S(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.
O
Part of the terror of this chapter is the ease with which Balaam turned from being a godly prophet (chapter 24) to being a stooge of the Satan (24:14; 25:1-5; 31:16). Terrifying, too, is the logic of Balaam's bad counsel: it might even have been simply to suggest join Israel through marital alliances despite them being unequally yoked--believers with non-believers (1 Corinthians 6; 2 Corinthians 6:14).
A
Personally, I'm terrified the this love of money (Balaam's) and the love the flesh (Israel's) could be so powerful. These desires are very seductive and strong (Colossians 3:5; Revelation 2:14). And the very gifts that God has reserved for us, Satan offers us, but with terrifying, toxic, and tragic results.
P
Lord, I see from Your Word (1 Samuel 13:20; Mark 9:39-50; Ephesians 6:13-20) that I need to employ every tool, every weapon, in my grasp to fight my spiritual enemy, who insists the I pamper and protect myself instead of wholly following the Lord. The good news is that my days are filled with opportunities to reaffirm my choice to trust God completely.
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