Chapter 21
BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS AND TEACHERS
(Matthew 7:15-23)
Before we begin let us pray and ask for our Lord's blessing upon this study of His Word,
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in Jesus Christ's holy Name. Father we thank You for this day and we thank You for this time with You and Your Word. Father please open our eyes, our ears and our hearts so we can better understand Your Word and come to a better understanding of You and Your ways. Father please grant us the discernment to know who You have sent to us and those You have not. We ask this for Your Holy Name's sake.
Amen
Let us begin by reading the following text for the theme of this study. It is in,
Matthew 7:15-23
[15]Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. [16] By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. [21] "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' [23] Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
To receive additional insight into what we have just read will explore or examine in a bit more depth the following areas relative to the above teaching.
With this short introduction let us begin by exploring,
THE FRUITS WE ARE NOT TO US TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT A PROPHET OR TEACHER HAS BEEN SENT BY GOD
The first fruit or test we are not to use to determine who has been sent by God is,
A LARGE FOLLOWING OR CONGREGATION
In reading the New Testament we find that when Jesus healed the sick, performed miracles and fed the multitude, crowds of people followed Him. In fact Jesus made this observation after He fed the 5.000. His observation is recorded in,
John 6:26
"[26] Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill."
Jesus was telling the people they were only following Him for what He could or would do for them. In other words, Jesus told them they were not following Him for what the miraculous signs He performed were signifying. Specifically, Jesus told them they were not following Him because the signs He did were bearing witness to the fact that He is the Son of God. He told them the only reason they followed Him was for what he could do for them.
The truth of what Jesus said to the people became very evident after Jesus told them that He came from Heaven to give them eternal life. To teach them this truth, Jesus told them that He is the Bread of life and those who eat this Bread, namely be devoted to Him, would posses eternal life. Upon hearing these words many of those who were following Him left. To see this let us read from,
John 6:60-66
"[60] On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" [61] Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? [62] What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! [63] The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. [64] Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. [65] He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." [66] From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him."
Thus, we discover that Jesus, who was clearly sent by God the Father, after He preached and taught the essence of the Gospel lost many of His followers.
As we read further in the New Testament we find that the Apostle Paul reminded Timothy that he too experienced a large number of people that deserted him. To see this let us read from,
2 Timothy 1:15
"[15] You know that everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes."
And again in,
2 Timothy 4:14-16
"[14] Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. [15] You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. [16] At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them."
On the other hand, we find many non Christian teachings, such as Islam, Buddhism, etc., and many heretical cults, such as Jehovah Witness, the Latter Day Saints, etc., have very large followings or congregations. Thus, we discover that a large congregation or following is not the fruit that illustrates whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent by God.
If this is the case then what about,
SIGN AND WONDERS?
As we saw with the case of Jesus, at times God will use signs and wonders to bear witness to a person who has been sent by Him. However, the sign and wonders in of themselves are not to be used as the sole determining factor. The reason for this is that periodically the Bible teaches us that at the hand of a false prophet, sorcerer, enchanter, etc. great signs and wonders may be produced. To warn us about falling into this trap, Jesus teaches us that false prophets and false christs would perform great signs and wonders before the Roman army would come to destroy the Temple and before His second coming. To read what He said let us go to,
Matthew 24:24-25
"[24] For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. [25] See, I have told you ahead of time."
What about,
ELOQUENT SPEECH?
To address this question let us read what the Apostle Paul said in regards to the time he spent teaching and preaching in Corinth. It is recorded for us in,
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
"[1] When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. [2] For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. [3] I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. [4] My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, [5] so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."
Let us notice the following verses,
1 Paul did not preach or teach with excellent speech.
3 When Paul taught or preached in Corinth he did it in fear and trembling. In other words Paul did not preach or teach as a great and eloquent orator.
4 Paul's preaching and teaching was not with persuasive words motivated by human wisdom or logic. Instead, Paul relied upon the Holy Spirit to speak and work through him.
5 The reason a true prophet or teacher of God relies upon the Holy Spirit to speak and work through them is so that the people's faith would not rest upon the flawed wisdom of man but in God and His power.
Clearly eloquent speech is not the fruit to determine whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent by God.
How about,
PROPERITY,MATERIAL SUCCESS AND POPULARITY?
Are these the fruits we should be looking for? To address this question let us read what Paul boasted about to demonstrate his commitment to Jesus and the preaching and teaching of His Gospel. They are recorded in,
2 Corinthians 11:16-31
"[16] I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. [17] In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. [18] Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. [19] You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! [20] In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or pushes himself forward or slaps you in the face. [21] To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! What anyone else dares to boast about--I am speaking as a fool--I also dare to boast about. [22] Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. [23] Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. [24] Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. [25] Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, [26] I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. [27] I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. [28] Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. [29] Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? [30] If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. [31] The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying."
In reading the above tribulations Paul experienced for preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ we discover the truth of what Jesus said would happen to those whom He sent. Jesus' words on this subject are recorded in,
John 15:18-21
""[18] If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. [19] If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. [20] Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. [21] They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me."
Hence, we see that financial prosperity or material success or popularity are not the fruits we should use to determine whether or not a prophet or teacher is from God.
If a large following, signs/wonders, eloquent speech, prosperity and/or popularity are not the fruits by which we are to test and determine who has or has not been sent by God, then what are they?
The Bible teaches us that there are at least three tests or fruits that are to be used to determine whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent by God. These tests are:
With this in mind, let us now begin our study of,
THE FRUITS THAT WE ARE TO USE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT A PROPHET OR TEACHER HAS BEEN SENT BY GOD
The first fruit or test we are to use is that,
THE SPIRIT OF THE PROPHET OR TEACHER MUST BEAR WITNESS TO JESUS CHRIST
With respect to the test of bearing witness to Jesus Christ, the spirit must bear witness to the fact that: (1) Jesus is Lord, (2) Jesus came in the flesh and (3) Jesus is our savior.
To insure that the prophet or teacher has been sent by God, Jesus Christ must be proclaimed Lord. The reason for this is recorded in,
1 Corinthians 12:1-3
"[1] Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. [2] You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. [3] Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit."
As we reflect upon the above Scriptures, we must be careful to remember that the words of the Bible are spirit and not to be taken carnally. Consider what Jesus said in,
John 6:63
"[63] The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."
In other words just because someone says the words, "Jesus is Lord" does not mean their spirit said, "Jesus is Lord." To illustrate this point, let us consider some of the ways a person can tell you that they love you.
The list goes on. Thus, for this and all other tests we must listen to or hear what the spirit is saying. In other words, the whole being and circumstance created by the individual or individuals must bear witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
The second criteria for a person to bear witness to Jesus Christ is that their spirit must bear witness to the fact that Jesus Christ came to earth in human flesh. To see this, consider,
1 John 4:1-3
"[1] Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. [2] This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, [3] but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."
This test will normally expose the deceptions created through teachers and prophets that will acknowledge Jesus as a great prophet or teacher, but will not acknowledge Him as God.
The third and last test relative to bearing witness to our Lord Jesus Christ, is that the spirit must proclaim that Jesus Christ is the one and only Savior of mankind (see Chapter 20). To see this let us consider,
1 John 2:22-23
"[22] Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist--he denies the Father and the Son. [23] No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also."
Let us notice the following verses,
22 To help better understand the implications of this verse, we must remember that Jesus' title of: "The Christ" means "The Messiah" or "The Anointed One." We must also remember in this position of "The Messiah: or "The Christ", He (Jesus) is the only way to God the Father (see John 14:6 and Acts 4:12). Thus, when one denies that Jesus is "The Christ", in effect the spirit within that person is saying that Jesus is not the one and only savior of mankind.
As one reflects upon this test, we can see that it will expose the deception of any prophet or teacher that teaches or implies all religions lead us to God. It also reveals the deception of the teaching that states that there are many paths to salvation.
The second test or fruit we are to use to determine whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent by God is that,
THE SPIRIT OF THE PROPHET OR TEACHER MUST BEAR WITNESS TO THE GOSPEL
Paul clearly identifies this test when he admonished the church in Galatia for following teachings that were not consistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His admonition is recorded in,
Galatians 1:6-9
"[6] I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- [7] which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. [8] But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! [9] As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!"
Let us notice the following verses,
8-9 In other words, anyone who preaches or teaches a Gospel that deviates from the one presented in the Bible has not been sent by God. This instruction is so important and serious that to insure we get the message, the Holy Spirit repeats it. Thus, it is in our best interests to heed His warning.
I would like to point out that this test will expose the deception of any prophet or teacher who takes us away from following sound Biblically based teachings or doctrines.
The third and last test or fruit we are to use in our determination of whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent from God is that,
THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE TO BE PRESENT AND GROWING IN THEIR LIVES
This raises the question as to: "What are these fruits of the Holy Spirit we are to look for?" We get a hint to what these fruits are by reading again what Jesus said about the false prophets and teachers in Matthew 7:21-23. Since I believe the New King James Version of the Bible provides a clearer translation for this portion of Jesus' sermon, it is from this translation that is quoted below.
Matthew 7:21-23
""[21] Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. [22] Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name and done many wonders in Your name?' [23] And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"
In other words, if a prophet or teacher was sent by God they would be doing His will and not be practicing lawlessness, which is habitual sin. Perhaps another way to see this is by noting that those who claim to be sent by God would love Him and love those to whom God sent them to. To see this let us read from,
1 John 5:1-3
"[1] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. [2] This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. [3] This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,"
Let us notice the following verses,
1(a) Whoever believes Jesus is the Christ is born of God.
1(b) Those who are God's love God and those who are His, that is His children.
2-3 This is the way to know if we love God and His children is whether or not we truly desire to keep and obey His commandments.
Another way to see this is by noting that those who have been sent by God love Him with all their heart, strength and mind. In addition, they love God's children as they love themselves. Thus, in them Jesus' two commandments are being fulfilled. To read these commandments let us go and read how Jesus answered a lawyers' question of: "Which is the greatest commandment?" Jesus' response to the lawyer is recorded in,
Matthew 22:37-40
"[37] Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.""
It is noted that it is this love for God and His children that enabled the Apostle Paul to endure all the sufferings, hardships and persecutions that came his way for preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Hence, it was not the trials and tribulations in themselves that bore witness to Paul's Apostleship but it was his love for God and God's children.
As one reflects upon the above teaching one might ask, "How can a person do this?" (or) "How can a person be filled with the love and power to live this way?" The answer to these questions is simply by walking in the Holy Spirit and allowing His fruits to come forth from within us. To see this let us read from,
Galatians 5: 16-17
"[16] So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. [17] For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want."
Let us notice the following verses,
16 If we yield to, that is give God the Holy Spirit control of our lives, His love will flow from within us. This in turn will prevent us from gratifying our sinful nature. As a result, we will be fulfilling all the requirements of the Law.
17 Our sinful nature wants to do things that are contrary to the desires of the Holy Spirit, that is gratify self. Whereas, the Holy Spirit wants to do things that are contrary to the desires of our sinful nature. This is the Christian conflict.
To help us determine when or when we are not walking or living by the Spirit, our God provides us with some examples of the two types of fruits. Thus, when we examine the fruit of our lives with those that follow we will be able to determine when we are yielding to our sinful nature and when we are yielding to the Holy Spirit.
First there are the fruits of our sinful nature. These are described in part in,
Galatians 5:19-21
"[19] The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Let us pay particular attention to the stern warning in verse 21. Specifically, if a person continues to live their life under the control of their sinful nature, they will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
In contrast to the sinful nature, let us now read about of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Some of His fruits are provided for us in,
Galatians 5:22-23
"[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Let us notice that in verse 23 we discover that if a person lives their life under the control of the Holy Spirit, they will be fulfilling God's righteous laws. Just as Jesus said, He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. For the born again believers in Jesus Christ God's laws and statutes are being fulfilled for them by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Hence when we yield our lives to the Holy Spirit we will find the following to be true,
Galatians 5:24
"[24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires."
Consequently, the lives of the prophets and teachers that have been sent by God should mimic that of the Apostle Paul as he described it in,
Galatians 2:20
"[20] I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
SUMMARY
In summary then, the fruits that Jesus Christ instructs us to use to determine whether or not a person has been sent by Him are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. The reason for this is because,
1 Corinthians 12:3(b)
"[3] and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit."
2 Peter 1:20-21
"[20] Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. [21] For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."
Galatians 5:16
"[16] So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
Why? Why is it so important for us to determine whether or not a prophet or teacher has been sent by God? The importance of this determination is realized by noting that at times a false prophet or teacher can speak or teach God's Word. However, since they have not been sent by God and hence are not motivated by their love for God or His people, this false minister will eventually lead his followers away from God and God's commandments. To see this let us explore,
THE EXAMPLE OF BALAAM
We begin our study of the Old Testament prophet Balaam by noting that during the Israel's exodus from Egypt they came to the land of Moab. Since the population of the nation of Israel was great,
BALAK OF MOAB FEARED ISRAEL
This is recorded for us in,
Numbers 22:1-6
"[1] Then the Israelites traveled to the plains of Moab and camped along the Jordan across from Jericho. [2] Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, [3] and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites. [4] The Moabites said to the elders of Midian, "This horde is going to lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field." So Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, [5] sent messengers to summon Balaam son of Beor, who was at Pethor, near the River, in his native land. Balak said: "A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. [6] Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed.""
Let us notice the following verses,
3-4 Balak, the king of the Moabites, was afraid that the nation of Israel would destroy his land and peoples.
5-6 Balak sent messengers to Balaam to explain the situation to him and ask him to come and place a curse upon Israel. Balak also knew that Balaam was a prophet. He knew this because whoever Balaam blessed was blessed and whoever Balaam cursed was cursed.
Thus we read that,
THE ELDERS OF MOAB WENT TO BRING BALAAM TO BALAK SO A CURSE WOULD BE PLACED UPON ISRAEL
To see this let us read from,
Numbers 22:7-14
"[7] The elders of Moab and Midian left, taking with them the fee for divination. When they came to Balaam, they told him what Balak had said. [8] "Spend the night here," Balaam said to them, "and I will bring you back the answer the LORD gives me." So the Moabite princes stayed with him. [9] God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men with you?" [10] Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: [11] 'A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.'" [12] But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed." [13] The next morning Balaam got up and said to Balak's princes, "Go back to your own country, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you." [14] So the Moabite princes returned to Balak and said, "Balaam refused to come with us.""
Let us notice the following verses,
7 The elders brought to Balaam money for him to prophesy.
8 After listening to the news brought by the elders, Balaam told them that he would tell them whatever God told him.
12 God told Balaam not to go to Balak and put a curse upon the nation of Israel. In fact, God told Balaam that Israel was blessed.
13 It is interesting to note that Balaam did not tell the elders that Israel was blessed. Balaam only told them that he was not to go with them to Balak.
Balaam's refusal to go with the elders to Balak was not cheerfully accepted by the king. Therefore, in an effort to change Balaam's mind
BALAK SENT A MORE PRESTIGIOUS GROUP OF PEOPLE TO PERSUADE BALAAM TO COME AROUND TO THE KINGS POINT OF VIEW
We find this by reading from,
Numbers 22:15-21
"[15] Then Balak sent other princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. [16] They came to Balaam and said: "This is what Balak son of Zippor says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, [17] because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me." [18] But Balaam answered them, "Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the LORD my God. [19] Now stay here tonight as the others did, and I will find out what else the LORD will tell me." [20] That night God came to Balaam and said, "Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you." [21] Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab."
Let us notice the following verses,
16-17 Balaam was told that if he cursed Israel, Balak promised to handsomely bless and honor him. In other words, Balaam was told that if he cursed Israel the king would give him a very prestigious position within the kingdom and grant him lots of wealth.
19 Already knowing God's will, Balaam returned to seek God. One can only assume that Balaam did this with the hope that God would change mind and allow him to go to Balak and put a curse upon Israel.
20 This time God told Balaam that he could go to Balak with the stipulation that Balaam was to only do what God told him to do.
21 Balaam, along with the princes of Moab, headed out to Balak.
On the way to Balak,
BALAAM'S DONKEY SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
To see what happened let us read from,
Numbers 22:22-30
"[22] But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. [23] When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road. [24] Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides. [25] When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat her again. [26] Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. [27] When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff. [28] Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?" [29] Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now." [30] The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" "No," he said."
Let us notice the following verses,
22 God was very angry with Balaam and sent the Angel of the Lord to oppose him.
23-27 On the way to Balak Balaam's donkey was allowed to see the Angel of the Lord with His sword drawn. Consequently, to preserve the life of Balaam the donkey kept trying to go around the Angel. Not knowing what the donkey had seen and was attempting to do, Balaam became very displeased with the donkey's behavior.
28-30 Finally, God permitted the donkey to speak and complain about Balaam's rough treatment.
THE REASON FOR THE INTERRUPTION
To find out why God sent the Angel to oppose Balaam let us read from,
Numbers 22:31-35
"[31] Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown. [32] The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. [33] The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her." [34] Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back." [35] The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak."
Let us notice the following verses,
32 The Angel of the Lord told Balaam that He came to stop him from going to Balak. In fact the Angel told Balaam had not his donkey moved out of the way he would have been killed. In reflecting upon the Angel's response to Balaam one can conclude that when Balaam went to seek God the second time he went with the hope that he would be able to change God's mind and let him go to Balak to curse Israel. The fact that God told Balaam to go, the prophet must have surmised that God did change His mind and was going to curse Israel through him.
34 After Balaam realized that God was very angry with him he apologized for the rough treatment of his donkey. Furthermore, this time Balaam repented and said he would refrain from going to Balak and return to his own home.
35 The Angel told Balaam to go to Balak. However, Balaam was again instructed that he was only allowed to speak what the Angel of the Lord told him. Balaam agreed and continued on his way to Balak.
In chapters 23 and 24 in the book of Numbers we read that Balaam prophesied and pronounced God's blessings upon Israel. Each time Balaam did this Balak became more and more upset with him. On behalf of his defense to Balak with respect to why he kept pronouncing these blessings Balaam told Balak two significant things. The first important point Balaam made was after he gave his first oracle and is recorded in,
Numbers 23: 8
"[8] How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?"
Notice that in Balaam's response to King Balak he never expressed his love for God or for God's people. Balaam only proclaimed that he could not prophesy something other than what God wanted him to say.
The second significant point Balaam made was after his second oracle and is recorded in,
Numbers 23:19
"[19] God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"
The implication of this response is that Balaam tried to change God's mind about blessing Israel. Remember Balaam was promised great rewards if he would come and curse Israel. However, in trying to justify to the king concerning his oracle of blessing and why he did what he did, Balaam pointed to out to Balak that God is not like men who will change their minds when it benefits them.
SUMMARY
Was Balaam a false prophet? If we use the tests we have previously covered we can conclude that he was. If there is any doubt in our minds about this let us consider that in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Peter, tells us that Balaam was a false prophet. He reveals this to us by using Balaam as an example to warn us about not following or listening to false prophets or teachers. The passage of interest for this study is in,
2 Peter 2:15-16
"[15] They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. [16] But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey--a beast without speech--who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness."
To illustrate what the ultimate consequence can be for following or listening to a false prophet or teacher, let us now resume our study of Balaam and see the horror he ultimately did to the people of Israel.
As we continue reading the Old Testament we discover that the nation of Israel was led into sin through sexual immorality with the Moabite women. This is recorded in,
Numbers 25:1-3
"[1] While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, [2] who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. [3] So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the Lord's anger burned against them."
We also discover that this sexual immorality was the result of the advice given by Balaam.
Numbers 31:13-16
"[13] Moses, Eleazar the priest and all the leaders of the community went to meet them outside the camp. [14] Moses was angry with the officers of the army--the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds--who returned from the battle. [15] "Have you allowed all the women to live?" he asked them. [16] "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and were the means of turning the Israelites away from the LORD in what happened at Peor, so that a plague struck the Lord's people."
Thus, we find that yes, a false prophet or teacher can speak the Words of God. However, if we do not discern that they are really not God's servants and continue to follow them, they will eventually lead us away from God and from following His commandments.
This now brings us to,
THE MESSAGE OR POINT OF THIS STUDY
First of all we are instructed to,
STAY AWAY FROM FALSE PROPHETS OR TEACHERS
This instruction or warning is clearly recorded for us in,
Romans 16:17-18
"[17] I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. [18] For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people."
And again in,
2 Timothy 3:1-5
"[1] But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. [2] People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, [3] without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, [4] treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- [5] having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them."
Secondly, we are warned to be diligent and,
BE CAREFUL TO NOT BECOME A FALSE PROPHET OR TEACHER
To see this let us remember Jesus' rebuke to the Pharisees as recorded in,
Matthew 23:25-28
""[25] Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. [26] Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. [27] "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. [28] In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."
In other words, our Christianity is not measured by what we say or by our popularity or by the gifts we operate in. Our Christianity is measured by what is within us. Specifically, our Christianity is measured by whether or not the Holy Spirit and His fruits are present and growing within our lives.
CONCLUSION
Let us conclude this study by prayerfully considering the message of the parable about the vine and its branches. It is recorded in,
John 15:1-17
""[1] I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. [2] He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. [3] You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. [4] Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. [5] "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. [6] If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. [7] If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. [8] This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. [9] "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. [10] If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. [11] I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. [12] My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. [13] Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. [14] You are my friends if you do what I command. [15] I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. [16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. [17] This is my command: Love each other."
Shall We Pray?