Balaam

Bottom line

The ends does not justify the means in God’s kingdom.

Opening Line

I have a loaded question for you this morning, and I am sure I am going to get a little push back on this one, but we are starting here regardless. So here is the question I want you to ponder this morning. Do the ends justify the means? If the end result of something is positive, does it really matter how we got there?

Introduction

I have a couple illustrations for you this morning to really get the gears going on this point. The first one comes from WWII, which I thought was appropriate with Remembrance Day tomorrow.

During World War II, some individuals helped others escape the grip of oppression, such as those who hid Jews. While their actions were life-saving, it’s essential to recognize that the motivations varied. Some acted out of pure compassion, while others sought to defy authority. Though the outcome was positive, the reason behind their actions highlighted a complex moral landscape: doing right but for different reasons can shape our stories.

Here’s another example:

In the realm of business, a CEO decided to implement environmentally friendly practices after being called out by the media for poor practices. While their subsequent efforts to clean up the brand were beneficial, the underlying motivation was fear of bad publicity rather than a true commitment to sustainability. This serves as a reminder that the right actions can still lack authenticity if not rooted in true intention.

Here’s one from scripture:

Consider the story of King Saul in the Old Testament. He performed sacrifices to God, a noble act, intended to seek favor while preparing for battle. However, his motivation was rooted in fear of losing his power rather than genuine obedience to God. This resulted in his rejection as king. This serves as a warning: when we do something good for the wrong reasons, we risk losing our way entirely.

Let’s not forget Judas Iscariot. It was his betrayal of Jesus that got the ball rolling on our redemption. Does that justify the betrayal?

Main Point

My point is that in our culture, the approach taken to most things is just this. As long as we get a favorable outcome, who really cares how we got there? But when it comes to the church, and more importantly the kingdom of God, our heavenly Father is is less concerned about the destination in life and more concerned about the journey. It is why you are told in Matthew 6 that you shouldn’t worry about tomorrow, but focus on today because today has enough problems. God is more concerned about the journey then the destination, because it is Him who ultimately determines the destination.

Why it matters

If you begin to focus on the journey, you will be less likely to take shortcuts or make concessions along the way. If you give your all to the journey, you stop missing the finer details of the day to day.

Scripture

Jude 11 NLT

What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.

Last week we talked about Cain, and this week we are onto Balaam. If you don’t know the story of Balaam, you are in for a treat this morning because this is such a fascinating, yet weird story. It is certainly one of the most memorable, even making the cut into some children’s bible. But there are some detail in this story that need to be unpacked because at face value, they can be confusing.

We are in Numbers 22 this morning. I am going to breeze through portions of the story for the sake of time, and I encourage you to go back and get the finer details later on in this day.

Numbers 22 begins with Balak, king of Moab looking over the nation of Israel with fear. The Israelites have just defeated the Amorites and are now on his doorstep. So he has this idea. He sends messengers to Balaam with this message:

Numbers 22:5–6 NLT

sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor, who was living in his native land of Pethor near the Euphrates River. His message said: “Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and are threatening me. Please come and curse these people for me because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse.”

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In those days, a king would hire someone called a diviner to come and bless or curse someone, and there was typically a fee associated with that kind of service. The idea was that a curse or blessing was considered irrevocable. So the messengers arrive, and Balaam says this to them.

Numbers 22:8 NLT

“Stay here overnight,” Balaam said. “In the morning I will tell you whatever the Lord directs me to say.” So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam.

To the average reader of scripture this seems OK. Balaam uses the name of God when he says he must inquire. The language sounds like any other prophet of God. However, this is where Balaam’s intentions are revealed. A true prophet would have seen the money and sent the men away immediately. There is no inquiry needed because a prophet was not someone to be hired. Balaam is not like other prophets. The appeal of money is great enough that he is entertaining the idea. But this is what happens.

Numbers 22:9–12 NLT

That night God came to Balaam and asked him, “Who are these men visiting you?” Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent me this message: ‘Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come and curse these people for me. Then perhaps I will be able to stand up to them and drive them from the land.’ ” But God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!”

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God says no. The people of Israel are already blessed and there is nothing that is going to change that. This is not your run of the mill blessing, this is God Almighty blessing resting on these people.

So Balaam tells the messengers he can’t go because God will not allow him to go. However, Balak is desperate. So he sends more men, and this time people of prestige. One commentator said it was the VIPs coming with their Mercedes and fancy clothes. Men of significance.

Now, just out of curiosity, how many times has God changed His mind on decisions that He has made? None to my recollection. Yet these VIPs arrive and Balaam goes back to God again, asking if he should go.

Numbers 22:20 NLT

That night God came to Balaam and told him, “Since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.”

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What is going on here? Why did God say he could go? Because Balaam has lost focus. He is sees the men of prestige and he sees the wealth that he could gain, and there’s a good chance he’s going to go, regardless of God’s response. But Balaam’s going has a concession: he can only do what God tells him to do. Is God going to tell Balaam to curse Israel? No. If he doesn’t curse Israel, is he going to get paid? No. So why is he going? Because he’s been blinded by the money. So here’s how the story goes.

Numbers 22:21–30 NLT

So the next morning Balaam got up, saddled his donkey, and started off with the Moabite officials. But God was angry that Balaam was going, so he sent the angel of the Lord to stand in the road to block his way. As Balaam and two servants were riding along, Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. The donkey bolted off the road into a field, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood at a place where the road narrowed between two vineyard walls. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it tried to squeeze by and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again. Then the angel of the Lord moved farther down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all. This time when the donkey saw the angel, it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal again with his staff. Then the Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” it asked Balaam. “You have made me look like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!” “But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?” “No,” Balaam admitted.

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A talking donkey! That’s amazing! You don’t see that everyday!

But let’s rewind first. Did God really want Balaam to go? No, He didn’t. If He did, God probably wouldn’t have sent the angel with the sword to stop him. The donkey can see it, and is trying it’s best to stay away from the sword wielding divine being. Balaam is so blind to what is happening around him, so determined to get to Balak, that he doesn’t consider there is a reason these redirects are happening. Just sees a bump in the road, an inconvenience, and beats the donkey because of it, despite the donkey’s apparent faithful track record.

What is the point in all of this? Balaam was supposed to turn around. He never should have gone in the first place. This is one of those, go ahead, but you’re not going to like how this turns out.

Balaam presses on, and gets to Balak. This is what happens. Balak and Balaam offer sacrifices to God, no doubt trying to win God’s favor. Three times they do this, and three times Balaam opens his mouth and professes blessing over Israel. Does he get paid? Nope! He went all that way for nothing, except now he has angered a local king, which only ever turns out good, right?

Transition to Application

Balaam was motivated, even blinded by money. Even though he ultimately blessed Israel, he still held as what not to do, and even ended being killed in one of Israel’s conquests. Jude warns against false teachers, whose motivation for doing what they’re doing is to deceive people out of their hard earned money.

Main To Do

So what motivates you to do good things? Do you come to church to connect with God and His people, or to keep up appearances? Do you give because you believe in practicing generosity, or to get the tax receipt at the end of the year? Do you serve because you want to help people, or because of how it makes you feel? What motivates you? Ask yourself this, and journal the answer.

Why it matters

Depending on what motivates you will dictate how much opposition and trial you will endure to keep doing it. If your motives are pure, then nothing can stop you from being involved and doing it the right way. If your motives aren’t pure, then you will either give up too quickly, or you will take shortcuts to get where you need to go.

Now I want take this a step further. Let’s say you do a little personal inventory, and you discover that you got involved with something for the wrong reasons, but you know its a good thing to be a part of and you really feel called to it. Then ask God to change your motivations. Ask God to change your reason. Just because you got into a ministry or group for the wrong reasons doesn’t mean you have to stay for the wrong reasons. You can be honest with God and ask Him to change your heart. If that is you, there’s a good chance He is already changing your heart. Just let him do it.

Closing Line

Discussion Questions

How can we better evaluate our motivations when seeking to serve in the church?

In what ways can we ensure that our actions align with God's will rather than our personal desires?

What steps can we take to ask God to change our hearts when our motivations are not pure?

How does understanding the importance of the journey affect your daily walk with God?

What practices can help us remain mindful of our motivations in our everyday decisions?