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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 25
LESSON #29
THE DESTRUCTIVE NATURE OF WORLDLY COMPROMISE
v MEMORYVERSE: ROM 12:2
v THENAME BALAAM MEANS = TO SWALLOW DOWN. THE MEANING OF HIS NAME BECOMES VERY ENLIGHTENING INTHIS LESSON.
v READREV 2:14 AND NUM 25:1-3 THEDOCTRINE OF BALAAM
Ø WE HAVE STUDIED WHAT THE BIBLE CALLS THEWAY OF BALAAM AND THE ERROR OF BALAAM. NOW WE MUST DISCOVER WHAT ISTHE DOCTRINE OF BALAAM.
§ BALAAM COULD NOT SPEAK ACURSE AGAINST ISRAEL, BUT HE COULD TEACH BALAK WHAT TO DO THAT WOULD CAUSE ISRAELSDEFEAT. NOTICE THAT REV 2:14 SAYS THAT THE DOCTRINE OF BALAAM IS A STUMBLING BLOCK PUT INFRONT OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD. WHAT DID BALAAM TEACH BALAK AND HIS PEOPLE THAT CAUSED THEISRAELITES TO STUMBLE IN THEIR FAITH?
§ BALAAMS DOCTRINE: A MESSAGE OF COMPROMISE
· INFILTRATE AND INTEGRATE WITH THEPEOPLE OF ISRAEL.
· INTERMARRY WITH THE PEOPLE OFISRAEL.
· INTRODUCE IDOLATRY TO THE PEOPLEOF ISRAEL.
· TURN THE ISRAELITES AWAY FROM THEONE TRUE GOD.
Ø ISRAELS HISTORY IS PLAGUED WITHINCIDENTS WHERE FOREIGN PEOPLE SUCCEEDED BY USING THE DOCTRINE OF BALAAM TO WEAKEN ANDDEFEAT ISRAEL.
§ FOR EXAMPLE, SOLOMON ANDHIS HUNDREDS OF FOREIGN WIVES.
§ IT SHOULD NOT SURPRISE USTHAT WHEN SATAN CANNOT SUCCEED IN DEFEATING GODS PEOPLE BY EXTERNAL ATTACK, HEALWAYS USES SUBTLE INTERNAL ATTACK AND COMPROMISE.
· WHAT IS HARDER TO UNDERSTAND ISISRAELS VULNERABILITY TO SATANS SAME AGENDA OVER AND OVER AGAIN THROUGHHISTORY. HOWEVER, THE CHURCH IS JUST ASVULNERABLE, WHICH WE WILL CONSIDER LATER.
Ø THE GOD BAAL-PEOR:
§ THE WORD BAALMEANS = MASTER OR POSSESSOR. WHEN THE ISRAELITES ENTERED THE PROMISE LAND THEY DISCOVEREDTHAT EVERY PIECE OF LAND HAD ITS OWN GOD, OR OWNER. MANY OF THE PLACE NAMES IN THE PROMISELAND HAVE THE NAME OF THE HEATHEN GOD OF THAT LAND. THEREFORE, THERE WERE MANY GODS WITHTHE NAME OF BAAL. WE SEE ONE OF THEM HERE IN NUM 25. HOWEVER, EVENTUALLY THE NAME, BAAL,CAME TO REPRESENT THE FERTILITY GOD OF THE CANAANITES. THIS SAME HEATHEN GOD IS ALSOCALLED BY OTHER NAMES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT:
· MARDUK, BEL, ANDASHTORETH.
· THROUGH ISRAELS HISTORY,THE HEATHEN GOD, BAAL, CONSTANTLY CHALLENGED THE WORSHIP OF JEHOVAH.
· BAAL FERTILITY WORSHIP INCLUDEDRELIGIOUS PROSTITUTION WITH TEMPLE PROSTITUTES AND CHILD SACRIFICE.
¨ READ NUM 25:4-9
Ø GODS EXTREME REACTION TO THE DOCTRINEOF BALAAM:
§ WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE VERYHARSH PUNISHMENT OF DEATH IS REALLY AN ACT OF MERCY BY GOD. GODS CONCERN IS FOR THECHILDREN AND THE NEXT GENERATION. THE WORSHIP OF BAAL IS A FATAL DISEASE SPIRITUALLY. GODDESTROYS THIS SPIRITUAL DISEASE BY DESTROYING THOSE GUILTY OF THIS COMPROMISE ANDPRESERVING THE NEXT GENERATION.
· WHY IS THIS DOCTRINE SODESTRUCTIVE TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD?
¨ WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL TRUTH HERE:
Ø EVENTUALLY WORLDLY COMPROMISE CAN BE FATAL.IT IS A GRADUAL SIN THAT AFFECTS YOUR LIFE, THOSE AROUND YOU, AND EVENTUALLY THE NEXTGENERATION. GRADUALLY YOU STOP WORSHIPING GOD, AND SUBTLELY YOU BEGIN WORSHIPING AT SATANSALTAR.
¨ REMEMBER WE LEARNED THAT BALAAM IS APREFIGURE OF JUDAS WHO BETRAYED JESUS. BETRAYAL ALWAYS COMES SUBTLELY FROM THE INSIDE. ITSSATANS MOST SUCCESSFUL MEANS OF ATTACK.
Ø BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE SUBTLETY OF THISKIND OF ATTACK, MANY PEOPLE HAVE SWALLOWED THE DOCTRINE BEFORE THEY REALIZETHE FINAL RESULTS.
§ (REMEMBER THE MEANING OFBALAAMS NAME!)
§ INCIDENTALLY 1COR 10:8 SAYSTHAT 23,000 DIED IN THIS PLAGUE WHILE NUMBERS 25:9 SAYS 24,000. THE NUMBER 23,000 WAS THENUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT DIED IN ONLY ONE DAY OF THE PLAGUE.
· WHAT IS THE NEW TESTAMENTSIGNIFICANCE OF THE DOCTRINE OF BALAAM?
v READ REV 2:12-17
Ø REV 2:14 IS PART OF A MESSAGE GIVEN TO THECHURCH IN PERGAMUM. THE DOCTRINE OF BALAAM IS LINKED WITH THE DOCTRINE OF THE NICOLAITANS.
§ THE WORD NICOLAITAN MEANS =TO CONQUER THE PEOPLE.
· NOTICE THAT THE LOCATION OF THISCHURCH IS WHERE SATANS THRONE WAS. WORLDLY COMPROMISE PUTS YOU INTO THE PLACE WHERE YOU ARE LIVING IN THELOCATION OF SATANS POWER AND AUTHORITY.
¨ THIS NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH IN REVELATIONPROPHETICALLY SPEAKS OF THE TIME IN CHURCH HISTORY WHERE THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH COMPROMISEDWITH THE WORLD TO THE EXTENT WHERE IT BECAME A TOOL OF SATAN. THAT HAPPENED DURING APERIOD OF CHURCH HISTORY 312 – 606 AD UNDER THE EMPEROR CONSTANTINE. CONSTANTINE MADECHRISTIANITY THE STATE RELIGION AND UNITED IT WITH MANY HEATHEN PRACTICES THAT STILL EXISTIN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TODAY.
v SUMMARY:
Ø THE EVIL DOCTRINE OF BALAAM IS SOMETHING THATIS TAUGHT. IT MAY NOT BE TAUGHT FORMALLY AS A CLASS, BUT IT IS TAUGHT BY EXAMPLE. EITHERWE TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO STAND FOR TRUTH OR BY EXAMPLE WE TEACH THEM TO COMPROMISE WITHTHE WORLD.
v APPLICATION:
Ø READ NUM 25:10-18 A STAND FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
§ PHINEAS TOOK A STAND FORRIGHTEOUSNESS, AND GOD GAVE HIM AND HIS FAMILY A COVENANT OF PEACE.
· GOD GIVES US HIS PEACE WHEN WESTAND FOR GODS PRINCIPLES EVEN WHEN OTHERS SAY WE ARE NARROW MINDED AND PREJUDICED.
§ JUDGMENT WOULD COME LATERON MIDIAN AND BALAAM FOR THEIR TREACHERY. (NUM 31)
v STEP #16 IN BECOMING A MOVE-ER IN THEKINGDOM OF GOD:
Ø STAND FIRM FOR TRUTH AGAINST INTERNAL WORLDLYCOMPROMISE.
v HOMEWORK
v NUMBERS 26 AND 27
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION OF NUM 25
Ø IN WHAT WAYS HAVE YOU BEEN COMPROMISING TRUTHBY LIVING IN WORLDLINESS?
§ REPENT AND ASK GOD TOFORGIVE YOU.
§ THANK GOD FOR HISFORGIVENESS AND DETERMINE THAT YOUR LIFE WILL STAND FOR TRUTH FROM TODAY FORWARD.
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 26 AND 27
Ø READ NUM 26
§ THERE WAS A CENSUS TAKEN ATTHE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. (CHAPTER 1) COMPARE THE 2 CENSUS TOTALS TAKEN 40YEARS APART.
· CHAPTER 1 TOTAL:
· CHAPTER 26 TOTAL:
§ WHY DO YOU THINK THEYNEEDED A NEW CENSUS?
§ WHAT CRITERIA WOULD THEYUSE TO DIVIDE THE PROMISE LAND BETWEEN THE 12 TRIBES (26:52-56)?
Ø READ NUM 27
§ CAN YOU GUESS WHY THEREQUEST OF THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD IS SO IMPORTANT?
§ WHY DO THEY NEED TO REPEATTHE LAW THAT WAS GIVEN PREVIOUSLY TO MOSES IN THE BOOKS OF EXODUS AND LEVITICUS? (DEU6:1-2)
v MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 7:14
