The Leap

The Error of Balaam 4 -Error of Wrong Battles

2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. 4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, 5 sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw,[a] to call him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me.6 Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”-Numbers 22:2-6 ESV English Standard Version

Balaam following his involvement and association with Balak and the elders of Midian was invited  to curse  the Israelites under the premonition that they would be the next victims of the enviable conquest of the Israelites(Numbers 22:2-6). This assumption was wrong as God had already given the Israelites an instruction not to engage in battle with the Moabites. He told them categorically that he would not give them the land of the  Moabites because they were their relatives (Deut 2:9).

 It is worth noting that God has respect for our families, our relatives, people who in his own wisdom he orchestrated we  invariably share our lives with. True Christianity has a  healthy respect for the family and even the Apostle Paul says if  we do not take care of our family, we have denied our faith( 1 Timothy 5:8).When  we practice a Christianity that does not identify with our relatives by  choosing to ignore some of  their needs under the pretext of  meeting those of our church, then we are far from the model the Bible clearly shows .This practice was condemned by Jesus as he opposed the Pharisees (Matthew 15:3-8). Instead of engaging in needless battles and  branding our relatives  "witches" while ignoring the real enemy (Ephesians 6:12), there may be a need to check that our  hearts are rid  of jealousy or even malice which may have come from  unresolved issues,incomplete information and dismally, gossip.Involvement in wrong battles leads to a dissipation of energy  in the wrong direction and a waste of resources, time and sadly, damaged relationships. 

 Although  it was a wrong battle,much can be learnt from the Midianites in their approach.They engaged the highest form of warfare by seeking to tackle the battle  spiritually. Acknowledging the power of words(Proverbs 18:21) they hired  Balaam to curse the children of Israel. Balaam's error of wrong company led to the error of wrong battles.We have not been called to fight every battle and sometimes we may need to step aside and allow our loved ones face some battles themselves  so they can learn invaluable lessons.

Battles are an everyday reality and it is pertinent that we engage rightly and with the right weapons. The sword of the spirit which is the word of God is the only offensive weapon  of the Christian soldier (Ephesians 6:17). Different battles will require different strategies which we  should actively pursue under the wisdom and direction of God  (1 Samuel 23:2).The greatest battle  which occurs daily  is the battle of the mind (2 Corinthians 10:5) and we win this battle by speaking out the Word of God. However,our involvement  in any external battle should done with caution ,courage with detailed  and current information

In His Service,

Grace Tom-Lawyer

Error of Balaam