Numbers 22-25  This is the story of Balaam.  The king of Moab, Balak, sent for Balaam so that he could put a curse on Israel.  At first Balaam sounds like he is a servant of the Lord... he refuses to go when the Lord tells him not to.. he refuses to accept the offer of honor and wealth from Balak.. and he refuses to speak anything except what God tells him to speak.  But... he ends up going anyway. 

When the donkey stops him three times.. and when she speaks to him.. Balaam confesses that he had sinned in going with the Moabites and Midianites.  However, the Lord tells him to go and to only speak what He tells him to say.  It appears that Balaam obeyed the Lord's directions. Three times Balak takes him to a place to offer sacrifices to the Lord and three times Balaam blesses Israel instead of cursing them. 

Finally Balak gives up on Balaam and sends him away.  Yet, something happened here. II Peter 2:15 ".. forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but he received a rebuke for his own transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophets." 

Who is Peter referring to? Who has gone the way of Balaam?  Those who "indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties.. but they, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed."  These are the revelers, the adulterers, those who "never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children." ( II Peter 2:10-14)   Jude writes about the same kind of people.. "these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties.. these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah." Jude describes these people as "ungodly sinners" who have "spoken against Him."  They are "grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage."  

In Revelation 2:14 the Lord Jesus told John to write this to the church at Pergamum .. "But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality."  This is exactly what happened in Numbers 25.. after Balaam left.. ".. While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.. and the Lord was angry against Israel." 

It got so bad that an Israelite man brazenly brought a Midianite woman right into the camp.. into the middle of the congregation. A plague began to slay the leaders of the people.. 24.000 died that day.  Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the high priest, took  a spear and killed the man and the Midianite woman and  stopped the plague or more would have  died.  The Lord considered this atonement for the people and blessed Phineas for his righteous deed.  The Lord also placed a curse upon the Midianites for their part in all of this...." affair of Peor".  

Peter and Jude remind us to be aware of those who are like those who go into the "error of Balaam".  Jude wrote, " But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."  Peter tells us to "remember the words spoken".. by the prophets and by the apostles and by the Lord Jesus.  And in Revelation 2, Jesus tells the church to repent.. to hear..  and to overcome. Back in Numbers we are reminded by the act of Phinehas.. to be "jealous for" our God... to have a great love and zeal for our Savior  who has overcome the world.  Let us stand up for His Name.. for His holiness.. for His honor and glory. 

Father, let Your Spirit fall fresh on us today.. May we be mindful of Your Presence and of Your word.. that we might not be like unreasoning animals acting only by instinct.. but that we might come to You and reason together with You.. to know You and to honor and worship You alone.. with great woe and zeal!   We come to You in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord who has made atonement for us by His death on the cross.  Live in us, Lord Jesus, fill us and build us up to be Your holy people we pray. Amen.