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Daily Devotions

2 Peter

2 Peter 
Day 
Day 32

"The way of Balaam"

Text: 2 Peter 2:15

COMPARED TO A FALSE PROPHET

Peter compared the false teachers to an infamous false prophet called Balaam (Numbers 22-24). Balaam was called to curse Israel but he failed. He was a prophet for hire.

“They have forsaken the right way and gone astray,
following the way of Balaam the son of Beor,
who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
but he was rebuked for his iniquity:
a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice
restrained the madness of the prophet.”
2 Peter 2:15-16

1. “They have forsaken the right way and gone astray”

a) The false teachers had indeed forsaken what they had known as the right way.

i) This was a deliberate choice.

ii) They chose to go against what they had been taught.

b) “Gone astray”

i) Having left the good and right way.

ii) They were deceived.

iii) They then went astray.

2. “Following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness”

a) Balaam was the infamous false prophet.

b) He would do anything for money.

c) He loved money.

d) Even if they were “the wages of unrighteousness”.

i) He was asked to curse Israel.

ii) He vigorously tried to do this three times.

iii) But he could not curse Israel because God had chosen to bless.

iv) To be compared to Balaam was a strong word of rebuke.

3. “But he was rebuked for his iniquity: A dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.”

a) The word “iniquity”

i) It means “wrongdoing”.

ii) It suggests that he was going against “the law”.

b) God made use of a donkey that Balaam used to ride on.

i) The donkey was able to see an angel of the Lord.

ii) Balaam could not.

iii) The donkey spoke to the false prophet.

iv) Finally, the angel of God spoke to him and admonished him.

c) The donkey “restrained the madness of the prophet”

i) Balaam was described as having “madness” for becoming a false prophet.

ii) He was restrained, but only for the moment.

iii) He attempted to curse Israel but failed miserably in his attempts.