True to the Word

Revelation 2:14-16 “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15 Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”
 
THE Lord has just praised and encouraged the church at Pergamum for their faithfulness against idol worship. They have remained faithful to Jesus even as one of their own members has been martyred.
   But then the Lord addresses the sexual immorality infecting the church. This is the reason for his reference to Balaam and Balak written in Numbers 22-25. Again we see how Jesus, the Living Word, refers to the entire Scripture in his teachings. The point here is that Balak, a king in Moab, hired a sorcerer Balaam to curse the Israelite encampment near Moab on their journey to the Promised Land. The sovereign Lord made it clear to Balaam he was not to do such a thing. Ultimately, though, the Israelite men intermarried with the pagan Moabite women. Here’s the result: Numbers 25:1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, 2 who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods. 3 So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them. 4 The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the Lord, so that the Lord’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”
   Idol worship is death. Many pagan worshipers sacrificed children into fires. God judged the sexually immoral and protected his people in the desert. Then he spoke to protect the church in Pergamum. They needed to know their sin, so they could stop and repent.
   God commands us to be pure in our sexuality, so we will worship him only. His love is too great to keep quiet about our wanderings away from God’s commands.
   Condemning sexual sin seems to be off-limits in the church today. Remember, though, Jesus is Lord. He is the one who wields the sword in his mouth to judge sin and to save. There is only life in him when we are willing to faithfully live in his way.
 
Prayer: Lord God, open my eyes to keep me from the idols. Amen.