Motives of Your Heart!

Many see the Word of God. . .few observe!

​In the book of Numbers (22:20-22) God calls Balaam to go with these wicked men but only say what I tell you to say. The next morning Balaam gets up and saddles his donkey to do what God has said. Then verse 22 says that God was very angry with him. What happened overnight? What did Balaam do to make God so mad?
 
Peter helps us see the answer to those questions in his letter at the end of his life. Balaam loved the wages of wickedness. He wanted the money he was promised for going with them. He loved, Agapao, the wages that he would get. The motives of his heart were wrong and God became angry.
 
2 Peter 2:15 (NIV)
15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.
 
The Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament states the following about Balaam’s love:
 
26 ἀγαπάω (agapaō): vb.; ≡ DBLHebr 170; Str 25; TDNT 1.21--1. LN 25.43 love, (Jn 13:34–35); 2. LN 25.44 show love, demonstrate love (1Jn 3:17); 3. LN 25.104 take pleasure in, to love based on its regarded value (Jn 12:43)[1]
 
Balaam loved money in the way that he should have loved God. He respected God but the motives of his heart were not pure.
 
What are the motives of your heart when you serve God? Many are called by God to accomplish tasks specified by Him. But the motives of your heart will be closely watched by the Lord.
 
Cathy and Danny Sartin
Deeper Still Missions


vb. verb
DBLHebr Swanson, A Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament)
Str Strong’s Lexicon
TDNT Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
LN Louw-Nida Greek-English Lexicon
LN Louw-Nida Greek-English Lexicon
LN Louw-Nida Greek-English Lexicon
[1] Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.Copyright © Danny Sartin. All Rights Reserved.
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