INTERMEDIATE
AGE: 12 - 13
YEARS
STANDARD/GRADE:
VII & VIII
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LESSON – 11
BALAAM – FROM A PROPHET TO A SOOTHSAYER
In the previous
lessons we saw the forty-year desert sojourn of the Israelites. They were
finally prepared to enter the promised land, Canan. Prior to entering the
Promised Land, the Israelites travelled to the plains of Moab and camped across
the Jordan River. When Balak, king of Moab, saw the Israelite camp he
panicked and sent for a Prophet named Balaam to come and curse the Israelites. The
King of Moab believed that pronouncing a curse on the Israelites would weaken
them and he could easily defeat them.
Balaam, the
Prophet
Balaam the
Prophet lived in a land called Pethor near the Euphrates River. King Balak sent
messengers to Balaam and told him to curse the Israelites in exchange for a reward.
Balaam was not sure what to do. He told them that he needed God’s permission
and asked them to wait. When Balaam enquired of the Lord, God told him not to
go with them and also not to curse the Israelites. So, the officials returned
to Balak. King Balak, then sent his royal officials, more numerous and more
distinguished than the first. He also promised to give a huge reward to Balaam.
Balaam
travels to Moab
Balaam was lured
by the riches and the reward and wanted to go to Moab. So, he decided to
approach God once again for permission. This time, God let him go. But God
instructed him not to say anything apart from what God asks him to say. The
next morning, Balaam saddled his donkey and got ready to go along with Balak’s
officials.
Balaam’s
Donkey Talks
God was not happy with Balaam going to Moab. God sent an angel against Balaam on the way. Balaam could not see the angel but the donkey Balaam was riding could see the angel standing on the way with a drawn sword. The donkey moved from the way three times to avoid Balaam being killed by the angel. But Balaam could not understand it, so he got angry and beat the animal. God opened the donkey’s mouth and it rebuked the prophet for beating him. Then God opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing on the road with his sword drawn. The angel once again instructed Balaam to speak only what God told him to speak about the Israelites.
Balaam Pronounces
Blessings
When Balaam
arrived in Moab, he was greeted by King Balak. Together, they offered
sacrifices of bulls and rams. Balak took Balaam to strategic places where he
could see the Israelites and utter a curse on them. However, the Lord
intervened and each time Balaam prophesied, he pronounced a blessing on Israel
instead of a curse. After three attempts from three different locations,
Balaam was able only to pronounce blessing on Israel and not a curse.
Balak was upset, and Balaam was prevented from earning his handsome fee for
divination.
Balaam
causes Israel to stumble
Balaam somehow
wanted to earn his wages even if it was through ungodly means. Balaam could not
curse Israel directly, so he came up with a plan for Israel to bring a curse
upon themselves. He revealed the secret of Israel’s strength and success to
Moab. The Israelites are separated unto God and do not imitate the ways of
other nations. If Balak could mingle Israelites with the Moabites it would lead
to their downfall. Balak followed Balaam’s advice, and Israel fell into sin. When
the Israelites were at Shittim, they began to commit sin with the Moabite women.
The women of Moab invited the people of Israel to the sacrifices of their gods
and the Israelites started worshipping Baal of Peor. God was displeased and
angry with the Israelites and they were punished with a plague. 24,000
Israelites lost their lives in the plague because of Balaam’s wicked counsel (Deuteronomy
Revelation 2:14).
Balaam - From
Prophet to Soothsayer
Up to the time of Numbers 24, Balaam was considered a prophet of God and spoke what God told him. But he did not walk in the right way till the end. He eventually forsook it and went astray, because he loved the wages of unrighteousness (II Peter 2:15). Balaam was finally killed by the Israelites when they took over Midian. In the record of his death (Joshua 13:22), he is no longer called as a “prophet of God” but as a “soothsayer”. He started as a prophet, a spokesman of God but ended as soothsayer. He turned into God’s enemy that made God’s people stumble (Revelation 2:14). This is the reason he is mentioned by different writers in the New Testament as an example to be avoided.
Test the
spirits
The Holy Bible
has repeatedly warned us that there will be false prophets and false teachers
in the last days. They are guided by the evil spirits that operate in them. We
have to be careful not to follow their lead. Some prophets and teachers who
start their ministry as true men of God, slowly deviate from the path of God
and end up being false prophets just like Balaam because of lust of the flesh,
money, position and power. The Bible tells us to test the spirits to see
whether they are from God (I John 4: 1). We should be careful about any prophet
or teacher who prophesizes or speaks in contradiction to the written word of
God, the Holy Bible, even if they perform mighty wonders or miracles, since
satan can also perform wonders as is warned in the Holy Bible. We should also
be weary of any prophet or teacher who focuses more on fulfilling the carnal
desires of people than on the spiritual blessings. We also have to watch out
whether the will of God is fulfilled through these prophecies.
Holy Bible
Reference: Numbers 22- 25
Memory
Verse: Watch out for
false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are
ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick
grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:15,16 (NIV)
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY
I. Give one
word answers:
1.
The donkey moved from the way …………….. times to avoid Balaam being killed by the
angel.
2. The .................................
invited the people of Israel to the sacrifices of their gods.
3. The wicked counsel to make Israel sin against
God was given by ........................
4. Balaam started as a Prophet of God but
ended as a .................................
5. We should be careful about
any prophet who prophesizes in contradiction to the written word of God,
...................................
II. Give short
answers:
1. Why did King Balak send for Balaam?
2. Why did Balaam’s donkey talk?
3. Why was Balaam not able to pronounce a curse on Israel?
4. Did Balaam receive his divination fee from Balak? Why?
III. Give brief answers:
1. How
did Balaam cause Israel to stumble?
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