I find Balaam in the bible interesting and unique. We see him in Numbers 22:5 and leaves in Numbers 24:25. We can see the problems he caused in numbers 25 thou. We can't say he's a false prophet because the god he represents is the same god we do as shown in the text. God has blessed Balaam so that whatever he blesses is blessed and whatever he curses is cursed. Balak was a King and had an army that he wanted to defeat the isrealites. Balak has no connection to our God. In fact it is very surprising to find that Balaam does actually have a connection to our God. I believe there is more going on here than what God has made known in his word. I don't understand thou why one person away from israel has a connection to God. When we are alone we often struggle more, more often give into things.. this is what we see here. He ends up going with them. He doesn't curse Israel however we see clearly his affect on this army is numbers 25. He knows god's laws and the king fights the battle different than any other in the area. We see that they have sent there daughters to israel. We see that this people his getting Israel to curse herself in the face of God and I believe thou no direct scripture points out that Balaam told the King how to have Israel curse herself. People in this time didn't fight a war this way. We often see very similair actions from people who are christain yet away from God's people today. They give on there morals, they compromise when they know they shouldn't and they often make choices they wouldn't otherwise. My question is why do you think God reached out to such a figure at such a time?
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Bible Study Balaam the lost Prophet?
- Thread starter Rinid
- Start date
Wow still no takers here.. ok well we do have scriptors addressing him later.. second peter 2:15, 16 which tells us "Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; (16)But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. " real insight as to what he did comes from rev 2:14 "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."
peter actually confirms he is a prophet of God. John in rev actually tells us what balaam taught balac. Now clearly balaam is not a very good prophet. Still wonder as to why God reached out to him at such this time. I can not actually say anything here showing this is true.. what I believe is that God is showing us no matter how much he is involved in our lives if we isolate ourselves then we become like Balaam. He actually talked to the angel of the lord. God is giving us a real life example of how he tried to work with someone outside his body, and as much as he was involved when the person was among those that didn't believe as he did, the person still had issues. Well that's my idea anyway.. any other ideas?
peter actually confirms he is a prophet of God. John in rev actually tells us what balaam taught balac. Now clearly balaam is not a very good prophet. Still wonder as to why God reached out to him at such this time. I can not actually say anything here showing this is true.. what I believe is that God is showing us no matter how much he is involved in our lives if we isolate ourselves then we become like Balaam. He actually talked to the angel of the lord. God is giving us a real life example of how he tried to work with someone outside his body, and as much as he was involved when the person was among those that didn't believe as he did, the person still had issues. Well that's my idea anyway.. any other ideas?
ada
Member
I did not do a scripture research to balaam or balak, but as far as i see there is a parallel to king solomon.He was wise had all the riches of this earth taxes each year 666 talents of gold(1 talent about 5000 pounds) but later he bitterly went astray from God having 700 wifes and 300 concubines who made him worship their satanic false gods and idols.He,they even ritual sacrificed their children to the god of moloch.So solomon not only build the 1. temple in jerusalem but other occult worship places on the hill before jerusalem as well which lasted 300 years before God uses the edomites and babylonian to destroy and divide the tribes of israel in a north and south kingdom.But did they stop than? No they did not..Beside all those atrocities solomon became one of the developer of the kabbalah which is nothing else as a book of black magic.Bible soures:1. kings 11,2.Kings 16:3,2.Kings 17;2. Kings 21:6,Eze 20:26,Jer 2:24-34,Amos 5:26,Acts 7:43
why did God take a person outside of Israel and make him into a Prophet? Remimber this is a time when all we see being done with God reaching a people it was the Israelites, except for Balaam. Even with some of what I believe still doesn't explain a few things.. like prophets are used to profess God message to a people. What was God professing through this prophet, and who was he professing to?
Forgiven83
Member
Peter speaking of Balaam addresses him as a false prophet for II Peter 2 is a chapter that deals with false prophets. For Balaam is spoken of as a false prophet in II Peter 2:15-17. I think God shows us in the Old Testament through Balaam what kind of seed Jesus was talking about in Luke 8:7, 14--the seed on thorns Hebrews 6:1, 7-8, which are false prophets/ false believers Matthew 7:13-23. But the good seed Luke 8:8, 15; Hebrews 6:9 are they which have obey the gospel in an honest and good heart bring forth fruit with patience, for we are to be fruit inspectors (Matthew 7:16). Just my opinion.
actually I do not believe this idea. The reason is because the god the balaam followed was the same god we follow. To say he was a false prophet then says the god we follow is false. Also Peter didn't call him a false prophet. He was a bad prophet. He knew gods ways and was able to teach the king have to have israel curse herself as told in rev 2:14. Now again talking about bad doctrine. But then how did Balaam know about god's ways if not for god himself. How is the things that balaam blessed be blessed but by God? He had an alter the same as the israelites. In fact the only difference in Balaam and what israel was doing is how he applied the knowledge given. Balaam used the knowledge to get wealth from the king, to get respect from the king and the people. Israel followed God's plan, did God's will. If balaam was a false prophet then he wouldn't know God at all and would be no different than any of the other religous people of the times. He would worship the cow, or sun, or moon, but not the true god we follow today. he would not be able to bless things and those things be truely blessed or curse things and those things be truely cursed. Before doing that he did actually seek god's council which is why he ended up blessing Israel when the king asked him to curse Israel. I don't believe the angel of the lord, many belive this to be Jesus, would have shown himself to balaam if he was a false prophet. We do not see him showing himself to anyone else of the time.
Now Balaam was a bad prophet no doubt. He lost his favor with God no doubt. There is a difference in a bad prophet losing favor, and a false prophet never knowing god at all.
See he seemed to have accepted the way of the jews, with the sacrafices and being blessed to be able to bless and curse things. From this alone you would think he was counted in those that had salvation with God. He got to even talk to the angel of the lord. No one inside israel but moses got this gift at this time. Then he makes a few bad choices and loses it altogether. It was like he was doing what god wanted with until the king came, they tempted him and changed his heart..
but again to call him false means that the god he represents is false and he represented the same god we do. That's why Peter or John never called him a false prophet. Each showed he was a bad one never going as far to say a false one. I'm not going to call my God false either. That's why I can't believe he was a false prophet. Thou I do believe he was a bad one.
cyberjosh
Member
Just as a bit of archaeological trivia, did everyone here know that Balaam, the son of Be'or, is mentioned in an inscription that was found in modern day Jordan in a city called Dier Alla? It is called the Dier Alla inscription. It was written several hundred years (8th century BC) after Balaam lived (15th century BC) but he obviously took on a later legendary character and had stories written about him across many generations, hence his memory was long lived. This is independent proof outside the Bible that Balaam existed.
Read here for more: Dier-Alla Inscription.
Read here for more: Dier-Alla Inscription.