In Numbers 22, Balaam said, “I have sinned,” but he never truly repented. His story is one of the clearest examples in Scripture of a person who sounded spiritual while living in disobedience. Discover how Balaam’s words expose the danger of empty confession and reveal God’s call to genuine repentance and obedience through Christ.
Watch the Sermon:
https://youtu.be/9uql1s1Se-o
Table of contents*
Balak’s Fear and Balaam’s Temptation*
Asking God to Approve Sin*
Rationalizing Disobedience*
Leaving the Door Open to Temptation*
When Temptation Appeals to Pride*
When Words Sound Spiritual but Hearts Are Disobedient*
Actions Must Match Words*
When God Allows What We Demand*
God’s Perfect vs. Permissive Will*
A Prophet Rebuked by His Donkey*
When Balaam Said, “I Have Sinned”*
The Hebrew Meaning of “Turn Back” (šûḇ)*
True Repentance Means Real Change*
Balaam’s False Confession vs. Jesus’ True Compassion*
Mean It When You Say “I Have Sinned”
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m sorry,” but you knew they didn’t mean it? Maybe they were only sorry they got caught, not truly sorry for what they did.
Sadly, the same thing happens spiritually. Many people say to God, “I have sinned,” but their hearts never change. Their words sound right, but their repentance isn’t real.
That’s what we’ve been studying—people in Scripture who said, “I have sinned,” but never repented. We’ve already looked at Judas and Pharaoh. Today we’ll look at Balaam, a man who shows us how easy it is to sound spiritual while walking in disobedience. His story reminds us that repentance is not just what we say to God—it’s what we do in response to Him.
Balak’s Fear and Balaam’s Temptation
Numbers 22 introduces two main figures:
* Balak, king of Moab, who feared Israel after seeing their victories.
* Balaam, a prophet believed to have power to bless or curse.
Since Balak couldn’t defeat Israel militarily, he turned to spiritual warfare—hoping Balaam could curse them. Balak represents Satan’s strategy: when he can’t destroy God’s people through force, he tempts them through compromise.
Asking God to Approve Sin
When Balak’s messengers offered Balaam money to curse Israel, Balaam should have refused immediately. Instead, he entertained the offer:
“Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.” – Numbers 22:8
He asked God a question he already knew the answer to.
