Balaam's Sin

Read the story of Balaam and Balak from Numbers 22 - 24.

Now Balaam is what one could call a twofold prophet. Apparently he was a prophet who heard from Yahweh but he was also dabbling in the occult, in divination for the love of money. How do we know this? Well, he constantly referred to seeking Yahweh for answers, and when he went to curse Israel, Yahweh told Him not to and caused him to bless them instead – four times.

Yet, we see a prophet who was called to curse Yahweh’s chosen people; would Yahweh give him that power? Certainly not! Who then would give such power? Satan of course! We see a prophet who was promised money of divination, and who went after it because he was enticed due to his lust for riches and honour. According to Numbers 22:7, “So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message” (ESV). See also Joshua 13:22

What is divination? It is “the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers (Merriam-Webster). It is the act of seeing into the spiritual realm through the means of a medium of some sort: crystal ball, Tarot cards, Bible and key, glass of water, candle, tea leaf, palm-reading, cola nuts, intestines, etc.

Yahweh strictly forbid these practices:

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do this. Deut. 18:9-14.

Does Yahweh listen to those who dabble in the works of darkness to perform evil against others? Unquestionably NO! Hear what He says: “Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel. And he sent and invited Balaam the son of Beor to curse you, but I would not listen to Balaam. Indeed, he blessed you. So I delivered you out of his hand. (Joshua 24:9-10). Again, if it is not Yahweh who answers these evil prayers, it is the devil.

We see a prophet who was either so blinded by his greed for money and power, that he did not realise he was talking to a jackass; or we see a prophet who was so deep in the occult that he was accustomed to animals doing strange things under the power of demonic spirits. “The love of money,” Paul says, “Is the root of all evil.” He advised his spiritual son, Timothy in I Timothy 6:9-10, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” I Timothy 6:9-10 ESV.

Note, When the enemies of your prosperity and your promise see that they cannot thwart these, they will join forces with other haters to destroy you or to block those promises and blessings. Sometimes even people who have the gifts and calling of Yahweh upon their lives, fall prey to doing the evil work for them because of the love of money and power and fame.

How contrary this prophet was to Yahweh’s prophet, Elisha. When the LORD used him to heal Naaman, he refused the Syrian’s gifts. Apparently it was a custom in those days and, apparently, still is today. He would not be spoilt and become the people’s prophet that could be bought and sold for a price. Remember, "He who pays the piper calls the tune." He remained Yahweh’s man. The prophets of Yahweh must not be ‘licky-licky’ (greedy) as we say in Jamaican parlance.

Let all Yahweh's true men and women remain true and faithful to Him only, no matter how satan dangles his baits before us.