Micah 6:5
“My people, remember now What Balak king of Moab planned And what Balaam son of Beor answered him, And what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, So that you might know the righteous acts of the LORD.”
The mention of the name of Balaam brings a warning to us. He was a prophet of God. Balak, the king of Moab, feared Israel and wanted them wiped out. He asked Balaam to curse them. He said he couldn’t. He took him to do so several times. Each time he blessed Israel. But what he did was to tell Balak how to destroy them. He did this for greed. He may have also done it for the fear of man.
We are to fear God and act accordingly. Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man is a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is set securely on high.” How is it a snare? For several reasons, one is we will find ourselves going against God. That will be our undoing. Another is that man isn’t trustworthy. We will be let down or worse. We will go down wrong paths. When we abandon God as our lord, we have given up true north. Romans 1:21 says, “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.” Our reasons becomes futile. In the world’s eyes, not so. But according to the truth, their thinking is off and will continue to do so.
Balaam could have been greedy; therefore he betrayed God and Israel. Matthew 6:24 says, “No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” He wasn’t serving God, but money. Another passage calls money the root of evil. A root brings forth a plant, which isn’t a healthy one. But a bitter one that is against God, His ways and His fruit.
Galatians 5:19-21 speaks of the works of the flesh, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The root of evil bears this fruit.
We are to fear God and obey the scriptures and the Holy Spirit. We turn our back on the fear of man and the gravitational pull of money. He will empower us to do so and also fill us with joy. Thank You, Lord.