If you’re anything like me, you’ve always pictured false prophets as something like a televangelist with a mass following or a megachurch pastor who’s caught up in making money. As I’ve come to know the biblical definition of false prophets, however, I’ve realized that you don’t have to have a megachurch to become a false prophet – you don’t need a following at all. Actually, you could be a false prophet right now, it’s not that hard to do. Check this out:

Peter tells us 4 things about false prophets:

1. They will arise (2 Peter 2:1)
2. They will be slaves to the desires of their flesh (2 Peter 2:2,19)
3. They will walk in the way of Balaam (2 Peter 2:15)
4. It’s better for them to have not known the way of Christ, than to have known it and turned away from it (2 Peter 2:21)

I think all of these are pretty self explanatory except for one… the way of Balaam. What does Peter mean by that? Why does he reference Balaam and his donkey? Well, Balaam’s story is found in Numbers 22… Here’s what happened:

Now Balaam was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way. Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again. The angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick. And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.” The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.”

Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground. The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me. But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.” Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me.” – Numbers 22:21-34

Let’s take a deeper look – and ask ourselves some questions – and find out what Peter is trying to teach us about false prophets and how it applies to us:

• The donkey served under Balaam.

• Who do you serve under? Who serves under you?

• The donkey was able to see the angel but Balaam wasn’t.

• What was Balaam blinded by?
• What do we need to have our eyes opened to?
• Why could the donkey see the angel?

• Balaam struck the donkey for trying to redirect him.

• How do we react when someone tries to redirect us?
• Are we more concerned with ‘our path’ than with the path God has for us?

• The Lord opened the mouth of the donkey.

• The Holy Spirit uses brethren to confirm His will. Are we discussing our paths with our brothers and sisters? Are we seeking wise counsel?

• The Lord opened the eyes of Balaam to see the angel. The angel tells Balaam that he would have killed him if the donkey hadn’t redirected him (if Balaam had continued in his own way). So, Balaam confesses: “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing against me.”

When we get caught up in following our own desires (and not only following but, as Peter says, becoming slaves to whatever overcomes us) we lose sight of the Lord… we lose sight of His confirmations and redirections.

The truth is we may become false prophets ourselves and not even notice! All it takes is for us to start leading others according to the desires of our flesh and BAM… we’re false prophets ourselves.

I encourage you today to evaluate your paths, to present them to your brothers and sisters in Christ for any needed correction or direction. Pray that the Lord would open your eyes to anything you’ve been missing. Repent if you’ve not seen His redirections and get your feet back on The Way.

“Untaught and unstable people twist [Paul’s Epistles] to their own destruction, as they do with the rest of scripture. Therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”