(Num 22:31) 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. {32} 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. {33} "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."

 

 

(Num 22:34) 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." {35} 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.

 

 

(Num 22:36 NKJV)  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.

 

Note the statement: “Balak . . . went out to meet him at . . .the boundary of the territory.”

 

Why?

1.  He was probably anxious to see Balaam.

2.  It was a way of showing honor to Balaam, but

3.  It was also impatience on Balak’s part.  Note:

(Num 22:37) 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?"

 

Can we paraphrase Balak here?

“Do you know who I am?”

  “Don’t you know I’m the king?”

 “How dare you keep a king waiting?”

 “Didn’t you know I was in a big hurry?

Balaam has a calm reflective answer!

 

(Num 22:38) 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."

 

“Now, have I any power at all to say anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that I must speak." 

 

(Num 22:40) Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, [very likely to his gods] and he [also] sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him. [To be in the good graces of Balak.]

 

(Num 22:41) So it was the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, [Again, the gain the favor of his god, Baal] that from there he might observe the extent of the people. [So he could get a good view of the people that Balak wanted to curse.]

 

 

(Num 23 NKJV)  Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams." {2} And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. {3} Then Balaam said to Balak, "Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you." So he went to a desolate height.

(Num 23:4) And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, "I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram."

 

This would appear to be a very generous offering:  It isn’t a bull or a ram, it’s both!

It isn’t a bull, or a ram, it’s seven times that many.

But God is not for sale. 

I’m reminded of another sorcerer:

(Acts 8:20-21 NKJV)  But Peter said to him, [that is, Simon the sorcerer] "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! {21} "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.

There is evidence that Balaam’s heart wasn’t right either, as evidenced by what follows later. But notice that what follows immediately is great!

 

(Num 23:5) Then the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak." {6} So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

 (Num 23:7) And he took up his oracle and said: "Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, [Mesopotamia, as noted earlier in another lesson] From the mountains of the east. 'Come, curse Jacob for me, And come, denounce Israel!' {8} "How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the LORD has not denounced?

 {9} For from the top of the rocks I see him,

And from the hills I behold him;

There! A people dwelling alone,

Not reckoning itself among the nations.

{10} "Who can count the dust of Jacob,

Or number one-fourth of Israel?

Let me die the death of the righteous,

And let my end be like his!"

 {11} Then Balak said to Balaam,

"What have you done to me?

I took you to curse my enemies,

and look, you have blessed them bountifully!" {12} So he answered and said,

"Must I not take heed to speak what the LORD has put in my mouth?"

(Num 23:13) Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all; [for whatever reason, Balak has the idea that if Balaam doesn’t see all the strength of Israel, then perhaps he can curse them] -- curse them for me from there." {14} So he brought him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. {15} And he said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering while I meet the Lord over there." . . . And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?" {18} Then he took up his oracle and said: "Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, son of Zippor!

{19} "God is not a man, that He should lie,

Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

Has He said, and will He not do?

Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? {20} Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

{21} "He has not observed iniquity in Jacob,

Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.

The LORD his God is with him,

And the shout of a King is among them.

(Num 23:22) God brings them out of Egypt;

He has strength like a wild ox.

{23} "For there is no sorcery against Jacob,

Nor any divination against Israel.

 

God will not allow a sorcerer to curse His people.

I believe the promise is also to us. (1 John 4:4 NKJV)  “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

(22) It now must be said of Jacob And of Israel,

'Oh, what God has done!'

What hath God wrought! (Old King James)

 

 

(Num 23:24) Look, a people rises like a lioness, And lifts itself up like a lion;

It shall not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain."

{25} Then Balak said to Balaam,

"Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!"

 

 (23:26) So Balaam answered and said to Balak,

"Did I not tell you, saying,

'All that the LORD speaks, that I must do'?"

 

 

{27} Then Balak said to Balaam, "Please come, I will take you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there." {28} So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that overlooks the wasteland. {29} Then Balaam said to Balak, "Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams." {30} And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

 

(Num 24:10-17 NKJV)  Then Balak's anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam,

"I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times!

 

 

(Num 24:11) "Now therefore, flee to your place. [In other words: just get out of here!  “Garfield, go home!”] I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the LORD has kept you back from honor."

 

Only in the short term.  Only in this life at best! 

 

(John 16:33 NKJV)  "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

 

(Num 24:12) So Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, {13} 'If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD, to do good or bad of my own will. What the LORD says, that I must speak'? {14} "And now, indeed, I am going to my people. Come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the latter days." {15} So he took up his oracle and said: "The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened; {16} The utterance of him who hears the words of God, And has the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Who falls down, with eyes wide open: {17} "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.

 

(Mat 2:1-2 NKJV)  Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, {2} saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

 

And so, it seems that Balaam must have been a wonderful prophet of God, but there is more:

 

(Rev 2:14 NKJV)  "But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam,

 

 

What went wrong?  How could this have happened?

 

Lord willing, we will discuss that in our next lesson.

 

My Sunday Evening Lessons    Bible Study with Harley