Numbers 22
1 And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho.
(The Israelites rested in the plains of Moab, by Jericho. This began the third and final part of the Book of Numbers: the events that occurred in preparation for passing over the Jordan River.)
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
(Balak was the King of the Moabites. The Moabites came from Lot and his eldest daughter. These three chapters were referenced in Jude 1:11 because Balak was an example of someone who was destroyed because he was without reason.)
5 And he sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.
(Balak sent messengers to Balaam. The events concerning Balaam would continue to be mentioned throughout the Old Testament and even in 2 Peter 2:15, the Book of Jude, and Revelation 2:14.)
6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
(Balak asked Balaam to curse the Israelites so that the Moabites could drive the Israelites out of the land. This chapter is the first reference of "Balaam" and apparently he was a man of reputation.)
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as Jehovah shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
(God spoke to Balaam.)
10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
11 Behold, the people that is come out of Egypt, it covereth the face of the earth: now, come curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to fight against them, and shall drive them out.
(Balaam told God the request Balak had made of Balaam to curse the Israelites.)
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed.
(God denied this request because the Israelites were blessed. God also told Balaam not to go with the princes of Balak.)
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land; for Jehovah refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
14 And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak, and said, Balaam refuseth to come with us.
(Balaam obeyed God.)
15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.
16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:
17 for I will promote thee unto very great honor, and whatsoever thou sayest unto me I will do: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
(Balak sent more honorable princes that promised Balaam great honor.)
18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Jehovah my God, to do less or more.
19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what Jehovah will speak unto me more.
20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men are come to call thee, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak unto thee, that shalt thou do.
(Balaam told the princes he would not be bribed. However, Balaam talked to God to see if God changed His plan. God told Balaam to go with the men if they called on him. This was an example of a "fleece." In Judges 6:16-17, Gideon used the same process to determine his future actions.)
21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
(Balaam went with the princes of Moab on his own accord. Balaam was the third example referred to in the Book of Jude of deception among believers. Cain (Genesis 4) was the first and focused on attention from God. Korah (Numbers 16) was the second and focused on leadership/authority over people. Balaam was focused on the deceitfulness of riches. Balaam wanted to speak what God told him to speak, which was a right what. However, Balaam had a wrong how and why: he followed them in order to get riches.)
22 And God's anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of Jehovah placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
(God was upset about Balaam's how and why, not about what Balaam did.)
(Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way. Balaam responded physically ("smote the ass") to not being able to accomplish his own how and why.)
24 Then the angel of Jehovah stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
25 And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah, and she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.
26 And the angel of Jehovah went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27 And the ass saw the angel of Jehovah, and she lay down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with his staff.
28 And Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
(God opened the mouth of the donkey and had it speak to Balaam. We can tell it was God because it asked a question. God can initiate His Will on anything that does not have a will: inanimate objects, the weather, animals. This was why God was able to speak through the donkey. Interesting though, earlier in this story Balaam had no difficulty hearing from God. Was this the only way God was able to reach Balaam now that Balaam was doing his own plan?)
29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me, I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed thee.
30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden all thy life long unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? and he said, Nay.
31 Then Jehovah opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Jehovah standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.
(Balaam talked to the animal. After the animal asked two more questions, God opened Balaam's eyes and he saw the angel of Jehovah.)
32 And the angel of Jehovah said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I am come forth for an adversary, because thy way is perverse before me:
(The angel stated that Balaam's way, his method, his how was perverse/wrong.)
33 and the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times: unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain thee, and saved her alive.
34 And Balaam said unto the angel of Jehovah, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
(The angel then asked Balaam a question. Balaam confessed.)
35 And the angel of Jehovah said unto Balaam, Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
(God allowed Balaam to go with the men and warned Balaam about speaking anything other than what God spoke to him.)
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto the City of Moab, which is on the border of the Arnon, which is in the utmost part of the border.
37 And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor?
38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to speak anything? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
(Balaam said he would only speak what God put in his mouth.)
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kiriath-huzoth.
40 And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him.
41 And it came to pass in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal; and he saw from thence the utmost part of the people.
Numbers 23
(This chapter covered two prophecies of Balaam.)
1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
(Balak, a king, was taking direction from Balaam. Clearly Balaam was a man of reputation.)
3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt-offering, and I will go: peradventure Jehovah will come to meet me; and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a bare height.
4 And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
5 And Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.
6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, he, and all the princes of Moab.
7 And he took up his parable, and said, From Aram hath Balak brought me, The king of Moab from the mountains of the East: Come, curse me Jacob, And come, defy Israel.
8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy, whom Jehovah hath not defied?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him: lo, it is a people that dwelleth alone, And shall not be reckoned among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my last end be like his!
(Balaam blessed the Israelites. Do you think Balaam wished he had not met with Balak?)
11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
(Balak asked why Balaam blessed them when he said to curse them.)
12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which Jehovah putteth in my mouth?
(Again, Balaam said he could only speak what God put in his mouth.)
13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: and curse me them from thence.
14 And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
(They went to another place and built seven more altars.)
15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I meet Jehovah yonder.
16 And Jehovah met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.
17 And he came to him, and, lo, he was standing by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, What hath Jehovah spoken?
18 And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; Hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
19 God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and will he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good?
(Here it stated that "God is not a man, that He should lie." Two other accounts in the Bible actually stated that God "cannot lie" (Titus 1:2) and that it is "impossible" for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18).)
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless: And he hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
(Balaam was commanded to bless and that God had blessed them. Balaam could not reverse God’s blessing.)
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob; Neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: Jehovah his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.
22 God bringeth them forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox.
23 Surely there is no enchantment with Jacob; Neither is there any divination with Israel: Now shalt it be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
24 Behold, the people riseth up as a lioness, And as a lion doth he lift himself up: He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, And drink the blood of the slain.
25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
(Balak took back his request to curse Israel but he also did not want them blessed. Balak was negotiating.)
26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that Jehovah speaketh, that I must do?
27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come now, I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.
28 And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert.
29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
(Again, they went to another place and built seven more altars. Balak thought God would allow Balaam to curse Israel from another place.)
30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
Numbers 24
(This chapter covered two more prophecies of Balaam.)
1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased Jehovah to bless Israel, he went not, as at the other times, to meet with enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
(The Spirit of God came upon Balaam.)
3 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, And the man whose eye was closed saith;
4 He saith, who heareth the words of God, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open:
5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy tabernacles, O Israel!
6 As valleys are they spread forth, As gardens by the river-side, As lign-aloes which Jehovah hath planted, As cedar-trees beside the waters.
(Lign-aloes were aloe trees.)
7 Water shall flow from his buckets, And his seed shall be in many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.
8 God bringeth him forth out of Egypt; He hath as it were the strength of the wild-ox: He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, And shall break their bones in pieces, And smite them through with his arrows.
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion, And as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, And cursed be every one that curseth thee.
(Balaam blessed Israel again.)
10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
(Balak was angry with Balaam because he blessed the Israelites three times. Again, do you think Balaam wished he had not met with Balak?)
11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honor; but, lo, Jehovah hath kept thee back from honor.
12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers that thou sentest unto me, saying,
13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of Jehovah, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; what Jehovah speaketh, that will I speak?
(Balaam continually reminded Balak that he told Balak that he could only speak the words God gave to him.)
14 And now, behold, I go unto my people: come, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
15 And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor saith, And the man whose eye was closed saith;
16 He saith, who heareth the words of God, And knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, and having his eyes open:
17 I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh: There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, And a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, And shall smite through the corners of Moab, And break down all the sons of tumult.
(Balaam prophesied a Messianic prophecy!)
18 And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession, who were his enemies; While Israel doeth valiantly.
19 And out of Jacob shall one have dominion, And shall destroy the remnant from the city.
20 And he looked on Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; But his latter end shall come to destruction.
21 And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, And thy nest is set in the rock.
22 Nevertheless Kain shall be wasted, Until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23 And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this?
24 But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, And they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber; And he also shall come to destruction.
25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
(Remember, Edom and Amalek were from Esau.)
(The Doctrine of Balaam - Revelation 2:12-17 covered the church of Pergamos. One of the things Jesus had against that church was that they held to the Doctrine of Balaam. This Doctrine was a stumblingblock to the Israelites which caused them to eat things offered to idols and to commit fornication. Specific to what was recorded in Numbers 22-24 was that Balaam did things his way (how) and rationalized it because he still achieved God's result (what). God cares more about the how and why than the what. This Doctrine of Balaam will continue to be mentioned throughout the Old Testament.)
Day 47
The very last portion of verses sounds like something Saul forgot!
ReplyDeleteHe failed to devote destruction to all of the city he was called to destroy.
He did this and claimed it was ok because he could fulfill the commandment of sacrifice....
Also sounds like Balaam believe that the ends justified the means!
Great comments Andrew! Here is an excerpt from my church's website (http://musicoflifechurch.com/finestwheat.html)when this very topic was written about:
ReplyDelete"Have you ever heard the phrase: "the end justifies the means."? Although this phrase seems to make sense, it does EXACTLY what it says: it justifies the person for an action, regardless of how or why (the "means") it was done.
That phrase is the opposite of God's focus. God is focused on the how and why of an action...God cares much more about the "means" than He does the "end." God wants us to focus on the how/why while having the faith to give the result to Him...letting the "end" take care of itself. "
If God cares more about the means than the end, is his why He is lenient when we botch something when our intentions are good?
ReplyDeleteYour "means" are your intentions. The "end" is the effect, the WHAT. The "means" is the HOW/WHY.
DeleteSeveral points in this post, after Balaam blesses instead of curses, the commentary says "Do you think Balaam wish that he had not met with Balak?"
ReplyDeleteI believe those names should be swapped.
Balaam was not worse off for the encounter, Balak was. Plus, it was Balak who continually refused reason regardless of whether Balaam said that no amount of money would make him curse, and no level of honor would let him speak anything more than what Jehovah said.
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I stand by my questions. Balaam was in a situation that definitely led to him being worse off. In fact, there was even commentary after Num 22:21 that shared how Balaam was an example of a deceiver. This situation that Balaam was in, that he did NOT handle well, still led to him being used as an example of a deceiver in other parts of the bible, thousands of years later.
DeleteI wonder if I asked Balaam today if he wishes he ever met Balak, what he would say?
I agree that Balak was worse off as well.