Lesson 27
Second Peter
Warning against dangers
facing the Church
With
This example takes us back to Numbers 22-25
It’s an interesting twist but Peter has just reproved this false teachers as animals and with this example using
Balaam we will find him being reproved by an animal, a donkey!
forsaking
the right way, they have gone astray,
they
have gone astray plana,w aorist
passive indicative; to be led astray, to follow the wrong path
having followed
the way of Balaam, idea
here is to follow after, to go down a path with the idea of following after a
predetermined course of action to an end or objective, here,
Should stop here and examine the account of
Balaam! (name
means destroyer of people)
Account of Balaam is found in Numb
22-25
Balaam had a thorough knowledge of the character of
God; but he
also had a problem; one often found among believers today, often he did not
like the will of God.
Each time he attempted to curse
In Num 25 we find that Balaam comes up with a
solution to his dilemma, instead of cursing them I'll corrupt them.
- When those who call themselves
Christians yet commit adultery, cheat in business, lower their moral standards
to suit the situation, they fit right in to the Balaam mentality.
Observations:
1. These false teachers lust
for the details of life, materialism, financial which puts them in the same
category as Balaam.
2. Like Balaam they forsook
the straight way, the way of spiritual prosperity in the ministry,
that is staying with God’s way, DVPT.
3. Those F/T’s who are unbeliever’s were negative at God Consciousness and Gospel
hearing and yet they entered the ministry like the liberal theologians today.
4. Have to recognize that those
F/T’s who are believers at some point went negative to truth, Doctrine and went
panting after some seductive false teaching to peddle to the unsuspecting
flock.
5. They all fall into the Balaam
Syndrome.
6. The way of Balaam is the
distortion of BD for monetary gain as their first priority in their ministry.
- could take any number of
directions since is determined by the lust patterns of their sin nature
7. Each Pastor will be challenged
during their ministry to put the BD first and let God handle his temporal
prosperity, logistics. (its inevitable)
8. The way of Balaam also involves:
a. the merchandising of the Word of God 2 Cor 2:17
b. being susceptible to teaching false doctrine if
the price is right
c. can’t serve 2 masters Matt 6:24
9. Balaam was a gentile prophet called
by God therefore a believer who abandoned the straight path of ministry for
monetary gain.
- Numb 24:2 the Spirit of the God came
upon him
- Numb
10. The problem with Balaam was that
his first love, his highest priority in life was the same as
11. He eventually died the sin unto
death at the hands of
Balaam was directed by God to not go to with the
Midian and the Moabite elders, emissaries of Balak the king of
but
he received a rebuke for his own transgression,
- rebuke (e;legxij) speaks of rebuking with the
idea of convicting someone of a transgression
- his
own transgression (paranomi,a) this
does not speak of a general defiance of the will of God, the law but a breech
of a specific law, specific instruction given, which is what Balaam did
- for a
mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the
prophet.
First
it hinders or restrains the (parafroni,a) beyond
understanding, today he would be referred to as psychotic, has a mental
disorder.
What’s
happening with Balaam? His sin nature rules, he knew exactly what God desired
of him, he knew the will of God in this situation.
Observations:
1. This event is found in
Num. 22:22-35.
2. The donkey’s rebuke was a
very clear warning to him for operating out of the will of God.
3. Balaam’s negative
volition was so strong at this point he was willing to distort and compromise
BD to satisfy his sin nature’s lust pattern.
4. His treatment of the
donkey demonstrates that when under the sin nature’s rule they will not
hesitate to go after anyone who might get in their way, hinder in anyway their
pursuit of their objectives.
5. The animal’s rebuke of
Balaam centered on loyalty which is a rebuke to his unfaithfulness, his
spiritual adultery.
6. Balaam’s love of money
motivated him to function apart from the law, instruction from God which is
spiritual insanity. paranomi,a
- same
is true of the Believer today who is trying to live without BD, its spiritual
insanity
7. The restraint on Balaam
was only temporary since under the permissive will God allowed Balaam to
proceed but with the instruction to not to curse
- eventually
Balaam died along with the Midians when they were conquered by