Balaam Among Us: Compromise, Corruption, and the Cost of Influence

June 25, 2025

By Kibooli Felix

Introduction

Our contemporary times are truly painted with the colors of compromise—people abandoning conviction for sordid gain. This compromise manifests itself across various institutions: academia, public offices, corporate corridors, and, grievously, even within the church.

The sin of Balaam has not been buried in the ancient wilderness alongside the wanderings of the Israelites. No. It is alive—draped in academic robes, business suits, and yes, even the clerical collar now bears its stain.

Many who profess to be Christians today wallow in what I would call “Balaamic error.” This piece seeks to uncover and confront that error—first, through a dramatized retelling of the events in Numbers 22–24, and then through a reflective analysis of what Scripture calls Balaam’s sin, his error, and his doctrine

The Sin Of Balaam

A Dramatized Reflection on Compromise, Corruption, and the Cost of Unfaithfulness

When the children of Israel approached the land of the Moabites, fear seized the then King of the Moabites, Balak, and his officials. They had heard of the wonderful workings of the God of Israel with which He dealt with them—how, by this Powerful God, the Israelites had subdued their enemies along the way to the promised land of Canaan. Because of this dreadful fear, Balak summoned Balaam, son of Beor, a diviner—supposedly with the ability to confer blessings and curses upon whomever he willed.

When Balaam had finally come, Balak took him to a hill from whence he could see and pronounce a curse on the Israelites. But three times, instead of cursing the Israelites, Balaam conferred only blessings upon them and claimed he couldn’t curse the people whom God had blessed, adding that God was not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should repent.

But Balak asked Balaam, “Is there not anything that you can do? I will surely bless you abundantly for your good service.”

Balaam answered the king, “O King Balak! As much as your offer is pleasant to any man, yet I must confess that there is nothing I can do. For that which the Sovereign Lord has blessed, which man dares to curse and be at peace?”

“Wait, Balaam, son of Beor. You are renowned for not failing in your service. There must be something you can do—at least to cause these people to stumble,” said Balak, as he pointed his finger at the camp of the children of Israel.

“O King Balak! Valiant son of Zippor, I can perceive in your speech that you are a man so determined and focused, not tolerating failure nor taking a negation for an answer.” The prophet then went into deep thought, with opposing voices, one saying, “No, great diviner, you cannot go against the word of the Sovereign Lord,” but another contested, “But the bag of gold! Balaam, the bag of gold! Are you sure it is within your heart to leave it?”

The prophet wrestled with these thoughts as he sauntered around King Balak, carefully stroking and massaging his long gray bearded chin with his right hand. He looked at King Balak for a moment, then turned his eyes on the camp of the children of Israel, catching a glimpse of the young men as they walked. He then nodded his head in assent with the second voice and thus, after a moment of reflection, he finally answered, “Yes, King Balak, I have thought of a remedy for your problem. Let your heart be gathered together and follow my word, King Balak, son of Zippor.”

“Yes! That is the Balaam whose fame takes precedence before him—the one who sees to it that things come to pass. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint, for even the sound judgment of the wise can crumble under the weight of a golden gift!” exclaimed Balak, almost jumping to his feet. “What is your wise counsel, prophet Balaam, son of Beor?”

“Very well, King Balak, you shall do this one thing: make a thorough search for the most eye-catching and captivating young Moabitesses—I mean those that have been blessed extremely both upfront and behind, if you may; those that wield the charm to captivate the minds of any warm-blooded young men—and carry them on chariots. Then ride these chariots to the eastern side of the camp of the children of Israel and leave them there. The Israelites will help you with the rest of the work, by bringing swift destruction upon themselves,” the diviner advised the king. “For I know that their Sovereign Lord whom they worship has no place for sin; His gauging hand will depart from them!”

“Balaam, son of Beor, are you sure this will work?” inquired Balak, startled.

“Hahhah, Balak, son of Zippor!” Balaam laughed ominously and said, “O King Balak, do you really think that fat reward of yours has no room in my place? Which wise man is there who is not captivated with such mouth-watering gifts that your hands are rendering?”

“Wewe fanya hivyo unyamaze (you do that and hold your silence)!” he added. “Yes, do that and hold your peace. After that, you can even go to your reposing quarters. Let some sweet wine be served unto you and some good soothing music be orchestrated for you as you wait for the intended results tomorrow.”

The diviner left King Balak, carrying a bag, a bag replete with gold on his shoulders, and departed for his place. But as he left Balak’s presence, a voice reverberated in his mind, “What is this that you have done, the wages of unrighteousness? O, the wages of unrighteousness on your shoulders, and the wages of sin is death, O Balaam, son of Beor!”

Now at the camp of the children of Israel, when the young men awoke from their slumber, they couldn’t believe what their eyes were feasting on—for before them were these figures, rather human figures—feminine, and clothed with such beauty, making the minds of these Israelites wander deeper into profane imaginations. And then they exclaimed, “Aah! The Lord is good and has provided for us!”

The Holy and Sovereign Lord, in His heavenly realm, hearing this, said, “Wakijana hivyo wanasema neno gani hiyo? (These youths, what is this that they are saying?) Surely that has not come from Me. Wanadanganya sana (They deceive exceedingly). Sorrow fills My heart that these are indeed willing to sacrifice righteousness and purity to unrighteousness and fornication.” Then the young men defiled themselves and committed fornication with these young damsels. Because of this, the Holy Divine raised a rod of affliction upon the children of Israel.

Now King Balak was in his palace, and news fell into his ears that, “Wakati wa kambi ya watoto wa Israeli, fimbo inacheka na kulia” (amidst the camp of the children of Israel, a rod is laughing and crying).

This dramatic retelling of the biblical account of Balaam’s story, which is taken from the book of Numbers (chapters 22 to 24), is not mere fiction, but a lens through which we may better perceive the hidden motives and subtle corruptions that the Scriptures expose. Let us now turn and examine what his doctrine or sin or error truly was. Balaam was a non-Israelite prophet or diviner who heard from God (Numbers 22:5). He is indeed an enigmatic figure because he heard from God, and yet Peter in his second epistle (2 Peter 2:15) says this prophet loved the wages of unrighteousness, and John the revelator in his revelations (Revelation 2:14) says this prophet taught the enemies of the children of Israel to put a stumbling block before them, causing them to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.

Balaam’s Sin: A Multi-Faced Corruption

Greed Covered in Clothings of Prophetic Integrity

This prophet had initially paid a deaf ear to cursing the Israelites, even under the mounting pressure from the King of Moab, but we see scripture such as 2 Peter (2:15) stripping bare his heart, that he loved the wages of unrighteousness. Albeit claiming that he couldn’t go against what the Lord had said, yet his heart longed for gold, as that short dramatization reveals.

Twisting Truth for Personal Gain

When he was unable to curse the children of Israel directly, Balaam opted for the implicit departure of God’s hand from the Israelites. He advised King Balak to seduce the Israelites through sexual immorality, as the dramatization above depicts, and idolatry (Numbers 25 cf. Revelation 2:14). This led the Israelites into Baal worship, and over 24,000 Israelites were plagued (Numbers 25:9).

Scripture does term Balaam’s sin in three ways:

• The Way of Balaam (2 Peter 2:15): A path driven by greed, prioritizing reward over righteousness.
• The Error of Balaam (Jude 11): Treating the prophetic gift as merchandise, a commodity to trade.
• The Doctrine of Balaam (Revelation 2:14): Justifying compromise, teaching others to sin for gain.

Now, of course, Balaam’s error did not go unpunished. He who ought to have known better, as he heard from God, yet volitionally went against Him and advised otherwise, faced death at the hands of the Israelites in battle (Numbers 31:8)

What is the Danger in Balaam’s Sin?

• It Operates Within the Spiritual Environment: Balaam heard from God but used that for corrupt ends.
• It Mingles Partial Obedience with Hidden Motives: Balaam said he would obey, yet manipulated from behind the scenes.
• It Uses Proximity to God as a Weapon to Serve Enemies: He ultimately empowered the enemies of God’s people. It is akin to the proximity that Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed our Lord, enjoyed, yet Judas used that as an opportunity to fulfill his own personal interests.

Now, as a Christian, how often have you fallen victim to Balaam’s error? Have you ever compromised where you ought not? And did you repent? Have you ever advised or taught contrary to what is revealed in the Word of God? Did you repent?

For our Lord Jesus Christ, in His teaching in the book of Matthew, sternly warns us against misleading others, especially those who are young in faith, when He says, “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). Therefore, let us take heed that we do not compromise, that we don’t mislead others.