Balaam and His Evil Scheme: If You Cannot Curse Them, Defile Them!
The narrative of Balaam, recorded in the book of Numbers, provides a chilling reminder of the enemy’s subtle, yet potent, strategies against the people of God. When a direct curse proved impossible, a more insidious plan was devised—one that leveraged human weakness to incite divine anger. This ancient tale holds a vital lesson for believers today: Satan knows he cannot curse the saints, but he can set a trap whereby the saints can be defiled.
The Background: A Prophet for Hire
The story begins with King Balak and the people of Moab, who, in their fear of the vast multitude of Israel, sought an external power to neutralize the threat. They allied with the elders of Midian and summoned the renowned diviner, Balaam son of Beor, from Mesopotamia. The elders brought lavish “rewards for divination” to entice him to curse Israel.
Initially, Balaam refused, stating that God had forbidden him. However, the lure of greater rewards on the second solicitation proved too tempting. God permitted him to go, but with a strict condition: he could only speak what God put into his mouth. Balak brought Balaam to high places overlooking Israel, but every attempt to utter a curse resulted only in a blessing. Despite Balak’s frustration and repeated attempts, Balaam was compelled by God to proclaim divine favor and protection over Israel.
The Evil Scheme Unveiled
When open cursing proved ineffective, Balaam devised an evil scheme that would cause Israel to bring a curse upon themselves. The core of this deceit is revealed in Numbers 25:1–3 (NASB 2020):
“While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to commit infidelity with the daughters of Moab. For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel became followers of Baal of Peor, and the Lord was angry with Israel.”
A later account directly attributes this downfall to Balaam’s guidance. Moses, after the subsequent war against Midian, confirms the architect of the disaster in Numbers 31:15–16 (NASB 2020):
“Behold, they caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to be unfaithful to the Lord in the matter of Peor, so that the plague took place among the congregation of the Lord!”
Balaam’s Valuable Lessons from God
Balaam’s encounters should have taught him profound spiritual truths, lessons that remain relevant for us:
- You Cannot Curse Whom God Has Not Cursed: Balaam himself declared, “How am I to put a curse on him upon whom God has not put a curse? And how am I to curse him whom the Lord has not cursed?” (Numbers 23:8). The power of a curse is only effective against those already under judgment. For God’s elect, the assurance is found in Romans 8:31 & 33: “If God is for us, who is against us?… Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.”
- God Does Not Change His Mind Like a Man: Balaam was forced to state, “God is not a man, that He would lie, Nor a son of man, that He would change His mind… Behold, I have received a command to bless; When He has blessed, I cannot revoke it.” (Numbers 23:19-20). God’s established blessing on His people cannot be nullified by man’s machinations.
- Magic and Divination Are Powerless: The diviner confessed, “For there is no magic curse against Jacob, Nor is there any divination against Israel.” (Numbers 23:23). No occult power can prevail over those whom God has blessed.
- A Universal Law of Blessing and Cursing: Finally, the prophet articulated a timeless truth: “Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you.” (Numbers 24:9). Attempting to curse God’s people only brings the curse back onto oneself.
Despite gaining these valuable lessons, Balaam’s love for the reward superseded his obedience, leading him to engineer the ultimate spiritual sabotage.
The Strategy of Defilement
Unable to change God’s heart toward Israel, Balaam targeted Israel’s heart toward God. His counsel was to tempt the men of Israel with Moabite women. This was a direct transgression of God’s clear boundary against intermarriage with other nations, lest they be lured into idolatry (Exodus 34:12-16).
The scheme unfolded as follows:
- Israelite men indulged in sexual immorality with Moabite women.
- The women invited the men to sacrifices for their gods.
- The Israelites ate the sacrificial meals and bowed down to the idols.
- Israel “yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor” (Numbers 25:3), breaking their covenant with God and provoking His anger.
This strategy was successful because it was not confrontational but appealed to the flesh and was disguised as a religious and cultural activity. It resulted in a plague that killed 24,000 people (Numbers 25:9). Defilement—being contaminated and made unclean—prevented the people from standing in God’s holy presence.
Balaam’s Counsel Today
The legacy of Balaam’s teaching persists. It was present in the early church (“who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality,” Revelation 2:14). It worked then, and it works today, appealing to those who are “defiled and unbelieving” (Titus 1:15).
Today, this strategy often manifests through a subtle blend of religious unity (ecumenism) and a non-judgmental acceptance that appeals to the flesh. Concepts like “love one another” and “do not judge” are sometimes twisted to condone unholy alliances and practices within the church. Just as the Corinthian church was warned against being “mismatched with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16), the people of God are still commanded to “come out from their midst and be separate… and do not touch what is unclean” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Satan’s final strategy is not war, but defilement by religious association—through modern worship that indulges the flesh, through a mixture of sensuality and religious themes, luring Christians to bow down to “Baal once again.”
The Zeal of Phinehas and the Call to Purity
God’s anger at the defilement was fierce. While Moses instructed the judges to execute the culprits (Numbers 25:4-5), it was the swift, zealous action of Phinehas, the priest’s son, that halted the plague. By slaying an Israelite leader and a Midianite woman publicly engaged in the sin, he expressed God’s righteous indignation and brought atonement for the nation (Numbers 25:6-8).
In our own day, a “Phinehas” must arise—not necessarily with a literal spear, but with spiritual zeal—to mortify the spirit of the Moabites and Midianites that lures God’s servants to idolatry and immorality, helping to stop the defilement of God’s people.
The historical parallel is striking: Shittim was Israel’s final stop before entering the Promised Land. The Church is in its final stop before the rapture. The fate of Balaam and the Midianite kings, who were destroyed in a subsequent battle (Numbers 31), foreshadows the destruction of the false prophet and his allies in the Day of the Lord.
Conclusion
Balaam’s scheme can be avoided only through vigilance and a commitment to holiness. As those with precious promises, we are called to action: “let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1).
True, pure, and undefiled religion requires us “to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27). Do not let the enemy curse you by causing you to defile yourself. Be vigilant, be separate, and be holy.
