God kills Balaam and the Midianites.

By Nick Bibile

Numbers 31:7 They warred against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and killed every male. 8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. And they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.

Remember how God killed 24,000 Israelites as they got involved with Moabite women, a mixture of sex and paganism. Balaam was a Midianite, again distant cousin of Israelites. How is it that Israelites are related to Midianites? Midianites are descended from Midian. Who is Midian? Midian is the fourth son of Abraham by Keturah (Abraham's second wife, after Sarah died) Midian is the father of the Midianites

Now Balaam the Midianite had some knowledge of the true living God but lived among the

idolaters. He had a reputation to bless and to curse, that's why Balak used Balaam to curse Israelites but God did not allow that to happen, a donkey intervened by the power of God.

However Balaam was not a genuine prophet of God, it was his plan to deceive the Israelites with the Moabite women and the plague that killed 24,000 Israelites. See below.

Numbers 31:16 Behold, these, on Balaam's advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.

Apostle Peter spoke of greedy teachers, who want to make a profit out of wrongdoing, and used the example of Balaam.

2 Peter 2:14-16 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.

Then the doctrine of Balaam is mentioned in the book of Revelation, the Lord talking to the Church in Pergamum

Revelation 2:14

But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.

Balaam had a knowledge of God but his doctrine was corrupt. Remember corrupt doctrine leads to corrupt worship and corrupt worship leads to sin. Balaam wanted the Israelites to worship God in the flesh. Instead of condemning sexual immorality, sexual immorality was encouraged, trapping others to join in their idolatry, eating foods sacrificed to idols and superstition.

We need to be reminded over and over again, our God is infinitely holy and we should not compromise his word but obey his word cheerfully in worship. The Lord rebuked the Church of Pegamum as the church at Pergamos had committed spiritual ‘fornication’ in allowing people to compromise the Word of God—allowing pagan ideas to be adopted into the church.

There is no room in your heart for two thrones. You cannot mix the worship of the true God with the worship of any other god. God will not accept a divided heart. The Savior will sanctify His people, renew them, give them a hatred of sin, and a love of holiness.

Christ saves His people, not IN their sins, but FROM their sins. Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. (C.H. Spurgeon)