Balaam

Balaam was a Gentile believer who’s cursing of the regenerate Jews within the nation of Israel was frustrated by God. King Balak hired Balaam to curse the Jews. Instead of Balaam cursing the Jews, the Holy Spirit came upon him and what came out of his mouth prophesied the glorious future of Israel during the Millennium. King Balak figured he had been cheated. Num. 24:2; Num. 24:5-8; Num. 24:10.

“And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.” (Numbers 24:2, NASB)

“How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel! “Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside the river, Like aloes planted by the LORD, Like cedars beside the waters. “Water will flow from his buckets, And his seed will be by many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted. “God brings him out of Egypt, He is for him like the horns of the wild ox. He will devour the nations who are his adversaries, And will crush their bones in pieces, And shatter them with his arrows.” (Numbers 24:5-8, NASB)

“Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times!” (Numbers 24:10, NASB)

Balaam's lust for money caused him to find another way to get the Jews into spiritual trouble when he discovered that God would not allow him to curse Israel. Balaam advised Balak, King of Moab, to neutralize Israel by getting them out of fellowship on a large scale by bringing thousands of beautiful women into the country from Moab who had been instructed to lure the Jewish males into sexual encounters in any way they could. His idea was to cause the born-again Jews to be defeated by appealing to their sexual lust pattern from their old sin natures. Num. 24:16-23.

“The oracle of him who hears the words of God, And knows the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered. “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth. “Edom shall be a possession, Seir, its enemies, also will be a possession, While Israel performs valiantly. “One from Jacob shall have dominion, And will destroy the remnant from the city.” And he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said, “Amalek was the first of the nations, But his end shall be destruction.” And he looked at the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said, “Your dwelling place is enduring, And your nest is set in the cliff. “Nevertheless Kain will be consumed; How long will Asshur keep you captive?” Then he took up his discourse and said, “Alas, who can live except God has ordained it?” (Numbers 24:16-23, NASB)

When Balaam and Balak parted company, Balaam had earned his fee, but not by cursing the Jews, but by corrupting the Jews. Num. 24:25; Num. 25:1-3; Num. 31:16-18.

“Then Balaam arose and departed and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way.” (Numbers 24:25, NASB)

“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. So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry against Israel.” (Numbers 25:1-3, NASB)

““Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD. “Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately. “But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves.” (Numbers 31:16-18, NASB)

The doctrine of Balaam gives the principle of neutralizing believers by getting them out of fellowship, thus separating them from the source of divine power - the filling of the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of Balaam is any system of works whereby believers get out of fellowship and stay out of fellowship which eventuates in spiritual retrogression.

Reasons Balaam Was a Believer

Balaam not only knew the Lord Jesus Christ, but confessed the Lord in the presence of King Balak and the messengers from Moab. He also asked the Lord’s will and to some extent followed it. He eventually went in direct opposition to the Lord’s will. Num. 22:8; Num. 22:13; Num. 22:18-19; Num. 22:38; Num. 23:12.

“He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the LORD may speak to me.” And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.” (Numbers 22:8, NASB)

“So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”“ (Numbers 22:13, NASB)

“Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD my God. “Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will speak to me.”“ (Numbers 22:18-19, NASB)

“So Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come now to you! Am I able to speak anything at all? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I shall speak.”“ (Numbers 22:38, NASB)

“He replied, “Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”“ (Numbers 23:12, NASB)

Initially, Balaam would not leave Pethor without the Lord’s permission. Numbers 22:20 also teaches the principle of the direct will of God. This “prophet for hire” had a lust for riches, but being a believer, he was under restraint at this point.

“God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.”“ (Numbers 22:20, NASB)

The Lord Jesus Christ met Balaam and conversed with Balaam along the way. Numbers 22:22 relates to us the principle of the permissive will of God. This point is not conclusive in itself, but strengthens our argument for Balaam being a believer. In the Bible, God does not generally converse with unbelievers, only believers.

“But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.” (Numbers 22:22, NASB)

The Lord puts words in the mouth of Balaam when he tried to curse Israel - the opposite words that Balaam intended. Num. 23:5; Num. 23:12; Num. 23:16. These passages give us the principle of the overruling will of God.

“Then the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and you shall speak thus.”“ (Numbers 23:5, NASB)

“He replied, “Must I not be careful to speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”“ (Numbers 23:12, NASB)

“Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”“ (Numbers 23:16, NASB)

Balaam called Jehovah “his God.” This denotes a salvation relationship with the Lord. Num. 22:18.

The Holy Spirit came upon Balaam in Numbers 24:2. This passage gives us the principle of the sovereign ministry of the temporary enduement of the Holy Spirit to Old Testament believers.

“And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.” (Numbers 24:2, NASB)

In 2 Peter 2:15-16, Balaam is referred to as a prophet.

“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 mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.” (2 Peter 2:15-16, NASB)

In Numbers 31:8, Balaam dies the Sin Unto Death. Generally, the Scripture only records believers dying the Sin Unto Death. This is maximum divine discipline to the retrogressive believer.

“They killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.” (Numbers 31:8, NASB)

The New Testament parallel to Balaam is “Simon Magus, the Sorcerer.” Simon was a believer and was in reversionism. Acts 8:13; Acts 8:21.

“Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.” (Acts 8:13, NASB)

““You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.” (Acts 8:21, NASB)

Balaamism in the New Testament

The “way of Balaam” is where the apostate believer becomes psychopathic and/or psychotic. 2 Peter 2:15-18.

"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 mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet. These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error," (2 Peter 2:15-18, NASB)

The “error of Balaam” refers to the believer under the frantic search for happiness and enslaved to the details of life. This enslavement causes him to think human viewpoint instead of divine viewpoint. Jude 1:2; Jude 1:11.

"May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you." (Jude 1:2, NASB)

"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 1:11, NASB)

The “teaching of Balaam” refers to the frantic search for happiness through sexual immorality. Rev. 2:14-15

" 'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold 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. 'So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. " (Revelation 2:14-15, NASB)