The Doctrine of Balaam

INTRO

Yesterday, we talked about a donkey; Balaam, a prophet no one thought God would use; and Balak, a king who tried to bring curses on God’s people. We will see how God’s hand was on the Israelites. Then we get to Numbers 25 and the Israelites get in trouble all over again.

TEACHING

Numbers 25:1: While the Israelites were in the Acacia Grove, the men started having sexual relations with the Moabite women. Have you noticed that when people get bored, they get in trouble? John MacArthur said the Acacia Grove was a region across the Jordan River from Jericho where Israel eventually invaded Canaan.¹Joshua 2:1a confirmed, “Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies from the Acacia Grove, saying, ‘Go and scout the land, especially Jericho.’”

Numbers 25:2–3: “The women invited them to the sacrifices for their gods, and the Israelites ate and bowed in worship to their gods.” Now the Israelites joined in Moab’s religion. Scripture says two become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). When you have relations with a woman, you are effectively saying I’m okay with what she believes and how she lives her life. Israel aligned itself with Baal of Peor (v. 3a). This became a continual stumbling block for Israel. Judges 2:13 revealed, “They abandoned Him and worshiped Baal and the Ashtoreths.” In 2 Kings 17:16, “They abandoned all the commands of the LORD their God. They made cast images for themselves, two calves, and an Asherah pole. They worshipped the whole heavenly host and served Baal.” Jeremiah 2:8 revealed, “The priests quit asking, ‘Where is the LORD?’ The experts in the law no longer knew Me, and the rulers rebelled against Me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and followed useless idols.” Therefore, the Lord’s anger burned against Israel (v. 3b).

Numbers 25:4–5: The Lord told Moses to take all the leaders and execute them in broad daylight (v. 4). Nelson’s commentarysays, “Israel had been seduced into joining the worship of Baal.”²The men gave in to lust, and it opened the door to false worship. When we pursue the lust of our eyes, it’s an open door for Satan to come into our lives. When we give in to one little thing, then sin is off and running. This time, Moses told the judges to kill each man who aligned themselves with Baal (v. 5). Moses didn’t fall on his face and pray for God to spare these men.

Numbers 25:6–9: When an Israelite man brought a Midianite woman to his relatives in the sight of Moses and the Israelites while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting, Phinehas, son of Eleazar, got up and took a spear in his hand (vv. 6–7). This man flaunted his sin before his nation and God. Phinehas followed them into the tent of meeting and drove the spear through the man and the woman, through the woman’s belly (v. 8a). They flaunted their sin in God’s house, so Phinehas killed them while they were having sex. Then the plague on the Israelites stopped, but 24,000 died in this plague (vv. 8b–9).

Numbers 25:10–11: The Lord told Moses that Phinehas had stopped His wrath toward the Israelites. The Lord then granted Phinehas a covenant of peace. Psalm 106:30–31 explained, “But Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stopped. It was credited to him as righteousness throughout all generations to come.” When you hear of the 24,000 dying in this plague, it draws your attention back to the 23,000 who were killed for worshiping the golden calf.

Numbers 25:13: Because of Phinehas’s zeal for God, Phinehas made atonement for Israel, and the covenant of peace would be a perpetual priesthood for him. Phinehas’s killing atoned for the Israelites’ sin.

Numbers 25:14–15: The name of the slain Israelite man was Zimri, the leader of a Simeonite house. The Midianite woman was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur, head of one of their tribes. These two thought they were untouchable and could get away with whatever they wanted to do.

Numbers 25:16–18: The Lord told Moses to attack the Midianites and strike them dead. Nelson’s commentarysaid, “God commanded Moses to institute a holy war against Midian in retaliation.”³Remember that Moses’ wife was a Midianite. Her father Jethro was a priest of Midian. Yet God told Moses to attack Midian.

CLOSING

When you let the lust of your eyes take over, you slowly open the door for more. Every time you open that door, you stray away from Christ to false worship. Scripture says this over and over:

• Proverbs 5:3–8: “Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her words are smoother than oil, in the end she’s as bitter as wormwood and as sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps head straight for Sheol. She doesn’t consider the path of life; she doesn’t know that her ways are unstable. So now, my sons, listen to me, and don’t turn away from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her. Don’t go near the door of her house.” When you open the door to cheat on God in one area, it opens the door for more. As people of God, we have to resist temptation and call others to resist temptation.
• Hebrews 13:4: “Marriage must be respected by all, and the marriage bed kept undefiled, because God will judge immoral people and adulterers.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:18: “Run from sexual immorality! ‘Every sin a person can commit is outside the body.’ On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.” Billy Graham always had someone go into his hotel room and check it out when he traveled. You have to always be on the lookout. That’s why it’s always safest to travel in pairs.
• 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:19–20: “Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.” When someone has an affair, they are cheating on the Lord.
• 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If you are at this point you can start over. God can forgive you. Nobody is exempt from thinking he is invincible.

The Women Living Well website offers ten suggestions to help keep you from giving into temptation.⁴

Beware of your old boyfriends and girlfriends.

Draw boundaries on who you will talk to and what is appropriate.

Avoid dressing to get attention from the other gender.

Never be alone with a person of another gender.

Confess your temptations to the Lord out loud.

Tell somebody about your temptations.

Don’t become close emotionally to someone of the opposite sex other than your spouse.

If you are emotionally connected to somebody right now, then end the relationship.

Don’t assume your secret feelings won’t be found out. Secrets always get revealed.

Your sin always impacts somebody else.

Beware of falling into temptation! The Israelites did it. What makes us think we are any different? Let’s not be the Zimris or the Cozbis. Through studying Numbers 25 and 26, my prayer is that the Holy Spirit would speak to and touch everyone listening to this message. Ask God to reveal things to you, and then come clean.