The magical arts practiced by Balaam in seducing ancient Israel into sin, have taken on modern garbs, which in many instances, it is difficult to discern for what they are. As far as the scripture is concerned, magic is any art that is used in getting people to sin, or to engage in activities that are proscribed in the Bible. Therefore, the definition covers a very wide swath of activities, practices, and rituals, of which the Christian must be cognizant.
Wherever satanic principles, and methods are used and adopted, to lure the unwary into sin, there it is that magic, in one form or another, to a lesser, or a greater degree, is being practiced. Current forms of magic include, but are not limited to, pornography, seduction, sexting, Voodoo, bribery, Santeria, also flattery, and seances, amongst others.
Horoscopes, violent, and horror movies, and what many Christians refer to as the “Anointing” and certain novels are also included in the mix. These are just some of the “magical” devices used by the enemy of souls to lure individuals into sin. The Bible refers to them as devices, snares, temptations, and wiles, but they all have one thing in common, they always lead to the breaking of God’s law. Always! Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
Deuteronomy 13:1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
4 Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.
Thus, it is against this backdrop that we’ll now open Balaam’s magic book, so we can discern the devices that are arrayed against the multitudes, and so that we may choose wisely. The Hebrews were just upon the borders of Canaan, and Moses was preparing for the occupation, and subjugation of the land, when the king of Moab decided that it was time to resort to the dark arts, in order to bolster national security.
Balak had heard of the marvelous things Christ had done for them, in emancipating them from Egyptian bondage in a signal manner. He had also heard of the parting of the red sea, and the final overthrow of pharaoh and all his hosts, as they dared to chase God’s chosen people. And now, because of a fear of imminent invasion, the king of Moab turns to magic.
Thus, we will observe, and study several magical principles, and methods, often employed in getting us to sin against God, by adopting those alternative sources of supernatural help, that are forbidden in the scriptures. Let’s read:
Numbers 22:2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
[1] Fear.
Fear often causes many people to turn to magic, if they believe that there are no other options on the table. Some people turn to magical healers, spiritual healers, holy water, enchanted bracelets, rings, and chains, as last resorts. Thus, it is one of the devices of satan to drive persons to desperation, in thinking that there’s no way out of a certain predicament.
Also, through superstition, some folks are tempted to believe in those supernatural remedies which do not originate with God. However, there are certain passages of scripture which tell us how to deal with fear, what causes it, and how the Christian may live victoriously, like a conqueror. Let’s read:
2nd Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
1st John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Numbers 22:4 And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.
6 Come now therefore, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
[2] Flattery.
The magical art of flattery is quite often employed to accomplish that which might otherwise cause us to recoil in horror. Flattery is often used against a person who is disliked, or not loved, and it was first employed in the garden of Eden, when the serpent praised Eve’s beauty, whilst wanting her dead. And down through the ages, it has been in use by many persons, who have desired certain favors from one who isn’t necessarily liked.
Even in our day it is in use, because many political leaders, many senators, and representatives, many presidents, kings, CEOs, and business leaders find it necessary to flatter certain persons to procure what they desire. Indeed, flattery has become one of the leading magical arts practiced in our day. Even with many Christians, praise is used to try to flatter God into showering down the blessings of health, wealth and material favors, which should really result from obeying God’s word. Let’s read:
Job 32:21 Let me not, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.
22 For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away.
Proverbs 7:1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
Psalms 78:36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.
Numbers 22:7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam.
8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and
I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me.
9 And God came unto Balaam, and said,
12 Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.
[3] Multiple assaults.
A temptation usually consists of multiple assaults, with each succeeding effort being more intense, and desperate than the previous one. In fact, much of what we describe as temptations are not really temptations, but are most often, accidentals which have occurred as a result of our own doing, or the doings of others.
A temptation is a well-planned, a well-timed, and a deeply laid plot that is studied, and then executed with consummate skill, at a time when persons are most vulnerable, and in many cases, individuals may be entirely unaware of what is taking place. When satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number the people, and when David’s sin with Bathsheba occurred, and when Peter denied Christ, the principle of multiple assaults was implemented. Let’s read:
Luke 4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge
over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
[Confrontation. pp 24] The rebellion of Satan against God was most determined. He worked, in warring against the kingdom of God, with perseverance and fortitude worthy of a better cause. He is a diligent student of the Bible and is much better acquainted with the prophecies than many religious teachers. He knows that it is for his interest to keep well informed in the revealed purposes of God, that he may defeat the plans of the Infinite.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 37>38] Leaving his place in the immediate presence of the Father, Lucifer went forth to diffuse the spirit of discontent among the angels. He worked with mysterious secrecy, and for a time concealed his real purpose under an appearance of reverence for God.
He began to insinuate doubts concerning the laws that governed heavenly beings, intimating that angels, being more exalted, needed no such restraint, for their own wisdom was a sufficient guide. Taking advantage of the loving, loyal trust reposed in him by the holy beings under his command, he had so artfully instilled into their minds his own distrust and discontent that his agency was not discerned.
Numbers 22:16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak, Let nothing, hinder thee from coming unto me,
17 For I will promote thee unto very great honor,
and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
18 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.
[4] Bribery
Exodus 23:8 And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
1st Samuel 8:1 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
One of the reasons why there continues to be mass shootings across the United States is because of the taking of bribes, and gifts by those who ought to be guardians of the people. The inevitable result is that a person’s better judgment becomes perverted, to the point where guns become more important than people, for whom Christ died.
Bribes are offered and taken, and the result is that the ones that are bribed then make laws that would promote and protect the gun industry, under the disguise of protecting the 2nd Amendment. Thus, it is that human life which was once held to be sacred, now seems to be of little value, as human sacrifices are now being offered upon the altar of guns.
The magical art of receiving bribes and gifts has the potential to cause individuals to do things that may indeed bother their conscience, it has the potential to foster the use of policy instead of principle, and it often causes judges, and law-makers to look the other way, when grievous crimes, and wrongs are being committed, in high and low places.
In fact, since 2012 approximately 174,000 persons have died in the United States, a direct result of gun violence, yet effort after effort, and proposal after proposal has either stalled, been killed, or has been withdrawn so that the concerns of bribers can be appeased. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 16:18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
20 That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
[5] Presumption.
This leads us to our last and final magical art we will study today, for after Balaam had indulged bribery, and flattery, after Balak had succumbed to fear, and after Balaam had experienced multiple assaults, he now employed one of the most common of magical arts, that of presumption, by which multitudes are bewitched, and are consequently led to violate God expressed will.
In his first prayer for divine guidance, Balaam had asked God’s will in the matter of cursing His own people, a prayer that was presumptuous to begin with. However, at that time, God condescended to let him know that he should proceed no further. But with the prospect of great material benefits, honor, and wealth before him, Balaam presumes to ask God again for direction, as to what he should do.
It is one of the most common ploys of satan to have Christians asking God’s will about something He has already made plain. And some may presume to go to Him repeatedly, in apparent sincerity, to see if He would change His mind, and go along with our own plans and ideas.
As with the case of Balaam, our merciful God might condescend to address the question, for which He has already given a clear answer, and then if we still persist in asking what is His will, He may attempt to show us the error of our ways, by placing several donkeys, and angels in our path, to try to deter us from taking that one fatal step.
But, if in response to His gracious overtures, we stubbornly hold onto our plans, in spite of all the evidences to the contrary, the Lord may eventually allow us to have our own way, since He honors the freedom of choice He has given us. As we read the next several verses, it is our hope and prayer that everyone who studies this issue will not try to force his or her own will upon God, but that we will be humble, and patient enough to let Him guide us with wisdom and discretion. Let’s read:
Numbers 22:19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more.
20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
24 But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
25 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
26 And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27 And 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 a staff.
28 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 these three times?
29 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.
30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay.
31 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.
32 And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:
33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
35 And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men: but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 440>441] Although the will of God had already been definitely made known to him, he urged the messengers to tarry, that he might further inquire of God; as though the Infinite One were a man, to be persuaded. He did not seek to do the will of God, but chose his own course, and then endeavored to secure the sanction of the Lord.
There are thousands at the present day who are pursuing a similar course. They would have no difficulty in understanding their duty if it were in harmony with their inclinations. It is plainly set before them in the Bible or is clearly indicated by circumstances and reason. But because these evidences are contrary to their desires and inclinations they frequently set them aside and presume to go to God to learn their duty. With great apparent conscientiousness they pray long and earnestly for light. But God will not be trifled with. He often permits such persons to follow their own desires and to suffer the result.
“My people would not hearken to My voice.... So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.” Psalm 81:11, 12. When one clearly sees a duty, let him not presume to go to God with the prayer that he may be excused from performing it. He should rather, with a humble, submissive spirit, ask for divine strength and wisdom to meet its claims.
[P&P 441] Annoyed at his delay, and expecting another refusal, they set out on their homeward journey without further consultation with him. Every excuse for complying with the request of Balak had now been removed. But Balaam was determined to secure the reward; and, taking the beast upon which he was accustomed to ride, he set out on the journey, impatient lest he should by some means fail to gain the coveted reward.
In our own life experience, there may be some issue we have clearly read about in God’s word, and His good will may have already been made plain. Let us then approach the throne of grace with the intent of doing God’s will, for He will hear, and answer any such prayer that is made in sincerity and truth.
But lest us never, like Balaam, ask Him repeatedly about what he has specifically commanded, for in doing so, we will place ourselves at great odds with God, and will like Balaam the magician, ultimately incur His displeasure. One of the experiences we want to avoid at all costs, is that of being at odds with the great God of heaven.
In harmony with this statement, we will close with a gentle reminder, that The Lord is ready, and willing to help and guide us, if we choose to be helped and guided. Let’s read:
Proverbs 3: 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.
God Bless!