Balaam's Advice
March 28, 2023
"Balaam's Advice"
Blessings folk!
A couple of more thoughts on Balaam.
Yes, he spoke the Word of the Lord.
But, he also spoke his own word.
A fact.
He told the enemies of Israel how to defeat Israel…
Num 31:16
Behold, these, on Balaam’s advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the LORD.
ESV
Balaam told Balak et. al. to use women to undermine Israel.
Numbers 25 gives the account.
Num 25:1-9
While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab.
These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods,
and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor.
And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
And the LORD said to Moses,
“Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the LORD,
that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.”
And Moses said to the judges of Israel,
“Each of you kill those of his men who have yoked themselves to Baal of Peor.”
And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman to his family,
in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel,
while they were weeping in the entrance of the tent of meeting.
When Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it,
he rose and left the congregation and took a spear in his hand
and went after the man of Israel into the chamber and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. Thus the plague on the people of Israel was stopped.
Nevertheless, those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.
ESV
It did not end well for Balaam…
Num 31:7-8
They warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses, and killed every male.
They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
ESV