But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Baalam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. Revelation 2:14
What is the doctrine of Baalam? And why was it such a serious problem for the Assembly in Pergamos? We know who Baalam was, of course, a mercenary prophet who failed in his client’s bid to curse the children of Israel. Hired by the king of Moab, Baalam was forced to bless the people, to the great dismay of Balak. But Baalam had an even more sinister plan that took a little longer but eventually did its damage. If he couldn’t curse the Lord’s people, he could contaminate them. His doctrine was one of mingle and compromise. And it caused untold havoc among the Israelites. The same doctrine does untold damage among the Lord’s people today.
Our text tells us that Baalam’s plan was to get the Israelites to eat meat that was offered to idols. After all, it was just meat, and it was just as good as from the Israelites’ own animals. But it was meat that was served during feasts and other activities related to the idol worship. In taking part, the Israelites were drawn to the pagan practices and false worship, and many of them were dragged off into idolatry. This should throw up a big red light of warning to us today. Never has there been a time when Christians were so willing to take part in the world’s entertainment and other activities. Everything seems so innocent and harmless on the surface. But all these things are the devil’s tools for occupying the minds of people to keep them away from considering the Gospel and the things of God. These things replace any consideration of God among the unsaved, and they have the same effect on Christians if we are not careful. Mingling with the world has a negative impact on our spiritual life, every time.
Another of Baalam’s big doctrines was in the area of fornication. The world has pretty much done away with any sense of morality. For example, most couples today ignore or postpone marriage, and see no shame in simply living together. God totally condemns sexual relations outside of marriage, but today’s society sees nothing wrong with it. And that attitude has its impact on Christians, softening our attitudes to accept what God condemns. In addition to slack morals, the world has no shame in its dress codes, and it is disappointing to see some Christians adopting the flesh-revealing styles of those around us. One area that is presenting a growing challenge to Christians is homosexuality, which the world around us is in a mad rush to embrace as normal and acceptable. It is neither, according to the Word of God. And Christians need to be on their guard against seeing this abomination as anything else than the sin and evil that God declares. Baalam’s doctrine of loosened attitudes on fornication is just as effective today as it was in ancient Israel.
God calls us to be separate, and He calls us to be holy, therefore we must take a stand against the doctrine of Baalam. -Jim MacIntosh