Pergamum - Balaam Part 2

 Review

Church of Pergamum 

Rev 2:14 

But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication.

Back story is from Numbers 22-25 (long story)

Who is Balaam?

1. Prophet from an area near the Euphrates River

2. Called upon by Balak to curse the children of Israel

3. Seems to be influential prophet who hears from God

4. May be a prophet who puts curses on people for money(?)

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Who is Balak?

1. King of Moab

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2. Balak is afraid when children of Israel go thru his land of Moab

3. Calls on elders of Midian for advice. 

4. They seem to advise him to visit Balaam who will curse the children of Israel 

5. Will give Balaam the 'rewards of divination'

What is Balaam's first response?

1. Prays

2. God tells him not to go and not to curse them for they are blessed

3. Tells them to leave

4. says God won't permit me to go

5. Doesn't mention that God has blessed them

Honorable?

Balaam's second response (after more honorable men sent to "come and curse" Israel )

1. Prays again

2. God says "if the men are come, rise up and go". Say only the words I speak to you

3. Balaam rises up, saddles his ass and leaves w the princes of Moab

God's response?

1. Angry. Why? (Maybe Balaam hadn't waited for the men to call on him?)

2. Angel of the Lord (Jesus) met him in way w drawn sword.

3. Ass goes into field instead of staying on path

4. Balaam beats his ass to get her back on path

5. Angel of the Lord stands in narrow way and Balaam's foot gets crushed. Beats ass again.

6. Angel of the Lord stands in narrow way again with no way to turn to left or right. Ass lays down. Beats ass a third time

7. Ass speaks: what have I done for you to beat me 3x's? Cause you kicked me. If I had had a sword…

8. Ass: Have 8 ever done that to you? No

9. God opens the eyes of Balaam. God says:

1. You have beaten your ass, therefore I am your adversary.

2. Thy way is perverse! If the ass hadn't turned aside, I would have killed you.

3. Balaam repents

4. God tells Balaam to continue on, but ONLY SPEAK THE WORDS I TELL YOU TO SPEAK!

According to these verses, what do we find out about Balaam?

 He was hired; then rebuked God thru the donkey

2Pe 2:15-16

15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing; 16 but he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb ass spake with man's voice and stayed the madness of the prophet.

What about this NT verse?

Jud 1:11 

Woe unto them! for they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.

"Balaam's" are for hire despite not mentioning it clearly in numbers 22 (hireling in the NT)

This seems to open up a huge can of worms for modern-day Christianity. Doesn't it?

A person is beholden to the one who hires them.

(owing thanks or having a duty to someone in return for help or a service)

God saw fit to scare Balaam pretty good in order to make sure he would speak His words, and not the words that Balak wanted him to speak.

Balaam arrives in Moab

1. Balak meets Balaam at the city of Moab, which is the border of his territory. What took you so long? Anxious for his arrival?

2. Balak: I am able to promote you to honor

3. Balaam says: I will only speak the words that God gives me

Balaam/Balak go to Kiriath-huzoth

1. Balak sacrifices oxen and sheep

***Balak makes the sacrifice here independently of Balaam**

2. He sends for Balaam and his princes (or he sends them the cooked sheep and oxen)

**I'm guess Balaam eat the food sacrificed to idols of Baal that Balak sent or gave to him***

3. The next morning Balak and Balaam go up to the high places of Baal. From here Balak shows Balaam the extreme end of the children of Israel

***Has Balaam been obedient to God?*** Technically yes. But is putting himself in a ridiculous situation.

Num 23:1-10 

1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go: peradventure Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a bare height. 4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar. 5 And Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable, and said,  From Aram hath Balak brought me,  The king of Moab from the mountains of the East:  Come, curse me Jacob,  And come, defy Israel. 8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?  And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him,  And from the hills I behold him:  Lo, it is a people that dwelleth alone,  And shall not be reckoned among the nations. 10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,  Or number the fourth part of Israel?  Let me die the death of the righteous,  And let my last end be like his! 11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether. 12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah putteth in my mouth? 

Balaam/Balak's first sacrifice

1. Where did Balaam have Balak build 7 alters?  At the high places of Baal

2. 7 Oxen and 7 Rams - one on each altar (previously it had been oxen and sheep)

3. How did they get 14 animals up to the high places places of Baal?

4. Vs 2 Did both Balak and Balaam offer a sacrifice on this altar?

Think God valued Balaam and Balak sacrifice?

5. God still speaks to Balaam. Why? Maybe to test Balaam's obedience?

6. Vs 4 Balaam even tells God he offered a sacrifice of 2 animals on 7 altars. As if that was a good thing??

7. He speaks a parable through Balaam. What does He say? Vs 7-10

8. Vs10 why does Balaam say "(who can) number the fourth part of Israel?" 

It is prophetic: Because he is seeing the later part/end of God's people

Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my last end be like his!

Last end is prophetic. Last end will be the final state of God's people who will Jesus will come and fill during his second coming and they will do great works like mentioned in Dan 12:3. "Shine like the brightness of heaven"

9. Does Balaam obey? Yes. He speaks only the word God gives him.

10. What should have Balaam learned about God's answer now versus his answer back in chapter 22? It hasn't changed at all, it is the same.

11. What is Balak's response? Vs 10-11

Num 23:13-26

13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence. 14 And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar. 15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I meet Jehovah yonder. 16 And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak. 17 And he came to him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Jehovah spoken? 18 And he took up his parable, and said,  Rise up, Balak, and hear;  Hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor: 19 God is not a man, that he should lie,  Neither the son of man, that he should repent:  Hath he said, and will he not do it?  Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good? 20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless:  And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it. 21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob;  Neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel:  Jehovah his God is with him,  And the shout of a king is among them. 22 God bringeth them forth out of Egypt;  He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox. 23 Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob;  Neither is there any divination with Israel:  Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel,  What hath God wrought! 24 Behold, the people riseth up as a lioness,  And as a lion doth he lift himself up:  He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey,  And drink the blood of the slain. 25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all. 26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh, that I must do? 

Balaam/Balak's second sacrifice

1. Balak: Let's go to another place so you can see the children of Israel. You won't see them all, only a part of them. Curse them from there.

2. They go to a field of Zophim (watchers), then to the top of Mt Pisgah. They build 7 more altars,  sacrifice same 2 animals on each. Balaam says to Balak: "Stand by your offering here, while I meet with God over there".

3. God speaks again to Balaam who tells Balak: "God isn't a man that he should lie. What he says He will do. God has blessed them, so I will bless them too."

4. Vs 23b-24.But, then God continues on via Balaam but speaks prophetically about the later end of Israel. What does he say?

Num 23:23b-24 

23 ….Now shall it be said of Jacob and of Israel,  What hath God wrought! 24 Behold, the people riseth up as a lioness,  And as a lion doth he lift himself up:  He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey,  And drink the blood of the slain.

5. Twice Balaam has spoken God's words and there has been prophecy hidden in it. Balaam prob had no idea God including prophecy through his words.

6. Who else prophesied in the OT that wasn't a really a good person? Saul - 1 Sam 19:24

7. Now we know why God told Balaam to speak "only the words that he gave him to speak" words of prophecy were included

8. Cool thing: they hadn't even gotten into the promise land yet and God was broadcasting to their enemies that they would be strong, in particular at their later end

9. Balaam's response? Vs 24-25

Num 23:27-30

27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come now, I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence. 28 And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert. 29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams. 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Balaam/Balak's third sacrifice

1. Balak says to Balaam, "Let me take you to another place. Maybe God will agree to curse them from there"

Red flag for Balaam? 3x's he has gotten a "no".

2. Balak now takes Balaam to the top of Mount Peor. Again, they build 7 altars there, prepare 7 bulls and rams and then offer a bull and ram on each altar.

Three locations for Balaam/Balak

1. Kiriath-huzoth "outside" /high places of Baal "heights of Baal"

2. Field of Zophim "watchers" /Top of Pisgah "cleft"

3. Top of Peor "cleft"

Num 24:1-9

1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. 3 And he took up his parable, and said,  Balaam the son of Beor saith,  And the man whose eye was closed saith; 4 He saith, who heareth the words of God,  Who seeth the vision of the Almighty,  Falling down, and having his eyes open: 5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob,  Thy tabernacles, O Israel! 6 As valleys are they spread forth,  As gardens by the river-side,  As lign-aloes which Jehovah hath planted,  As cedar-trees beside the waters. 7 Water shall flow from his buckets,  And his seed shall be in many waters,  And his king shall be higher than Agag,  And his kingdom shall be exalted. 8 God bringeth him forth out of Egypt;  He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox:  He shall eat up the nations his adversaries,  And shall break their bones in pieces,  And smite them through with his arrows. 9 He couched, he lay down as a lion,  And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?  Blessed be every one that blesseth thee,  And cursed be every one that curseth thee.

Balaam/Balak's third sacrifice

1. On the top of Peor, Balaam finally recognizes that it pleases God to bless Israel. Finally!

2. Once he recognizes this, Balaam turns his face to the wilderness. As if he doesn't need to see them

3. He doesn't do the enchantments or divination seek God. Why does God meet Balaam this way? Odd?

4. Balaam lifts eyes and notices Israel encamped according to their tribe. Did he never notice this before?

5. Gods spirit comes upon him and he speaks up a parable. Had the spirit of God come up him the before? He did speaks Gods words the previous two times.