Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. (Numbers 25:1-2)
It is amazing to me that so many bad decisions were made when food was involved. It started in the beginning when Eve took Satan’s counsel and ate from the forbidden tree. We see it again when Esau exchanged his holy birthright for a bowl of stew and some bread. Here again, we see the people of God being lured away from truth and life through the seductions of others who invite them to eat what is forbidden. We shouldn’t be surprised that this was the plan Balaam gave to Balak, considering it followed the time-tested methods of the Adversary.
Remember, Satan can’t curse God’s people but he does have the ability to seduce them into doing things that brings a curse upon themselves. His methods are not limited to “food” but have always included something that appeals to the eye. The tree of “good and evil” appealed to the eye of the woman. In Genesis 6, the sons of God were led astray by the “beautiful” daughters of men. In this case, both temptations were presented to the men of Israel. Many of them accepted the invitation of the beautiful women of Moab and Midian to join them in sacrificial rites dedicated to the Ba’al of Peor. In short, they lured them away from God with food and licentious behavior.
In Bible speak, these men “yoked” themselves to a false god as a woman to a husband; in fact, that is what the word Ba’al actually means — husband. That means they committed spiritual harlotry, essentially cheating on God who, by the way, describes Himself as “jealous.” And so the point, today, is we need to be alert and on guard against those “beautiful” and “appetizing” things the Adversary will present to us in an effort to lead us astray. Remember the old saying, “All that glitters is not gold.” So let us keep our eyes and hearts fixed on what we know is true, holy and pure and be faithful to our husband, the Messiah.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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