Balak Sends for Balaam
“Then the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.
Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel. So Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me! Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.
Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” So Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.’ ” And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”
So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to give me permission to go with you.” And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.” Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honorable than they. And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me; for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’ ”
Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”
And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel
Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.
Then 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?” And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!” So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.” Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”
And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.” Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, which is on the border at the Arnon, the boundary of the territory. Then Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not earnestly send to you, calling for you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?” And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you! Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak.” So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth. Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.
Balaam’s First Prophecy
So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he might observe the extent of the people.”
The name “Baalam” means “destroyer of people.” There have always been people who have known God in some form, and evidently, Balaam, the son of Beor at Pethor, is one of these people. Balaam has been making a profitable business of blessings and cursings. When messengers from King Balak of Moab turn up, Balaam must be rubbing his hands in glee. This is going to be the crowning point of Balaam’s career…..until God tells him, “No.” When Balaam refuses the first time, Balak sends other princes who are richer and more honorable than the first delegation. Notice Balaam’s negotiations: “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.” This statement is not mere hyperbole; Balaam is actually quoting the price of his services, an entire house full of gold and silver!
“And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.” So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.” This part of the story is confusing. God appears to give Balaam permission to go with Balak’s envoys; yet, on the way, God confronts Balaam because He is angry that Balaam has ignored His commands. This might be an example of God’s permissive will, rather than His perfect will. Balaam’s poor little donkey tries to dodge the Angel of the Lord three times until God finally reveals Himself.
God warns Balaam to say ONLY the words God wants him to. Faced with the reality of instant destruction, Balaam gulps and agrees. It’s little wonder that Balaam informs Balak that he can only say whatever God gives him to say. Balak ignores Balaam’s warnings, assuming that he can persuade Balaam to do whatever he wants.
APPLICATION: Can God move someone who is not serving Him to speak His words anyway? Absolutely! During the 1994 Northern Ethnic Conflict in northern Ghana, a godly pastor and his family fled into the bush to save themselves. Entering a small village, the pastor met a village leader who was a fetish priest. After a brief conversation with the pastor, the fetish priest said, “Pastor, we see that you are a man of God. . Stay with us and we will help you find your way through the bush.” Eventually, the fetish priest and his people conducted the pastor and his family to a safe area.
Balaam REALLY wants this commission! If Balaam can fulfill Balak’s demands, he will be set for life. But there’s a small problem; God doesn’t want Balaam to curse the Israelites. Frightened into obedience, Balaam is prepared to deliver God’s blessings. Sadly, Balaam’s story will not have a happy ending. Eventually, Balaam delays his return home for too long and is killed along with the people who have employed him. Balaam would have done better had he stayed home in the first place.
God allows Balaam to go, but this is not God’s perfect will for Balaam. Reading this story, it is easy to forget that God loves Balaam and Balak just as much as He loves the Israelites. “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) The whole mess begins because Balak fears that the Israelites are going to destroy his nation and wants spiritual power to protect it. Were Balak to allow the Israelites to pass and to pay for their food and water, he might save Moab.
How committed are we to doing God’s will and how many times do we try to do our will in God’s Name? Balaam’s obedience is only partial; he’s still thinking about all that gold and silver he’s going to collect. Many times, we claim to want God’s will; however, our motives are frequently mixed. God knows us better than we know ourselves; we are not deceiving God, but ourselves. Let us truly seek God’s will for our lives and stop playing games.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives and to truly love You and serve You without playing games. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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