The Wages of Balaam

How Division in Medical and Gospel Ministry Curses Our Churches

In my previous blog post, I touched on the tragic story of Balaam—a prophet who once walked closely with God but fell into temptation. His pursuit of riches, power, reputation and influence led him to seek ways to bring a curse upon God’s people. Although he was forbidden to curse them directly, Balaam found a way to weaken and endanger them, all for his own personal gain. The curse that Balaam sought to unleash upon Israel holds a powerful warning for us today, particularly in the context of medical ministry.

I mentioned before that Ellen White warned of the “worst evil” being brought upon our churches when medical missionaries and conference workers fail to work together. That phrase should cause us to pause. Such disunity, according to her, lays the groundwork for a spiritual curse on our whole church—not unlike the one Balaam tried to place on God’s people. This is why it is so important for us to revisit this topic, to delve deeper into the consequences of failing to unite in our work for God’s cause.

The Wages of Balaam: A Call to Unity in Medical Ministry
Balaam’s story is a vivid example of the dangers of prioritizing personal ambition over loyalty to God. Once a prophet of the Most High, Balaam allowed greed to cloud his judgment. He was tempted by the offer of riches, reputation, and influence, and, although outwardly appearing pious, he was willing to betray his own people for personal gain. His actions were driven by a desire for wealth and power, even at the cost of opposing God Himself.

Balaam knew the power of God and the consequences of turning against Him, yet he persistently sought ways to curse Israel. Though God initially blocked his attempts, Balaam did not give up. He eventually found a way to circumvent God’s protection by advising Israel’s enemies to lure the people into temptation, causing them to lose the divine protection they had enjoyed. Balaam’s actions brought ruin, not only to himself, but also to those he had been called to minister to. In the end, he died fighting against his own people—a tragic example of what happens when greed and self-interest take precedence over faithfulness to God.

The relevance of Balaam’s story to our time cannot be overstated. Just as Balaam was willing to bring destruction upon God’s people in exchange for wealth and influence, we too are faced with similar temptations in the realm of medical ministry. Ellen White’s warning is clear: when pastors and physicians fail to work together, we bring the “worst evil” upon our churches. This sounds alarmingly close to the curse Balaam tried to unleash.

We may not be cursing our people outright, but by neglecting the unity God calls for, we are allowing division, strife, and spiritual weakness to take hold. We are leaving the church vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy, just as Balaam did. When physicians and pastors fail to collaborate, the church loses the strength and protection that comes from being united in purpose. It’s not just about failing to run effective clinics or schools; it’s about undermining the spiritual health of the church itself.

The lure of personal gain—whether it be wealth, influence, or reputation—can be dangerously strong. Like Balaam, we can easily find ourselves justifying decisions that ultimately lead to harm. We may convince ourselves that working together is too difficult, too slow, or too messy. But if we disregard God’s clear mandate for unity in medical ministry because it’s inconvenient, we are no less guilty than Balaam. And the consequences of this disobedience are severe.

Principles are unchanging—cause and effect remain constant. If we heed the call to unity, we will experience the blessings that come with working together in service to God. If we choose disunity, we invite the “worst evil” into our midst. Standing before the judgment bar of God, what excuse could we possibly give for having placed a curse upon His people for the sake of our personal gain? Balaam died in disgrace, fighting against the very people he should have been protecting. Will we also find ourselves standing against God? This is what happens if we pursue our own interests over the mission He has given us.

The story of Balaam serves as a sobering reminder: the wages of Balaam are not worth the cost. The riches, power, and reputation that tempt us in this life are fleeting and come with devastating consequences if we ignore God’s principles. Let us not fall into the same trap as Balaam. God has called us to work together—physicians, pastors, medical missionaries, and conference workers—to bless His people, not to curse them. When we choose to be separate, and we refuse to collaborate, no matter if it is because of our income, our influence, or our reputation, it is then that we are choosing to receive the wages of Balaam. It is here that we invite the curse of division, disunity, and spiritual harm to the church.

I urge you to resist this temptation. Choose unity. Choose faithfulness. God has placed us in our respective roles for a purpose. By His providence, we have been given the opportunity to serve Him and His people in a powerful way. Let us not squander that calling for the sake of personal gain. Let us reject the wages of Balaam and work together to bring blessings, not curses, upon the church of God.

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