You know, it’s one thing to know the truth, and another matter entirely to be true to the truth. So what does it mean exactly to be true? Well, maybe this story will help.

The children of Israel were nearing the end of their journey. They were camped on the east side of the Jordan across from Jericho. The Moabites and Midianites, on whose land they were camped, were frightened of the children of Israel. They saw what they had done to the Amorites, and they knew that they were next. They also recognized they were grossly outnumbered against the hosts of Israel. So in short, if it came to war, which it would, they didn’t have a chance. The King of the Moabites, a man named Balak – he sent for Balaam, a man renowned for his power with God. Balak’s reasoning was that if he could get Balaam, the prophet of Jehovah, to curse Israel in Jehovah’s name, well then, he could defeat them. At least that’s how the record appears.

Well, after hearing the proposition, Balaam took the matter to the Lord, and the Lord said to him, “…Thou shalt not go with them, thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.” (1)

Well, that answer didn’t satisfy the king. So he sent more honorable princes than the first saying to Balaam, “…Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: For I will promote thee unto very great honor...” (2)

Well, I don’t understand why, but this time Balaam was given leave by the Lord to go with the king’s messengers, but with this strict command, “…the word[s] which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.” (3)

Balaam and the king looked down from a high place on the numerous hosts of Israel. And Balak asked him to curse Israel.

“How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? …” (4) Balaam responded. And to the king’s consternation, Balaam blessed Israel right there in God’s name.

Well, that wasn’t what Balak wanted. So he took Balaam to a higher place where he could evidently see more of Israel’s number, and – and – and maybe perceive them as a threat, I don’t know. And there again he asked the prophet to curse them. But once again, Balaam blesses Israel rather than cursing them.

In a last effort, the king took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor and asked him once again to curse Israel. But once again, Balaam stood true to his original command and refused to do so. He blessed Israel again for the third time.

Balak is so angry! “I called [thee] to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. Therefore now flee [thou] to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honor.” (5)

It sounds like Balik is saying, “I wanted you to curse them; all you’re doing is blessing them; just shut up and go home!” - to which, in effect, Balaam responds, ‘I told you at the beginning I would only say what the Lord told me to say.’ (6)

You know, if you look at the record as it stands right now, it appears that Balaam has stood true to the command of the Lord. However, as the scriptures go on, of course Israel does go to war with the Midianites and the Moabites, but interestingly the Israelites seek out Balaam and they kill him! Now why? He defended them, didn’t he?

No, he didn’t! We learn later in the record from four different scriptural writers – Moses, Peter, Jude, and John (7) - they all make reference to Balaam that on that last instance on Mount Peor, Balik’s last offer of wealth and honor was too much for Balaam. He wanted the money! Now he wouldn’t curse Israel directly, but instead, he showed Balik how to do it. He told Balak to send his beautiful women among the men of Israel to seduce them into idolatry. And Balik did, and the same curses followed. (8) Hence, Balaam was not true to the faith because money and wealth overcame him.

To be true then means to stick – to stick to the truth. It means to always take the Lord’s side all the way to the end, and never deviate. Balaam spoke the truth, but Balaam was not true to the truth, and he perished – as will all who are similarly seduced by the world.