1. THE WAY OF BALAAM (2 Pet 2:9-22; Num 22:1-12)

Balaam forsook the way of truth for the wages of unrighteousness. His head was full of light but his heart was full of darkness. As a prophet, he dishonoured God by yielding to the pressure of temptation. Knowing full well the sin of going with the heathen king Balak, he nevertheless “played for time”, pretending to consult God but secretly hoping in his heart for a path of disobedience to open. He had the bait of covetousness.

False prophets and false teachers are described by the Apostle Peter as men “Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam …who loved the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Pet 2:15). They are “chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness … Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitie s” (2 Pet 2:10). Besides being covetous, they have “eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls” (2 Pet 2:14).

Servants of God do well to learn from the errors of the false prophets of old time, for those who will not learn from history are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. Three chief pitfalls which ministers of the Gospel must guard against with utmost vigilance are pride, greed and sex ( “presumptuous ... covetous ... eyes full of adultery”). False teachers embrace their false doctrines which are earth-bound, materialistic and carnal. They have forsaken the right way, the way of truth and faith. Hence their arrogance and lusts.

Having followed the way of Balaam, these false teachers will end like Balaam: they “shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness …” (2 Pet 2:12-13). Balaam was rebuked by the “dumb ass speaking with man’s voice” (2 Pet 2:16), nevertheless he went with Balak (despite the animal’s warning). Balaam eventually perished for his disobedience, in a general massacre, without repentance. The way of disobedience is hard.

THOUGHT: When the will of God is clear, do it! Do not make a pretence of praying.

2. LAST DAYS SCOFFERS (2 Pet 3:1-7; Ps 90:9-12)

The Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is the final climatic EVENT OF HISTORY. For Christians, the mere fact that our Lord promised to return is sufficient reason to believe and prepare for it. But to our weak faith, He has also given us the testimony of the angels at the Ascension (Acts 1:11), the numerous affirmations and reminders of the Apostles in the New Testament epistles, and over 1,500 references to this glorious event in Holy Scripture.

But the modern church is blind to God’s Word. This should not surprise us, for God had foretold it long before the time, “that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Pet 3:3-4). These scoffers resent the doctrine of our Lord returning in judgment. To them such a thought is too jarring to the guilty conscience and too disruptive to their godless lifestyle. Therefore, they soothe themselves, saying , “Since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Pet 3:4). Their argument is: “We have never yet seen a global judgment. Therefore, such a thing can never happen!”

Such reasoning is not according to the evidence. In fact, the evidence for a previous global judgment in the time of Noah is everywhere, “large as life staring one in the face.” But the scoffers are blind, “willingly ignorant” of the rock-firm evidence. That such a global catastrophe did take place is borne out by (a) worldwide sedimentary rock formations, (b) worldwide fossil deposits, (c) vast graveyards of marine creatures on mountain tops, and (d) vast deposits of fossil fuels beneath the sedimentary rocks (oil, coal and gas). Space does not allow a detailed explanation of these evidences, but suffice it to say that all these were rapid deposits in a watery medium, conditions obtained only at the time of the Great Flood.

That God did destroy the world once is sufficient warning that He will destroy it again, as He promised.

THOUGHT: Scoffing will not affect the evidence.

God bless you, dear readers.