Numbers 25

CHAPTER 25THEME: The doctrine of Balaamfornication with the Moabites and embracing their idolatryIn this chapter we shall see the most subtle and satanic thing which this man Balaam really did. We have discovered the way of Balaam (2Pe_2:15) which is the way of covetousness. He was after the almighty dollar, and he was willing to sacrifice his principles for that. Then, in Jud_1:11, we read of the error of Balaam. His error was that he was not aware of the fact that God could declare righteous those sinners who trust in Him. Now we see in Revelation the doctrine of Balaam, the damnable thing which this man taught. “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication” (Rev_2:14).

When Balaam saw that he could not curse Israel, he taught Balak how he might corrupt these people. We hear this same idea today. “If you can’t lick ’em, join ’em.” Because Balak couldn’t fight these people, Balaam taught him to join them and corrupt them from within.

Numbers 25:1

THE DOCTRINE OF BALAAMDo you see what happened? Balaam couldn’t curse Israel, but he could tell Balak what to do. They should infiltrate Israel, integrate with them, intermarry with them, and introduce idolatry to them to turn them away from their God. I’m sure they told Israel not to be a bunch of squares, not to be so narrow-minded. They insisted they were broad-minded and invited Israel to come over and worship with them. But they never went to worship with the children of Israel. It has always interested me that a liberal in the church wants me, a fundamentalist, to come over on his side and agree with him. But I have never been able to get him to come over to my side and agree with meyet he claims to be the broad-minded fellow and I am the narrow-minded fellow. It is very interesting that the tendency of the human heart is always downward and away from God. This is the reason religious rackets prosperTV and radio religious rackets, church religious rackets, and educational religious rackets. Look how the people support such things. They appeal to the natural man.

This is the reason some of those people think I am pretty foolish to teach the Bible. If I introduced something other than the Word of God, the program would prosper. I am very sorry to have to tell you that that is the way it is. Old Balaam knew that Balak could corrupt the people by getting a religious racket going. He could appeal to them and get the children of Israel to turn to the worship of Baal. And that is exactly what happened.

Numbers 25:4

You say that is extreme surgery. It certainly is. And do you know why? Because the disease is fatal! This would turn a man away from God and send him to hell; therefore, God is performing an act of mercy to save the nation Israel.

Numbers 25:6

You see, this was the way that Balaam was able to curse Israel. This is the doctrine of Balaam. Our Lord tells us in Revelation that that same doctrine gets into the church, and is in the church today. My viewpoint is that the enemy can’t hurt God’s people or God’s work or God’s church from the outside. The church has never been hurt from the outside. To the church at Pergamos our Lord said, “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication” (Rev_2:14). This is the doctrine of Balaam. In the history of the early church, Pergamos marked the union of the world and the church.

The world came in like a flood, and the Devil joined the church at Pergamos. It was not persecution from the outside, but the doctrine of Balaam on the inside that hurt the church. This great principle is applicable in all relationships of life. After World War II, we stationed missiles everywhere. We did everything to keep the enemy outside. What happened? We began to fall from the inside. There began a moral decay such as we had never before seen in our country. Today we find the revolutionaries are on the inside of our nation. We are being destroyed from within. Rome didn’t fall from the outside. No enemy from the outside destroyed Rome, but Rome fell from within. Have you ever noticed that the Lord Jesus was betrayed from the inside? It wasn’t a Roman soldier who betrayed Him. It was one of His own apostles who betrayed Him over to Rome to be crucified. Jesus is always betrayed from the inside. That is still true today. That is the doctrine of Balaam and it is a damnable doctrine. Now the covenant of the priesthood is given to Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest. And the Lord tells Moses to vex the Midianites and smite them. And that closes this chapter.