How does Numbers 22:17 connect with Matthew 6:24 about serving two masters? The Invitation Saturated with Temptation • Numbers 22:17: “For I will richly reward you and do whatever you say. Only come and put a curse on these people for me.” • Balak doesn’t merely request Balaam’s help; he sweetens the deal with “rich reward” and absolute compliance to Balaam’s terms. • The offer reveals Balak’s real master: material power. He assumes everyone else is mastered by the same lure. The Dilemma of Dual Allegiance • Balaam mouths allegiance to the LORD (22:18), yet the text repeatedly shows him lingering over Balak’s gold (22:19, 21). • Two competing masters emerge: – The LORD, who has already spoken (22:12). – Balak’s promised wealth, prestige, and favor (22:17). • Balaam’s wavering exposes the impossibility of wholehearted obedience while clutching worldly reward. Jesus Crystallizes the Principle • Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and Money.” • Christ states explicitly what Balaam discovers painfully: rivalry between divine command and material enticement is irreconcilable. • Balaam’s later counsel that led Israel into sin (Numbers 31:16) shows the outworking of divided loyalty—greed finally eclipsed obedience. Lessons for Disciples Today • External piety can mask an internal pull toward wealth or approval; sooner or later one master wins. • Delayed obedience or repeated “double-checking” of God’s clear word (22:19) often signals a heart negotiating with Mammon. • Faithfulness requires prompt, decisive submission when God’s command conflicts with profit, position, or pleasure. Scriptures Echoing the Warning • Exodus 20:3 — “You shall have no other gods before Me.” • 1 Timothy 6:9–10 — craving riches plunges people into ruin. • James 4:4 — friendship with the world is enmity with God. • 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11; Revelation 2:14 — New-Testament verdict on Balaam: his way is the way of greed leading others to stumble. The narrative of Balaam and the words of Jesus converge on one timeless truth: the heart has room for only one ultimate Master. |
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