114. 'That thou hast there those holding the doctrine [of] Balaam, who used to teach Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat idol-sacrifices and to commit whoredom' signifies that there are among them those who do hypocritical works, by means of which the worship of God in the Church is defiled and adulterated. That by these are understood those who do works by means of which worship is defiled and adulterated is plain from the historical things of the Word concerning Balaam and Balak king of Moab. For Balaam was a hypocrite and a diviner, for he spoke well of the sons of Israel from Jehovah, and yet at heart was in favour of destroying them, and he also did destroy them by the counsel given to Balak. It is plain from this that his works were hypocritical. That he was a diviner is referred to (Num. xxii 7; xxiv 1; Josh. xiii 22); that he spoke in favour of the sons of Israel by blessing them (Num. xxiii 7-15, 18-24; xxiv 5-9, 16-19); but that this was spoken from Jehovah (Num. xxiii 5, 12, 16; xxiv 13); that at heart he was in favour of destroying them, and that he also did destroy them by the counsel given to Balak (Num. xxxi 16); the counsel that he had given (Num. xxv 1, 9, 18). This was the stumbling-block which he cast before the sons of Israel, of which it is thus written:-
In Shittim the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab, and they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods; the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods, especially did [Israel] join himself unto Baalpeor: therefore there were slain of Israel twenty-four thousand Num. xxv 1-3, 9, 18.
By the sons of Israel the Church is signified; by eating of their own sacrifices is signified the appropriation of what is holy; and therefore by eating of the sacrifices of other gods or idol-sacrifices is signified the defilement and profanation of what is holy; by committing whoredom is signified adulterating and perverting worship. That by Moab and consequently by its king and daughters are also signified those who defile and adulterate worship, may be seen in ARCANA CAELESTIA published at London (n. 2468). As a result of these considerations it is now plain that such is the spiritual sense of the words quoted.
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