Balaam Series

August 20, 2022

Israel had been in the desert for nearly 40 years. There had been ups, but mostly there had been downs, due to the people’s persistent whining and rebellion.

Recently they had had several military victories and were now camped on the plains of Moab opposite the river Jordan and Jericho.

The people of Moab were terrified and their king, Balak, was shaking in his sandals. Going out to fight Israel was obviously a bad idea – just ask Kings Sihon and Og – but he was not prepared to raise the white flag, so he came up with a plan.

He sent messengers to Balaam, a prophet of God, with the following request: "A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. 6 Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed." {Numbers 22:5-6}

Balaam invited the messengers to spend the night with the promise that he would enquire of Yahweh and report back to them in the morning.

In the night Yahweh and Balaam had a conversation:

Yahweh: Who are these men?

Balaam: They’re from Moab. They’re afraid of Israel and they want me to curse them and drive them out of Moab.

Yahweh: No. You are not to go with them. You will not curse Israel because they are blessed.

The next morning….

Balaam: Sorry fellas, Yahweh has refused to let me go with you. You’ll have to return home without me.

Not easily deterred, King Balak sent more money and a larger, more important group of Elders back to Balaam {Numbers 22:16-20b}:

Elders: This is what our king, Balak says: Do not let anything keep you from coming to me, because I will reward you handsomely and do whatever you say. Come and put a curse on these people for me.

Balaam: Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I cannot do anything that goes beyond the command of Yahweh, my God. However, stay here tonight and I’ll ask again.

That night, Balaam and Yahweh had another conversation:

Yahweh: If in the morning the men call you, you can go with them; but you will only speak the words I give you.

Notice the “IF” – The elders saying to Balaam, “We are leaving soon. Come join us for breakfast so we can discuss your plans to go with us.” – would be the sign that Balaam had God’s permission to go and curse Israel.

But the men did not call on Balaam in the morning, they simply headed for home, which meant divine permission had been denied.

Balaam set out after them anyway.

In other words, he disobeyed.

• Numbers 22:22–35 - But God became angry because he was going, and the angel of Yahweh stood in the road as an adversary to him; he was riding on his donkey, and two servants were with him. 23 The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, and the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back to the road. 24 The angel of Yahweh stood in the narrow path of the vineyards, with a wall on either side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, she pressed herself into the wall, and she pressed the foot of Balaam into the wall, so he struck her again. 26 Then the angel of Yahweh went further ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was not a way to turn aside to the right or left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, she lay down under Balaam, so Balaam became angry, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Yahweh opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What did I do to you that you struck me these three times?” 29 Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you made a mockery of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now!” 30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life until this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” He said, “No.” 31 Then Yahweh exposed the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, and he bowed down and worshiped to his face. 32 The angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why have you struck this donkey three times? Look, I have come out as an adversary because your conduct is perverse before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned aside from me these three times. If she had not turned aside from my face, then I would have killed you and kept her alive.” 34 Balaam said to the angel of Yahweh, “I have sinned because I did not know that you were standing to meet me in the road. Now, ?if it is displeasing to you?, I will turn back.” 35 The angel of Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I will speak to you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.