There is more to Balaam than just a false prophet or a prophet that wanted to curse the children of Israel but couldn’t. Have you ever really thought about the story? Balaam wanted to curse the children of Israel, and God told him not to go. Then he went back to God, and pestered Him until finally God said, “Fine,” but don’t say anything contrary to what He said. The evil king in this story gets mad because Balaam doesn’t curse the children of Israel. However, Balaam really wanted that money, so he explained to the king how to get them cursed. All this king had to do was to make sure the Israelites intermarried with other tribes, which is something they were not supposed to do, and then they would lose the favor of God on their lives. So while he didn’t curse them, he wanted to. He explained how to get the job done (Num. 22-24).
Most people assume that the story with Balaam ends there, but it doesn’t. Balaam is brought up again in the New Testament and in the book of Revelation. In fact, the reference to him in Revelation likens to him being under the throne of Satan himself. If you read all these references, you’ll find that what really upset God about this situation was Balaam’s motive. God was angry that Balaam saw the children in the desert, and he would rather curse them than help them.
So what is the takeaway from this story? Where are we in the modern Western churches that would rather gossip, backbite, slander and split up the move of God in churches than see the church come together in unity? Where are we that see our brothers and sisters in the Lord struggling, and we’d rather talk about them than love them and help them. The story of Balaam is being played out on a daily basis in churches.
What can you do so that you aren’t being influenced by a spirit or a mindset of Balaam?
- If you see someone struggling in the church, don’t choose to sit back and judge them. Get to know them. Help if you can.
- Repent for moments where you’ve acted like Balaam.
- Be a prayer warrior for people. Become their cheerleader. Encourage them to go further in God.
- Choose to be the change instead of just giving it paltry lip service.
- Realize you may not be able to help everyone, but you can help those who God places around you.
- Choose to love people—really love them.
This topic is something that I feel very strongly about. Throughout the days that Jesus was on the earth, signs, wonders and miracles happened when He was moved with compassion. Sadly, I feel we’ve become so jaded in our Westernized churches that we don’t really have compassion anymore, as a whole. But yet we cry out for the signs, wonders and miracles.
If we want to see revival and really see the Holy Spirit move in our midst, then we need to remember we are the hands and feet on the earth. We need to be moved with compassion, and then we will see heaven poured out upon the earth. It’s time we wake up and realize God wants to see an outpouring on the earth. Perhaps it’s our lack of compassion, love and genuine concern that seems to block His touch. If we will all come together and wave the banner of love instead of acting like Balaam, I believe we’ll see a revival hit this land unlike we’ve seen in our lifetimes. {eoa}
Anna M. Aquino is a published author, guest minister and prophetic voice. Her books Cursing the Church or Helping It? Exposing the Spirit of Balaam, Confessions of a Ninja Mom and An Ember In Time are available wherever books are sold. Marriage in Time is set to release in July of 2017. Please feel free to check out her website at annamaquino.com
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