Balaam's Evil Plan - NCCG.ORG Ning Network Archive 2008-10

Parashat Hashavuah

Chukat/Balak - חקת/בלק : "Statute/Balak"
Torah : Numbers 19:1-25:9
Haftarah : Micah 5:6-6:8
Gospel : John 11-14
Balaam's Evil Plan
Thought for the Week

Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts. (Romans 13:13-14)
Commentary

While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab. (Numbers 25:1)

Balaam found he could not put a curse on the children of Israel, so he advised King Balak to pursue a different tactic. Rather than attempt a military solution or rely on occult manipulations, he introduced the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes. Instead of going to battle with Israel, he advised Balak to invite them to dinner.

"Through the counsel of Balaam," (Numbers 31:16 the daughters of the Moabites and Midianites went out to the men of Israel and invited them to a banquet. They were having a great sacrificial feast. There would be plenty of extra to eat. Why not share in the festivity? Using the lures of sexuality and the appetite, the women were able to seduce the men of Israel into participating in their idolatrous rituals.

The Apostle John warned us against "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life" (1 John 2:16). The devil uses three temptations to trip up a man: sexual lust, greed for money or the love of power. He might use any combination of those three. The "lust of the flesh" is sexual lust, passion and lack of self-control, which manifests in sins like gluttony and sensuality. The "lust of the eyes" is covetousness, greed, ambition and materialism. The "boastful pride of life" is selfishness and haughtiness, which results in striving for position, abusing power and misusing people. The Apostle John says that these things are of the world and perishing with the world. "The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever" (1 John 2:17). The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life may indeed be passing away, but that does not diminish their current allure.

This is a common ploy on the devil's part. If he can lure a believer into fellowship with worldly people and spark some romantic interest in an unbelieving member of the opposite sex, he can successfully snuff out the flame of faith.

The Apostle Peter warns us, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). The devil does not have permission to harm us, but he can trick us into harming ourselves. When we succumb to the "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life" (1 John 2:16), we do the devil's work for him.

This can be compared to a man who had an enemy he hated. For a long time he schemed about how he might harm his enemy the most, but nothing seemed likely to work. One day he hit upon a brilliant plan. He hired a prostitute to seduce his enemy and then exposed the affair to the man's family and friends. The man's family left him, his friends ridiculed him, and his life was destroyed.

When the LORD saw that the men of Israel were consorting with the Midianite daughters and worshipping their gods, he punished Israel with a terrible plague. Twenty-four thousand men died, far more than the Moabites and Midianites could have hoped to slay on the field of battle. The plague against Israel was not stopped until Phinehas arose with his spear.

We need to show the ruthless zeal of Phinehas in our war against the lusts of our own flesh, lest we step into the devil's snares. After all, the devil does not have the power to curse us, but we have the power to bring down curses on ourselves.

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Reply by Christian on November 5, 2009 at 5:47pm

Amein Lev - I was inspired to study the Scriptures pertaining to Phinhas just 2 days ago, and could not but be amazed and impressed at this young Levites faith, and strength received through submission to Yah.

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