They have rushed…into Balaam’s error. (Jude 11, NIV 1984).
My Musings – Balaam refused to curse Israel. “How can I curse those whom God has not cursed?” (Numbers 23:8, NIV 1984). But he was not above teaching “Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.” (Revelation 2:14, NIV 1984). And so, “the men [of Israel] began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them.” (Numbers 25:1–3, NIV 1984).
Satan is powerless against the Church. So how can he bring down God’s disfavor upon it? Balaam’s error is Satan’s tactic. Get the Church to stray off course and abandon sound doctrine and the moral law contained in God’s Word.. The Church has fought against many heresies over the course of its history. Straying so far off course at one time that it required Reformation.
Today, parts of the “Church” have strayed so far off course, teaching things that it ought not teach and embracing many of the world’s values, that a second Reformation is needed. Will it come? Is there a strong enough and committed enough remnant remaining to turn back the tide? Or are the “days of Noah” upon us?
My Advice – Be part of the remnant. Like in the days of Elijah, where God had reserved a remnant “whose knees [had] not bowed down to [unsound doctrine] and all whose mouths have not kissed [worldly values].” (1 Kings 19:18, NIV 1984).
