Promised Land
In Numbers, we see the time when the nation of Israel was just about to enter the promised land. They had defeated two other kings, and there was another king, Balak, who saw that the Israelite army was too strong for him. He formed a federation with the Midianites, but even that was not strong enough. He decided to seek supernatural help.
5 So 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, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are living opposite me.
6 “Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may 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.”
Balaam
Balaam was known as a prophet of the LORD, the true God, even though he was not part of the nation of Israel. King Balak was not a godly man, but he knew he needed help. It’s like some people today who never think about God until they face a crisis, then they ask everyone to pray for them.
7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and repeated Balak’s words to him.
8 He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the LORD may speak to me.” And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.
First Visit
These elders had to travel over 400 miles to get to Balaam, bringing money and gifts for the prophet. Even though Balaam was a prophet, he also had a problem with greed, which we will see shortly.
Balaam told the men to stay there that night, so he could have time to ask God what to do.
God’s Answer
12 God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”
13 So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your land, for the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”
God told Balaam clearly that He did not want Balaam to go back with them. Even though Balaam really wanted the riches, he did what God told him to do. He told the elders to go back to Balak.
Second Visit
15 Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more distinguished than the former.
16 They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I beg you, hinder you from coming to me;
17 for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Please come then, curse this people for me.”
King Balak knew that he didn’t have any choices; he had to try again. He sent even more important people, more of them, and even more money.
Second Visit
18 Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the LORD my God.
19 “Now please, you also stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will speak to me.”
Balaam told these elders that it didn’t matter how much money Balak gave him; he could only do what God told him to do.
He still wanted the riches, though, so he told them to spend the night again, so he could ask God again. God had already told Balaam that the Israelites were blessed, and that he should not leave to curse them. The riches of this world can be very tempting.
Permission
20 God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.”
21 So Balaam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.
Right about now, Balaam was probably thinking that he was really special. He had actually convinced God to change His mind! God told him he could go, but that’s not really what God wanted him to do.
Balaam still had a lot to learn.
Adversary
22 But God was angry because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him.
It seems that it’s way too easy for us to convince ourselves that either our plans are God’s plans, or at the very least, God will bless our plans. Balaam is about to find out what happens when greed blinds a man of God.
First Challenge
23 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand, the donkey turned off from the way and went into the field; but Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back into the way.
The “mighty prophet Balaam” could not see the angel of the LORD, but a dumb donkey could. Spiritually blind Balaam could not see what was right in front of him. Instead, he felt that he knew best, and he struck his donkey, to get her to go where he wanted.
Second Challenge
24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.
25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself to the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again.
The donkey had saved his life, but Balaam was clueless. Now, she saves his life again, but Balaam is still completely clueless.
Third Challenge
26 The angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn to the right hand or the left.
27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick.
For a third time, the donkey saves Balaam’s life, but he just gets angrier.
The Donkey Speaks
28 And 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?”
29 Then Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a mockery of me! If there had been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you by now.”
The scripture doesn’t say, but it doesn’t seem like Balaam was all that surprised that his donkey was speaking. It could be that he was so angry with his donkey, that he just wanted to vent his anger, so he told her how he was feeling.
Spiritual pride blinds us, just like any other type of pride.
Open Eyes
30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?” And he said, “No.”
31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground.
Finally, Balaam sees what is happening. All of a sudden, he realizes what God really wants. He also realizes that the donkey that he was furious with had just saved his life three times. The prideful prophet came back down to earth.
God Speaks
32 The angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me.
33 “But the donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, I would surely have killed you just now, and let her live.”
God lays it all out for Balaam. Balaam’s donkey had more spiritual wisdom this day than Balaam, the “man of God.”
Reality
34 Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way against me. Now then, if it is displeasing to you, I will turn back.”
35 But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you shall speak only the word which I tell you.” So Balaam went along with the leaders of Balak.
After they arrive, King Balak tries to get Balaam to curse the Israelites. Three times, Balaam had Balak set up seven altars and sacrifice seven bulls and seven rams. Each time, God tells Balak to bless Israel, not curse them. God even has Balaam prophesy something very profound – something we all need to remember.
God Cannot Lie
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 it?
Or has He spoken,
and will He not make it good?
God told Balaam not to go, but he wanted to anyway. This almost cost him his life.
God is telling Balak that Israel is blessed, not cursed. Balak is not willing to accept that, though. This will end very badly for him and all those with him.
When God says something, we need to accept it. God has promised good things for us. We simply need to accept what He has given us.
Balaam Leaves
25 Then Balaam arose and departed and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way.
It seems that Balaam went home.
The next chapter says that the Midianites and Moabites enticed the Israelites to come worship their false gods with them. Many Moabite women also came into the camp of Israe, tempting the men to sin with them sexually. God sent a plague among the people, and 24,000 of them died.
War
In chapter 31, God tells Moses to “Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites.” The Moabites and Midianites were actually attacking the Israelites by enticing them to sin. That’s why God told them to destroy the nation. The Israelites killed the men of Midian, but spared the women. This is not what God had said, though.
Misplaced Mercy
15 And Moses said to them, “Have you spared all the women?
16 “Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD.
Balaam came back and told Balak there was only one way to defeat Israel. Balaam could not curse Israel, because God had blessed them. If Israel turned away from God, though, Balaam knew God would judge them.
Because of his greed, Balaam sold out God’s people. Balaam chose riches in this life. Maybe he thought he could repent later. It looks like that didn’t happen, though.
Judgment
7 So they made war against Midian, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.
8 They killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
If we look back a few verses, we see what happened with Balaam. He chose to side with Midian, instead of God’s people, so he was also judged and killed along with the other enemies of God’s people.
Many years later, God used this as an example of sin in the early Christian church.
Stains
They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you,
14 having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children;
15 forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
16 but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.
Yes, Balaam was a prophet, but he chose the way of sin. God will use whomever or whatever He chooses (even a donkey). That does not guarantee that someone is pleasing to God, though. Look at what Jesus said.
Stains
22 “Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?
23 “And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.
God is looking at our hearts. It’s true that our deeds (our fruit) will show our hearts. It’s also true that people can do good things for bad reasons. Serving God is simple – we just need to love Him, spend time with Him, and do what He says, not what we say.
We all make choices every day. The most important choice we can ever make is to serve God, not the fake riches of this world.
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