Shabbat Shalom. I would like you please to open your Bibles for this Shabbat meeting and we are reading today in 2 Peter chapter 2 beginning from verse 10 to verse 22. And I'm continuing now to read. We have covered already the first nine verses. So please follow with me. Verse 10, But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government, presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities, whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord, but these as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption, and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness. as they that counted pleasure to riot in the daytime, spots they are, and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings, while they feast with you. Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin, beguiling unstable souls, and heart they have exercised with covetous practices, cursed children, which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray following the way of Bilam, the son of Besor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but was rebuked for his iniquity, The dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbade the madness of the Prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. For when they speak great swelling words, of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh. Through much wantonness, those that were clean escape from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption. For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollution of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior, Yeshua the Messiah, they are again entangled therein and overcome The latter end is worse with them than the beginning, for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness. then after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again. and a sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. This is the word of the Lord. 2 Peter chapter 2 verses 10 to 22 is the reading that we have had in this ministry meeting. And we are really, beloved brothers and sisters, continue from what Shimon Petros already began to say to those Hebrew Christians of first century concerning the rising up of false teachers in the coming day. When Peter wrote the second epistle about 66 A.D., he was writing now, warning the believers to whom he wrote about the false teachers that will rise, as we see here in verse 1. There were false prophets also among the people? even as there shall be false teachers among you who will privately shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them." That's how he began the second chapter by writing to those early believers. Now, while in the first nine verses that we have studied in our previous meeting, he gave there the warning concerning those false teachers. In those next verses, verses 10 to 22, he is now telling us and telling the early brethren about the activities of those false teachers. Not only to watch because there will be false teachers who are going to be creeping in among the people of God. Now He described before us, before them, the activities of those false teachers. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, when a teacher teaches false doctrine purposely, intentionally, you would see some of their activities that are brought before us in these verses. And while it is a sad chapter to read, it is a very serious chapter that really teaches us and gives us a red light to really be on guard. in connection with the rising of the false teachers. Now, I want to say one thing about the book of 2nd Peter in connection with the book of Jude or Yudah. Shimon Petros wrote about the same time that Yudah, Jude, wrote as well to Hebrew Christians of 1st century. But when Shimon Petros wrote the 2nd epistle about coming false teachers, by the time that Jude wrote, not too long after him, the false teachers already had been in among the people of God. So when Peter was saying there shall be false teachers, Jude said there have been false teachers. They have already have come in in the midst of the body of Messiah and the warning was given to those early believers. There are two things that we want to look at this ministry meeting in 2 Peter 2, verses 10-22. First of all, Peter points to what they're doing in verse 10-16. And then in verse 17-22, Peter points to the end. What is the consequences or what is the result of the false teaching and what is the judgment that is going to come upon those false teachers in the coming days so let's look at these verses now notice in verse 9 Peter says the Lord knows how to deliver the godly he was speaking of course about just lot about this righteous man about his righteous soul the Lord know how to deliver the godly out of temptation in other words he delivered ultimately just lot even though he lived for years in Sdom and Amorah even though he was so much influenced by Sdom and Amorah by Sodom now he ultimately if you remember we read chapter 19 of the book of Genesis he delivered him ultimately out in a judge this city of Sdom and Amorah as we read in Genesis chapter 19 then he says in the second half of verse 9 but he's also to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. In other words, God is able to deliver the believer out of all kind of condition that comes around, and also God is able to reserve the unbeliever, the unjust, until the day of judgment and to a time of punishment. And so what we really learn here from the end of verse 9, that God is able to deliver His own. But He also is able and He will reserve the unjust into a day of punishment. He is going to bring them into judgment in a soon coming day. And it most likely has a reference, beloved brothers and sisters, to the Great White Throne Judgment. where everyone of the unbelieving world who rejected Yeshua the Messiah going to have to stand before the Lord Yeshua the Messiah at the great white throne judgment mentioned in Revelation chapter 20 and the first 11 verses I believe. And so, now after he said this in verse 9, now he's continuing to point to the activities, to the doing of those false teachers that will be rising among the people of God. In verses 10, 11 and 12, false teachers will speak evil against dignities. He is now showing to them and showing to us that false teachers will have no fear and no shame to speak against dignities. In verse 10 he says, but chiefly them, who are them, those are the ones that previously I mentioned here, the ungodly, the unjust, that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government, presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak even of dignities. Now, pause with me for a moment. You know that God have placed the people of God here in this world, and he placed governments here, the government that we are under, whether it is in this country or elsewhere in the world in which we live in, the governments are ordained of G-d. We read in Romans 13 verse 1, Let every soul be subject unto a higher power, for there is no power but of G-d. The power that be are ordained of G-d. In other words, we are placed here in this world as believers, We are saved, of course, out of this world. But we are called to be subject to the government that be. The rulers that God has placed us in any country, whether it is here in Canada, or elsewhere in Europe, or the United States, or elsewhere in the world, including Israel. We are to be subjected unto the government that be. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. But what happened with those false teachers? What did they do? As it says here in verse 10, them that walk after their flesh, you see, they are not believers. They don't have the Holy Spirit of God. We're going to see it a bit later. They are not really born from above. They are not what Peter said earlier in chapter 1. They are not elect according to the full knowledge of God. They are not those whom God have brought in to be part of the assembly of the Church of the Living God. So what happened with them? They are walking after the flesh in the last of the uncleanness and they despise government. presumptions are they, self-will, they are not afraid to speak even of dignities. Now when you think of dignities, it may be the king, it may be the prime minister, it may be the president, and so on. While we don't necessarily agree with the policy of a certain leader, But we have to respect the office of the prime minister. We have to respect the office of the president. While we don't necessarily respect what one may lead us into, but we have to respect the office of the government in which we are under. And therefore, these individuals, we can see some of their doings and activities They will walk after the flesh in ungodliness and do not respect, speak against dignities. No fear, no shame in speaking against leadership and dignity. In verse 11 he continues and he says, even where is angels. which are greater in power and might. In other words, the angels, in a sense, they are greater in power and might than the human race. And so even angels, they bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. Even the spirit realm, the angels, do not bring accusation against them before the Lord. Now, you see how interesting that 2 Peter, specifically chapter 2, concerning the false teachers, and the book of Jude is really linked together. Both of them were written to Jewish believers. I want you to turn please to Jude for a moment. His Hebrew name is Yehuda. he wrote as well to early Hebrew believers and look what he said in Jude verse 8, 9 and 10 likewise also these, he is speaking about those false teachers filthy dreamers defile the flesh Peter said to walk after the flesh he says defile the flesh despise dominion, notice that and speak evil of dignities Same thing! You almost can say that Jude, Judah, he read what Peter wrote, and he went and he put it down as well. And you can see how the Spirit of God is using one to write to one group of people, using another one to write to another, and they're writing from a different situation all together, but definitely you can see that Jude, Judah, quoted what Shimon Peter said. You can see now in verse 9, we were talking about the angels, and even the angels do not accuse them before the Lord. It says in verse 9, yet Michael, the archangel, Michael in Hebrew, when contending with the devil, with Satan, he disputed about the body of Moshe. Dares not to bring against him a railing accusation, but he said, the Lord will rebuke thee. Even Michael himself, who is this archangel, he disputed with the devil concerning the body of Moses. See, there are certain things that you and I have no idea what's going on behind the scene. Apparently, if you remember when Moshe died on that Mount of Nebo, when he was there looking at the Promised Land, apparently God had buried him there. And apparently there was a disputation between Michael and Satan, the devil himself. But Michael, who knew who Satan is, dared not to bring against him a railing accusation, but he says, the Lord himself will rebuke you. In other words, there is an element of pride and self-will in those false teachers, who have the audacity to speak against dignities, While angels, including Michael, who is greater than the human race, they themselves said the Lord himself is going to be the one who will deal with you. He will be the one. I'm not going to bring a railing accusation against you. And yet those false teachers were bringing railing accusation. As it says here in verse 10 of Jude. These speak evil of those things which they know not. But what they know naturally, as a brute beast, in those things they corrupt themselves. That's what Jude's saying. And back in 2 Peter chapter 2 and verse 10, he says, They are not afraid of speaking evil of dignities. And verse 11, Wherewith angels, which are greater in power and might, Bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. What you can see, beloved brothers and sisters, that they walk after the flesh in pride. They have, as it says in verse 10, they walk in lust and uncleanness. They despise government. They are presumptuous. They are self-willed, and they are not afraid. to speak evil of those that are over them, even in the government, as it says here, dignities, and so on. In verse 12, look what it continues to speak about these false teachers, they will utterly perish in their very own way. That's what they are doing will ultimately lead them to be utterly perished in their very own ways. But these, as natural brute, notice that word here, very interesting word, the word for brute is really the word destitute. That's the meaning of the word for brute. They are like as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption. at the end to be perished in their very own corruption. Now, Peter is saying it about the early church, the early assembly. And those early days of the assembly of the church already false teachers have crept in. and their mannerism, the way they conducted themselves, speaking evil, walking in the flesh, in the lust of uncleanness, and so on, and showing that their end, ultimately, it will be that they will perish in their own way. It was the psalmist of Israel who said in Psalm chapter 1 and verse 6, he says, For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, by the way of the ungodly shall perish." Ultimately, God is going to allow them to perish out of the way. Judgment is awaiting the false teachers who crept in among the people of God. Now, brothers and sisters, there is a lot of material that Peter has given to us here about the false teachers. There is a whole chapter here 2 Peter 2, and in the book of Jude, all these verses that are given to us are really giving a warning to believers concerning false teachers, to alert the people of God, to warn the people of God, because there is a danger out in the world in which we live in, even within the professing Church of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. Well, verses 10, 11 and 12, those false teachers will speak evil against dignity. then now verses 13 and 14 false teachers will beguile unstable people they will trick unstable people notice how he says there in verse 13 he's saying now and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness as they that counted pleasure to riot in the daytime spots they are and blemishes sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you see, he's saying, you know what those false teachers are like? they are with you, they are feasting with you He's saying to those early believers, but actually, they counted pleasure to riot in the daytime. That expression, to riot in the daytime, in other words, they are partying in the daytime. usually people partying at night. They would party in the daytime. In other words, it's their liberty that they have, without any limitation. While they are feasting with you, they are part of the professing church, they are part of the people of God, they are among the people of God, and yet, they receive the reward of that which is unrighteous, and they counted pleasure to riot in the daytime, to do as they please in the daytime and then notice it says that there are spots and there are blemishes among the people of God now you know this expression spot and blemish can you imagine if you for example get yourself a shirt and then you find a spot in the shirt or a blemish in the shirt it mars the shirt the look of the shirt And it's among the people of God when there is false teaching, it's becoming like a spot. a dirty spot or like a blemish that is found among the people of God and it's so unhealthy you know it reminds me of the verse you remember where it says in Ephesians 5 when Paul is speaking about the marriage union but he also speaking about what the Lord Yeshua have done for his own people you remember it says in Ephesians chapter 5, he says, Christ the Messiah loved the church and he gave himself for the church that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious assembly, a glorious church having not a spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Now, we know that the Lord, Yeshua, the Messiah, paid for the sin question, that when we are presented to Him, when we are presented to God with Him, we are looked upon as without spot and without any blemish. Why? Because God looked at us through Yeshua, the Messiah. But what happened here in the context of 2 Peter 2, that those false teachers, they become like spots, as it says here, and they become like blemish. You know, the same thought that we have in Ephesians 5, without spot and without wrinkle of blemish. You know, spots have to do with sin from without. And wrinkle has to do with sin from within. You know when we get older and we get wrinkles in our faces and in our bodies, it comes from within. But when we get an external spot, also the marks that coming on our body, this is marks that coming from without. But what he's really saying here is that these individuals are coming in among the people of God and they become spots and wrinkles in the testimony of the people of God. Now, the people of God are not perfect. None of us is perfect. There are sins that are creeping in. You remember Hebrews 12, verse 1 says, "...the sin which does so easily beset us." And we need to repent and confess and turn to the Lord in repentance. And the blood of Yeshua, the Messiah, cleanses us from all sin when we confess it and repent it and we are continuing on. But these individuals As Peter described here in verse 13 and 14, they become like marks among the people of God. You know, today in the professing church in which we are part of, when you talk to them about Jesus, about Yeshua, they are not always looking at the fundamental believer who walk with the Lord somewhere in another country who is really walking with the Lord. You know what they look at? They look at those who giving to the name of Yeshua all sort of things that are unbiblical. And they become like the marks, you see. The mark, the testimony of here, those are the ones representing all the church. They become like spots. and like blemishes in the testimony of Yeshua the Messiah. Peter is giving this warning and he's saying to those early believers about those false teachers whom he mentioned already in verse 1 who are going to be spots and blemish among the people of God. There is a verse In the Song of Solomon, Solomon was writing in Song of Solomon chapter 4 and verse 7. Of course, he's speaking about the bride. And Song of Solomon has to do with God, with Jehovah's relationship with Israel. And he says, you are all fair, my love. There is no spot in thee. That's how Solomon described the one that he was in love with. And really that's how Jehovah described the nation of Israel whom he loved positionally. And that's how Messiah described the body of Christ, the believers of the church, having no spot and no wrinkle positionally. while false teachers who creep in among the people of God become, as it says here, they are spots and they are blemishes. They are sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you. That's what he is saying. Imagine what he is anticipating. Shimon Petos, as he is getting older, and he knows that he is going to live, and he is giving those warnings to the early Hebrew believers. And then in verse 14, brothers and sisters, it says that they are beguiling unstable souls. Verse 14, he says, having eyes full of adultery, and cannot cease from sin, and then he says, beguiling unstable souls. and hot they have exercised with covetous practices, cursed children. You see what he is saying? Those false teachers are beguiling souls, people who are unstable. They are in a sense, we might say, successfully succeed to have people who follow after their teaching, who are unstable. souls, people, who are unstable. Either they are not believers who might be so much taken up by what they teach and they beguile them and say, oh listen, I have something to tell you, something new, something great that I can lead you and teach you. Or they might even take it, that's why even young believers or people who are believers in Yeshua are not stable, not grounded in the truth of the Word of God, they successfully succeed to beguile them, to trick them into their own views and teachings. That's why we often say that many believers find themselves sometimes in so-called circles where the truth is not being presented And false teaching is being presented, but they are there because they are unstable. They are not grounded in the things of the Lord. It doesn't mean that they are losing their salvation. It has nothing to do with respect to their eternal destiny. But it has a lot to do with how they walk with the Lord. Because when you are being attracted to all sort of things and all sort of teaching, you end up to be influenced by that. And so Peter giving this warning, he says, listen, they have eyes full of adultery, they cannot cease from sin, and they are beguiling unstable souls. They have a heart, but what their heart is focused on, they exercise with covetous practices, and ultimately they are cursed children. They are going to be judged by God in due time, but apparently are going to be creeping in when Peter said it, they were already in when Judah was speaking. They were already there in the midst of the professing Christendom, professing church. Now, no wonder, brothers and sisters, that we find ourselves, if you also read the book of the Revelation, you notice in the seven churches that Yeshua wrote in Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3, you will notice that it began with Ephesus and it ends with Laodicea. It ends with a company of the early church that have been founded and grounded on the truth that they have learned from the apostles doctrine. And then it ends up to be in the Laodicean. Every man does that which is right in his own eyes. It is no longer anymore what it was at the beginning. That's why Yeshua said, I will spear you out of my mouth. You say that you are rich and you need of nothing. He said you don't even know that you are miserable. You are wretched. He is saying to the Laodicean church. And the Laodicean mean people's rule, people's rights. They have been influenced, much of it, have been influenced of false teachers. And so Peter was thinking about it already 2,000 years ago, at the beginning of the church. By the time that we are here today, it already has been saturated, if you will, in the professing church. Now he continues. Look at that. It's a really strong chapter to minister on. It's very hard. It's an ongoing... He continues in verse 15 and 16. False teachers will forsake knowingly the right way. in verses 15 and 16. He says, listen, they have forsaken the right way and are gone astray following the way of Bil'am, the son of Besor. who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but was rebuked for his iniquity, the dumb ass, speaking with men's voice, forbade the madness of the Prophet." Now, you see what he's saying about those false teachers? They forsook the right way. In other words, they were exposed to the right way. They knew very well that Yeshua was the Messiah. They knew, at least they heard the doctrine, the teaching, that God loved the world and gave His Son, the Messiah, to die for the sin of this world. They knew the right way of salvation. In fact, if you remember, we have read earlier in our study together in this chapter, we read, as it says, notice that verse 1, they denied the Lord that bought them. and bring upon them swift destruction. This is verse 1b. What does it mean? They denied the person, that's the Lord, and they denied His redemption, the fact that He is work, He was the Redeemer. And so He is telling them here in verse 15, they really forsook the right way. What was the right way? The right way is the way of Yeshua the Messiah. God gave His Son to die on a tree in order to redeem mankind and they rejected this. This is what you call apostasy. You know this comes from the Greek word apostasia. Apostasy is a person who knew the truth, who have heard it again and again, but then denied the truth. and turn his back on the truth. He was not saved, but he turned back on what he was knowing. For example, Cain. He knew how to come to G-d. He knew that the way of approaching G-d is on the basis of the sacrifice of the blood that an animal had to shed. But instead of coming to G-d on the basis of the sacrifice like his brother Hevel came, he came on his own merit. And when God told him, Cain, you were rejected because you didn't come on a basis of the blood sacrifice, Cain was angry with God. And God said to him, Cain, here is an offering, take it, an offering, and you will be accepted. But Cain rejected. And not only so, he murdered his brother. And judgment came upon Cain. See, these individuals, they forsook the right way, but they are gone astray, and which way they followed, they followed the way of Bilaam. You know, the Bible teaches us about Bil'am. That's why we read earlier in Numbers chapter 22 about the way of Bil'am. What was Bil'am? I want you for a second, please, to turn again to Numbers chapter 22 with me, please. In Hebrew it's Bamidbar. Bil'am was a false prophet. He was not a Hebrew. whom he was called to curse the people of God. So it says here in chapter 22 and first verse he says, and the children of Israel set forward and they pitched in the plain of Moab on this side of Jordan by Jericho and Balak the son of Tzipor, saw all that Israel have done unto the Amorites. And Moab was so afraid of the people, because they were many. And Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are around about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak, listen to this, the son of Tzipor was the king of the Moabite, At that time, and look what he did because he was afraid of the people of Israel, he went and he called a man by the name of Bil'am. He says in verse 5, he sent messengers before unto Bil'am, the son of Besor. to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him. And he said to him, Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt. Behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me. Come now, therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people. Now Bilaam, in the beginning, when he heard the first call from Balak, the king of Moab, Bilaam says, notice that he says in verse 8, And he said unto them, Lodge here that night, and I will bring you a word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me. And the princess of Moab abode with Bilaam. And God came unto Bilaam, and he said unto him, What is man want from thee? And Bilaam said unto God, Balak, the son of Tzippor, the king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, Behold, there are people that came out of Egypt, which covers the face of the earth. Come now, curse me them. Preadventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out. And God said unto Bilaam, Thou shalt not go with them. Thou shalt not curse these people, for they are blessed. You see, Balak wanted to curse Israel and God said to Bilal, don't go to curse Israel because these people are blessed. Don't go to curse them. But what happened? When he received the word of the Lord in the beginning, he didn't go. He did the right thing, Bil'am, in the beginning. But, when the second time they came, and they brought all sorts of wages for him, all sorts of gifts for Bil'am, Bil'am went again and he asked the Lord, or the Lord came to him, and the Lord tested him. to see whether he's going to go or what he's going to do and I'm not going to read everything but in verse 20 on God tested Bil'am God did not want Bil'am to go but he allowed him it was not the will of God but it was the permissive will of God in other words let's test him let's see whether he gonna go or not but what attracted Bil'am is two things number one the gifts that they were going to give him Number two, the honor that they were going to grant him. And Bil'am now, in order to receive gain, in order to receive honor and position, he has gone ultimately, and every time he tried to curse the people of Israel, Instead of cursing, blessing came. You read it in chapter 23 and 24 of the same book of Numbers. There are four times that he sought to curse the people of Israel, and four times he ended up blessing the people of Israel. But he was a false prophet. And the way of Bilaam, that's what it says about these false teachers who forsook the right way, and they went in the ways of Bilaam, The way of Bilaam, it was a wrong way. It was a way that was not of the Lord. The purpose behind it is greed, is position, is power, is glory, is something for oneself. And so that's what we hear here in this chapter. They forsook the right way and they've gone astray and they followed the way of Bilaam. the son of Besor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. In other words, when he knew that God did not want to curse the people of Israel, he still went in order to gain something, because Balak brought him wages. He said, I will give you honor, I will position you in a high position. And that attracted Bilaam, and instead of submitting to God, knowing the true will of God, He allowed himself to be influenced in such a way that the purpose behind what he was doing was merely gain, and it was position, and power, and all what he sought after. And that is exactly what we find here about these false teachers. Those false teachers, verse 15, they follow after the way of Bil'am. Now the Bible tells us quite a lot about Bilaam. In fact, there are three times that the Bible speaks about Bilaam's ways. Or Bilaam's attitude. In 2 Peter chapter 2 and verse 15, it says the way of Bilaam. In Jude verse 11, it says the error of Bilaam. And in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 14, it says the doctrine of Bilaam. Bil'am had his own way, his own error, and he taught his own doctrine which was unbiblical and not right before God. And what happened, brothers and sisters, in connection with the way of Bil'am, we see here in 2 Peter chapter 2, it was the wrong way. It was only gain for self and nothing for God. in connection with the error of Bilaam, that we find it in Jude, in verse 4. Then we find out, certain men crept in, unaware, who were before of old ordained for this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, denying the only Lord God, the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. This is found in Jude, in verse 4. And you can see, beloved brothers and sisters, that this is linked, really, with the error of Balaam that is mentioned in verse 11 of Jude. Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain, and they ran greedily after the error of Bilaam." And the error of Bilaam was to go and to curse the people of Israel instead of remaining behind and saying to the king, no, I'm not going to go to curse the people of Israel. And what about the doctrine of Bilaam that is found in Revelation chapter 2 and verse 14? False doctrine. is exactly what Bil'am did. Do you know what Bil'am did? If you read carefully, in chapter 22, 23 and 24 of the book of Numbers, Bil'am sought to curse Israel, but ultimately he blessed them. But you know what happened? In chapter 25, he succeeded to do something that he could not do in the previous chapters. He succeeded to teach the Midianites to influence the people of Israel in order to take themselves wives from the daughters of the Moabites and to marry them and ultimately to follow their gods which brought about the judgment of God upon the people of Israel and you know when you read in Numbers chapter 25 the daughters of Moab were parading themselves before the children of Israel and ultimately the children of Israel were influenced by them and we read that they end up to take, they join themselves unto Baal Peor and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. So what Bil'am succeeded to do, what he couldn't do earlier, he taught the people of Moab to trick Israel into moral sin which brought about the judgment of God and John takes us in Revelation chapter 2 he's speaking about Pergamos, the church of Pergamos and he says, I have a few things against you in verse 14 of Revelation chapter 2 because you have there in your midst them that hold the doctrine of Bil'am. They had in their midst those who taught the people the doctrine of Bil'am. And what was the doctrine of Bil'am? You can carry on. You can be influenced by the Moabites. You can marry them and live and follow after their gods. And ultimately, God had to judge the people of Israel. And so what we learn, beloved brothers and sisters, in the warning that Peter is giving to those early believers, that those false teachers, they forsook the right way, verse 15, and they have followed after the ways of Bil'am. And we can add the error of Bil'am, and we can add again the doctrine of Bil'am. Those false teachers followed the way of Bil'am, They follow the error of Bil'am and they ultimately follow the doctrine of Bil'am. False teaching and false doctrine. And that's how Peter is looking at those individuals that would come among the people of God. And notice what he says in verse 16 now. He was rebuked. Bil'am was rebuked of his iniquity. By whom? It says here, by a dumb donkey, by an ass. The ass, the donkey, speaking in man's voice, forbade him the madness of the Prophet. He was so much engaged with wanting to get that gain, that he was riding on his donkey, and if you remember that, he was riding in chapter 22 on his donkey, verse 21 of Numbers chapter 22. Bilam rose up. in the morning and he settled his ass, his donkey. And he went with the princess of Moab. He was now going to curse for them the people of Israel. And God's anger was kindled against him because he went. And the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now imagine, here is Bilal riding a donkey. The angel of the Lord, he doesn't see the angel of the Lord. He's riding in a narrow place on a donkey. The angel of the Lord stood in the way as an adversary. He didn't let him go. Now he was riding upon his ass. And his two servants were with him. I'm reading now in Numbers chapter 22, verse 23. And the ass saw the angel of the Lord. Can you imagine? The donkey sees the angel, but his prophet doesn't see the angel. So the donkey sees the angel standing in the way, and he saw drawn in his hand. And the ass turned aside, out of the way, and he went into the field. And Bilam smote the ass. and turning into the way. And the angel of the Lord stood in the path of the vineyard, a wall being on this side and a wall on this side. And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself onto the wall and crushed Bil'am's foot against the wall, and he smote her again. And the angel of the Lord went further, and he stood in a narrow place where was no way to turn, either to the right or to the left. And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Bil'am. And Bil'am's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with his stuff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, of the ass. Can you imagine? Brothers and sisters, listen to this. It is amazing how God uses even animals to speak to mankind. And men still refuse to listen to the Word of God. The Lord opened the mouth of the ass. And she said unto Balaam, listen to this, the ass, the donkey is speaking. What have I done unto thee? that thou hast smitten me these three times. And Bilam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me, I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now I would have killed thee. And the ass said unto Bilam, Am not I thine ass? upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? Was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he says, Nay! Then the Lord opened the eyes of Bil'am and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way and he saw drawn in his hand and he bowed down his head and he fell flat on his face and the angel of the Lord said unto him Why hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before Me. And the ass saw Me, and he turned from Me these three times. Unless she had turned from Me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive." Now notice that the angel of the Lord was talking to Bilaam and saying, If it wouldn't be for the ass, for the donkey, I would have smitten you. I would have killed you. And Bilam recognized right now that the Lord was stopping the ass from him to continue to move forward. But what's the lesson brothers and sisters? Why is it that the Spirit of God take us back? to the time of Bil'am, false prophet, outside of the nation who's coming to curse our own nation, the nation of Israel. And the donkey was speaking to this false prophet, and he did not even listen to a donkey that is speaking to him, but he wanted to continue on to do his evil deed. And as the angel of the Lord says, your ways are perverse, before me. I would have smitten you myself if it wouldn't be for the donkey. And so, we read, Peter is mentioning here, and he said, but he was rebuked, verse 16, for his iniquity, as the dumb ass speaking with man's voice, forbade the madness of the prophet. It was the donkey of the ass, as it says here, who saw the angel of the Lord, who sought to stop the madness of this prophet to go and curse the nation of Israel only for gain. only for position, only for power, only for wealth, to do the evil way, the wrong way. And so, the Bible shows us what these individuals, false teachers, will practice in the professing church when they will influence so many in the time such as we find ourselves even today. Well, we read verses 10 to 16, Peter pointed to the doing of these false prophets. And now notice in the second half of this portion, verse 17 to 22, Peter is pointing to the end of those false teachers. Verses 17 to verse 22. In verse 17 and 18, false teachers, promises are really empty promises. It says in verse 17, these are wells without water. These are clouds that are carried with the tempest, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. For when they speak great swelling words, verse 18 now, of vanity, they allure through the lust of the flesh. Through much wantonness, those that were clean escape from them who live in error. Now what he's saying here, in these verses, he says really, they are like a well, you know a well, when you dig a well, and you dig and you seek to find water and you find out it's empty it's a well it looks great it looks like as if there is something in we're going to go to the well and we're going to get something but it's empty nothing for the soul nothing for the encouragement for the people of God nothing for edification for the building up of the body of the Messiah well it looks great but empty. You know Yeshua, when he went to the Samaritan woman, La Shomronit, and you remember what he was speaking with this Samaritan woman, and he was telling her, you know, she was amazed at how he is a Jewish man coming there in Samaria, and she was really intrigued by this Jewish man that was coming there. And you remember what he said to her when she said, give me to drink. You see, he asked from her for water, but she said, how can you, a Jew, ask me a Samaritan water? And you know what Yeshua said? Whosoever drinketh of this water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing into everlasting life. Whosoever drinketh of this water, he is saying to her, shall thirst again. But whosoever shall drink of the water that I will give him shall never thirst. In other words, what he is teaching us, that there is water in the well when one is teaching the Word of God. but is emptiness in the well when one is not teaching God's word. False teachers who do not lead the people of God to the well. to the true well, where there is spiritual nourishment. They are like leading them to a well that have no water at all in them. Nothing to satisfy the heart of the children of the people of God. It's only a facade. It's only an external appearance, no reality, no substance. He's speaking of them, not only that he said that they are like wells, but he also says here in the next verse, in verse 17, they are clouds that are carried away with a tempest, with the wind. You know, a cloud that is heavy with water, it's sticking around. It's heavy! There's water to come down, to refresh the ground, to refresh the field, and the growth will come. But when you see a cloud, that has no water, the wind will come, and it will fly away. It will be moving ahead. It will not going to bring any refreshment. And what he is saying about these false teachers, beloved brothers and sisters, that they are simply given appearance, but there is no reality. There is no water for refreshment. In the well, there is no water for refreshment. In the clouds, there are merely facades. Wells and clouds, that a mist of darkness is reserved for them forever. In verse 18, it says, they speak of great and swelling words. It is amazing how quickly we are influenced by great words, as it says here. It says, they speak great swelling words. of vanity, and they successfully allure those through lust of the flesh. In other words, they succeed to beguile those who follow them through the lust of the flesh. But they speak Great swelling words. Now, what do we need among the people of God? We don't need great swelling words. We don't need somebody in eloquence. You know, any brother who love the Lord, who seek to minister the Word of God. We don't need to go to schools and to get all sort of diploma in order to teach the Word of God. What we need is a sincere heart, to read the text from the Bible, in submissiveness to the Lord, to teach the simple Gospel message, the simplicity of the Word of God. Paul, in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, Paul said to the Corinthians, Brethren, when I came unto you, I came not with excellency of speech, of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Yeshua the Messiah and Him crucified. and I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of men's wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verses 1 to 5. In other words, beloved brothers and sisters, these false teachers in these next verses, they will allure people by the way they speak. And that word for allure, another word for it is beguile. They will deceive people by their great and swelling words. Eloquency. And that's how people would end up to follow after them. And then notice it says, they will allure through the lust of the flesh, through much wantedness, those that were clean escape from them who live in error. In other words, there were those who successfully succeeded to escape this kind of lifestyle, but they will seek to allure them. to their way in which they would like to live their life. So verses 17 and 18 we see that promises are empty and they will seek to deceive those that will listen to them with vain or with great swelling words. In verse 19 and 20 false teachers are servants of corruption. Verse 19, they influence others to be brought into the bondage of corruption. Again, that's what Peter is warning the early believers. It says in verse 19, while they promised them liberty, They themselves are the servants of corruption, for of whom a man is overcome of the same, is brought into bondage." In other words, with their promises, They are ultimately showing that they are servants of corruption. All their promises are only promises, but eventually they are becoming servants of corruption and they seek to lead those men who successfully succeeded to overcome but they bring them back into bondage, to become servants of corruption. In verse 20, they lead those who follow them, or they lead others, again into a lifestyle of pollution. Again, very hard words that we have here in verse 20. It says here, for if, after they have escaped the pollution of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior, Yeshua the Messiah. They are again entangled therein and overcome. The latter end is worse with them than the beginning." He's also really saying those who succeeded to be delivered out of this kind of lifestyle, those false teachers will seek to lead them back into the old way. And it says here in verse 20, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. They used to live this kind of lifestyle. They have escaped this. They began to walk with the Lord. Now these false teachers have taught them, in a sense, to bring them back into the way that they have been before. Those who already have successfully escaped this kind of lifestyle, now they have gone back. In other words, you can see the influence that there is of these false teachers, the influence upon many. So, let me just conclude with the last two verses. False teachers ultimately will return to their own fleshly way. They're ultimately going to go back to their own lifestyle. They were really not born again, they really did not belong to the Lord, and ultimately they're going to get back to their old way. And that's why verse 21 and 22 point this. They knew the right way, notice this, but they turned away from the right way back to the old way. For it had been better for them not to have known the right way of righteousness, than after they have known it, listen, to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered unto them. They knew it! They've heard it! this is where we see apostate these are apostate teachers who as it says in verse 21 it would be better for them if they did not know the way of righteousness but now they know it and they turn from the instruction of the Lord and end up in a worse state than before this expression it would be better for them if they did not know tells us that in judgment there are also degrees in judgment just the same like in rewards there are degrees of rewards the more faithful a believer is the more rewards the Lord will give us in the judgment seat of the Messiah as 2nd Corinthians 5 says for we must all appear before the judgment seat of the Messiah but it's the same thing brothers and sisters when it comes to judgment for the unbelievers there are degrees in judgment and that's why here we find out that it had been better for them had they not known the ways of righteousness now that they know it refuse it reject it and end up to go to their own way it would have even been better for them if they didn't know the right way because they will receive greater condemnation as we see it here from this verse and finally beloved brothers and sisters the last verse here tells us in verse 22 they say that they return to their own ways just the same like a dog or a pig or a sow return to his own vomit or to wallow in the mud, in the mire. The last verse says in verse 22, but it happened unto them, according to the proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again. Those of us who have a dog know very well when we walk the dog, We know it very well. He's always going back. He smells everywhere. Another dog has done his knee. It's almost like it's an expression. And by the way, that had been taken from the book of Proverbs, chapter 26 and verse 11. Kakelev shav al ka'o. As a dog that is turned back to his own vomit. Just the same way these false teachers. going back to that which is not the way of the Lord. It says in verse 22 at the end, and the sow, the pig, that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. In other words, the pig that you clean him, you wash him, you take him away from the mud, you can't help it. He got back to the mud, to the mire. Because that's the way he used to live. That's the way his lifestyle is. That's the way a pig is in a pig pen in the mire. That's the way it is. And you know, brothers and sisters, you can learn from this that these individuals were never born again. They were never born from above. They were never children of God. They were simply false teachers who crept in among the believers. They never had the experience of being born from above. This is very important to understand. Some people take this verse that says the sow that was washed went back to wallow in the mire. They say, you see, it says he was washed, you see. But the truth that we learn here, he had merely profession, but not true becoming a child of God. In Romans chapter 8 and verse 9 we read, He says, Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. Since so be ye that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of the Messiah, the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. you must be born again in order to be one that is born from above and therefore we learn from these verses that these individuals actually were not at all children of God and they were false teachers who crept in among the people of God well what is the lesson brothers and sisters for us it's really the lesson is that Peter who was going to leave this scene. He was that elder that cared for the flock. And he knew that he was going to go away. And he cared for the flock, for those to whom God has made him responsible over. And he was writing to them. He knew that, that false teachers will come in. And He asked them to be aware of it, to guard, to be careful, not to listen to every wind of doctrine, not to listen to everyone that has something to say. And if we listen, and we should actually listen to teachers who teach us, but we need to see, is it square with God's Word? Is it based upon the Word of God? Because why? We are going to lose out at the end. if we allow ourselves to be indoctrinated by that which is not Bible, by that which is not the Word of God. So out of love for these individuals, out of care as a servant of the Lord, he wrote to them concerning those false teachers who will rise among the people of God. May the Lord help us to be wise in what we listen and to check the Word of God like the Berean. They searched the Scripture daily to see if these things were so. They checked, they made sure that if a preacher come to town, if he's going to tell me something about the Word of God, let's see if it is found in the Word. If it is, we can embrace it and appreciate it. and learn from that and grow. But if it is not, we have to lift up this red flag and say, I'm not going to listen to these words. May the Lord help us and bless us as we continue by the grace of God following Yeshua the Messiah.