Biblical Economics

Balaam made a bad investment.

A king sent a delegation to him. The king offered him money to betray God’s people. Balaam told the delegation no, but then allowed them to stay the night. The Lord told him not to compromise with them, so he sent them away.

The king sent a second delegation more distinguished and larger than the first. Balaam told them that he could not do what the king wanted him to do but told the delegation to stay the night. In the night, the Lord gave Balaam leave to go with the delegation if he obeyed the Lord.

At a certain point, the Lord put an angel in his path with a sword drawn. He told Balaam, “I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.” The angel permitted Balaam to proceed but warned him to speak only what God told him to speak. [1]

Balaam did not pronounce a curse on God’s people as the evil king wanted him to do, but he did advise the evil king how to weaken them. Moses asked his commanders...

“Have you allowed all the women to live? They were the ones who followed Balaam’s advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the Lord in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the Lord’s people.” [2]

Jesus commanded the Church of Smyrna to repent of the sins of Balaam. He said...

“Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.”

Jesus promised to reward those who repented and overcame these sins. [3]

When we make bad investments, we need to repent and ask the Lord to forgive us.

The Psalmist prayed, “If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve You. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word, I put my hope.” [4]

Biblical economics is to turn FROM bribers and seducers. Biblical economics is to turn TO the Lord in repentance, faith, and hope. Biblical economics is to AVOID evil and DO what is RIGHT. Transfer your TRUST and HOPE to the Lord!

Below is more sound Biblical financial advice:

“The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with Him.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.

The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.

Hopes placed in mortals die with them; all the promise of their power comes to nothing.

The righteous person is rescued from trouble, and it falls on the wicked instead.

With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape.

When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.

The desire of the righteous ends only in good, but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.” [5]

[1] Numbers 22:4-38
[2] Numbers 31:14-16
[3] Revelation 2:14, 17
[4] Psalm 130:3-5
[5] Proverbs 11:1-11, 21, 23