Dr Paul Allen

Balaam and the angel, painting from Gustav Jaeger, 1836. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal ; that ye may know the righteousness of the LORD.” ( Micah 6:5 ) Three New Testament writers have left us sober warnings concerning Balaam. Peter warned against “the way of Balaam”; Jude against “the error of Balaam”; and John against “the doctrine of Balaam” ( 2 Peter2:15 ; Jude 1:11 ; Revelation 2:14 ). God evidently considers these warnings necessary and appropriate for Christians even today. Yet Balaam, in his day, was a genuine prophet (note 2 Peter 2:16 ), possessed great knowledge concerning God, and even received direct revelations from God. What, therefore, were his way, his error, and his doctrine? “The way of Balaam” was a readiness to prostitute his high spiritual gifts and privileges for “the wages of unrighteousness” (v. 15); being willing to preach...

The Prophet Balaam and the Ass, by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1626. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Holy Spirit was not only able to deal with Moses and the people of Israel ; He was able to deal with their enemies as well. To reach the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho, the Israelites went around the country of Moab. Then they moved north and won great victories over the people of Gilead and Bashan on the east side of the Jordan River . King Balak was afraid he would be next ( Numbers 22:2, 3). He was wrong, of course; the next step would be for Israel to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land; but Balak did not know that. He did realize, however, that Israel did not win their victories because of superior numbers or equipment. It had to be what Israel was saying it was: their God was with them. Balak determined, therefore, that the only way to stop Israel was to turn their God against them. So he sent messengers in all directions looking for someone who had power with J...

Planets of the Solar System (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “[They are] wandering stars , to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.” ( Jude 1:13 ) This short reference is somewhat enigmatic. The five “wandering stars” of Mercury, Venus , Mars , Jupiter , and Saturn were clearly known in Jude’s day, and their behavior had been plotted for many centuries. The Bible also uses “stars” as figures of speech for angelic beings in Job and Revelation. It is clear in context that Jude is referencing ungodly people, most likely influential leaders in the churches who are damaging and defiling the work of the Kingdom. The particular focus of this example is that they are “reserved” for a “blackness of darkness for ever.” Earlier, Jude cited “the angels which kept not their first estate” as being “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day” (v. 6). Peter alludes to the same punishment of “angels that sinned” who were delivered “into chains of ...

The First Mourning (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain , and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.” ( Jude 1:11 ) Jude compares the awful examples of three Old Testament characters to leaders in the New Testament church who have used their influence for evil. Cain was the first child of Adam and Eve and had every opportunity to excel. Yet he chose a “way” that not only ended in the horrible murder of his brother but also resulted in an entire culture in rebellion against God . The murder was preceded by a flagrant disobedience that was expressed when the family came to offer their sacrifices to the Creator. Cain brought an offering of the “fruit” of his own labor from tilling the ground. Abel’s offering was a “firstling” from the flock that he kept ( Genesis 4:3-5 ). Why did God “respect” Abel’s offering and not Cain’s? God’s commentary on this event ( Hebrews 11:4 ) tells us tha...

Balaam and the angel, painting from Gustav Jaeger, 1836. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Woe unto them! for they . . . ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward.” ( Jude 1:11 ) Balaam is a very complex character recorded in Numbers 22–24. He is cited for an ability to communicate with “the LORD” and had a reputation for accurate prophecy ( Numbers 22:6-8 ). As the new nation of Israel traveled northward into the Sinai Peninsula , Balak the king of Moab became worried that Israel would subjugate his nation and recruited Balaam to curse them. Balaam “loved the wages of unrighteousness” ( 2 Peter 2:15 ) but was astute enough to know that he could not talk God into doing anything God did not want to do! But even though Balaam was aware of the dangers of getting involved on the wrong side of God’s work, he wormed and squirmed through several interchanges with God until he was finally allowed to go. “God’s anger was kindled” at the stubbornness of this man, and the famous in...

Balaam, the Angel and the Ass; Woodcut from the Nuremberg Chronicle (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “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?” ( Numbers 22:28 ) This tale of a donkey talking has been the object of great ridicule by skeptics. That it is not an allegory or fable, however, but a real historical event was confirmed in the New Testament by the apostle Peter ( 2 Peter 2:15-16 ). There is no naturalistic explanation for it, of course, but to insist that the event was impossible is simply to deny the power of God . Such miracles of creation are very rare, however, and there must always be a good reason when God intervenes in the laws which normally govern His creation. One reason in this case, obviously, was to rebuke the prophet Balaam, who was resisting God’s will simply for monetary gain. Balaam’s voice itself would soon also have to be constrained and controlled by God to ...

The Holy Spirit as a dove in the Annunciation by Rubens, 1628 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Scriptures say that when God spoke to Moses , the people saw thunder and lightning, heard the trumpet, and beheld the mountain in smoke, and so they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “ ‘You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die’ ” (Ex. 20:18–19).  People who want God to speak directly to them without mediation don’t know what they are asking for. More than that, they don’t know what they are missing. Scripture is an incomparable gift from God. The fundamental fact in all revelation is that it is from God—He is the “Divine Giver.  However, those who over-emphasize spiritual gifts often overlook the more important and enduring gift of God’s Word. In the Scriptures, God has bestowed a wonderful treasure on the church, a gift of immeasurable worth. It would be hard to overestimate the value of this gift sin...

Early Christians celebrating Communion at an Agape Feast, from the Catacomb of Ss. Peter and Marcellinus. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit , whom He has given us (Rom. 5:5). The fruit of the Spirit : Paul lists the fruit in Galatians 5:22–23. Love is listed first as the preeminent fruit of the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 13 , Paul magnifies love over faith, hope, and spiritual gifts . God sometimes gives spiritual gifts to those who are not truly His, as we see in the case of Balaam ’s prophecies in Numbers 22–24 and in the case of the healings wrought by Judas when he was sent out by Jesus with the other disciples. Unless these gifts and talents are accompanied by love of God and love for God, they are ultimately of no value to the gifted person, though they may be used by God to help others. Love, in the sense spoken of by Paul, is uniquely Christian. The Greek word for it is...