. . . 15 [False prophets] forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.
We must examine the story of Balaam further because it relates further to the false prophets and teachers of Peter’s time and ours. Peter, divinely inspired, describes Balaam as “forsaking the right way,” despite any obedience or inside connection he may have had with God. Yes, even those who have been used (apparently) by God to covey His communication to people can fall off the right path. The false teachers in the church may have begun their ministries well. Some may be especially blessed by the Holy Spirit with the gifts of knowledge, wisdom, spiritual insight, prophecy, or teaching. But those do not guarantee that they are walking in the right way, using their gifts with God-centered motives. Balaam is a prime example of this.
Further, prophets (or any other spiritually gifted individuals) are not immune to the temptation to use their spiritual gifts for personal benefit. Balaam “loved the wages of unrighteousness.” After all, the king of Moab offered him great wealth for using his prophetic powers to bring down God’s curse on Israel (Num. 22:17). Money, as we all know, is a powerful motivator. Peter’s interpretation that Balaam “loved the wages” of unrighteousness reveals that the prophet succumbed to the temptation of bribery and proceeded to consent to the king’s request. The lesson here is that in the church, people can use spiritual gifts for the wrong reasons: status, prestige, to gain the praise of men. In some cases, people use their spiritual gift as a means for financial income, peddling it for personal benefit. Too often, men (and women) enter into full-time ministry simply as a career path; the larger their church and the more popular their teaching, the greater their income. Their motivations can be mixed, with a sense of God’s call integrated with some greed, as was the case with Balaam.
Over time, this mixture of motivations can lead to callousness of heart and mind, to the point where the person’s way of thinking becomes more instinctive and habitual than prayerful and spiritually motivated. Spiritual insanity creeps in where they no longer self-evaluate, the still, small voice of conscience is silenced, and the Spirit’s movement is seriously subdued. The madness Peter talks about is a spiritual irrationality, where one loses the ability to think, act and live “in the Spirit.” That is spiritual madness!
Lord, I confess to selfishly seeking spiritual gifts for my own personal benefit. Help me to use my gifts and abilities as a sacrifice in serving others.
Hi Chuck The insights that you are giving relative to the false Prophets should be spoken of more frequently. There seems to be more and more of these false Prophets emerging everywhere and everyday! The sad part is that “Christians ” are following these deceivers! We have been looking at Israel’s first King, how he prophesied in 1 Samuel 18 which I believe was pretentious even as he screamed to destroy David.
So many are being deceived by these false teachers/Prophets that some of us have to be prepared to use disclaimer in our effort to be separated, Keep up the good work my Brother.
Hello Neville, thanks for your affirming comments. We must stand guard, as Paul wrote the Ephesian elders Acts 20:28!
Blessings, Chuck