Carnality and Conformity – The Way of Balaam in the New Testament
APPLICATION ARTICLE | Trey Haskett | Tupelo, Mississippi
It is never a proud moment when an animal outwits you. Even more embarrassing, is when the animal is a donkey, which is proverbial for its dullness and stubbornness. But the shame piles up when you are someone who is known for your perceptiveness and knowledge but is still bested by the slow-moving, hee-hawing, four-legged creature. In 2 Peter 2:15-16, Peter alludes to such a story in Numbers 22-25 where Balaam is commissioned to curse Israel by Balak, king of Moab. On the surface, Balaam says all the right things because he refuses to speak anything other than what the LORD tells him. His willingness to flirt with Balak betrays his true motivations. The New Testament writers, as well as Jewish tradition, identify this as an insatiable, carnal lust for wealth (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11). But as the story progresses, it accentuates that Balaam’s carnality is seen not only in what he seeks but also in what he sees, or better, what he refuses to see. Read More
