So Moses said to the people, “Choose some men, and arm them to fight the LORD’s war of revenge against Midian. From each tribe of Israel, send 1,000 men into battle.” So they chose 1,000 men from each tribe of Israel, a total of 12,000 men armed for battle. Then Moses sent them out, 1,000 men from each tribe, and Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest led them into battle. They carried along the holy objects of the sanctuary and the trumpets for sounding the charge. They attacked Midian as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed all the men. All five of the Midianite kings—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba—died in the battle. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword. Then the Israelite army captured the Midianite women and children and seized their cattle and flocks and all their wealth as plunder. They burned all the towns and villages where the Midianites had lived. After they had gathered the plunder and captives, both people and animals, they brought them all to Moses and Eleazar the priest, and to the whole community of Israel, which was camped on the plains of Moab beside the Jordan River, across from Jericho. Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. But Moses was furious with all the generals and captains who had returned from the battle. “Why have you let all the women live?” he demanded. “These are the very ones who followed Balaam’s advice and caused the people of Israel to rebel against the LORD at Mount Peor. They are the ones who caused the plague to strike the LORD’s people. So kill all the boys and all the women who have had intercourse with a man. Only the young girls who are virgins may live; you may keep them for yourselves. [Numbers 31.3-18]
What was Balaam's advice?
First, we need to look in the Revelation of John:
“But I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you whose teaching is like that of Balaam, who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to sin by eating food offered to idols and by committing sexual sin. [Revelation 2.14]
But when did Balaam do that? We have no record of it ...Or do we?
Let's start by looking at portions of the first blessing Balaam spoke (focus on bold):
Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offerings, and I will go to see if the LORD will respond to me. Then I will tell you whatever he reveals to me.” So Balaam went alone to the top of a bare hill, and God met him there. Balaam said to him, “I have prepared seven altars and have sacrificed a young bull and a ram on each altar.” [Numbers 23.3-4]
Balaam's actions here made a distinction between himself and Balak.
Then, in Balaam's first blessing, he revealed critical information (again, focus on bold):
I see them from the cliff tops; I watch them from the hills. I see a people who live by themselves, set apart from other nations. [Numbers 23.9]
Balaam again revealed critical information about the distinction of God's people versus all other nations. Israel's Ten Commandments and all their laws, ceremonies and rituals distinguished Israel from all other nations. No doubt, Balak, as a king, as a strategic man of war (confirmed by his conscription of Balaam) was paying attention! Balak was obviously covertly compiling a short list of ways to penetrate Israel's strength and he strategically concluded that contaminating their ceremonial "purity" would be a good start. Revelation reveals this is indeed what happened in the Midianite women convincing Israel's men to eat food offered to idols (thus worshiping the gods of Moab, specifically, Baal).
As already stated, Balak learned something from Balaam that was critical to getting the access necessary to contaminate Israel's purity (pay attention to bold):
How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob; how lovely are your homes, O Israel! [Numbers 24.5]
And,
While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the LORD’s anger to blaze against his people. The LORD issued the following command to Moses: “Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the LORD in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel.” So Moses ordered Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.” Just then one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman into his tent, right before the eyes of Moses and all the people, as everyone was weeping at the entrance of the Tabernacle. When Phinehas son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron the priest saw this, he jumped up and left the assembly. He took a spear and rushed after the man into his tent. Phinehas thrust the spear all the way through the man’s body and into the woman’s stomach. So the plague against the Israelites was stopped, but not before 24,000 people had died. [Numbers 25.1-9]
Based on the scriptures presented here, it was none other than Balaam who inadvertently informed Balak of the significance of Israel's distinction of worshiping only God, and, that Israel's tents and homes (representing sexual purity) were the critical gateway to accomplish that (even in modern times, "sex sells")!
As far as Balaam knew, he likely never even realized his betrayal of Israel until it was too late. If only he had just stayed home in the first place...
So, the lesson for us today is that our enemy, Satan, uses sex to segue us right into idolatry. But, we should not be so dull as to think that only the act of sex is all there is to it. Sex is representative of all self gratification...
Mitigating financial hardship without repentance - independent of God ...is self gratification.
Mitigating loss without repentance - independent of God ...is self gratification.
Mitigating health without repentance - independent of God ...is self gratification.
Mitigating ignorance and weakness without repentance - independent of God ...is self gratification.
Sex is only the "flagship" for all forms of "self gratification" that lures mankind today into the modern idolatry of debt, insurance, medicine and technology. These industries represent man-made idols that God's people, supposedly distinct from the world, make themselves indistinguishable from the rest of the world by their use. Balaam's story is a grave warning to God's people today of the vulnerability and danger that self gratification leads to. There is a reason the First Commandment is first!
“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. [Exodus 20.2-3]
Yes, first things matter. Balaam should have not questioned God's first response that he should stay home. His second inquiry was indeed his first mistake (see The Second Inquiry Is The First Mistake). His first mistake made the way for the king of Moab to lure Israel into violation of the First Commandment - the idolatrous worship of Baal.
Father, help us not be so dull as Balaam. Likewise help us not be so dull as Israel being drawn by self gratification into full-blown idol worship. May the truth of Your Word, fleshed out in Jesus Christ, climax in Jesus' New Testament version of the First Commandment that we give up our own way (self gratification), take up our cross (death-defying faith), and follow Him. So be it.
No comments:
Post a Comment