Balaam’s Prophecies Were Very Good, but His Teachings Were Very Bad

Balaam feared the Lord, but he didn’t fear Him enough. When it came to Balaam’s teaching ministry, even though he had already spoken some beautiful, world-class, God-given biblical prophecies over Israel, in the end Balaam “loved the wages of wrongdoing” (2 Peter 2:15) taught what the Bible calls “the error of Balaam” (Jude 1:11) and died by the sword (Joshua 13:22).  

Balaam’s Prophetic Ministry

Balaam’s four prophecies about Israel are found in Numbers 23 and 24. Each prophecy occurs after Balak, the king of Moab, hires Balaam to curse Israel; each time Balaam ends up blessing Israel instead.

Prophecy 1: Numbers 23:7-10

7 He took up his parable, and said,
  “From Aram has Balak brought me, 
    the king of Moab from the mountains of the East. 
Come, curse Jacob for me.
   Come, defy Israel. 
8 How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? 
   How shall I defy whom the LORD has not defied? 
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him. 
   From the hills I see him.
 Behold, it is a people that dwells alone,
   and shall not be listed among the nations. 
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, 
    or count the fourth part of Israel? 
  Let me die the death of the righteous!
    Let my last end be like his!” 

Prophecy 2: Numbers 23:18-24

18 He took up his parable, and said,
  “Rise up, Balak, and hear!
    Listen to me, you son of Zippor. 
19 God is not a man, that he should lie, 
    nor a son of man, that he should repent. 
  Has he said, and he won’t do it? 
    Or has he spoken, and he won’t make it good? 
20 Behold, I have received a command to bless. 
    He has blessed, and I can’t reverse it. 
21 He has not seen iniquity in Jacob. 
    Neither has he seen perverseness in Israel. 
 The LORD his God is with him.
   The shout of a king is among them.
22 God brings them out of Egypt. 
    He has as it were the strength of the wild ox.
23 Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; 
    neither is there any divination with Israel. 
 Now it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, 
    ‘What has God done!’ 
  24 Behold, a people rises up as a lioness. 
    As a lion he lifts himself up. 
  He shall not lie down until he eats of the prey, 
    and drinks the blood of the slain.” 

Prophecy 3: Numbers 24:3-9
2 Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came on him. 3 He took up his parable, and said, 
  “Balaam the son of Beor says,
   the man whose eyes are open says; 
4 he says, who hears the words of God,
    who sees the vision of the Almighty,
    falling down, and having his eyes open:
5 How goodly are your tents, Jacob,
    and your dwellings, Israel!
6 As valleys they are spread out, 
as gardens by the riverside, 
   as aloes which the LORD has planted,
   as cedar trees beside the waters. 
7 Water shall flow from his buckets. 
   His seed shall be in many waters. 
  His king shall be higher than Agag. 
   His kingdom shall be exalted. 
8 God brings him out of Egypt. 
   He has as it were the strength of the wild ox. 
  He shall consume the nations his adversaries, 
   shall break their bones in pieces, 
   and pierce them with his arrows. 
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, 
   as a lioness; 
   who shall rouse him up? 
  Everyone who blesses you is blessed. 
   Everyone who curses you is cursed.”

Prophecy 4: Numbers 24:15-19

15 He took up his parable, and said, 
  “Balaam the son of Beor says, 
    the man whose eyes are open says; 
16 he says, who hears the words of God, 
     knows the knowledge of the Most High, 
     and who sees the vision of the Almighty, 
     falling down, and having his eyes open: 
17 I see him, but not now. 
    I see him, but not near. 
  A star will come out of Jacob. 
    A scepter will rise out of Israel,
and shall strike through the corners of Moab, 
   and crush all the sons of Sheth. 
18 Edom shall be a possession. 
     Seir, his enemy, also shall be a possession, 
   while Israel does valiantly.
19 Out of Jacob shall one have dominion,
    and shall destroy the remnant from the city.” 

Balaam’s Teaching Ministry

We know from the Bible that it was God who inspired Balaam’s prophecies about Israel, but we also know from the Bible that Balaam’s teachings were evil.

Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive? 16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD. 17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. (Numbers 31:15–17)

forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing; (2 Peter 2:15)
Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished in Korah’s rebellion. Jude 1:11) 

But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. (Revelation 2:14) 

What Does the Bible Say About Miracles?

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are gifts; they are not merit badges, and they are not fruit. In other words, a person’s spiritual giftings don’t say anything one way or another about a person’s character. The Bible lists the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith [*or, faithfulness],  gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (WMB)  

So how do we tell the good guys from the bad guys? It isn’t by the miracles they do or don’t perform. According to Jesus, we will know them by their fruit:

“By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’” (Matthew 7:16-23)

Margot Armer

As usual, scriptures on this page are quoted from the World English Bible (WEB)