The Doctrine of Balaam
What exactly is the Doctrine of Balaam? It is mentioned several times in scripture as something evil and pernicious. Our Savior mentioned it in Revelation as something he hated. As we strive to please the Master in our worship and daily lives, shouldn't we try to find out what this is so we can avoid it? Do some of us already hold to this doctrine unknowingly? Let's find out what it is.
The story of Balaam is found in Numbers 22:5 through 24:25. We will look at a few of these scriptures to get to the heart of the matter.
The children of Israel were camped in the plains of Moab near Jericho and had just defeated the Amorites, who refused to let them pass through their land. Balak, the king of Moab, had seen all that Israel had done to the Amorites and was distressed because of their superior numbers. He was afraid Israel would do the same to them. So, he sent messengers with money to bribe Balaam, a prophet of Elohim, to come and curse Israel.
Num 22:6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
The word here for “curse” implies a division or diminishing of the numbers of Israel. The dividing of Israel is considered a curse and one that Yahushua will reverse when he returns.
Balaam inquired of YHWH and was told he could not go with them, that he could not curse Israel, for they are blessed. (Num. 22:12). Balaam relayed this message to Balak, who sent his princes again to Balaam with a better offer. Balaam, whose heart really desired the reward, told the men to spend the night there while he went to inquire “again” of YHWH to see if he could get Him to change His mind. YHWH came to him in the night and told him that if the men came to call him, to rise up and go with them, but that he was to speak only what YHWH instructed him to say. So Balaam rose up in the morning and went with the princes of Moab. The anger of YHWH was kindled because he went and the angel of YHWH stood in the way to slay him. We are all familiar with the conversation Balaam carried on with his donkey. But why did YHWH tell him to go ahead and go and then get angry with him because he did? It was because YHWH had already made his will known to Balaam, yet Balaam's desire for reward and great honor showed what was truly in his heart. He desired the things of man more than the things of YHWH. This is why the angel of YHWH who sought to slay him said his way was perverse before him.
We recall that each time Balak tried to get Balaam to curse Israel, he instead prophesied and pronounced a blessing on them. Finally, Balak gave up and they departed, going their separate ways.
Before Balaam left, however, he instructed the king how he might accomplish what he was unable to do by trying to curse Israel. We see in Numbers 25:1-3 that Israel remained in Shittim and began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab and began to eat meat sacrificed to idols and bow down before them. We are told in 2 Pet. 2:15 that it was Balaam who caused Israel to sin.
2Pe 2:15, 16 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
We will come back to this later to find out who Peter is referring to, but first, let's continue to find out what is the Doctrine of Balaam.
From a careful reading of the story of Balaam, we see that he attempted and was later successful in getting Israel to sin. Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness, he tested YHWH, his ways were perverse and he offered sacrifices to YHWH on heathen altars on the high places of Baal. He later caused Israel to eat meat sacrificed to idols and bow down to other gods, and to commit fornication with the daughters of Moab. All of these things were a violation of Torah! Therefore, the Doctrine of Balaam is an anti-Torah teaching which causes the people to ignore the teaching of Moses and the prophets.
Jer 9:13, 14 And YHWH saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein; But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim,which their fathers taught them:
Yahushua repeatedly warned the “churches” in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 against the doctrine of Balaam. I believe the characteristics of these churches are found in many of the “Christian churches” of today. Speaking of the assembly of Pergamos, Yahushua said:
Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
The word translated “stumblingblock” is the Greek word “Skandalon” meaning a “snare”.
And to the “church” of Thyatira, Yahushua says:
Rev 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
This is the doctrine of Balaam taught by a woman pastor or self-proclaimed prophetess.
To the assembly of Sardis, he instructs them to hold fast to the doctrine they had first received and heard.
Many Christian churches are guilty of teaching that the Messiah came to do away with the Torah. They teach that the church has replaced Israel, thereby diminishing Israel. They have changed the Sabbath and do not observe the Feasts nor clean food laws. They have adopted pagan customs in place of those proclaimed by the Almighty Himself. They are preaching another Yahushua and a Torah-less gospel, the error of Balaam.
Jud 1:3, 4 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our Elohim into lasciviousness, and denying the only Master YHWH, and our Master Yahushua.
They have changed the grace of YHWH into a license to sin and contradict YHWH and His Son. Most Bible versions translate the Greek word “arneomai” as “deny”. But, it can as easily be translated “contradict”, which makes more sense. Most of these men don't deny Yahushua, but they do contradict him. When he began his ministry, in his very first sermon, he declared he did not come to abolish the Torah, which contradicts what these unrighteous men claim.
Mat 5:17-19 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (as promised by the Torah) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Come to pass). Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Who, then, are the ones that teach the law or Torah has been abolished? Let's go back to 2 Peter chapter 2 for the answer.
Pe 2:1-3 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying (contradicting) the Master that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of
truth shall be evil spoken of. (The Torah is truth - Ps. 119:142, Jn 17:17)And through covetousness (greed) shall they with feigned (false) words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
These are false teachers who have crept into our assemblies, bringing in false doctrines that contradict the Messiah himself. They profit financially from the sheep by preaching a prosperity gospel, that gain is godliness. These are they:
2Pe 2:15, 16 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
The word “iniquity” here is the Greek word “paranomia” from Strongs #'s 3892 and 3891which means to be opposed to law, that is, to transgress: - contrary to law (Torah).
They loved the wages of unrighteousness, preaching a Torah-less gospel for monetary gain and prestige.
2Pe 2:17-19 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, (emptiness) they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
It is through obedience to the Torah and our savior that we have freedom or liberty from sin. You can't have it any other way. The very definition of sin is the transgression of Torah (1 John 3:4).
There will be those ministers who stand before Yahushua on judgement day to give an account of their lives. They thought they had done many wonderful works in Yahushua's Name. They will be horrified to hear that he never knew them, they that work “iniquity” or Torah-less-ness (Mt. 7:23). These will be cast into the lake of fire. Others who teach the law has been abolished will be called “least” in the kingdom of heaven. Perhaps, the distinction here will be the motives of the heart. One may be preaching a false Torah-less gospel for personal greed and gain and the other may preach it out of ignorance with a pure heart.
The Apostle Paul warned us several times to hold fast to the doctrine we heard from him and the other apostles. Think about it for a moment, Paul strictly observed Torah. He always kept the Sabbath and never ate unclean foods. He steadfastly kept YHWH's Feasts and never took part in any of the pagan celebrations. In fact, none of the early assemblies ever celebrated Christmas and Easter. These abominations came about over 300 years later when “Christianity” became a separate religion and another gospel began to be preached. If Paul kept Torah, why would he teach us it was abolished? It is when we begin to ask these questions that we become aware that something is terribly wrong with what we have been taught.
A teacher has an awesome responsibility to make sure what he teaches is truth. From my studies on this subject, I find the false teacher or pastor will bear a huge responsibility for what he teaches. They are the Pharisees of our day.
Mat 15:8-14 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both fall into the ditch.
Most people who read in Revelation what the Messiah said about hating the Doctrine of Balaam just assume it was something that the first century assemblies had to deal with. We don't eat meat sacrificed to idols or commit fornication anymore, they say. They don't realize that those were only some of the results of Balaam's error. The Doctrine of Balaam is a belief system that teaches disobedience to YHWH's statutes and commandments.
Sadly to say, this doctrine is alive and well in most of the mainstream denominations of today. Most are not even aware that by their rejection of Torah, they commit the error of Balaam and incur the displeasure of our Savior. It's time to expose this doctrine and to tell them the truth.
Brick Parrish
Nov 04
