[0:00] You know, Jesus talked about you cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and man.
[0:13] No man can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. You can't serve two masters.
[0:25] And where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. So this morning, I'm going to spend a good bit of time talking about a man that I look at him as getting tied at heart.
[0:45] And you all know the story. We'll look at it this morning. In terms of numbers, you know, this is a story that we are acquainted with.
[1:13] As I was going through this and looking at it, you know, Peter commented about Balaam.
[1:25] Jude, in the book of Jude, commented about Balaam. And Jesus, when he was talking to John, the book of Revelation, he brought up Balaam.
[1:45] So, knowing that these things are written for our admonition and for our example, let's take a look at Balaam this morning.
[2:03] You know, Jesus warned about covetousness. He warned, like the verses that I read, you cannot serve two masters.
[2:16] And, you know, you look at Balaam. He was a man that heard from God.
[2:29] It says that God came to him and talked to him. He was a man that prophesied. God gave him a word and he spoke it.
[2:45] And he even prophesied. He even had a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ. He was a man that, for the rest of time, he was marked as a man that, what did Jesus say in Revelation?
[3:18] Maybe we'll read the verse sometime. I don't have it written down. But, in Jude, it says, they ran greedily after the error of Balaam.
[3:32] The error of Balaam. The spirit that drove him. And I believe it started with covetousness, coveting the gifts and the rewards that the king of Moab desired to give him.
[3:52] A little history here. The children of Israel, they were, they were almost at the river Jordan.
[4:03] actually, they were there at the river Jordan here when, when this happened with Moab. But before that, as they were coming there, just a couple of the things that took place.
[4:20] you know, you know, when Balak sent for Balaam, he said, you know, he was sore afraid. The people of Moab were afraid. And we'll, we'll read here a little bit why they were afraid.
[4:33] in chapter 21, verse 21, verse 21, Israel sent to Sihon, king of the Amorites. And they asked him if they could pass through his land.
[4:44] We won't, we won't, won't turn aside from the way, but we will stay on the highway. And, and, and I think they even offered to pay if they, if the animals would have destroyed something or anything.
[5:00] But the king said no. Well, what happened? Israel smote them with the edge of the sword. In verse 24, and they possessed his land from Arnon unto Tabbok, even unto the children of Ammon.
[5:16] For the border of the children of Ammon was strong. And Israel took all these cities. And Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites and Heshbon, all the villages thereof.
[5:31] For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, the king of the Amorites who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.
[5:44] Okay. So, so now we're finding out a little history. So Hesh, Sihon, the king of the Amorites, he had fought against Moab and he had, he had defeated them and he had taken their land from them.
[6:02] Well, so the people of Moab that were left, here they see the, this multitude coming and they come, they come to the land of the Amorites.
[6:16] And they tried to pass peacefully, but they couldn't. And so what happened? They destroyed them. And so Moab is looking here. Here's a people that they destroyed the army that came and defeated us.
[6:31] So we have no chance. We have no chance against these people. And then after, after that they went and they went by the way of Fashan, in verse 33, and of the king of Fashan came out against him, he and all his people to do battle.
[7:00] And the Lord said unto Moses, fear him not, for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people in his land.
[7:10] And thou shalt do to him as thou didst send us out on the Amorites, which dwell at Heshbon. So they smote him and his sons and all his people, until there was none left him alive, and they possessed his land.
[7:26] So, no wonder the Moabites were scared. No wonder they were afraid, seeing Israel come, and coming right up to their border, and coming right up beside them there.
[7:46] You know, and as we go through this, you know, there's a few things that I want us to consider. And we'll look at them at the end then.
[7:59] But, Jesus said, that I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against me.
[8:11] And here we see Israel. They were winning every battle that they came up against. in 1 John, it says, Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.
[8:32] And I believe that it is the same with the church today, as it was for Israel in that day. Now, as we go through this, you will see how Israel compromised.
[8:43] And what led to that, I believe that today, we can be victorious, and the church will be victorious, as we stay in that place, as we walk, uncompromising, we can be victorious, and the gates of hell cannot prevail.
[9:14] But when we compromise, and we allow something into our heart, that draws us aside, and we lose our power over the enemy.
[9:29] We won't have time to read this whole story, but we'll read part of it. So Moab was sore afraid, because of the reasons that we looked at, and Israel was there, and it says, Moab was distressed, because of the children of Israel.
[9:52] And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field, and Balak, the son of Zippor, was king of the Moabites at that time.
[10:09] And he sent messengers, therefore, unto Balaam, this chapter 22, verse 5, the son of Beor, to Pithor, which is by the river of the land, and the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt.
[10:26] Behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me. Come now, therefore, I pray thee, curse me, these people, for they are too mighty for me.
[10:38] For adventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land, for I want not, that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou curses is cursed.
[10:52] So, Balaam had a reputation. Balaam had a reputation that he had power. You know, and it doesn't, at this point, it doesn't necessarily tell us if this was the power of God, or the power of some other power.
[11:12] But as we, as we read through this, or as we go through this, we will see that God did appear to him, and God talked to him.
[11:27] Because God had a very special interest in what was going on. So the elders of Moab, they came, verse 7 says, they had the rewards of divination in their hand, and they came out of Balaam, and they speak unto him the words of Balaam.
[11:50] In verse 8, And he said unto them, Lot's here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me.
[12:01] And the princes of Moab abode with Balaam. And God came unto Balaam and said, What men are these with thee? And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Siphor, king of Moab, has sent unto me, saying, Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth.
[12:23] Come now, curse me, them peradventure. I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out. And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them, thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed.
[12:40] And Balaam arose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land, for the Lord refuses to give me leave to go with you.
[12:52] And so they returned, and Balak, he sent them again, and more, and higher up men, and he sent them again, to Balaam.
[13:05] And he said, in verse 17, I will promote thee, and a very great honor. I will do whatever thou sayest unto me. Come, just come, and curse his people.
[13:19] And Balaam answered, and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do less or more.
[13:35] You know, so far, you know, we can say that he's doing okay, and he's recognizing God, and he's saying that, you know, I cannot, you know, you can give me a whole house full of silver and gold, but I can't do what you are asking, unless God would allow it.
[14:00] Well, so God came to Balaam at night, and said, If the men come to call thee, rise up and go with them. You know, and I wonder, you know, I guess, knowing the ways of God, I would think that he was going to arrange something that these men would just leave without coming to him.
[14:30] But this, I believe, was a test for Balaam. And he didn't even wait to see if they would come. He got up, and he rose, and he went with them. He saddled his ass, and he went with the princes of Moab.
[14:44] And God's anger was kindled against him, because he went. The angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him.
[14:56] And he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. And Yos saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand.
[15:09] Yos turned his side out of the way and went into the field. And Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way. So he got by the angel the first time.
[15:21] And then the angel went to another place that had a wall on each side. And he stood there, and again, the ass squeezed by beside the angel and crushed his foot, Balaam's foot, against the wall.
[15:38] And he smote her again. In verse 26, the angel of the Lord went further and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn, either to the right hand or to the left.
[15:52] When the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam, and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with the staff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee that thou hast smitten me thee three times?
[16:11] And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me, I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. You know, and, and, you know, it just seems like Balaam was so, he was so determined to go, and he was so, um, he was so upset and angry here.
[16:38] It didn't even soak in, it didn't even hit him, like, what's going on? This donkey's talking to me? Okay. The ass said unto Balaam, And not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden, ever since I was dying, unto this day, was I ever wont to do so on the day?
[17:05] And he said, Nay. Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand, and he bowed down his head and fell flat on his face.
[17:22] The angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smith thine os these three times? Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me.
[17:36] You know, you know, Balaam, you know, let's just look, let's just think of this a little bit.
[17:52] How many times do we ask the Lord for direction in something? How many times do we desire to do something?
[18:03] We're not quite sure if it's the right thing to do. We're not quite sure if the Lord did actually have us through the Lord.
[18:21] Whatever it might be, be it in pleasure, be it in business, be it like it was more different. And how we spend our money, be it in whatever.
[18:37] We have this little check mark in our hearts, but yet we explain it away and we go on with our plans.
[18:52] I believe that's what Bill knew. He knew that it was not God's will for him to go out when he told him.
[19:12] I believe that when God said if the men call thee, rise up and go with them. I believe that somehow he he just explained it and made a way to do what he desired.
[19:40] He made a way to fulfill the desire of his heart. Well, now we have the angel if God here is standing before him and saying thy way is perverse before me.
[19:57] Your way is perverse. It is it is evil. It is sin. It is against the plan of God.
[20:10] And your house saw me and surely now if she had not turned aside I would have slain you and saved her alive.
[20:23] Verse 34 Notice what he says here. I have sinned for I knew not that thou stood in the way against me.
[20:37] Now therefore if it displeased thee I will get me back again. He knew it displeased God. That's why God was there to stop.
[20:49] But he again says if it displeased you then I will go back. Well the word of the Lord was well you can go but only the word that I shall speak unto thee that shalt thou speak.
[21:08] so Balaam went with the princess Balaam. So he went with them while he got there and he told Balaam he said in verse 38 the word that God putteth in my mouth that shall I speak.
[21:38] And in chapter 23 you know they did these burnt offerings and offered these bullocks and so on and then verse 4 and God met Balaam and he said unto him I have prepared seven altars and I have offered upon every altar a bullock in Iran and the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth and said return into Balaam and thus thou shalt speak though he returned he returned to Balaam to the princess he took up his parable and said Balaam the king of Moab has brought me from Aram east out of the mountains of the east saying come curse me Jacob and come defy Israel how shall I curse whom God hath not cursed how shall I defy whom God hath not defied for from the top of the rocks
[22:40] I see him and from the hills I behold him lo the people shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations who can count the dust of Jacob and the number of the fourth part of Israel let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his you know and he prophesied he says that Israel shall not be ripened among the nations and I believe what that meant is that Israel will always be a distinct people and even today they are a distinct people in the earth but then notice how he ends here he says let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his you know this was his desire he wanted to die the death of the righteous and he wanted to his life to end like the life of
[23:52] Israel's you know you know how you know how Balaam died he died in the battle fighting on the side of Moab against Israel that's how he died oh we'll go on down on the way to the second time verse 18 and he took up his parable and said rise up Balaam and hear hearken unto me thou God is not a man that he should lie neither the son of man that he should repent as he said and shall he not do it or had he spoken and shall he not make it good behold I have received commandment to bless and he hath blessed and I cannot reverse it he hath not beheld iniquity in
[24:52] Jacob neither hath he seen perverse in Israel the Lord his God is with him and the shadow of a king is among them God brought them out of Egypt he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn surely there is no enchantment against Jacob neither is there any divination against Israel according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel what hath God wrought behold the people shall rise up as a great lion and lift up himself as a young lion he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey and drink the blood of the slain you know notice here God says God says he has not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither is a perverse in Israel and the Lord his God is with him and the shout of a king among them this is how
[25:56] God saw them this is how God saw the children of Israel but yet we know that they fell and we'll come to that here in just a little bit then the time in chapter 24 when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel he went on as at other times to seek for enchantments but he set his face toward the wilderness and Balaam lifted up his eyes and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes and the Spirit of God came upon him you'll notice here's this prophet here's this man that he rebelled against God and he compromised and all of that but yet the Spirit of God came upon him and he took up his parable and he said Balaam the son of Theor has said and the man whose eyes are open and said he has said which heard the words of
[27:02] God which saw the vision of the Almighty falling into a trance but having his eyes open how goodly are thy tempts O Jacob and thy tabernacles O Israel as the valleys are they spread forth as gardens by the rivers side as the trees of laying aloes which the Lord has planted and his cedars beside the waters he shall pour the water out of his buckets his seed shall be in many waters and his king shall be higher than Agag and his kingdom shall be exalted God brought him forth out of Egypt he hath as it were the strength of a unicorn he shall eat of the nations his enemies and shall break their bones and pierce them through with his arrows he pouched he lay down as a lion as a great lion who shall stir him blessed and cursed is he that curses thee no and naturally the next verse is balak's anger was kindled against balam he said i would have given you all this gold and silver but now i won't but then it wasn't balam was not quite done yet in verse 16 he has said which heard the words of god and knew the knowledge of the most high which saw the vision of the almighty falling into a trance but having his eyes open you know he's talking about himself there you know he is the one that heard the words of god and he knew the knowledge of the most high and he saw this vision i shall see him but not now i shall behold come a star out of jacob and a scepter shall rise out of israel and shall smite the corners of moab and destroy all the children of sheth you know here is a prophecy of jesus that star that came out of jacob and a scepter shall rise in israel you know and so after all this and after all these prophecies and after proclaiming the word of the lord that god had given him what did he do you know it doesn't tell us here what it says here is that balaam arose and he went and he returned to his place but before he left he had a little talk with balaam what did he tell him you know i have that in verse 16 behold these caused the children of israel through the council of balaam to commit trespass against the lord in the matter of peor and there was a plague among the congregation of the lord so what happened is balaam consult balak yes i bless the children of israel yes their god is with them yes their god is blessing them and he will fight for them but i'll tell you what balak you get those people you get them to worship your gods you get those people into idol worship you get those people to eat meat that was
[31:02] sacrificed to your idols and to compromise and to commit fornication with your women and you know what god's going to turn against them and you can defeat them that's the counsel that he gave to to balak and in chapter 25 and israel abode and the people began to commit war to the daughters of moab and they called the people into the sacrifices of their gods and the people in Eden bowed down to their gods and israel joined himself in the veil of the and the anger of the lord was kindled against israel you know just look at this i believe that the people of god are invincible the gates of hell will not prevail against the church but if the church compromises if the church follows after other gods if the church has other loves in its heart god believe that bail him if he would have been steadfast if he would have said no i won't go with you god has said no and so i cannot go he could have been a man of god he could have been the prophet of god that would have stood for truth but he had covetousness in his heart and he and he he wanted those gifts that be like it promised him he wanted that silver he wanted that gold and so he knew what it would take for god to turn against his people and as we today if we will allow idols in our heart then the lord will not be with us then the lord will not fight our battles and we will lose in the battles of life we will lose in the battle with you know whatever we face there's many things that we face every day let's read a couple more verses here chapter 25 verse 4 and the lord said to moses take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the lord against the son that the fierce anger of the lord may be turned away from israel and moses said unto the judges of israel slay ye every one his men that were joined in the baal peor you know the judgment of god came upon them and you know how how did this happen how could it so quickly happen well i believe that you know
[35:03] this you you know i believe the account here is very abbreviated to what actually happened so baal he gave his advice and so i believe that the elders of moab they got together and they said well let's just let's you you all you you just be friends with the israel just go out and be friends with them and invite them to our to our worship and invite them invite them and just be friends with them and see what happens here you know we can't we can't take our swords and fight them and comfort them but we can we can comfort them by becoming friends with them and having them come and join us in our sacrifices to our gods and the people did and they ate and they drank and they bowed down to the gods of
[36:05] Moab and the anger of the lord is pinned against israel 12 judgment came judgment came and judgment came upon israel right there this let's read verse 6 and behold one of the children of israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midian Irish woman in the sight of Moses in the sight of all the congregation and the children of israel who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation so here we have the children of israel weeping and repenting of their sin and right in the midst of all of this one of them brought a
[37:08] Midian Irish woman into the camp and when Phinehas the son of Eliezer the son of Aaron the priest saw it he rose up from among the congregation and he took a chaplain and he went and he killed them both and the Lord spake to Moses Phinehas the son of Aaron the priest that turned my wrath away from the children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them that I consumed not the children of Israel wherefore behold I given to him my covenant of peace and an everlasting priesthood well so later in chapter 31 the Lord spake to Moses and he said avenge the children of Israel and the Midianites so they went out and they slew the Midianites and the end of verse 8 it says Balaam also the son of
[38:09] Beor they slew with the sword Balaam was there fighting against Israel I believe that showed his true heart just a few things I believe that Balaam he had no fear of God in his heart he knew the voice of God he heard the voice of God that he was willing to compromise he was willing to compromise the children of Israel they were willing to compromise they were not true what they knew was right even though
[39:16] God had so wondrously helped them in the battles before their heart is quickly drawn away revelation 2 14 Jesus said about this church there he says and you also have the doctrine of Balaam who taught Balaam to cast the stumbling block before the children of Israel you have the doctrine of Balaam the doctrine of compromise the doctrine of it oh what's wrong with that oh it really doesn't matter that much oh have you know did God really say that is that really what God said are you sure there are you sure why would there be something wrong with that why would there be something wrong with going over and and and and seeing what about you know seeing what
[40:27] God said the Moabites worship what's wrong with going over there and eating with them even though their their meat was sacrificed the idols what could be wrong with that after all we're children of God and what what harm could come of that the doctrine of Balaam it's all over in the church the so called church today God turned against Israel because of their sin the church today is defeated because of their compromise let's turn to Luke 16 Luke 16 verse 10 he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much if therefore you have not been faithful in unrighteous men who will commit to your trust the true riches and if you have not been faithful in that which is another man's who shall give you that which is your own no servant can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other ye cannot serve
[42:27] God and mammon you cannot serve God and self notice let's take a look at what he's saying here he says if a man is not faithful in that which is least and he's putting it out as if we are if we are not faithful with our possessions with our money if we're not faithful with that then why would God give to us the true riches because if we're not faithful in that which is least in the material things then then we will not be faithful in that which is much yet is unjust in the least is unjust in much if therefore we have not been faithful in the unrighteous man who will trust you with true riches verse 13 no servant can serve two masters we cannot serve God and self both we will either serve
[43:42] God with all our heart or we will serve ourselves you know there's many people today that want to be just like Balaam they want to serve God but they still have self on the throne when it comes down to the nitty gritty when it comes down to that final decision it doesn't matter what God says but we find a way out around it we find a way to fulfill our own lusts and desires as long as God is not on the throne that means self is on the throne and the Pharisees also who were covetous heard all these things and they derided him and he said unto them ye are they which justify yourselves before men but God knoweth your hearts for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God you know there's so many things you know
[45:04] Balaam he compromised for silver and gold what does it take for us to compromise will we compromise for silver and gold or will we compromise for our reputation that which is highly esteemed among men do we want to be looked up to do we want everyone to speak well of us you know Jesus said woe unto you when men speak well of you why because men do not do not see the way God sees men have a different value system than what God has that's why that which is highly esteemed among men that which is lifted up so high among men it's an abomination in the sight of God an abomination that's a terrible thing it can never please God are we serving God are we serving ourselves
[46:17] Jesus said where your treasure is there will your heart be also where are we laying up our treasure are we laying up our treasure over on the other side are we laying up treasure here for ourselves Matthew 6 verse 19 lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust do it corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust do it corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal for where your treasure is there will your heart be also you know if we are laying up treasures here on this earth our heart will be there wherever our treasure is that's where our heart will be it cannot be otherwise do we have a divided heart or is our heart steadfast unmoved always found in your world for as much as we know our labor is not in vain a divided heart divided heart that's what
[47:59] Bill had he had a divided heart at best he had a divided heart our lord he alone is worthy he alone is worthy of our worship he alone is worthy of our life he alone is worthy of all that we have all that we are all that we can be it is compromise it is where we compromise it's what we'll be we'll be done wherever in our heart wherever in our life that let us have a single heart let us serve him without our heart we cannot serve
[49:05] God and them in both we'll be one together not both not Jesus today and itself tomorrow we want to deal with Jesus say upon this rock build my church and the gates of heaven only when we compromise we only we will be people Lord we thank you for your word Lord we thank you and you will sustain us and you will carry us through we we will help us
[50:15] Lord to be overcome not coming back stand we God can Thank you.