But I have a few things against you, namely that you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place an occasion for sin before the sons of Israel, to eat food offered to idols and to commit fornication. Similarly, you have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Rev. 2:14, 15.
Apparently, some in the church at Pergamum held teachings similar to those of Balaam. They, like him, attempted to entice others away with their ideas. The text also mentions the teaching of the Nicolaitans. The Greek root for the word Nicolaitans (nikolaos) means "the one who conquers the people" while the Hebrew name Balaam means "one who swallows up the people." These two terms, though from different languages, mean essentially the same thing.
When the king of Moab saw the Israelites coming, he realized that the God of Israel was far too powerful for his armies to overcome. So the monarch, Balak, had a brilliant idea. He would find a true prophet of their God who was willing to curse them. Then perhaps their deity would forsake them and Balak could conquer them in battle.
Having heard about Balaam, Balak sent a representative to him: "The king of Moab is offering you a large sum of money if you will come and curse Israel." A greedy sort, the prophet decided to accept the offer in spite of Yahweh's displeasure.
On his way to Moab Balaam had his famous conversation with a donkey. In spite of the divine hint that he was on the wrong track, he continued on his journey and tried to curse Israel. But instead of curses, blessings spilled from his mouth. The king who hired him was furious (see Num. 22-24 for the larger story).
Balaam's consistent message, however, was "I'm a prophet of Yahweh and can only say what Yahweh puts in my mouth." No matter what Balaam did, he could not curse Israel and, therefore, could not earn his money. Then he had a brilliant idea.
"If we could figure out a way to lead Israel astray," he suggested, "God would forsake them, and they would be defeated in battle." As part of his fiendish scheme, Balaam used the fascination of pagan feasts and the lure of sexual immorality to attract a number of Israelites to sin through food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality. As a result, God withdrew His protection from Israel, and a great plague destroyed many of them (see Num. 25 and 31:16).
The story of Balaam illustrates our dependence on God's protection. The sins that seem so innocuous to us have disastrous implications if they succeed in separating us from the Lord. The church at Pergamum felt justified in its compromises, yet placed itself in grave danger.
Lord, help me discern the unintended consequences of my daily action and respond accordingly.
Apparently, some in the church at Pergamum held teachings similar to those of Balaam. They, like him, attempted to entice others away with their ideas. The text also mentions the teaching of the Nicolaitans. The Greek root for the word Nicolaitans (nikolaos) means "the one who conquers the people" while the Hebrew name Balaam means "one who swallows up the people." These two terms, though from different languages, mean essentially the same thing.
When the king of Moab saw the Israelites coming, he realized that the God of Israel was far too powerful for his armies to overcome. So the monarch, Balak, had a brilliant idea. He would find a true prophet of their God who was willing to curse them. Then perhaps their deity would forsake them and Balak could conquer them in battle.
Having heard about Balaam, Balak sent a representative to him: "The king of Moab is offering you a large sum of money if you will come and curse Israel." A greedy sort, the prophet decided to accept the offer in spite of Yahweh's displeasure.
On his way to Moab Balaam had his famous conversation with a donkey. In spite of the divine hint that he was on the wrong track, he continued on his journey and tried to curse Israel. But instead of curses, blessings spilled from his mouth. The king who hired him was furious (see Num. 22-24 for the larger story).
Balaam's consistent message, however, was "I'm a prophet of Yahweh and can only say what Yahweh puts in my mouth." No matter what Balaam did, he could not curse Israel and, therefore, could not earn his money. Then he had a brilliant idea.
"If we could figure out a way to lead Israel astray," he suggested, "God would forsake them, and they would be defeated in battle." As part of his fiendish scheme, Balaam used the fascination of pagan feasts and the lure of sexual immorality to attract a number of Israelites to sin through food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality. As a result, God withdrew His protection from Israel, and a great plague destroyed many of them (see Num. 25 and 31:16).
The story of Balaam illustrates our dependence on God's protection. The sins that seem so innocuous to us have disastrous implications if they succeed in separating us from the Lord. The church at Pergamum felt justified in its compromises, yet placed itself in grave danger.
Lord, help me discern the unintended consequences of my daily action and respond accordingly.
RSS Feed
