Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, special ones.

We’ll be heading out soon for our Gospel Sing session at Country Meadows in Woodburn. I don’t feel up to a jog at present…so that’s not on the agenda. And, of course, Max isn’t here now to push me into the routine. I’ve spent some time in the last few days checking out the options for a replacement for Max. We judge that a good dog is a good thing.

May your day be a good one.

Love, Dad/Ray.

OK—I’m getting the picture now. Balak was freaked out at the ominous presence of Israel threatening to invade and take over his kingdom of Moab. But since he was not able to get strong magic on his side through Balaam to curse Israel and thereby cause them to be an easily-conquered foe, he had to resort to a different strategy. How about infiltration, cohabitation, and neutralization? A movement developed among young adventurous Israelite men with raging hormones—“the men 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” (25:1-2).

The idea that this was an intentional strategy is supported by the charge of condemnation Jesus puts to the Church of Pergamum in the last book of the Bible. Apparently, Balaam had something to do with formulating that ancient strategy. “You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality” (Revelation 2:14).

To be sure, this “teaching of Balaam” is still very much with us today. The motto of that neutralizing teaching could be phrased in the form of a question—“HOW CAN SOMETHING THAT FEELS SO GOOD BE SO BAD?” Without a doubt, the very best antidote to the subtlety of that destructive mindset is a HEART AFTER GOD—a heart that understands that hormones must never be allowed to rage outside the boundaries of intelligence and godliness.