BALAAM'S ASS
First Word
Have you ever heard of a Senator
or a Congressman who was sent to represent
the people’s interest and they
“sort of” got what they were promised,
but his decisions seem to favor
more that which enriched him personally.
It’s interesting that in
scripture there is much spoken of about Congressman
Balaam
and that he SCREWED the Hebrews. But there is no detail on how he did it.
This study is to EXPOSE HOW the Congressman SET UP the Hebrews in order to get
a PAY OFF.
Who was Balaam
- Balaam in the Greek
means “subverter”, or “devourer of the people”. – In
Hebrew Bil’am means “One NOT of the people” – a “Foreigner”.
- He was from the city
of
- During his time, God
spoke through “Oracles” to communicate with His people. - Whatever an
Oracle spoke would happen. - Balaam had a widespread reputation of being
able to prophesy curses and blessings upon people. - He
could marshal up unseen forces into battle.
- Real or
not,
the magical art of “a curse by a prophet” could depress and
demoralize an army
- Balaam was known as a
“seer of the gods” and skilled in divination and performative
acts.
- He was a heathen soothsayer and a Prophet
of God at the same time. He did
not realize that the God of Israel was not like the pagan deities that he
was use to manipulating.
- In the beginning Balaam was a
- Everything about
Balaam was spoken of as “Good” until at some point he yielded to his
secret desire for reward, then he backslid and became just another
soothsayer seeking payment; an abomination to God. The spirit of the Lord left him
just like it did King Saul
- Soothsayer is a term used for “Sayers of the truth” and is tied
to the term Divination which is a system of ascertaining “The divine will of God”, such as is allied to idolatry, and
in necromancy, which evokes the dead and in astrology, magic
and secret sacred spells.
- Balaam typifies the
attitude of
- To help you keep up
with who’s who. – President Balak
is the King in consternation over an invasion - Congressman Balaam is God’s Oracle with conflicts
between magic and providence.
Gen 36:32 – Beor was a
king of Edom
32 Bela son of Beor became king
of Edom
Num 22:7 – He took a fee
for his divination
7 The elders of Moab
Josh 13:22 – Later was called a soothsayer.
22 Balaam also the son of Beor, the
soothsayer. KJV
Setting the Stage
- The
King of Moab; Balak heard that the Israelites were camped along
the Jordan near them and had gut wrenching fear and terror,
a sickening dread that they would attack and slaughter the Moabites
and the Midianites just like they had done to the Amorites. – He did not
know that God had already prohibited
- He had heard about the Oracle Balaam; that whoever
he “bound with an inflexible curse” would be cursed, so Balak sent for Balaam
to use his secret arts to alter
- Balaam implied
that he would go with them and curse
- The
first trip request - The journey was some 500 miles; about 20 days between
Pethor and
- The
second trip request promised more goodies and a promotion to
great honor; Balaam thought about it and said “stick around” for
the night and he would check with God again.
- Soothsayer
Simon tried to buy the Holy Spirit; Peter said. ”Thy money perish with thee”.
- President
Balak told
Congressman Balaam that if he
voted the way he wanted him to vote that he would see to it that he would
get the real estate land deal he was looking for and a bunch of tax free unmarked
laundered 100 dollar bills. – Quickly Congressman Balaam said he would
check with God again, just in case He had something more or different to
say.
- What Balaam states on
every occasion is the letter
of what God said, but in his heart he is checking with God again hoping
He will say something different so he get some STUFF.
- We are like that – We have God’s word
and we know what to do, but we just need to check one more time to see if
there is another way to interpret what God has said so we can get what we
want. – If you torture the
Bible enough it will confess
anything you want it to.
- God is not like man; He
will not lie or change His mind: If He said it, He will do it. Num
23:19
Num 22:4-6 – King Balak
sent for Congressman Balaam.
4 The Moabites said to the elders of Midian,
"This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up
the grass of the field."
So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab
5 sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor,
who was at Pethor, near the River, in his native land. NIV
6 Now come and put a curse on these people,
because I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are
cursed." NIV
Num 22:12 – God said “Don’t go – The Israelites are blessed”
12 But God said to Balaam, "Do not go
with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are
blessed. "NIV
Num 22:16 -17 – I will give you a BUNCH of bucks if you come
16 They came to Balaam and said: "This is
what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me,
17 because I will reward you handsomely and
do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me."
NIV
Num 22:19 – Hang around tonight – I will check with God again.
19 Now stay here tonight as the others did,
and I will find out what else the LORD will tell me. NIV
Acts 8:20 - May your money perish with you
20 Peter answered: "May your money perish
with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
NIV
God is Angry
- This brings us up to
where God has already given Balaam His instructions and knows Balaam wants
Him to change His vote so he can get some
- God says, OK go
with them; but only say what I say. – He was to “rise up” to go ONLY
if the men came to him, but Balaam could not wait for them and rose up to
go immediately and God was angry with him knowing that “reward” was really
what was stirring in his heart.
- Balaam gets on his “dumb ass” and proceeds down
the trail and God puts an Angel in the path to give Balaam a haircut - To
part his hair with the Angel’s sword.
- God gets Balaam’s
attention
when his “dumb ass” sees
the Angel with his sword drawn.
- NOTE: The sword was drawn
against Balaam, his ass and perhaps
- The term “dumb” was to point out that
the ass could hear, but not speak; Although Balaam was a specialist in
animal divination, it was God that opened the mouth of the Ass to
speak, not Balaam. - The ass proceeds to have a conversation with Balaam
who does not think it strange at all that his ass is talking to him. – The
ass does not preach; but only complains.
- The Lord opened the
eyes of Balaam just as he opened the mouth of the Ass. - Balaam had to
learn from his Ass before he could learn from God. – God can use any
circumstance to communicate His message – The divine purposes of the
Almighty cannot be thwarted.
- God used a dumb ass
in a humorous way to humiliate
the one who was supposed to be a SEER
- I think it’s neat to
see how God used a “dumb ass”;
the simple thing, “the weaker vessel” to show His Omnipotence, His Glory
and His Power. NYOBS 24.15 Women Weaker Vessels
- Finally Balaam “Sees the Light” shining on the
sword of the angel and with superficial repentance confesses with lip
service that he has sinned as he ponders this different and un-manipulated
God of the Israelites.
- With God’s permission
he continues to travel on to King Balak to tell him what God has told him
to say. Ordinarily Balaam could say
pretty much whatever he wanted to say; but not this time. – However, Balaam has “another plan”
working in his spirit.
- NOTE: Balaam has disrespect for God’s word and
integrity – He lacked a desire
to do God’s perfect will – In hypocrisy
he persuades God to let him go. – He didn’t
wait like he was told – He coveted
a reward – He became stubborn and
pervasive and didn’t REALLY repent.
Num 22:22 – God is angry and sent an angel to part Balaam’s hair
22 But God was very angry when he went, and
the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his
donkey, and his two servants were with him. NIV
2 Peter 2:15-16 – Balaam
talks to his dumb ass.
15 They have left the straight way and wandered
off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages
of wickedness. NIV
16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb
ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. KJV
Num 22:28-29 – Balaam has
a conversation with his ass
28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass,
and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast
smitten me these three times?
29 And Balaam said unto the ass, because
thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I
kill thee KJV
Num 22:31 – Balaam sees the light –
sort of
31 Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and
he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn.
So he bowed low and fell facedown. NIV
Balaam obeys – Sort of
- NOTE: It should be pointed
out that Balaam is the only known GENTILE, being endowed with prophetic
gifts. It’s because of Balaam’s
words, that gleams of Devine Light came into the darkness of the heathen
nations. – When he saw the camp of
- Josephus
the Jewish Historian and High Priest was born the year of the
Crucifixion of Jesus; he was given all the Hebrew scrolls to write the
History of the Nation of Israel.
- This is the account
of what Josephus says actually happened; and I encourage you to get
Josephus’s book “The Antiquities of
the Jews” for your library; it’s
amazing.
- The
Devine Directive: God told Balaam to “go with them, but do only what I
tell you”
- The
spiral down
for Balaam begins when he chooses to address King Balak even though God
did not tell him to do so.
- Balaam has his mind
on all the goods that King Balak had promised him if he would just curse
the Israelites which God has forbidden him to do. - So Balaam has figured
another way to do what God said, and still get the goods too. -
- Some commentaries say
Balaam went away un-rewarded, empty handed; but not Josephus.
- Congressman
Balaam speaks out of his ass again. - In a nut shell, he said that he
could not curse the Hebrews, but he had a plan; a stumbling block of idolatry
and immorality that would cause the Hebrews to sin against God and cause Him
to withdraw his protection and blessings from them. This is know as “the matter of Baal-Peor”
Num 24:2-4 – God changed
his curses into blessings.
2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel
3 and he uttered his oracle: "The oracle of
Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly,
4 the oracle of one who hears the words of God,
who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and
whose eyes are opened:
Num 24:17 –
Balaam prophesizes about the birth of Jesus Christ
17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold
him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter
shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and
destroy all the children of Sheth. KJV
Josephus – Chapter 6
6:127 And spake thus to them –
O Balak, and you Midianites that are here present (for I am obliged even without
the will of God to gratify you), it is true no ENTIRE destruction can seize
upon the nation of the Hebrews, neither by war, nor by plague, nor by scarcity
of the fruits of the earth, nor can any other unexpected accident be their ENTIRE
ruin.
6:128 For the providence of God is concerned to
preserve them from such a misfortune; nor will it permit any such calamity
to come upon them whereby they may ALL perish; BUT some small misfortunes,
and those for a short time, whereby they may appear to be brought low
may still befall them, but after than they will flourish again
6:129a So that if you have a mind
to gain a victory over them for a short space of time you will obtain it
by following my directions.
The Balaam Plan according to Josephus
- This is where Balaam
spells out for the Moabites and the Midianites to prostitute their beautiful daughters to the Hebrews; invite
them into their homes and indulge in their new strange foods with potions
offered to idols and after a while they will fall in love with them
and want to marry them.
- But then withdraw the
daughters and the Hebrews will follow, but they cannot have them as wives unless
they reject their one god known only to the nation of
- Instead of open war,
they have plotted the ruin of
- Understand
this;
the Congressman was a good guy and followed the precepts of God till he
started thinking about compensation which he previously had refused.
– A slippery path.
- After giving
President Balak “the plan”, Congressman Balaam departs with his PAY
OFF and starts his return trip home, but he never makes it there and
remains among the Midianites till his death; which wasn’t very far away.
- “The Way of Balaam” is a NT condemnation of those who in GREED
will tempt and teach others to compromise their faith and moral standards
for the hope of a reward.
Josephus - Chapter 6
6:129b Do you therefore set out
the handsomest of such of your daughters as are most eminent for beauty,
and proper to force and conquer the modesty of those that behold them, and
these decked and trimmed to the highest degree you are able. Then do you send them to be near the
Israelite’s camp and give them in charge, that when the young men of the
Hebrews desire their company, they allow it them.
6:130 and when thy see that
they are enamored of them, let them take their leaves; and if they
entreat them to stay, let them not give their consent till they have persuaded
them to leave off their obedience to their own laws and the worship
of that God who established them, and to worship the gods of the
Midianites and Moabites; for by this means God will be angry at them.
Num 24:25 – Balaam gave
his plan and went home with his booty.
25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to
his place: and Balak also went his way. KJV
2 Peter 2:15 – Balaam was PAID OFF
15 Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages
of unrighteousness
The Plan works
- Don’t get the idea
that this just happened on one occasion; it was habitual – what slowly started
out as a visit for a little intercourse turned into an unbridled
indulgence of lust.
- They voluntarily ate
their food and bowed down to their gods and participated in boundless
revelry. – This was one whole army division out of four that followed the
women.
- The Hebrews hormones were in full ripeness
and loved the women and wanted to “intermarry” with them; but God’ law had
forbidden such. See NYOBS 23.26
Segregation
- The foreign women
agree to marry the Hebrews only if they renounced their God, their laws,
their ways of worship and worship only the gods of their land.
Num 25:2 – They ate and
bowed down to their gods.
2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices
of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
KJV
Josephus - Chapter 6
7:132 but they had brought them
to be enamored of them, and their inclinations to them were grown to
ripeness, they begin to think of departing from them; then it was that
these men became greatly disconsolate at the women’s departure, and they were
urgent with them not to leave them, but begged they would continue
there, and become their wives; and they promised them that should be owned as
mistresses of all they had.
7:133 This they said with an
oath, and called God for the arbitrator of what they promised; and this
with tears in their eyes.
8:137 “If then”, said they, “If
this be your resolution; since you make use of such custom and conduct of life
as are entirely different from all other men, insomuch that your kinds of food
are peculiar to yourselves and your kinds of drink not common to others, it
will be absolutely necessary if you would have us for your wives that you do
withal worship our gods; nor can there be any other demonstration of the
kindness which you say you already have, and promise to have hereafter to us,
than this that you worship the same gods that we do”.
8:138 For has anyone reason to
complain, that now you are come into this country, you should worship the
proper gods of the same country? Especially while our gods are common to
all men, and your such as belong to nobody else but your selves.
9:139 Now the young men were
induced by the fondness they had for these women, to think they spake very
well; so they gave themselves up to what they persuaded them, and transgressed
their own laws; and supposing there were many gods, and resolving that
they would sacrifice to them according to their laws of that country which
ordained them, they both were delighted with their strange food, and
went on to do everything that the women would have them do, though in
contradiction to their own laws.
It Got Worse
- SENATOR Zimri; a highly respected tribal leader, married a
Midianite woman and took her to his tent; he stood up in front of the
Hebrews and said interracial marriage WAS
OK.
- Listen
to this:
The Senator said “Nobody should deprive us of the sweetness of life,
which consists in acting according to our own wills and is the right of free
men” and the young men with “Itching ears” rallied to him.
- WOE to those who call
evil good and darkness light.
- It was shortly after
this that some valiant men took the sword and killed the Senator, the
tribal leader and his wife and also killed all those who were PARTNERS in the wickedness;
those that could have stopped the young men from this sin, but did not
and became ENABLERS and partakers in the same sin.
- God
sent a plague (Devine Justice) to kill all those
remaining that were not killed by the virtuous men. Like the amputation of a diseased limb,
Twenty four thousand young Hebrew army men that had sinned lost their life
that day and the plague was stopped – The contagiousness of their corrupt
manners in the camp was ended and the land was purged.
Isa 5:20 – Woe to those who call evil good and darkness light
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good
evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter
for sweet and sweet for bitter. NIV
Josephus Chapter 6
11:145 But Zimri Rose up
after him, and said…
11:146 Thou deprive us of the
sweetness of life, which consists in acting according to our own wills, and
is the right of free men.
11:148 I have married, as thou
sayest rightly, a strange woman.
11:152 Phineas,
a man in other respects better than the rest of the young men…. Was greatly
troubled at what was done by Zimri
11:153 So he came into Zimri’s
tent, and slew him with his Javelin.
12:154 Upon which all young men
that had a regard to virtue, and aimed to do a glorious action, imitated Phineas’s
boldness, and slew those that were found to be guilty of the same crime
with Zimri. Accordingly, many of those
that had transgressed perished by the magnanimous valor of these young men.
12:155 and the rest all perished
by a plague,
which distemper God himself inflicted upon them. So that all those their kindred, who , instead
of hindering them from such wicked actions, as they ought to have don, and persuaded
them to go on, were esteemed by god as partners in their wickedness
and died. Accordingly there perished out
of the army no fewer than 24 thousand at this time.
Wipe them out
- Baal
Peor
- Baal was the god that the
Moabites and the Midianites worshiped on the top of mount of Peor and which the young Hebrews had
voluntarily accepted.
- Moses sees what has
happened and mounts up the troupes and goes against Midian and kills everyone;
he cut off the heads of the ring leaders and hangs them up openly in the
sun before the Lord to turn His anger away from
- They took spoil of
everything that they had as Moses had commanded except for 32,000 virgins
who were taken captive.
- All the kings including
President Balak are killed and even
Congressman Balaam who ran
greedily for the reward became collateral damage too.
- Note: None of
- Balaam started off
with just his own error, but then he taught others to error.
- Many Public Servants start off
in the right way, but go into error because of money; the desire for the
wages of unrighteousness, then they teach others. – What a wicked web we
weave.
Ps 105:15 – Touch not my
anointed
15 "Do not touch my anointed ones; NIV
Deut 4:3 - The LORD
destroyed them from among you
3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of
Baal-peor: for all the men that followed Baal-peor, the LORD thy God
hath destroyed them from among you. KJV
Num 25:4 – Cut off their
heads and hand them up
4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Take all the
heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the
sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel
Josephus Chapter 7
1:159 Now Moses sent a army
against the land of Midian
1:161 When they were come, and
they had joined battle with them, an immense multitude of the Midianites
fell; nor could they be numbered, they were so very many and among them
fell all their kings.
1:163 (The commander) came back, bringing with him an army that had received
no harm, and a great deal of prey; fifty-two thousand beeves (plural of beef), seventy-five thousand six hundred sheep,
sixty thousand asses, with an immense quantity of gold and silver
furniture, which the Midianites made use in their houses; for they were so
wealthy, that they were very luxurious. There
were also led captive about thirty- two thousand virgins.
Josh 13:22 – Balaam lost his life because of greed
22 In addition to those slain in battle,
the Israelites had put to the sword Balaam son of Beor, who practiced
divination. NIV
Jude 11 – Balaam ran
greedily for reward and perished
11 Woe unto them! for they have…. ran greedily
after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the
gainsaying of Core. KJV
14 The doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak
to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel
Teachings of Balaam
- It is clearly
possible to be the mouthpiece of truth, and yet have neither
part nor lot in it.
- Now when you see a
rebuke for people following the teaching of Balaam you can understand the
trickery and deceit that transpired to cause the Hebrews to sin against
God.
- What King Balak meant
for a curse was turned into a blessing for the Hebrews - Even though the
Hebrews stumbled and a whole army of deceived Hebrew soldiers lost their
lives; the nation as a whole was not utterly cast down.
- Now the Hebrew
soldiers thought there was probably many gods and it seemed logical to
them that they could worship anyway they wanted too; just so they
worshipped.
- All the spokes in a
wheel lead to the same hub – That’s the LIE of Satan today. - Many
ways to worship God.
- Ignorance
of the Law
is no excuse – You can get a
speeding ticket even if you didn’t know that the speed limit had changed.
- There are consequences for sin even if you are ignorant of God’s law. –
If the blind leads the blind; they BOTH will fall into the ditch.
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you:
You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught
Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by
committing sexual immorality NIV
2 Peter 2:15 – Balaam loved the money wickedness brought
15 They have left the straight way and wandered
off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages
of wickedness. NIV
Deut 23:4-5 – God turned
the curse into a blessing
4 They hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in
Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you.
5 However, the LORD your God would not listen
to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the
LORD your God loves you. NIV
Ps 37:24 – We may fall,
but we are not utterly cast down
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast
down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. KJV
Luke 6:39-40 - Will they
not both fall into a pit
39 He also told them this parable: "Can a
blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? NIV
Balaam’s Ass
- A SET
UP. This
study is not really about Balaam’s Ass; that just got your attention. It’s about how Satan doesn’t just happen
to trick us; he plans; schemes and connives and contrives long term
catastrophes that even the elect would be fooled if that were possible.
- If you are not studying
God’s word, then you are just having a conversation with your ass. You are stuck with your own traditions
and just what you have heard others say.
- Study to show yourself
approved of God – Handle God’s word correctly. - Don’t be tossed about –
blown here and there by every wave of new teachings.
- Know the doctrines of God
– Preserve them - Teach them - Generation to Generation.
2 Cor 11:13 – False workers masquerading as Christians
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful
workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for
Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. NIV
2 Tim 4:3-4 – Men will seek
their own desires
3 For the time will come when men will not put up
with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will
gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their
itching ears want to hear.
4 They will turn their ears away from the truth
and turn aside to myths. NIV
2 Tim 2:15 – Study the word – handle the truth correctly
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as
one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly
handles the word of truth. NIV
Eph 4:14 -15 – Don’t be tossed about – blown here and there
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed
back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind
of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful
scheming.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in
all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. NIV
1 Tim 4:16 – Watch and preserve your life and doctrine
16 Watch your life and doctrine
closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both
yourself and your hearers. NIV
Titus 1:9 – You must know
sound doctrine
9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy
message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound
doctrine and refute those who oppose it. NIV
Titus 2:1 – Teach sound
doctrine
1 You must teach what is in accord with sound
doctrine. NIV
Eph 6:11 -12- Schemes of the Devil – Spiritual forces of evil
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can
take your stand against the devil's schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers
of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms. NIV
Mark 13:22 – Signs and wonders to seduce the believer
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall
rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were
possible, even the elect. KJV
Conclusion
- Balaam
was supposed to be a SEER, but was so engrossed in REWARD that he could
not see the Angel of the Lord about to part his hair. The DUMB ASS did see the Angel
and three times tried to get out of the way. - God uses the weaker things to confound the wise.
- The
purpose
of this event was to embarrass the SEER, that his Ass had more insight
than he did. With his attention
totally on God, Balaam understands that he best not say anything that God
doesn’t tell him to say – The “present” situation scares him into compliance.
- Religion
was everywhere; the Agnostic “free thinkers” worshiped the gods and
deities of their own home town. If they went to another town, they were duty
bound to show respect to the deities in that town. – Some of these had
temple prostitutes.
- This concept is in
total opposition to the GOD OF ISRAEL. – However this mentality was what
Balaam used to seduce a fourth of the armies of
- Balaam
denied God’s precepts and taught others to do the same. He slipped in among the people and led
them into idolatry and sexual immorality.
- The
blind leading the blind - Zimri; a highly respected tribal leader;
supported Balaam and said “Nobody
should deprive us of the sweetness of life, which consists in acting
according to our own wills and is the right of free men – Sounds good doesn’t it - He became
a PARTNER and a ENABLER in the willful defiance of
God’s Laws.
- Conclusion;
Jude,
the half brother of Jesus writes; to
contradict the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints involves not
only denying our doctrine, but also turning from holiness
- Walk in
the spirit
and you will overcome the temptation of the lust of the eyes, the
lust of the flesh and the pride of life.
Jude 3-4 – Balaam slipped
in and turned them from holiness
3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write
to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend
for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
4 For certain men whose condemnation was
written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless
men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality
and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. NIV
1 John 2:16 – Lust of the eyes and flesh and pride of life
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of
the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,
is not of the Father, but is of the world. KJV
Gal 5:16 – Walk in the Spirit to overcome temptation
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and
ye shall NOT fulfill the lust of the flesh. KJV
In the multitude of counselors,
there is wisdom.
Prov 11:14
I am grateful for those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses. Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further than I otherwise ever could have.
A commentary – Critical, Experimental and
Practical – Eerdmans
A Planned Deception – Constance E. Cumbey
All the parables of the Bible – Herbert Lockyer
Annotated
reference Bible - Dake
Antiquity of
the Jews; The – Josephus
Baker Commentary on the Bible – Walter A. Elwell
Bible Almanac; The – Packer, Tenney, White
Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer
Book of Bible Lists – H. L. Willmington
Encountering the Old Testament – Bill T. Arnold, Bryan E. Beyer
Expositors Bible Commentary; The – Frank E. Gaebelein
Gospel of Luke; The – J. Vernon
Harper’s Bible Dictionary – Harper & Row
Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow; The – Constance E. Cumbey
Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale
Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s
Illustrated Encyclopedia of Bible Facts – Packer, Tenney, White
Matthew Henry’s Commentary – Zondervan
Naves Topical Bible - Nelson
New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas, Tenney
Parables of Jesus; The – J. Dwight Pentecost
Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Zondervan
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible – Nelson
Vincent’s Word Studies of the NT – Mac Donald
Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner
Wikipedia Encyclopedia
Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison
Thank you for all your research Paul. Give Alice a hug from me. It was good to see y'all this morning. Have a blessed evening.
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