Numbers 22:15-2715And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they. 16And 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: 17For I will promote thee unto very great honor, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people. 18And 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 the Lord my God, to do less or more. 19Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more. 20And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do. 21And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. 22And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. 23And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. 24But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. 25And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again. 26And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. (Numbers 22:15‑27)
“AND BALAK sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.” The first princes of Moab had returned to Balak sang Balaam refused to come, though it was evident he really wanted to accept the offer. Not to be defeated, however, and acting just as a man of the world would act, Balak sent more honorable princes to Balaam and promises of even greater reward. “Let nothing, I pray thee,” he said, “hinder thee from coming to me: for I will promote thee to very great honor,...; come, therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.”
Feeling he was held in check by God while at the same time contriving to get the most for his services the crafty Balaam said to the messengers: “If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold. I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God.” Nevertheless he told them to remain with him that night until he found out what more the Lord would say to him. This only shows how determined his will was and how great was his desire to get the promised reward.
It also shows that though Balaam might talk about “the Lord my God,” yet his knowledge of God was only make-believe, for there was no real faith in him. Had there been, he would have known that God is not one to change His mind. However, on this second occasion God did tell him to go with the men; He allowed him to follow his own will, yet told him he was powerless and could speak only the word that He gave him. In permitting him to go it did not make Balaam’s sin any the less for he was still ready to curse Israel to gain the reward. So in the morning he saddled his ass and went with the princes of Moab.
It is really a wonderful scene, bringing out as it does the malice of Satan and his utter defeat by God who intervenes on behalf of His people. If He had not allowed Balaam to go with the men we would never have had those wonderful prophecies of coming glories and blessing. “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!” Rom. 11:3333O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33).
“And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him.” v. 22. Balaam did not see the angel with the drawn sword, but the ass did and she turned out of the way and went into the field. In his anger he beat her and tried to force her into the way again, but the angel again stood in the way, in a narrow place with a wall on either side. “And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot,” so he beat her again.
But the angel stood in a still narrower place where there was no way to escape, and when the poor animal saw the angel with his drawn sword this time she fell down. In his anger Balaam smote her again.
We can take a warning from Balaam. Covetousness ruled his heart, even to opposing God. It was this that brought to ruin Judas who not for a house full of silver but for a mere thirty pieces sold his blessed Master. If one insists on having his own way, Satan can draw a veil over the heart, and cause even a believer to dishonor the Lord. Oh may He keep us from covetousness and from persisting in our own will.
ML-04/14/1974