, you have promised a kingdom and you are God who cannot lie and we rejoice in the future there is for your people of Israel. And we are comforted greatly to be your people of the church today, to know that your promises to us are sure. And Lord we would lean the lessons from these accounts of your people in their life and lives lived through the Old Testament. The tragedy of false teachers and false prophets and the cost that was to the nation, tragedy it was for their testimony as your people.

Lord, thank you for your faithfulness, the faithfulness that will ultimately culminate in their redemption. We thank you for your faithfulness to us individually and as your church and the confidence we have that ultimately we will experience the climax of our redemption with the glorification of our bodies and the glory of your presence. Use us this day to faithfully represent you to share with others the message of reconciliation, to have lives that are a testimony and mouths that speak forth the truth. We pray in Christ’s name, amen.