WHY WAS GOD ANGRY WITH BALAAM?

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In the story of Balaam and Balak in Numbers chapter 22, God told Balaam he could go to Balak in verse 20, but when Balaam went, the Bible says in verse 22 that, “God’s anger was kindled because he went”. Why did God get angry when Balaam followed His directions? Let’s first read the verses:

Numbers 22:20-22: And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

The answer to this question can be found in the words of Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 2:15-16 which reads.

2 Peter 2:15-16 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

Peter cites Balaam as an example of how greed can distort even the outward appearance of obedience to Christ. 

We know that God is more interested in the inward appearance than the outward actions. Apparently, Balaam had ill intentions stored up in his heart even though he was obeying God in the command to go. He went, but not in the spirit of how God wanted him to go.


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