Numbers

Numbers 24:1-11
Balaam’s Third Oracle

The words of today’s verses include lots of happy images of Israel’s future exaltation. They are spoken by Balaam about Israel. Of this, there is no doubt, but if that was all the imagery there was to be seen in them, it wouldn’t be a very happy passage.

Yes, Israel has had times of great prosperity, wealth, and blessing, but they have also had lots of the opposite as well. If the past times for Israel are all that are being spoken of, then the passage is unhappy at best.

And if the passage only speaks of things yet future to us now, then it really isn’t happy for the rest of the world. They will devour their enemies and sit fat, dumb, and happy in their permanently exalted state! That doesn’t really seem like a swell picture for anyone else but Israel.

But, if you follow the messianic cults in Israel, this is what they are hoping for, and this is their expectation. They kind of overlook the obvious similarities between Leviticus 26 where God promises to punish them for disobeying Him, and how things have come out for them over the past two thousand years in exactly the same way that He said they would in that passage.

It is as if that was some type of accidental occurrence, not worth looking into as to why those things came about. Only when passages like the one today are taken in light of the greater promises to Israel which point not merely to their exaltation as a nation, but to the exaltation of God in Christ, do the words really have any meaning.

But until they stop looking at the world as being subservient to them, and start looking at it as being subservient to Christ the Lord, they will never be in the idyllic circumstances which Balaam’s third oracle proclaims. Only then will such passages make sense.

Text Verse: “Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. ²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, ³¹ even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. ³² For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.” Romans 11:28-32

God has wonderful promises in store for Israel, but they first and foremost are for Israel under Him, not simply Israel over the nations. It is Christ who is Lord of all and over all. In their rejection of Christ, they brought upon themselves terrible times, but God promises them mercy in due time.

And with mercy, they will receive pardon, purification, and exaltation. But their exaltation will be in accord with the Lord’s glory, not despite it. When we bless Israel, we are – hopefully – doing it with the purpose of their being blessed as the people of God in a faithful, covenant relationship with Him.

Until they enter the New Covenant, this is not possible. And so when we bless them, let us do it with this in mind. We are to bless them for who they will be in Christ. He has promised them this, and it shall come to pass. Until it happens, let us keep proclaiming Jesus. Eventually, they will get it, and He will return to them when they do.

Such wonderful promises and truths are to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. From the Top of Peor (verses 1 & 2)

The previous sermon ended with Balak having failed twice to get Balaam to curse Israel. The first attempt was at the high places of Baal. The second attempt was as the field of Zophim. At the end of the last sermon, the chapter closed with them at the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland.

In this location, we have the completion of a marvelous pattern which has developed over these three locations where these three oracles are uttered – Baal, Zophim, and Peor.

The first, bamoth baal, or the high places of Baal, looks to the superintending lordship of the people. The word ba’al simply means owner, lord, or master. Thus, it was an attempt to curse the people, dissolving the spiritual authority over them.

The next location, sadeh tsophim, or the “field of the watchers,” then looks to an attempt to curse the people’s intellect. As a watchman looks out and discerns who is coming and what type of a threat they are, so that was an attempt to curse their ability to rightly discern what is correct.

The third place, now introduced, is rosh ha’peor, or the top of the Peor. This place signifies that which leads to yearning and even to lust. Thus, this is an attempt to curse Israel’s moral underpinnings.

Balak is not merely attempting to curse Israel arbitrarily, but he is methodically pursuing a path of attempting to find a weakness in Israel which he can exploit between them and their God. It is what the devil did to Jesus in Matthew 4.

First, he came to tempt Him into making the stones into bread, thus he attempted to destroy the spiritual hierarchy which is found in God. He then tested Jesus’ intellect by misusing Scripture, but which Christ corrected. And then he appealed to Jesus based on the lust of the flesh by showing him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. The devil, in essence, set about to curse these orders, but he failed.

This is what Balak intends now, and it is a prefiguring of the trials of Jesus by the devil in the wilderness. Will Balak succeed? Would the devil succeed? Not when Yehovah, the Lord, is in the equation! That begins to be evidenced in the first verse of this passage…

Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,

Twice, Balaam has gone forth, and both of those times, it is implied that he looked for a word from God in the use of sorcery. That will be seen in just a moment. In his previous attempts to curse Israel, he found that it would not be possible to do so. Rather, “it pleased the Lord to bless Israel.”

The Hebrew literally reads, “that it was good in the eyes of Yehovah to bless Israel.” What Balaam looked to see in the obtaining of a curse was exactly the opposite of what was pleasing in the Lord’s eyes. For him to see what the Lord saw, he had to submit to what the Lord determined, and that was to bless. Now understanding this, it says…

^1 (con’t) he did not go as at other times,

Here is a curious phrase that will be seen just five times between now and 1 Samuel 20, k’paam b’paam, or “as at a time, in a time.” The means of obtaining his oracle from the Lord in the past was one way. Now, having seen that “as at a time, in a time” the Lord would not submit to cursing, he has clued in that this will not change. Because of this, there was no need…

^1 (con’t) to seek to use sorcery,

The word used, nekhashim, was introduced in verse 23:23 and now this is its second and last use in Scripture. It is a verb indicating some sort of divination. It is debated exactly what type of divination was used, but it was certainly some type of augury.

One might find it surprising that the Lord would allow Himself to be sought out through, and to respond to, such things, but that would be to misunderstand what is happening. The Lord has a plan. That plan will not be thwarted.

If someone comes to the Lord through such a divination, and that divination will yield a result which would stand in the way of His plans, then He will intervene to ensure that what He intends comes out. A perfect example of this is found in Ezekiel 21.

The king of Babylon sought for a sign in order to determine which path he should take in order to engage one foe or another in battle. The result was to come against Jerusalem, as the Lord’s plan determined –

“The word of the Lord came to me again, saying: ¹⁹ ‘And son of man, appoint for yourself two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to go; both of them shall go from the same land. Make a sign; put it at the head of the road to the city. ²⁰ Appoint a road for the sword to go to Rabbah of the Ammonites, and to Judah, into fortified Jerusalem. ²¹ For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the road, at the fork of the two roads, to use divination: he shakes the arrows, he consults the images, he looks at the liver. ²² In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem: to set up battering rams, to call for a slaughter, to lift the voice with shouting, to set battering rams against the gates, to heap up a siege mound, and to build a wall. ²³ And it will be to them like a false divination in the eyes of those who have sworn oaths with them; but he will bring their iniquity to remembrance, that they may be taken.’” Ezekiel 21:18-23

Balaam has seen that seeking a divination against Israel is pointless, and so he no longer bothered to pursue this path…

^1 (con’t) but he set his face toward the wilderness.

The question here is, “Does Balaam intend to bless Israel because it pleases the Lord, or does Balaam intend to curse Israel by forsaking the divination so that he, rather than the Lord, will control the outcome?”

The entire point of coming to Balak, and then going to the various places they have gone, was to curse Israel, not bless them. How one would answer that question would probably be based on whether they were a half-cup full or half-cup empty type.

I would go with the half-empty and say he desired still to curse Israel, and so he left behind the divination and set his face toward the wilderness, meaning the area where Israel sat encamped. Now, facing in that direction, it next says…

² And Balaam raised his eyes, and saw Israel encamped according to their tribes;

From the top of Peor, Balaam could see the entire encampment of Israel. John Lange’s commentary places the spot where Balaam is to the east of Israel, with Edom on the south and the vast desert reaching to the river of Assyria behind him. With this view, looking west and down upon Israel, he views them, as it says “according to their tribes.

The layout, as seen in the Numbers 3:14-39 sermon, is that of a giant cross, extending out to the east, west, north, and south, and with the tabernacle directly in the center. Where Balaam was then, he would see the entire cross from the base – meaning east, and extending out from there directly in front of him. With this massive cross directly in his view, it then says…

^2 (con’t) and the Spirit of God came upon him.

Unlike the previous two times where it says the Lord put a word in his mouth, this time, the ruakh elohim, or Spirit of God, came upon him. He is cast into an ecstatic state which opens his spiritual mind and leads him to utter his oracle, regardless as to what he purposed.

One might question, “How could it be that he wanted to curse Israel, but instead he was led to bless them?” The question would assume that Balaam was intending on speaking for God in a positive blessing all along and that God would not otherwise come upon a wicked person. This is incorrect thinking. First, Deuteronomy 23 clearly shows this was his intent –

“Nevertheless the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you.” Deuteronomy 23:5

Secondly, Scripture in several instances, shows that those who may or may not be right with the Lord will still speak according to the Spirit. This will be seen in king Saul in 1 Samuel 19:23. He had lost favor with the Lord, and yet the same terminology is used there as it is here. The Spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied.

It also is the case that Caiaphas, the wicked high priest of Israel prophesied the word of the Lord, as is seen in John 11 –

“Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, ⁵² and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” John 11:51, 52

In such instances, God will come upon even the wicked to effect His purposes. As John Gill rightly states, such as are “not in his grace but in his gifts; not as a spirit of sanctification, but as a spirit of prophecy.” In this state, and with the Lord in control of the events, it says (after a brief poetic interlude)…

A sign to the world for all to see
It is set on high by God for fallen man
A torn body hanging on a tree
The sign determined before the world began

How terrible and yet lovely is the cross
Terrible because we caused our Lord to go there
But O so lovely too, no more sin nor loss
For Christ our Lord, our sin did bear

The Lion of Judah has prevailed
The cross was not the end of our beautiful Lord
Victory over death, the grave He has assailed
And to God through Him we have been restored

How beautiful is the cross that brought us back to You
How beautiful are You, O Lord, ever faithful and true

II. Balaam’s Oracle (verses 3-11)

³ Then he took up his oracle and said:

Here again Balaam is said to take up his mashal, or oracle. It is a proverb or parable, and thus it is a comparative saying where one thing in a clause is like another in the next. The words that are to be spoken are an allegory or a representation of the intent of the Lord as spoken through Balaam.

In other words, it is the word of the Lord in intent, but it is spoken from Balaam’s perspective. In this, there will be a progression of speech from that which is individual and concrete to that which is more universal and general.

This mashal, or oracle, will be like those he has already spoken, which is in a highly poetic form and in standard meter.

^3 (con’t) “The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,

neum bil’am beno beor – “Utterance Balaam son of Beor.” In these words, Balaam identifies himself by name and by heritage, Balaam the son of Beor. It is, therefore, words spoken by him, even if the Lord directed him. It is a way of indicating that his eyes were closed, just as the eyes of his father had been closed. Now, there is a change which he will explicitly state in a minute.

For now, he uses the word neum, or utterance. This is a word that is almost exclusively used when proclaimed by the Lord. There are only three exceptions to this where the word is attributed to a human bearer. This is the first. It will be used by David in 2 Samuel 23:1, and then by Agur in Proverbs 30:1.

In this case, it is the Lord’s prophetic word being spoken through Balaam. He is speaking it as if it is from his own viewpoint, but it is the word of the Lord being revealed through him. This is more fully realized with the next words…

^3 (con’t) The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,

u-neum ha’geber shethum ha’ayin – “And utterance the man are opened the eyes.” Balaam again uses the word neum, or utterance, and then he says that it is his utterance – he is the man whose eyes are opened. Some translations will say, “The man whose eyes are shut.” His eyes were shut, but the intent is that they are now spiritually opened through the effect of the Spirit upon him.

The word is a new and rare one, shatham. It means “to unveil,” and it will only be seen here and in verse 15. Balaam’s eyes were closed, but now they are unveiled. God has opened his spiritual insight to reveal through him words concerning His people, Israel.

⁴ The utterance of him who hears the words of God,

neum shomea imre el – “Utterance of him who hears words of God.” Here, he again uses the word neum, or utterance, but he says that it is the utterance of him who hears the words of God. Thus, he is implying that his utterance is in accord with those words. He is speaking out what he hears and what will be said is that which is directed by God. Further, he is one…

^4 (con’t) Who sees the vision of the Almighty,

asher makhazeh shaddai yekhezeh – “Who a vision of the Almighty sees.” He now states that he sees a makhazeh, or vision. It is a very rare word, used just four times, but two of them are in this chapter. It was used in Genesis 15:1 when it said that the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. That was a vision to a friend of God. Now it is a vision to one who has been a foe of God.

He further uses the term, Shaddai, or Almighty. This is not a mere god, but the all-powerful God. The words come from the Source of all power, and therefore what will be said are words which reflect that power. Nothing can thwart them. Despite his previous state of one who came to curse, he cannot. Instead, he is now one…

^4 (con’t) Who falls down, with eyes wide open:

nophel u-gelui enayim – “Who falls down and opens wide his eyes.” The idea of falling down is being overwhelmed by force of what has occurred. It is similar to what happened to Saul in 1 Samuel 19:23, 24. There it says –

“Then the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. ²⁴ And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’”

This then would be unlike the other true prophets, such as Daniel, Ezekiel, and John, who were overwhelmed by the vision of the splendor and glory of the Lord. Rather, like Saul, Balaam is overthrown by an opposing and greater force, casting him down and impelling him to speak contrary to what he originally intended.

In this, Keil notes that “upon men like Balaam, whose inner religious life was still very impure and undeveloped, the Spirit of God could only operate by closing their outward senses to impressions from the lower earthly world, and raising them up to visions of the higher and spiritual world.”

With that accomplished, his spiritual eyes were now open to what they had been completely closed to in the past. The words concerning his eyes being opened here are different than those used concerning them in the previous verse. With his spiritual eyes opened, and now gazing with his physical eyes upon this massive cross in the wilderness, he begins his words of blessing…

⁵ “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!

mah tovu ohalekha yaaqov – “How pleasing are your tents Jacob.” This is certainly not referring to the individual tents. A tent is a tent. It is referring to their layout – the order, structure, and beauty of the cross which stood before him.

Rather than a group of people haphazardly jumbled around the valley, they were meticulously aligned around their central sanctuary. Outside of it would be the Levites, and then outside of them would be three individual camps branching out in each direction.

There was order, harmony, and design in the cross, just as out of the cross of Christ comes order, harmony, and design. There is a purposeful intent behind the structures because they form the very heart of God for the people of the world as revealed in redemptive history.

^5 (con’t) Your dwellings, O Israel!

miskenotekha yisrael – “Your tabernacles, Israel.” This clause is parallel to the previous one. The tent is the edifice which is seen, the mishkan, or tabernacle, is the place of dwelling itself. The words are almost used synonymously. It would be comparable to saying, “Your house is beautiful; the place where you reside.” From there, he describes how this is so…

⁶ Like valleys that stretch out,

kinkhalim nitayu – “like valleys which extend.” The four branches which extended out from the sanctuary were like valleys. In the center is Life, and from that point the Life extended to the farthest reaches of Israel. So much so that they were…

^6 (con’t) Like gardens by the riverside,

keganot ale nahar – “Like gardens by a river.” The words are parallel to the previous clause. The tents of Israel were so ordered and structured that together each branch appeared to be a garden all its own. When one plants a garden, they do so in rows, each with its own fruit, and each according to its most propitious place in regards to soil, sunlight, and space.

The camps of Israel were shorter at the far end, longer nearer to him, and of equal distance on each side, but each was vibrant and orderly, as if aligned along the side of a river. They were…

^6 (con’t) Like aloes planted by the Lord,

ka-ahalim nata Yehovah – “As aloes planted by Yehovah.” This is speaking of the lignum or wood aloes. It is a tree eight to ten feet tall which has a sweet smell, and provides shade. It also provides the source for aromatic resins and incense. It is used when speaking of the Lord in the 45^th Psalm –

“All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.” Psalm 45:8

The word itself is spelled the same as that of “tent,” and so it is somewhat of a pun saying that their tents are like these aloes. Both provide shade. As the aloes are planted by the Lord, they are orderly and beautiful, just as the tents of Israel are. They are also…

^6 (con’t) Like cedars beside the waters.

ka-arazim ale mayim – “Like cedars by the waters.” This is now parallel to the previous clause again. Cedar is also an aromatic wood. And as the aloes were planted by the Lord, signifying order and beauty in their arrangement, these cedars are “besides the waters,” implying great health and beauty. The sentiment is later reflected in Psalm 104 –

“The trees of the Lord are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted.” Psalm 104:16

⁷ He shall pour water from his buckets,

yizal mayim midaleyav – “Will flow water from his buckets.” Here is a new and rare word, deli. It’s not a place to get sandwiches. Rather, it is a bucket. It will only be seen here and in Isaiah 40:15. There, in Isaiah, the nations are counted as drops in a bucket. However, here, there is the opposite thought.

The idea one gets is a man carrying two buckets which are so full that they overflow. Immediately, it is a picture of abundance and life. In a parched land, water is precious, but this looks to such an abundance that water in the buckets will freely flow out of them.

However, it is a prophecy of the Spirit flowing forth to such an extent from the buckets of Israel, meaning that found in Christ, that when carried by those who proclaim the gospel, it will overflow, watering all who are provided from the abundance. Though the nations are but a drop in a bucket, the Spirit overflows in the greatest of abundance to God’s people.

^7 (con’t) And his seed shall be in many waters.

v’zaro b’mayim rabbim – “And seed in waters many.” It is parallel in thought to the previous clause. Immediately, one would think of seed for planting because of the abundant waters, and this is the thought Balak must have considered, but this is more especially speaking in a prophetic sense of descendants, which the word “seed” is used to refer to.

The idea of many waters is elsewhere equated to people groups. Thus, it is a prophecy of the seed of Israel going forth to many people groups. In its fullest sense, it looks to the peoples of the nations being brought into the commonwealth of Israel.

^7 (con’t) “His king shall be higher than Agag,

v’yarom me-agag malkow – “And shall be higher than Agag, his king.” The name Agag is connected to the word gag, or roof. It thus signifies that which is the highest. This name is directly connected to the names Gog and Magog.

Magog goes back to Genesis 10:2 as a son of Japheth. Gog and Magog are found as the great enemies who will come against Israel as noted in Ezekiel 38 and Revelation 20. Agag, or the “Highest,” will be topped by the King of Israel. It is a prophecy of the coming of Messiah who will be above all other kings.

^7 (con’t) And his kingdom shall be exalted.

v’tinase malkuto – “And shall be exalted his kingdom.” The kingdom of Israel was exalted for a period under David and Solomon, but those were short lived. This is speaking of something beyond that. Balaam’s spiritual eyes were opened to the kingdom of God in Christ which will cover the world, and to which all kingdoms will be subservient.

⁸ “God brings him out of Egypt;

el motsio mimitsrayim – “God brought him out of Egypt.” The words of this and the next clause are almost identical to Numbers 23:22. The only difference is it said “them” there, and it says “him” here. In those verses, it was speaking of Israel the people. Here it appears to be immediately speaking of Israel the collective, but it is prophetically speaking of Messiah.

Egypt is the place of bondage. Christ was born under the law, a yoke of bondage, but God in Christ brought Him out of that. Only in that, could He then bring us out of that bondage.

^8 (con’t) He has strength like a wild ox;

ketoaphot reem lo – “Like strength, a wild ox.” This is parallel to the previous clause. Bringing one out of Egypt implies great strength. Here, that strength is described as a reem, or wild ox. It looks forward to the strength of God, in Christ. It is what Paul refers to in Romans 1:3, 4 –

“…concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, ⁴ and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

The strength of God in Christ is untameable and matchless.

^8 (con’t) He shall consume the nations, his enemies;

yokal goyim tsarav – “He eats up the nations, his enemies.” In the immediate sense, this is speaking of Israel, entering Canaan and destroying the nations which currently occupied the land, but this looks forward, again, to Messiah who will subdue all nations. They will either come to him in peace, or be consumed by Him in pieces.

^8 (con’t) He shall break their bones

v’atsmotehem yegarem – “And their bones, he makes bare.” Another rare word, garam, is seen, it gives the sense of denuding. Thus, the clause is parallel to the previous one. As He eats ups the nations, so He shall devour them, making bare their bones. It signifies that all of their strength will be consumed by Him.

^8 (con’t) And pierce them with his arrows.

v’khitsav yimkhats – “And with arrows, he shall shatter.” It is another new word, makhats, meaning to shatter, wound, pierce-through, etc. It is a complicated clause because of the structure of the Hebrew. But what it appears to be saying is that after His victory, He will break His own arrows because they will no longer be needed. It would then follow along with the words of Isaiah –

“He shall judge between the nations,
And rebuke many people;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4

When the Lord destroys His enemies He will destroy His weapons of war, and the nations shall follow suit.

⁹ ‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion;

kara shakav kaari – “He crouched, he lay down, as a lion.” Here the words are similar to those of 23:24, but they have richer significance. In 23:24, it said –

“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.”

There, the lion rises and goes forth to devour. Here, the lion crouches and lies down in victory, having devoured. This reflects, again, both Israel and Messiah. Israel went forth as a lion, but only in Christ is the victory won. Israel’s battles were earthly, Christ’s battles are spiritual. In His victory over the law, sin, death, and the devil, He then found His rest.

^9 (con’t) And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’

u-kelavi mu yeqimenu – “And as a lioness who shall stir him up?” Who would dare consider it? The lioness at rest is not to be disturbed. Likewise, who would consider provoking the Lord from His place of rest. Here, as throughout the utterance, the words speak immediately of Israel, but they find their ultimate fulfillment in the One Israel anticipated. And so like Israel…

^9 (con’t) “Blessed is he who blesses you,

And cursed is he who curses you.”

mevarakhekha varukh – “Is he who blesses you blessed.”

v’orerekha arur – “And is he who curses you cursed” The words of these clauses go back to Genesis 27:29 where Isaac pronounced his blessing upon Jacob –

“Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!”

The blessing was upon Jacob, who is Israel, but it pointed to the coming of Messiah. In Messiah, Israel is blessed. Apart from Him, they are cursed. This isn’t a secret or something hidden. Rather it is the reality of the situation. In cursing Christ Jesus, they have only brought a curse upon themselves. When they bless Him, so will they be blessed.

And such is true with all peoples and nations. Those who bless God’s Anointed will be blessed. For Balak, it is a warning to cease his attempts to curse Israel. For Balaam, who will later attempt to curse Israel in a different way, it will be a death sentence. For all, it is a warning to come to Christ while there is time. Those who curse Him are cursed. So ends the third oracle of Balaam.

¹⁰ Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together;

Again we see the descriptive term v’yikhar aph balaq, or “And burned the nostril of Balak.” By this point, he is fuming mad, and so it says that he saphaq, or struck, his hands together. It is a new word which means to clap, strike, slap, etc. But it comes with the sense of grief or indignation. The same gesture is not uncommon in much of the Mideast today. The sentiment is well reflected in Lamentations when speaking of the ruined state of Jerusalem after the Lord’s judgment fell upon it –

All who pass by clap their hands at you;
They hiss and shake their heads
At the daughter of Jerusalem:
“Is this the city that is called
‘The perfection of beauty,
The joy of the whole earth’?” Lamentations 2:15

Balak has spent great time and effort to get Balaam to do just a simple thing for him, not realizing that Balaam is wholly incapable of following through with the request, even though he wanted to. Therefore, in his anger…

^{10 (con’t)} and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times!

If you think about it, Balak isn’t just a dolt, but he is a sub-dolt. He was told when he sent his first emissaries that the Lord had refused him permission to go. He then told him that he could only speak the word the Lord put in his mouth. He then blessed Israel, instead of cursing them – three times.

The fact that someone traveled as far and as long as Balaam did just to do the opposite of what he was being paid for, demonstrates either an idiot, or someone who is compelled, apart from his will, to take the course he has taken. Balak however, accuses Balaam of being in the wrong in this particular matter. And so he continues…

¹¹ Now therefore, flee to your place. 

The words don’t really catch the emotion that was surely welled up inside of Balak. Something more close in thought would be, “Now beat it. Get back to where you belong!”

He had his fill of Balaam, and all he could think of was putting him on his donkey and giving her a good swat on the rear to get her moving along. But before that, he finishes the passage with one more thought…

*^11 (fin) I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.”

The words, whether he actually believes the Lord spoke through Balaam or not, are loaded with irony. Balak promised great honors to Balaam, and yet – one way or the other – it was the Lord who kept him from that honor.

From this, it is surmised by some that Balaam felt justified in himself and that he was blessed along with Israel for having blessed Israel. However, this is not the case. Nor will it be the case after he finishes his final oracle.

Balaam turned not to bless Israel, but to curse them. It was only because the Lord thwarted his attempt that he instead blessed them. That is certain from the surrounding events. Because of this, he could not feel that he was entitled to the blessing.

Further, if he really accepted that the words he uttered were true, he would have ridden his donkey to the camp of Israel, not in the opposite direction. Rather than aligning himself with the people of God, like Rahab the harlot did, he will go back to his old practices.

It is a fatal mistake for any who turned from Israel because it was Israel through whom God sent His Son. And in sending Jesus, it was a fatal mistake for many generations of His own people who ignored the very warnings of God spoken through Balaam.

Israel means “He strives with God.” He either strives with God, for God, or he strives with God, against God. But either way, Israel strives with God. The forty years of punishment in the wilderness are behind them as they sit encamped at Moab. And the two thousand years of punishment among the nations is coming to its own close as they slowly regather from among the nations.

Balaam’s final oracle will speak of the destruction of the nations around Israel by Israel. Later in Scripture, the destruction of the nations is again prophesied, and that final judgment is summed up in the words of Jesus in how the nations treated His brethren, meaning Israel, as recorded in Matthew 25.

At that time, He will separate the nations according to the blessing which rests upon Israel. For now, our passage is complete and it calls out for us to consider how we will respond to the Messiah. Though Israel is the immediate subject of the verses, it is the One who came from Israel who is the ultimate Subject. One cannot escape making a decision in regards to Christ Jesus.

You can either choose to receive and bless Him, or you – by default – curse Him. Whether actively or passively, it makes no difference. To fail to choose Christ is to reject Christ. He is the Subject of this marvelous word God has given us, and it is laid out so that we don’t miss that fact. Be sure to call on Jesus and be reconciled to God through this marvelous Gift.

Closing Verse: “Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
¹² Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” Psalm 2:10-12

Next Week: Numbers 24:12-25 It is future, but it is also historical… (Balaam’s Fourth Oracle) (48^th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Balaam’s Third Oracle

Now when Balaam saw
That it pleased the Lord to Israel bless
He did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery
But he set his face toward the wilderness 

And Balaam raised his eyes
And saw Israel encamped, and he was awed
Laid out according to their tribes
And came upon him the Spirit of God

Then he took up his oracle and said:
These are the words by which he was led

“The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor,
The utterance of the man whose eyes are opened,
The utterance of him who hears the words of God,
Who sees the vision of the Almighty,
Who falls down, with eyes wide open:
“How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwellings, O Israel!
Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens by the riverside,
Like aloes planted by the Lord,
Like cedars beside the waters.
He shall pour water from his buckets,
And his seed shall be in many waters.
“His king shall be higher than Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted.
“God brings him out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox;
He shall consume the nations, his enemies;
He shall break their bones
And pierce them with his arrows.
‘He bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?’
“Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you.”

Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam
And he struck his hands together as things had gotten worse
And Balak said to Balaam
“I called you my enemies to curse

And look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times!
Now therefore, flee to your place; heed my word
I said I would greatly honor you
But in fact, has kept you back from honor the Lord

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to you for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Numbers 23:13-30
Balaam’s Second Oracle

What we can see from Balak in today’s passage is his continued thought that the Lord, meaning Yehovah, is one of many gods. Balaam cannot be said to disagree with this, because he continues to do what he is told by the Lord, but he also continues to make appeals which are based on what is contrary to what the Lord has said.

By understanding the nature of God, meaning the One and Only God, these things would cease and desist, but the people of the world are not used to thinking clearly, this goes for both Balak and Balaam.

It must be so, because if they knew the nature of God, they would have already stopped their appeals, but they don’t. And even after the second oracle, where God continues to reveal His nature, we see that Balak insists on a third attempt. This shows, without a doubt, that they believe Yehovah to be one of many gods.

This will become more apparent when we get to Balak’s words after this second failure. Critical thinking was not on the curriculum at these guys’ schools. And the first principles were certainly not explained either. Or, if they were, these guys didn’t pay attention.

Text Verse: “‘For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
⁷ Yet from the days of your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.
Return to Me, and I will return to you,’
Says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 3:6, 7

God is said to be pure Actuality, meaning He has no potential for change. As He created time, space, and matter, then He is before those things. Change occurs in time. If a supposed god changes, in any way at all, then it ain’t the God of the Bible.

From the first principles, we learn of the positive principle of modality. This principle says that as nothing cannot cause something, and one contingent being can’t be caused by another contingent being, then anything that comes to be must have been caused by a Necessary Being, meaning God.

The negative of this principle shows that a Necessary Being is a being that cannot not be and therefore cannot be caused. If we know that nothing cannot exist – because we exist – then we can deduce that a Necessary Being must exist. This is God.

Understanding this, we can also logically understand that only one Necessary Being can exist. If there were two “gods,” then one would have to be somehow different than the other, and yet, by the very definition of God, that cannot be.

The reason for all of this, isn’t to convince anyone that the Lord is God, but that there is a God, just one. As there is one God, why would there be a need for lesser gods? Unfortunately, there are some in Christian circles that have gotten off onto that tangent. They claim to have interesting insights into what the term elohim, or “God,” means.

By misusing Scripture, you can come up with all kinds of faulty conclusions about that. Standard orthodox thought is that there is one God who has revealed Himself in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is no need to go beyond that, and to do so inevitably leads down faulty trails.

Balak and Balaam continue to head down faulty trails, and in the end they will both suffer because of it. For now, let’s get into the passage. Great things are to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The field of Zophim (verses 13-24)

¹³ Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you may see them;

Balak’s first attempt to have Israel cursed had failed, but he is intent on it coming to pass. And so, he suggests another location by which he could view Israel and bring about the desired curse. The reason for this isn’t stated, but it could be one of several possibilities.

It could be the location itself and how it was perceived by Balak in relation to the type of curse against Israel that could be uttered from the location. That will be explained at later point. It could be that he felt the location wasn’t deemed suitable by the Lord, and so attempting a curse at another location may be more suitable to Him.

It could even be that he thought that the layout of the camp in relation to the four directions in which they were situated made Balaam’s curse ineffective. For whatever reason, he determines to give it another shot. In this, he would take them to a place where…

^{13 (con’t)} you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all;

The Hebrew of this clause is so obscure that what is being said is highly debated and argued over. The words, “outer part,” are ephes qasehu – “a ceasing extremity.” Some scholars say that he previously could only see a portion of Israel, and now he will be brought to see the entire assembly.

In order to come to this conclusion, they make the clause parenthetical and past tense. They would then translate it as if to say, “for you have seen but the outer extremity of them, but you have not seen them all.”

Others take exactly the opposite view. Balaam had already seen them all, and now he will only be presented with a view of a partial portion of them. In this, Balak might have thought that Balaam was so overwhelmed with the massive body of people that he saw, that he could not dare to attempt to curse them.

Now, by taking him to see only a part of them, he could curse that part. From there the curse would creep across the rest of the camp. This second view seems more probable. He had said in the previous oracle, “Who can count the dust of Jacob.” It indicates to Balak that what Balaam saw was beyond his ability to curse.

What Balak fails to understand is that the words were given, not by Balaam, but by the Lord. Balaam simply spoke what he was instructed to speak. Whatever words were spoken forth will not be retracted or overridden because the Lord does not change. Balak doesn’t know this and so from the new spot he bids Balaam to…

^{13 (con’t)} curse them for me from there.”

As I said, it seems more likely that Balaam is now going to be presented with a view of a part of the camp. In this, he could curse a portion, go elsewhere and curse a portion, and so on. And so, he could whittle away at the whole until they were all one big cursed nation. Such seems to be the sense of Balak’s plan now.

¹⁴ So he brought him to the field of Zophim,

Here, Balaam is brought to sadeh tsophim, or the “field of the watchers.” This is the only time it is mentioned in the Bible. The word tsophim comes from tsaphah, to look out or about, to spy, or to wait upon. That is from a primitive root meaning to lean forward, and thus to peer into the distance.

The word sadeh, or field, comes from the same as Shaddai, or the “Almighty.” Those, in turn, come from shadad meaning to deal violently with, despoil, or ruin. Probably, the idea is that an open field is something that has been made barren, and thus it was as if the power of the Almighty has made it that way.

This “field of the watchers” is said to be an elevated field because Balak brought him…

^{14 (con’t)} to the top of Pisgah, 

Pisgah was seen in Numbers 21:20. It will continue to be seen a total of eight times through both Deuteronomy and Joshua. It is always preceded by a definite article, “THE Pisgah.” It comes from pasag, meaning to pass through, and thus it is a cleft. It is at this spot that Balak and Balaam stop…

^{14 (con’t)} and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

It is the same offering recorded in verse 4 which was made at the high places of Baal. The “bull” or par, denotes wild strength. This would be as a petition for the Lord to break off his covenant with Israel, and to instead be favorable to the petitions of Balaam on behalf of Balak.

The ayil, or ram, signifies something fixed and firm, and denotes strength – like a firm pillar or a tree. Thus, this would be a petition to form a strong bond based on the request of Balak. If Balak can get the Lord to reject Israel, he would then be in a favorable position to make his own bond with Him.

¹⁵ And he said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I meet the Lord over there.”

Balak is the one supplying the offering, and his staying by the offering is to acknowledge that. However, Balaam is the diviner, and he is the one to meet with the one he summons. In this case, the Hebrew is much simpler, saying, “and I will meet thus.”

The words, “the Lord” are inserted by the translators. He is implied, however, as Balaam has already said as much in verse 3 –

“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.”

The divination is successful, and the Bible tells us that the Lord, does come to him…

¹⁶ Then the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

The words are very similar to verse 5. It is the Lord who meets Balaam, and it is the Lord who tells him what he is to say. As before, he is given a set, specific, and unalterable word to speak to Balak.” What Balak had hoped for, and what Balaam certainly desired, is again rejected.

¹⁷ So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him.

Again, the words are close to those of verse 6. However, this time Balak is antsy and in high expectation and preempts Balaam…

^{17 (con’t)} And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”

Before Balaam could speak, as he did in verse 7, Balak excitedly anticipates that an oracle has been given, and he questions what the word was. One can see the anxiety which has built up in him since the previous encounter.

¹⁸ Then he took up his oracle and said:

It is the Lord’s words, but they are spoken by Balaam. Therefore, it is his oracle to speak. However, being the Lord’s word, he dare not speak anything but what was put into his mouth. And so he proceeds…

^{18 (con’t)} “Rise up, Balak, and hear!

qum balak u-shama – “Rise Balak, and hear.” “Rise!” It is calling on Balak to arise in respect and focused attention. As the previous verse said he was already standing by the offering, it is a call to bring himself to complete attention. The Lord is to speak, and Balak is to pay heed to what is uttered, listening to and assimilating what is said.

The sentiment is similar to what occurs in Judges 3. Ehud of Israel told Eglon, the King of Moab “I have a message from God for you.” The response was, “So he arose from his seat.” This is the same sentiment that the Lord is now requiring of Balak through Balaam.

^{18 (con’t)} Listen to me, son of Zippor!

haazinah adai benow tsippor – “Listen to me, son of Zippor.” The word, “listen,” is azan. It comes from the word ozen, meaning “ear.” The idea is to broaden out the ear, and thus to listen. One might say, “Give ear unto me!” It is a further call for completely focused attention.

In this clause, he identifies him by the name of his father, Zippor, or “bird.” It is a way of further identifying him, as we might do by saying, “Pay attention, Charlie. Be sure to listen to what I say, Mr. Garrett.” The words of the Lord through Balaam are in couplets to highlight what is said by restating it in a different way. This continues with…

¹⁹ “God is not a man, that He should lie,

lo ish el vikazev – “no man is God that He should lie.” Here, the word ish, or an individual male person, is used. In this, he provides the first words to Balak which indicate that he isn’t like men who are prone to falsity for the sake of gain, deception, or manipulation. Rather, God lacks nothing, He is consistent, and His word is fixed and final.

A new word, kazav, or lie, is seen here. It will be seen 18 times, and it comes from a root indicating to lie, meaning to deceive. In Isaiah 58, it is used figuratively to indicate a spring of water which does not fail. In other words, the spring won’t deceive by running dry. God is ever the same and consistent.

^{19 (con’t)} Nor a son of man, that He should repent.

u-ben adam v’yitnekham – “nor son of Adam, and repents.” Here the word adam, or humanity is used. God isn’t a son of humanity, meaning a son of Adam. Interestingly, though Christ was born into humanity, he did not inherit Adam’s nature because He was born of a woman, but not by a man. Thus, this verse cannot be used as a denial of the divinity of Jesus who is eternal and unchanging in His divine nature, received from God in the incarnation.

The word nakham, or repent, is used, saying that He does not do this, and yet, in Genesis 6, and elsewhere, the same word is used to say that the Lord had repented, or changed His mind. This has caused many to attack the Bible as unreliable. But that is because of our inability to understand the context and the intent of what is said.

God’s “repenting,” “changing His mind,” or “being sorry” doesn’t presume any actual change in Him or in His intent. The Bible uses human terms and applies them to God so that we can understand His nature towards a matter, such as sin. There is not a changing feeling. Instead, His very nature is being expressed in a way we can comprehend. However, as this verse shows, there is actually no change in Him at all.

The words of this couplet are telling Balak that his sacrifices, even if repeated an infinite number of times, are worthless. They have made no impression upon Him, nor will they ever. He cannot be induced to curse those whom He has determined to bless.

The words here are similar to what Samuel said to Saul when he told him that the kingdom would be taken from him and given to another. To ensure Saul understood that this was a fixed, firm, and final decision, he said, “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.”

^{19 (con’t)} Has He said, and will He not do?

hahu amar v’lo yaaseh – “has he said and no will He do?” A new couplet begins with a rhetorical question. Is there a word the Lord has spoken that will not be accomplished by Him? The question begs the answer, “No.” When He said that Israel will be blessed, and that He would bless Israel, the decision was final. The sentiment is seen in the words of Isaiah 14 –

“The Lord of hosts has sworn, saying,
‘Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass,
And as I have purposed, so it shall stand’” Isaiah 14:24

The words of the couplet are then strengthened by the next clause, another rhetorical question…

^{19 (con’t)} Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

v’dibber v’lo yeqimenah – “And has He spoken and not will He confirm it?” The previous clause used the word “said.” Here it says, “spoke.” The difference in the words is minimal, but it is an intensification of what is being relayed. The Lord says and He does; the Lord speaks, and He confirms what is spoken. It is the same sentiment that is seen repeated in Psalm 89 –

“My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.” Psalm 89:34

In the words, the unchanging nature of God is seen. It is a nature which James describes in a unique way in James 1:17 –

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

In James’ words, he uses the term parallagé. It describes a transmutation of phase or orbit. One can think of a parallax. When one looks at an object from any second angle, no matter how minuscule the change, there will be a slight difference in it. However, if one were able to look at God, from any vantage point, there will be absolutely no change at all.

In God saying or speaking, what is said or spoken must come to pass because it is a reflection of His unchanging nature. Balak expects the word of the Lord to change, and he expects the result of that word to then reflect the change.

However, this is because he perceives Yehovah as one of many gods. As there are many gods to him, then there must be change in each of them because they are finite. But Yehovah does not fit into that mold and it is beyond Balak’s understanding that it is so. With this in mind, Balaam now speaks out concerning the matter…

²⁰ Behold, I have received a command to bless;

hinneh barekh laqakhti – “Behold! To bless I have received.” Balaam confirms that he has been called to bless Israel. The Lord has moved in his spirit that it was so. Balak called him to curse Israel, but rather than this negative action being possible, the opposite is now revealed.

Not only will he not curse, but he is actively impelled to bless. The Hebrew does not say that he is commanded to bless. Instead, it is something that has been instilled in him that it must be because of what is, and that is…

^{20 (con’t)} He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

u-berekh v’lo ashivenah – “and He has blessed, and no I reverse.” Balaam notes that the Lord has, in fact, blessed. Because this is so, and because it is the Lord who is being referred to, then the matter is accomplished and cannot be reversed, undone, redirected, or altered. As the scholar Keil notes –

“The unchangeableness of the divine purposes is a necessary consequence of the unchangeableness of the divine nature.” Keil

God is unchanging, and therefore what proceeds from God as to what He has determined must come about. From the moment the matter was initiated, the end of the matter was confirmed. This is beautifully expressed in Isaiah 46 –

“Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
¹⁰ Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’” Isaiah 46:9, 10

²¹ “He has not observed iniquity in Jacob,

lo hibit aven b’yaaqov – “no observed iniquity in Jacob.” The subject of this and the next clause are indefinite. Translators have chosen the word “He,” referring to the Lord, but that is left unstated in the Hebrew. A statement of fact is being made without regard to the observer.

In this couplet, a new word is introduced, aven. It comes from an unused root which means to pant, and thus to exert oneself, usually in vain. In this, it is translated in various ways, but iniquity will suffice.

As with the entire discourse, it has to be remembered that the anticipation for this group of people is that through them will come the Messiah. The words must be taken in that light. What is stated in this clause and the next would be laughable if it were not so. Israel has risen to levels of perversity and wickedness which find almost no parallel at any time or in any place in recorded history.

In the Bible, this word, aven, is used many times when referring to Israel, but in the annual atonement of their sin, and in the Lord’s purposes of leading to Messiah, the iniquity is purified from them in order to bring them to the point when He would come.

In His coming, the people who were considered as the Lord’s people would be granted His righteousness, and would not have their sins imputed to them. This then applies to those who anticipated His coming, and those who accepted Him when He came. As Paul says, “For they are not all Israel who are of Israel” (Romans 9:6). The same thought continues with…

^{21 (con’t)} Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.

v’lo raah amal b’yisrael – “and no seen mischief in Israel.” The word amal has only been seen once so far. It comes from a word meaning “toil.” In this, the toil of wrongdoing is not seen in the people Israel. And yet, the Lord – who sees the end from the beginning – uses the same word, amal, in Isaiah 59:4 to describe the conduct of the people –

“No one calls for justice,
Nor does any plead for truth.
They trust in empty words and speak lies;
They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity.” Isaiah 59:4

In the previous clause the people were called Jacob; here they are called Israel. The words are used in parallel, and the concept remains the same. Though wickedness was, in fact, seen in Israel, it is the anticipation of Messiah, and what He would accomplish for Israel, which is being referred to here.

The greater plan covers the lesser details. The entire point of the words, then, is that because these things are not found in the people, there is nothing that allows for a curse to stand upon them from him. Balak’s attempts are futile. Rather…

^{21 (con’t)} The Lord his God is with him,

Yehovah elohav immo – “Yehovah his God is with him.” The Lord is with them. Who can curse them? He is the Source of all goodness and blessing, and He resides among Israel. Therefore, a curse upon Israel is ineffectual. It can be spoken, but it bears no weight.

From time to time I am emailed about this. “Someone cursed me. How do I remove the curse?” The answer is, “If you are in Christ, the curse had no effect in the first place.” This is the thought expressed here.

^{21 (con’t)} And the shout of a King is among them.

u-teruat melekh bow – “and shout of a King is in him.” This is coupled to the previous clause. As God is within Jacob, so is the shout of a King in Israel. It is He who guides them and He who protects them. And it is not from without, but from within. They are His people, and He dwells in them. This is realized in its fullest sense in Christ as is recorded in 2 Corinthians 6 –

“And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
‘I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.’” 2 Corinthians 6:16

Though speaking of the church, the church is comprised of those truly of Israel and of those Gentiles who have been grafted into the commonwealth of Israel.

²² God brings them out of Egypt;

el motsiam mi-mitsrayim – “God is bringing them out of Egypt.” The verb denotes continuous action. He brought them out and He continues to direct them. The trek is not yet complete. Further, it wasn’t of their own doing, but it was because of God’s presence and direction.

Again, God literally brought Israel out of Egypt, but He brought the people of the world out of what Egypt pictured, bondage to sin. There is both the literal and the spiritual application to be seen.

^{22 (con’t)} He has strength like a wild ox.

ketoaphot reem lo – “As strength of a wild ox He has.” This is a very difficult set of words. Two rare words are introduced here, toaphah, and reem. Toaphah signifies eminience and so one would think of horns, and thus strength.

The second word, reem, signifies something like a wild bull. It is used again in Deuteronomy 33:17 where it is described as having two horns. Thus if you have a KJV, you can line out “unicorn” and put in wild ox. Unicorn?

The words here are speaking of either God or Israel. As the clause is parallel to what was said in the previous clause, and as both are referred to, it is hard to be dogmatic, especially when it is referring to a bull and not a dog, but it is probably Israel.

This seems more likely, because in Deuteronomy 33, the same bull will be used to describe the tribe of Joseph. The idea being conveyed is that of a people mighty and invincible because of their God. And again, the next words also refer to the people…

²³ “For there is no sorcery against Jacob,

ki lo nakhash b’yaaqov – “For no sorcery in Jacob.” Here is a word used just twice, now and in chapter 24, nakhash. It is a verb, coming from the noun meaning sorcery. The idea is that because God is with them, there is no need for them to resort to sorcery.

Most translations say, “There is no sorcery against Jacob,” as if He has blessed them, and is leading them, and so no type of sorcery can have any effect – of any degree – against them. That is possible, but it is more probable that it is speaking of the fact that Jacob has no need for sorcery…

^{23 (con’t)} Nor any divination against Israel.

v’lo qesem b’yisrael – “And no divination in Israel.” The people do not need to resort to divination because God provides them with prophecy directly through His chosen seers and prophets. This is seen, for example, in 1 Samuel 9 –

“And the servant answered Saul again and said, “Look, I have here at hand one-fourth of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way.” ⁹ (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: ‘Come, let us go to the seer’; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)” 1 Samuel 9:8, 9

^{23 (con’t)} It now must be said of Jacob

ka-eth yeamer l’yaaqov – “According to the time it shall be said to Jacob.” In other words, when the time is right, God will speak to His people concerning whatever matter needs to be said. When it was time for the Lord to speak through Isaiah, he did so. When it was time to prophesy of the coming Messiah through David, so He relayed that to the people.

^{23 (con’t)} And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’

u-l’yisrael mah paal el – “And to Israel what has done God.” Again, the words are coupled to the previous clause. It spoke of Jacob; it speaks of Israel. There is no need for the people to resort to hocus pocus because they have God’s immediate revelation to relay to them what He will do, when He will do it, and how it will be done. This is confirmed by Amos –

“Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7

²⁴ Look, a people rises like a lioness,

hen am kelavi yaqum – “look people like a lioness rises.” The words in verse 24 look back to the blessing of Jacob upon Judah in Genesis 49:9. That is now transferred to the nation as a whole. The same words are seen here as there. It is another early indication that Judah will be the lead tribe of the people, and that the blessing upon Judah – meaning that of Messiah – will come about as prophesied.

Here, he notes that the people of Israel rise like a lion. It is a masculine word, but to show a distinction between here and the next words, some translations say “lioness.”

The idea is that of being unconquerable because of their fierceness. God is with them, and there is nothing to do but run from their attack. When the lion rises, it is to do battle. So it will be with Israel.

^{24 (con’t)} And lifts itself up like a lion;

v’kaari yitnasa – “like a lion lifts itself up.” The word for lion here is ari. It comes from arah, meaning to pluck. Thus, one gets the idea of a lion tearing off limbs. When it lifts itself up, the battle will come, and there will be a tearing of their foes as it next says…

^{24 (con’t)} It shall not lie down until it devours the prey,

lo yishkav ad yokal teeph – “Not it shall lie down until it devours prey.” When Israel battles, they will do so until the enemy is destroyed. This is seen in Deuteronomy 20 –

“When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it. ¹¹ And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you. ¹² Now if the city will not make peace with you, but war against you, then you shall besiege it. ¹³ And when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword.” Deuteronomy 20:10-13

^{24 (con’t)} And drinks the blood of the slain.”

v’dam ha’lalim yishteh – “and blood the slain drinks.” The idea here is of complete destruction of the foe and the gathering of every bit of the plunder, symbolized by the lions’ drinking of the blood. Again, this is seen in Deuteronomy 20 –

“But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which the Lord your God gives you.” Deuteronomy 20:14

It didn’t work once, so we tried again
It didn’t work twice, and that’s too bad
Gather up your things, we’re heading out men
We’re going to another spot, over that way a tad

How can we get a curse against Israel to work?
What is it that we can do to make it come about?
Once again our tactics, we will have to rework
But we will get it right eventually, no doubt

Balak and Balaam, you are wasting your time
Think it through logically and give up on this pursuit
You shall not prevail in this, now or at anytime
Your continued attempts just don’t compute

II. To the Top of Peor (verses 25-30)

²⁵ Then Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!”

Balak is so upset at what he has heard that he excitedly shouts out his exasperation. The idea here is that it would be better to not curse them, than to do what he has done by blessing them. In essence, “Just shut up rather than bless them.” But he brought it on himself, as he is now reminded…

²⁶ So Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”

In fact, that is exactly what he said toward the end of Chapter 22 –

“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.’” Numbers 22:38

Yes, Balak remembers that is what was said, and it immediately brings to his mind another option…

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.”

Here, a completely new idea comes to his mind which he feels must be the answer. In this, he uses the term ha’elohim, or “the God.” It appears that Balak is intending on making an appeal to “the God” of all gods.

So far, Balaam has made his appeal and divination by the Lord, meaning Yehovah. Balak looks at Him as a limited God, such as Chemosh, Molech, or whatever other “god,” is named. But he is hoping that ha’elohim, the God, will override Yehovah. His theology is obviously severely deficient.

²⁸ So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, that overlooks the wasteland.

Balak takes Balaam to a new location rosh ha’peor, or “head of the peor.” The word “top” is rosh. It signifies the top, first, highest, etc., but it also signifies head as in a person’s head, both literal and figurative. Peor comes from the verb paar, meaning “to open wide.” Thus, it means, “The Opening.” Abarim says of this word –

“It’s used to apply to the mouth but suggests to allude to other bodily cavities. This verb yields no nouns, which suggests that it describes doings out of a kind of hunger or desire rather than merely the mechanics of opening. In that sense it means to desire, to yearn and obviously also to lust.”

Their analysis of the word is clearly realized in the use of the name each time it is seen in Scripture. We are being asked to think on the meaning in relation to where they have been and where they now are. Balak is not following a willynilly pattern of attempting to curse Israel. Instead, he is doing his best to methodically determine what will work. With that in mind, the passage continues with…

²⁹ Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

It is word for word and letter for letter exactly the same as was recorded in verse 1 of the chapter. The stupidity of Balaam is again revealed in this verse. He is still looking at Yehovah, the God of Israel, as just another God.

He has taken Balak’s advice which included the thought of “the God,” which indicates that he feels this way. Maybe he can get “the God” to override Israel’s God. Unfortunately for both of them, they failed to understand that they are one and the same. Because of this…

*^{30 (fin)} And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on every altar.

The only difference here from verse 2 is that it only notes that Balak, not Balaam also, made the offerings as he alone did at Pisgah in verse 14 as well. With this, the chapter closes out, and we must wait a bit longer to finish the long, involved, and highly complex passage which speaks of Balaam and Balak in their attempt to curse Israel and exalt Moab.

We are continuing through one passage of many parts, and it isn’t really easy keep in our heads everything that is happening, but the main idea that we need to remind ourselves is that the passage concerning Balaam is telling us of God’s faithfulness to His covenant with Israel, and what that means in relation to the church which Christ began when He introduced the New Covenant.

God is absolutely faithful to Israel, despite their unfaithfulness. That was seen in several ways today. Because of His faithfulness to them, and to the covenant He made with them, we can be completely confident of His faithfulness to each of us within the church.

He has established the covenant, set the parameters, and given His assurances. He asks us to do one simple thing to be a part of that – demonstrate faith. The Bible is given to tell us the story, we are to accept what it says, believe what it reveals, and be restored to God through that faith.

He has done the work. We just need to believe. Thank goodness for the vast body of Old Testament writings which give us the assurance that what we read in the New is reliable. Have faith. The book is written and God’s word is complete. Trust in Christ, rest in Christ, and hold fast to your faith in Christ.

Closing Verse: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16

Next Week: Numbers 24:1-11 His words are not just metaphorical (Balaam’s Third Oracle) (47^th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Balaam’s Second Oracle

Then Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place
From which you may see them; I will show you where
You shall see only the outer part of them
And shall not see them all; curse them for me from there 

So he brought him to the field of Zophim
To the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars; so he did do
And offered a bull and a ram on each altar
In order to try to curse Israel anew

And he said to Balak, concerning this affair
“Stand here by your burnt offering
———-while I meet the Lord over there

Then the Lord met Balaam
And put a word in his mouth, and said
“Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak
The words you are given, just as you are led 

So he came to him, and there he was
Standing by his burnt offering, waiting for the token
And the princes of Moab were with him
And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”

Then he took up his oracle and said:
The words he spoke as he was led

“Rise up, Balak, and hear!
Listen to me, son of Zippor!
“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?
Behold, I have received a command to bless;
He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
“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.
God brings them out of Egypt;
He has strength like a wild ox.
“For there is no sorcery against Jacob,
Nor any divination against Israel.
It now must be said of Jacob
And of Israel, ‘Oh, what God has done!’
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.”

Then Balak said to Balaam, with his Moabite bawl
“Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all!”

So Balaam answered and said to Balak
“Did I not tell you, saying
All that the Lord speaks, that I must do’?”
Wasn’t I to you these words relaying?

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
Perhaps He will extend to me this grace 

So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor
That overlooks the wasteland, that land barren and sore 

Then Balaam said to Balak
“Build for me here seven altars, as you know to do
And prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams
As I am instructing you 

And Balak did as Balaam had said
And offered a bull and a ram on every altar
———-according to the instructions as he was led

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to you for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Numbers 23:1-12
Balaam’s First Oracle

In early 2017, a gathering of self-proclaimed witches around the US came together and performed a mass spell intended to stop President Trump from continuing with his agenda, which they found an unhappy one for their lifestyle choices.

As has been seen in the two years since then, their poofy arts, magic incantations, and summoning of the dark spirits proved to be a flop. He is still in office, his agenda is continuing on unabated, and if anything, those forces aligned against him have only lost their voice and their power.

This isn’t an indication, nor is it a claim, that President Trump is a sound Christian. He may be; he may not be. Those who are closest to him, and who are of the faith, believe he is. But either way, those who attempted to stop his agenda were ineffective against him because his position – and his filling that position – is established by God, as the Bible proclaims concerning all those in positions of authority.

Because of this, it is childish at best, and certainly foolhardy, to suppose that their purported powers of darkness have any true ability to accomplish what they set out to bring about. However, it served several purposes.

First, it showed the folly of their attempts, demonstrating their actual impotency. Secondly, it got Christians who believe this kind of stuff in a high tizzy until it was proven to be lacking power. Hopefully they learned, but Christian skulls can be rather thick.

And thirdly, it gave me material for an introduction to today’s sermon, something for which I am always grateful because the introductions often are hard to think up.

Text Verse: “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.” Romans 13:1, 2

Throughout the Bible, the sovereignty of God is seen. From the first page where it is said that God created the heavens and the earth – meaning that He is both their Creator, and the One who then has control over them – to the times where the Bible reveals that the universe is still, even now, being held together by God in Christ, and even to the seemingly out of control things which happen, but which we find out are in complete control, we see that God is sovereign.

This has been seen, and it will continue to be seen, in the story of Balaam and of Israel – and in numerous ways. One person wants Israel cursed, God overrides that. The curse is intended to bring harm, and instead a word is given to bring blessing.

And even when a curse is pronounced upon God’s people, we find the truth that it cannot override the blessing. President Trump was blessed with the authority of his position. His leadership was ordained by God, and his leadership will continue until the time when God chooses it to end, and in whatever way He determines.

He may die of a Big Mac overdoes on Air Force One, he may be taken out by the deep state, or he may serve out his term and a second term and then go on for whatever time the Lord ordains. Or, he may be taken out at the rapture of the righteous should that day come during his tenure.

We don’t have to worry about these things, and we don’t have to worry about the curses of our enemies falling upon us. They are powerless. Don’t get sidetracked into strange doctrines concerning such things. Keep yourself on an even keel in your walk with the Lord, and know that – because of Christ Jesus – harm cannot come upon you except as has been ordained by Him. As this is so, don’t fret when it comes, but look to it as a part of His unfolding plan for you. Whatever happens, happens within the framework of the love of the Father for you.

Be confident of this, knowing that these truths are to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. A Word in Balaam’s Mouth (verses 1-8)

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

The chapter now begins right where the previous chapter left off. There, the last words said, “So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he might observe the extent of the people.”

There, in the high places of Baal, Balaam gives his instructions which include seven altars for sacrifice, and fourteen animals which include seven bulls and seven rams.

The Hebrew word for “bull” is par, it is an animal which denotes wild strength, coming from the word parar which gives the sense of breaking, casting off, or annulling. This would be as a petition for the Lord to break off his covenant with Israel, and to instead be favorable to the petitions of Balaam on behalf of Balak.

The ayil, or ram, comes from the word ul. This signifies something fixed and firm, and denotes strength – like a firm pillar or a tree. Thus, this would be a petition to form a strong bond based on the request of Balak. One scholar sees the seven altars as a form of idolatrous worship. In the sanctuary, and at other times in earlier history, there is only one altar. This appears to be correct. Further, the location being the high places of Baal indicates idolatrous worship as well. Man does not ascend to God in order to sacrifice. Rather, God came down to men in Christ, and His sacrifice alone rises to God.

Another commentary says, “The number seven was especially connected with the revelation of the tree God, the Creator of the world, and was probably observed here for this reason” (Pulpit).

This is not necessarily so. It dismisses what is seen later in the book of Job, a book which chronologically precedes the time of Balaam, and which occurs outside of the covenant people, Israel. In Job 42:8, and at the word of the Lord, it says –

“Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” Job 42:8

The exact same sacrifices were requested by the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams, that are offered by Balaam here. Only the number of altars is left unstated in Job. The number seven, whether in Israel, Persia, Greece, Rome, or other nations, has always had a special significance in connection to the perfection of God. And so what we have here is a typical example of mingling original truth with man’s additions to what God had first ordained.

As was noted in the last verse of the previous chapter, it is likely that Balaam has a view of the camp, looking from one end of it to the other as it is stretched out away from him. It is from this vantage point that he makes his request for the altars and sacrifices.

² And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken,

When Israel sacrificed a bull or a ram, it was according to the specifications of the law, and in anticipation of Christ to come. Everything about their sacrifices looked to the blessing found in the coming Messiah. Here, the bull and the ram are in opposition to that. Instead of blessing in anticipation of Christ, it is petitioning a curse on Christ.

How do we know this? It is because Christ is to come through Israel, the covenant people. For the Lord’s curse to take effect, it would signify annulling His covenant with Israel, and a strengthening of a covenant with Balak and Balaam. To curse Israel would then be a curse upon Messiah who comes through Israel.

Despite being on the high places of Baal, Balaam is offering to Israel’s God. It would be pointless to petition any other god when it is the Lord who has already said in the previous chapter that the people of Israel are blessed. It is his offering here which is in hopes of annulling that blessing in order to allow the curse.

^2 (con’t) and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

Here it says that both men offered a bull and a ram. This is unlike Israel where only priests were to offer sacrifices in this manner. By this time, the law was written, and so the only priests were those of the line of Aaron. No other person, including a king, was to make the sacrifice, although the king or anyone else could make the offerings which were in accord with the law.

Here, there is the typical mingling of that which is correct and that which is false. Only through Israel in accord with the Old Covenant, and only in Christ who is the fulfillment of that Covenant, are the sacrifices to God properly conducted and pleasing to Him.

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.”

With the sacrifice made, Balaam assumes that the Lord, meaning Yehovah – Israel’s God – is appeased and will offer him a vision or an oracle. In this, he is seeking the Lord through divination. This is stated explicitly about what he is now doing in Numbers 24:1 –

“Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use sorcery, but he set his face toward the wilderness.” Numbers 24:1

The word “sorcery” is nakhash. It signifies practicing divination or seeking an omen, and the verb form of the word was strictly forbidden to Israel in Leviticus 19:26. Balaam, being unaware of this, resorts to this form of sorcery. He will proclaim, however, in verse 23 of this chapter, that such things are not done in Israel. Where divination is sought it can be thwarted, but what Israel receives is God’s direct revelation and cannot be.

^3 (con’t) So he went to a desolate height.

Here is a new word, shephi. It signifies a smooth or bare height or plain. It comes from shaphah, a verb meaning to sweep bare. Balaam’s intent is to go to where there is nothing but him and open sky around him. Any omen, then, would be obvious and not likely to be misconstrued. Balaam looked at the Lord as one of many gods, and as such, the scholar Hartung says –

“As the gods did not live outside the world, or separated from it, but the things of time and space were filled with their essence, it followed, as a matter of course, that the signs of their presence were sought and seen in all the visible and audible occurrences of nature, whether animate or inanimate. Hence all the phenomena which affected the senses, either in the elements or in the various creatures, whether sounds or movements, natural productions or events, of a mechanical or physical, or voluntary or involuntary kind, might serve as the media of revelation.” Hartung

In this shephi, or bare spot, one could think of the meaning of the word Golgotha, or Calvary, it is the place of the skull. It is a bare place where the Lord’s sign would be obvious and could not be misconstrued. Such an open place would be considered ideal for Balaam to seek his oracle.

⁴ And God met Balaam, and he said to Him,

There is no article before “God.” But it is not necessary, because the next verse will define the elohim, or God, that he met as the Lord Yehovah. How God met with him remains unstated, but it is certain that he did. In this, Balaam speaks his words to the God…

^4 (con’t) “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.”

It is a note of achievement expecting a reward. “I have done this for You. It is the full amount of sacrifices You could expect. And, all are offered at once on seven altars.” First, the implication is that they were, in fact, offered to Yehovah and not to Baal. Otherwise, he would be a fool to make a request of the Lord. Secondly, the statement to the Lord implies, “Now, you probably have something for me in return.”

The intent is to secure a curse upon Israel, speak the curse, and be paid for his time, but he also knows that whatever he is told to say, he must say – curse or otherwise. The Lord will take the evil intent of Balak, and the follow-through of that evil intent by Balaam, and turn it around. This follows logically with the Proverb –

“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination;
How much more when he brings it with wicked intent!” Proverbs 21:27

Though the offering was made to the Lord, it was one anticipating evil, and thus it is a sacrifice of the wicked with wicked intent. To overrule this, it next says…

⁵ Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

If Balaam was hoping for a change in the Lord based on his offerings, he was to be disappointed. Rather, he is given a set, specific, and unalterable word to speak to Balak. Of this verse, Bishop Wordsworth says, “God, who had opened the mouth of the ass in a manner contrary to her nature, now opens Balaam’s mouth in a manner contrary to his own will.”

⁶ So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.

Balaam, as instructed, returned to Balak and there it says, v’hinneh nitsav al olato hu – “and behold, he was standing by his burnt offering.” It is as if the scene is a bit of a surprise, because it then says, v’kal sare moav – “and all the princes of Moab.”

The seeming surprise is probably, first, because he is still by the burnt offering, as if he is truly expecting that it will be effective in changing the Lord’s mind. And, secondly, because all the leaders of Moab are there, it means that there will be a loss of face for Balak in front of them, and possibly danger to Balaam because of them.

Balaam is now stuck between two options, curse Israel and face the wrath of the Lord whom he had petitioned, or speak the words of the Lord and possibly face the wrath of the king and his princes. Balaam wisely chooses the former and complies with the Lord’s words to him…

⁷ And he took up his oracle and said:

Here the word mashalo is introduced. It is a proverb or a parable. It comes from mashal which was introduced in Numbers 21:27. That signifies “to be like,” as in using figurative language. Therefore, the words that are to be spoken are an allegory or a representation of the intent of the Lord as spoken through Balaam.

In other words, it is the word of the Lord in intent, but it is spoken from Balaam’s perspective. In such a proverb, there is a progression of speech from that which is individual and concrete to that which is more universal and general. This will be seen time and again.

Adam Clarke notes that, “All these oracular speeches of Balaam are in hemistich metre in the original. They are highly dignified, and may be considered as immediate poetic productions of the Spirit of God.”

It is to be noted that Balaam is not so much speaking to Balak or anyone else as he is just speaking forth words which go forth for any to receive. In this, they are as valid to the reader today as they were when spoken in front of Balak. And they carry the same weight today as they did then.

And more, the utterances are not like those of the true prophets of the Lord. They are more like songs or simile-type utterances that may have been inserted among their prophecies. These cannot be considered, then, as direct prophecies of the Lord, even if they contain full prophetic truth. Those utterances now begin with…

^7 (con’t) “Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,

min aram yankheni balak melek moav – “from Aram has led me Balak king of Moab.” Aram is fully named in Deuteronomy 23:4 as Aram Naharaim, or “Aram of the two rivers,” meaning the Euphrates and the Tigris. In Greek, it is known as Mesopotamia. The word Aram signifies a highland.

He places the reason for his having come on the leading of the king of Moab. Thus, it is considered that he was brought forth in kingly honor to perform a task. What is understood is that without having been led, he would not be there now. The call had been made, and he had followed based on that call. This is the specific part of the words. He then gives the general part by saying…

^7 (con’t) From the mountains of the east.

mehare qedem – “From the mountains of the east.” He had spoke of the specific place from which he had been led, now he describes where they are. The mountains of his dwelling sit eastward in relation to Moab.

As the words here are allegory, it should be remembered that mountains in the Bible will, at times, represent kingdoms, authority, or rule. The east is aforetime, meaning “the past.” He came from the area where Abraham and his family had been called out from in the past.

Israel is now ready to enter into the land promised to them, first to Abraham, and then to Isaac and Jacob after him. It is as if the kingdoms of the past have been sought to come forward and stop the plan of the future. To do this, he has been called to…

^7 (con’t) ‘Come, curse Jacob for me,

lekhah arah li yaaqov – “Come, curse for me Jacob.” Despite the son of promise, Jacob is a natural man who is a son of Isaac. Balaam has been called to curse this son of promise. Here, the common word for curse, arar, is used. It simply means “to execrate.” In the Old Testament, it is seen sixty-three times from Genesis 3 to Malachi 3.

This is the specific act which is called for, a curse upon Jacob. Next comes the general act towards him…

^7 (con’t) And come, denounce Israel!’

u-lekhah zoamah yisrael – “And come rage against Israel.” Israel is the spiritual man, named as such when he was blessed by God after he wrestled with the Man at night by the Jabbok River, as was seen in Genesis 32. Here, Balaam is said to have been called to zaam, or denounce Israel.

It is a new and much rarer word. It comes from a root signifying “to foam at the mouth.” It is to be enraged at, or indignant. The call for a curse was a specific action. This is a call for a general outpouring against Israel. However, the Lord has already blessed Israel, and so it would be futile to act in either way…

⁸ “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?

mah eqov lo qaboh el – “How to defame not has maligned God?” Here two words are used. One is naqav. It signifies to pierce, blaspheme, or even appoint by name. The other is the one used by Balak in the previous chapter, qavav. It signifies to malign with words. The meaning of what he says, as instructed by the Lord, is that he cannot logically defame one that God has not maligned.

He could, in fact, do so, but it would be pointless, and it would be self-destructive as well. Jacob was blessed by his father, the possessor of the divine blessing. Israel was blessed by God, who is the Source of all divine blessing. To bring a word against this people would be futile.

In this clause, he uses the simple term, el, or God. It signifies a mighty one. It is a shortened form of ayil, or ram, which had been offered. And, that explains and confirms what has already been said about the ram offering which came along with the bull offering. He had hoped to first annul the covenant between the Lord and Israel, and then firm up his own between their God and himself.

Like all such diviners, he thought that he could arbitrarily hand out blessings and curses at his own whim, or that he had the power to influence the gods through his divination so that they would agree to his doing such. But he is indicating through his words that such is not the case with Yehovah. He is God, and Balaam cannot impugn what God has not impugned.

^8 (con’)And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

u-mah ezom lo zaam Yehovah – “And how to be enraged at has not been enraged at the Lord?” Like the previous question, this question is rhetorical. The Lord has not had indignation towards Israel, and so how could Balaam be indignant with them. It would be counterproductive to work against the will of the Lord.

Such a pronouncement would go unratified by the One he sought the favor of. The favor was not granted, and so any such further action would be pointless. The only assured outcome is that the Lord would then be enraged against him.

Who can curse whom God has not cursed
And who can speak against the people of God
If he has blessed them, that cannot be reversed
To think otherwise… such thinking is flawed

And who has been blessed, but the people of God
Those who share in the commonwealth of Israel
He has scattered His favor near and abroad
Saving His people from the clutches of hell

Upon those who are His, no curse can alight
They are secure in Him, His upright ones
He watches over them both in day and in night
And His favors extends to all of His sons

II. The People of the Messiah (verses 9-12)

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

ki merosh tsurim erenu – “For from top rocks I see him.” As in the previous lines, it is specific in the first clause. Balaam says that he sees the one he is looking at from a specific location, which is the top of the rocks.

What Balaam is relaying here is literally true. He stood and looked upon Israel. But his mind sees him from the top of the rocks as well. In the Bible, the tsur or “rock,” speaks figuratively of a mighty one, and at times of God as the Rock.

In a figurative sense, then, Balaam is seeing the vision as he was told to speak it. From the top of the mighty ones, meaning “From the vantage point of God, I see him.” It is a way of saying, “I see this people dwelling safely under the Almighty.” From there, he restates it in a more general term…

^9 (con’t) And from the hills I behold him;

u-migevaoth ashurenu – “And from hills I observe him.” He was standing atop the rocks visually looking down upon Israel. Now he says that from the hills he is looking them over, as if in observation. Like the mountains, the hills are representative of a seat of power, such as in Isaiah 10:32 where Zion is called “the hill of Jerusalem.”

It is therefore a way of saying that among all the seats of power, Israel is to be observed. It is a truth which has never ceased to be realized, even in their dispersion, much less in their time of being in the land of their possession. Wherever Israel is, they are observed among the seats of power.

For Balaam, it is from such a lofty position, with such a unique vantage of them that he then speaks of their unique nature…

^9 (con’t) There! A people dwelling alone,

hen am l’badad yishkon – “Behold! People to isolation dwelling.” The words were literally true for the moment. Israel dwelt apart from the surrounding nations, but this is not only what is being referred to. Moab dwelt in their land. China dwells in their land. Mongolians live in their land, but they are not alone and separate in the way that Israel is indicated to be here.

The very fact that Balaam says they dwell alone signifies more than just a physical location. Though the physical location defines the specific nature of their dwelling. From there, he goes to the more general nature of the thought…

^9 (con’t) Not reckoning itself among the nations.

u-bagoyim lo yitkhashav – “And among the nations not are woven.” They are like a thread left out of the whole fabric, and like a number not counted among other numbers when added together. This was true with Israel in their land. They were a distinct people from all the others. It was, and is, true while Israel is among the nations as well.

For 3500 years, they have remained distinctly separate from the other nations. Thus, it is not so much the physical separation that Balaam is perceiving, but the moral and national character of them as God’s possession and covenant people. Of this verse, the scholar Hengstenberg (1802-1869) amazingly said, at a time when it was still not to be imagined –

“How truly Balaam said that Israel ‘did not reckon itself with the heathen’ appears from the fact that while all the powerful empires of the ancient world—the Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and others—have utterly perished, Israel (which even under the Old Covenant was rescued from so many dangers that threatened its entire destruction, particularly in being brought back from exile) flourishes anew in the Church of the New Covenant, and continues also to exist in that part of it which, though at present rejected, is destined to restoration at a future period.” Hengstenberg

¹⁰ “Who can count the dust of Jacob,

mi manah aphar yaaqov – “Who has counted the dust of Jacob?” It is a metaphor which speaks of the number of people who comprise Jacob. The word aphar, or dust, is in the singular construct. It comprises the whole.

In Genesis 2:7, it says that man was taken from the aphar, or dust, of the ground. He is comprised of a mass of dust which is considered one mass. When he sinned, the Lord said that he was dust and would return to the dust.

In Genesis 13, Abraham was told that his descendants would be as the dust of the earth. That is now what is spoken of here. The dust of Jacob is the literal descendants of Jacob. It is one people. That is the specific. Balaam next goes to the general…

^{10 (con’t)} Or number one-fourth of Israel?

U-mispar eth rova yisrael – “And number fourth-part of Israel.” What Balaam literally saw was the sanctuary surrounded by four separate encampments, as laid out by the Lord – to the east, south, west, and north. But what the Lord is referring to through Balaam is the innumerable size of Israel which includes those Gentiles who are brought into Israel’s commonwealth through the work of Christ.

The dust of Jacob spoke of the specific, literal descendants of Jacob. Israel, in this case, is a general description of all those in Messiah. The number four in Scripture denotes creation. To attempt to count one-fourth of believers in creation would be pointless. As there is no literal east or west, one would count in one direction, and never cease to count. That is the idea which is referred to here.

^{10 (con’t)} Let me die the death of the righteous,

tamot naphshi mowt yesharim – “Let die my soul death the righteous ones.” The word “righteous” is plural. It is speaking of those who are reckoned as righteous before God. Israel here is reckoned as the righteous ones because of their calling.

But not all of Israel was, or is, righteous. For example, Korah could not be counted as such. Therefore it is those of Israel who are deemed righteous because of imputation by their God who are being referred to. David spoke explicitly of the non-imputation of sin in the Old Testament, and Paul cites David’s words in the New. To not have sin imputed implies that righteousness has, instead, been imputed.

In other words, this is a general statement concerning Israel. In Deuteronomy, Israel will be called Jeshurun, or “Upright One,” three times. Isaiah will use the term once as well. It is speaking of the collective whole regardless of the individual.

And Israel’s imputation of righteousness was no different than ours. It was, and it is, by faith in Messiah alone. Israel the people looked forward to Him until His coming, the Commonwealth of Israel looks back on His coming since then. For those in Messiah, there is an understood very good end…

^{10 (con’t)} And let my end be like his!”

u-tehi akhariti kamohu – “and let be my end according to his.” The previous clause spoke of the specific, “let me die.” This clause speaks of the general, “my end.” The word is akhar, and it signifies, “the latter (or after) part.”

The death of the righteous signifies one who lived righteously. The end of the righteous signifies the life lived by the righteous. The life of the righteous is one which is lived in Messiah, not apart from Messiah. One can only die in Messiah if they lived in Messiah. The words of the Lord given to Balaam to speak are those of anticipation of Messiah, and the people of Messiah.

¹¹ Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? 

Balak takes the oracle of Balaam as a personal attack against him. By not cursing Israel, a negative has now fallen upon him.

^{11 (con’t)} I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!”

Balak uses the same word he used twice in the previous chapter and which Balaam used in verse 8 here, qavav. He had asked for Balaam to malign Israel, and instead, as he says, v’hinneh berakhta barekh, “And behold, you have in blessing blessed.” In response, Balaam answers…

*^{12 (fin)} So he answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?”

Balaam finishes this first round of offerings with words reflecting the state of the matter. He had hoped to come and change the course of events through the offerings, but they had no effect upon the Lord. He was forced to speak out what the Lord instructed him to speak. As it says, “what the Lord has put in my mouth.”

The words of the passage today show that God is in complete control of things going on around us. It further shows that God has a plan, that plan is set and it cannot be thwarted, and that the focal point of the plan is the Messiah.

Without doubt, the words of the Bible reveal that Jesus is that Messiah. Understanding this, the upright ones who are spoken of in this passage today cannot be speaking of Israel of the flesh. They were twice exiled, and they are still not right with Christ Jesus.

And yet, the utterances of God given to Balaam speak of Israel as a people, not just at that time, but at any given time. Therefore, it must now speak of those of Israel who are in Christ and of those Gentiles who are brought into the commonwealth of Israel with them. Not that the Gentiles are Israel, but that they share in the blessings of Israel.

Together, one whole is formed for the time in which we live. At some point, the people of Israel, those still apart from Him, will come to see the state of their existence, and, as Paul says, “all Israel will be saved.” That is future to us now, but until then, God has them safely cared for.

The ordeals they will face, and the trials they will suffer through, will be allowed in order to refine them, but no curse against them will stand, except the curse of their own self-inflicted wounds.

Such is true with those who are in Christ as well. The curses of the enemies of God’s people are ineffective. We are not to be concerned that there is a power which can overcome us. Instead, because of Christ, we are the blessed of the Lord, and because of that, no curse can stand. Be comforted in this, and be thankful to God for your position in Him because of what He did for you in Christ.

Closing Verse: “Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,
So a curse without cause shall not alight.” Proverbs 26:2

Next Week: Numbers 23:13-30 In the list it is number 2, categorical (Balaam’s Second Oracle) (46^th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Balaam’s First Oracle

Then Balaam said to Balak
“Build seven altars for me here
And prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams
Are my instructions clear?

And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, in this he did not falter
And Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar

Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering
And I will go; perhaps the Lord will come to meet me
———-to set my words aright
And whatever He shows me I will tell you
So he went to a desolate height

And God met Balaam, and he said to Him
“I have prepared the seven altars, as I knew to do
And I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram
To now receive a word from You

Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said
“Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak; so you shall do
So he returned to him, and there he was
Standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab too

And he took up his oracle and said:
The words he spoke as he was led

“Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram,
From the mountains of the east.
‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
And come, denounce Israel!’
“How shall I curse whom God has not cursed?
And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?
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.
“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!”

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!”

So he answered and said
“Must I not take heed to speak
What the Lord has put in my mouth?”
His words I cannot change; not even a little tweak

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to you for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Numbers 22:22-41
The Donkey Speaks

It dawned on me while getting ready to type this sermon, that of the commentaries I read for sermon prep each week, and despite the scholarly and immensely intelligent nature of those men, they couldn’t really make the pictorial connection to many of the stories that we are reading and analyzing, because they were not alive when the promises of God to Israel had come about.

Only in Israel’s return to the land in 1948, could some of these things properly be grasped. It is true that all of the pictures are revealed elsewhere in the Bible in one way or another, but to actually make these necessary connections to what is revealed would certainly be much harder without seeing this group of people returning and occupying the land.

A couple of the scholars, John Gill and Adam Clarke in particular, openly wrote about the necessity of Israel being returned to the land as a sign of the truth of the Lord in accord with His written word. Rather than saying that the church replaced Israel, these men – even hundreds of years ago – faithfully proclaimed that Israel was still a part of God’s plans in redemptive history.

However, the duration of their exile, the circumstances surrounding their return, the state of the nations in the world today, and a host of other unknowns added to these, meant that they were left without the information we now possess.

Because of this, one can see that it wasn’t until Israel’s return that the pictorial meaning of these many passages could really have come about. And who knows how much more is left unknown to us? I’ve struggled with the Balaam sermons, hoping to make a final connection as to what he is picturing, and as of this sermon, I am still chewing it over.

Text Verse: “Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7

The words there from Amos do not mean that people today receive prophecy from the Lord, and that they then pass on the mysteries of God. Rather, the prophets have spoken, the word is written, and God has recorded His plan in it. It is now our job to search it out and to attempt to discern what it is that He has revealed.

The longer time goes by, the more knowledge that is added to the body of commentaries on Scripture, and the more we read and study what the Lord is telling us, the surer it is that we will understand what those prophets have had conveyed to them from the Lord. This is the beauty of studying the Bible. It is all there if we can work it out.

Today’s passage is another wonderful part of this beautiful treasure we call the Holy Bible. Hopefully today, we will find some more wonderful insights from it, because it is a part of His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Why Have You Struck Your Donkey? (verses 22-33)

²² Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, 

v’yikhar aph elohim – “and burned the nostril of God.” It is as if fire shot out of His nose over the events taking place. It is curious that Balaam had been given permission to go, but that now God’s anger is fired up over his going. However, it is apparent, even if not explicitly stated, that the intent by going was to curse Israel. That is why the emissaries had been sent.

Had he told them that he could not curse Israel, they would have said, “Well then, there is no point in you coming back with us.” However, by going, the implication is that he will, in fact, curse Israel. That is the entire purpose of the promised payment. As the Bible later records of Balaam, he ran greedily for profit.

In this verse, rather than “because he went,” the verb more rightly says, “because he was going.” It’s not just that he went on the journey, but he started and continued deliberately and with conviction on it, pressing forward to the intended end. As Keil notes –

“…it is evident, on the one hand, that the anger of God was not excited by the fact that Balaam went with the elders of Moab, but by his behaviour wither on setting out or upon the journey.”

His being given permission to go did not mean he had to go, but that the expectation was that he would do right if he went. The fact that he decided to go, and pressed on as he went, meant that this would not be the case.

^{22 (con’t)} and the Angel of the Lord took His stand in the way as an adversary against him.

v’yityashev malak Yehovah baderek l’satan low – “and took His stand the Angel of Yehovah in the way as an adversary against him.” The word satan, or adversary, is introduced into the Bible here. It is one who opposes or an accuser. When it is prefixed by the definite article, it speaks of Satan, the arch-enemy of God.

Here, it is malak Yehovah, or “the Angel of the Lord,” meaning the eternal Christ, who stands in opposition to Balaam.

^{22 (con’t)} And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.

Here, he is said to be riding on his athon, or female donkey along with two na’ar, or young men. These two servants are curiously only mentioned here in what then seems like a superfluous addition of detail. Why mention them at all?

²³ Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field.

It is an irony of Scripture that the supposed seer and diviner of the gods was wholly incapable of seeing the Angel of the Lord, whereas his brute beast, a donkey, not only saw Him, but turned away in understanding.

One cannot claim that the path was so narrow that it had to take action. If this were so, it would have stopped or tried to squeeze by, as she will later do. Rather, the donkey avoided the path altogether and went into the field.

So, blinded by his now obvious intentions of receiving a king’s reward, his supposedly bright intellect is clouded over. At the same time, the beast on which he sat perceived with perfect clarity that the hand of her Creator was against them.

Here the verb shalaph is introduced. It means to draw out, grow up, or pluck off. The Angel of the Lord stands with His sword drawn, indicating the type of death Balaam would face if he continued down his reckless path. Unfortunately, he did – in fact – continue down it and in Numbers 31:8, it is shown that this is the exact death that he will face.

^{23 (con’t)} So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.

In his ignorance, he strikes the donkey who is, at this time, his only means of not being struck down. The irony is palpable. He, the soothsayer and the one who supposedly communes with the gods cannot see what a mere donkey perfectly realizes. If only those in the church today would trust their own donkeys, we wouldn’t have so many false teachings from so many blinded people swirling about our churches!

²⁴ Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.

The Hebrew uses the term mishol, or a hollow passage, to describe the path. This word is only used here in the Bible, coming from a word which indicates a hollow hand, and thus a handful. One can think of a path running through vineyards, with the vines forming a tunnel to go through.

Thus, this is probably a dividing line between two independent vineyards that people would travel through. On each side would be a gader, or wall. It is another new word signifying a wall or a fence. This was probably of stone which was cleared from fields and used to mark the edge of the property. This would make passage limited.

²⁵ And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again.

Here the donkey can’t turn off the path, but it still knows it can’t press forward, and so it lurched to the side which would have smushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. It is a different word for “wall” here, qir. It comes from a root signifying to bore or dig. And so it is something with depth to it. His foot is smashed against the surface of it in the donkey’s attempt to not be struck.

²⁶ Then the Angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

The same word, v’yoseph, which was just used in the previous verse to signify that Balaam had struck his donkey, is used again here. It says, v’yoseph malak Yehovah abor, or “and again the angel of the Lord went.” It isn’t speaking of the distance, meaning further, but of the event, meaning a third time.

This time, however, he appears standing in a place that is so narrow that the donkey can’t even attempt to get away. In such a tight place, she would be distressed, therefore…

²⁷ And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam;

Well, she doesn’t want to get struck again, and she cannot turn left or right, and so the perceptive donkey simply lays down on the spot. She may not have wanted a beating, but one comes anyway…

^{27 (con’t)} so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff.

v’yikhar aph bil’am – “and burned the nostril of Balaam.” It is the same words used above when speaking about the anger of the Lord. The number three in Scripture signifies that which is substantial, complete and entire. The Lord has taken Balaam through the entire course of events in order to alert him to the severity of the situation.

As is what can normally be expected of sin, he first allows us to divert from the path, but we remain untouched. He next draws judgment nearer and causes discomfort to arise. And finally, if the lesson is not learned, we end in such a tight spot that we have nowhere to turn, but to simply fall before Him, voluntarily or involuntarily.

In this case, Balaam is saved from himself by an unreasoning animal who can discern more than he could imagine…

²⁸ Then 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?”

It is astonishing to read the commentaries of scholars, some of whom find the Bible the literal word of God, and yet who dismiss the words of this verse in a thousand different ways. Whereas their commentaries might normally be a few sentences, they spend paragraphs writing out how this verse doesn’t really mean what it says. However, both Peter, and anyone else who accepts the word as written, must take the verse as it is intended. Peter says –

“They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.” 2 Peter 2:15, 16

The Hebrew says, v’yiphtakh Yehovah eth pi ha’athon – “And opened Yehovah the mouth of the donkey.” Who made the donkey? The Lord. If the Lord can fashion a donkey, and if He can fashion a man, He can also make the donkey speak with the words of a man.

The narrative is based on the redemptive plans of the Lord, and therefore, they are given to reflect that redemptive plan in a particular manner, and for a particular reason.

If the donkey didn’t speak, and if Balaam only imagined it, this would not have restrained his madness, it would have increased it. In asking why she had been struck three times, she is speaking the word of the Lord, as prompted by the Lord. The donkey knows perfectly well why she was struck three times.

She wasn’t asking this because she didn’t know. She was asking, because this is how the Lord wakes His people up from their spiritual slumber – “What are you doing here, Elijah?” The Lord knew why Elijah was there. But He wanted Elijah to think the situation through with clarity. “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” The Lord already knew the answer, as is obvious from his response –

“Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” John 21:17

Peter said what he said about Balaam because he knew how the Lord worked, and how He accomplished His plans through even the thick-headed like Balaam, and even like he himself.

In the case of Peter’s words in his epistle about Balaam, the Greek actually reads Balaam tou Bosor. Instead of calling him Balaam son of Beor, he is called by Peter Balaam son of Bosor. Why would he do that?

Some translations simply skip over it as an anomaly and translate it as Beor instead of Bosor, as do some manuscripts. However, the curious change is credited to Peter making a play on words.

The Hebrew letter ayin, when pronounced in an especially guttural way, would make the name sound like Bosor, and would then correspond to the Hebrew word for “flesh” which is basar. In other words, he makes a pun by calling him “Balaam, Son of the Flesh,” which speaks of his pursuing the carnal lusts of the flesh in his madness to get rich.

²⁹ And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!”

The word Balaam uses, and which is translated as “abused,” signifies “to go over completely.” It is what one does when he gleans. He goes over an area until it is picked clean. Balaam says, in essence, “You have completely derided me.”

And then his next words are in the perfect tense in the Hebrew, “Having a sword in my hand, for now, I had killed you.” It is as if the act were accomplished, but for the lack of a sword. “As I only had my stick, instead I beat you with that.”

Balaam is so furious at this point that he has not come to his senses. His donkey spoke to him, and instead of thinking clearly over that, he responds in words that he might have said to someone irritating him over some petty matter. He needs more donkey talk to pull him back from the edge…

³⁰ So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?”

And he said, “No.”

The words are from the Lord, but spoken as if through the donkey. Despite their ultimate Source, there is nothing theologically deep. There is simply the continuance of the questioning that had already begun. The answer to the questions are obvious, and have the sole intent of bringing Balaam to right reason.

He had been told by God not to curse Israel, but then when permitted to go with the emissaries, he had closed his mind to that and opened it up to the riches that lay ahead. With simple questions from a simpler donkey, he is being nurtured into reasoning out the surrounding circumstances.

With that now done, and only with that having been settled, is he enabled to see what was kept from him…

³¹ Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes,

v’gal Yehovah eth ene bil’am – “And uncovered Yehovah Balaam’s eyes.” It wasn’t that his eyes were shut, it is that they were covered over. What he couldn’t see, he now sees. And this was an uncovering not by his own action, but by that of the Lord…

^{31 (con’t)} and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand;

There is an irony which has occurred in these verses. Balaam was traveling to Moab, or “From Father,” to earn his reward. However, the Angel of the Lord who was sent from Father, has blocked the way. It is a remarkable parallel to Christ’s own words of John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

The reward is through Christ, and only through Him. The way is where the Lord is standing. The truth is that He is, in fact, standing there, and the life is symbolized by the sword which can be sheathed granting it, or swung, thus removing it. Balaam now sees what Jesus literally proclaimed. And the reaction to this knowledge is obvious…

^{31 (con’t)} and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face.

It is the common reaction of any who comes before the Lord with the knowledge of who the Lord is – awestruck wonder. In the case of Balaam, he literally fell prostrate with his face to the ground.

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.

Now the Angel of the Lord speaks directly to Balaam, but first in the form of a question. The donkey asked, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Now the Lord asks, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times?” The word for donkey, athon, comes from the word ethan, meaning perennial, or ever-flowing. It is where the common English name “Ethan” comes from.

If you know an unsaved Ethan, you can now us this to begin your witnessing to him. Knowing the source of Hebrew names is a marvelous way to do this because many of our names are derived from the Hebrew language. As far as the narrative, we can see that the athon, or donkey, is a symbol of constancy, consistency, and even patient endurance.

The donkey patiently endured her beatings, and the Lord patiently endured as the donkey was beaten. But it was for this reason that the Angel of the Lord says anokhi yatsati l’satan – “I have come out to stand as an adversary against you.” Again, it is the word, satan, which when prefixed by an article speaks of Satan, God’s arch-foe. Here, it only speaks of being an adversary.

And He stood in this manner for a purpose. It was to uncover the eyes of Balaam and correct his rash ways. Here, the Angel of the Lord uses a very rare word, yarat. It is only found here and Job 16:11, it signifies that which is rash or perverse as in rushing headlong into destruction. The Lord has personally intervened to stop this disastrous progression.

³³ The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times.

The Angel of the Lord credits the discernment of a mere donkey for turning because of what she saw. He doesn’t say, “I appeared to the donkey.” He simply notes that the donkey perceived His presence. However…

^{33 (con’t)} If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”

The Hebrew here appears broken, as in an aposiopesis. It is as if a challenge to Balaam’s mind. Further, it is in the perfect tense, as an accomplished fact – “Perhaps she turned aside from before Me… for now I have killed you; and she lives.” Balaam must infer what is being said, and to make the right choice about his future path.

A donkey speaks, who would believe?
And from where does she get her word?
Did she just learn, or from God did she receive?
What prompted her? What is it she heard?

And with what words does she speak?
Wondrous oracles about the future of man?
No, just a question to her master about his beating streak
Why did he do it? Just because he can?

But donkeys don’t speak, as we all know
It was the Lord who allowed words to come from her
To restrain the prophet’s madness, and this is so
He was on a wayward path, which the Lord was set to deter

A donkey speaks, who would believe
A message from God for the wise to receive

II. The Word That God Puts in My Mouth (Verses 34-41)

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.

Here Balaam acknowledges his sin, but he doesn’t say how he sinned. Was it because his way was perverse, or is it because he struck a donkey which didn’t deserve it? The Lord standing in the way was because he was acting in a perverse manner. And that is what brought about the beatings. But because the Lord stood in the way, Balaam speaks on…

^{34 (con’t)} Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”

The Hebrew reads, “And therefore, if evil in your eyes, I will turn back.” This shows that Balaam is still intent on going. The word “if” shows this.

There is nothing to gain by going, apart from the promised riches, and so it is the promised riches which are still on his mind. But the Lord has blessings planned for Israel, and so Israel will be blessed.

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.”

Here, the Angel of the Lord assumes the same authority as God in verse 22:20 by speaking the same words as then. It is a clear indication that the Angel of the Lord, is the Lord. What he says is both a prediction and a command – “The word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” He has been called to curse, but the Lord has determined otherwise. And so it shall be…

^{35 (con’t)} So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

Where these men have been during the past many verses is not stated. In verse 21, they were called the princes of Moab. Now, they are called the princes of Balak. Together, they depart for their destination, obviously sending messengers ahead…

³⁶ 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.

The king desired to provide a true state visit for Balaam, and so instead of awaiting him to come to his location, he went to the extremity of his territory to meet with him. It shows the importance of the matter to the king. He is anxious to give Balaam great honor in hopes that he will accept it and act in the most favorable manner concerning the situation with Israel.

The Hebrew in this verse says, ir moav, which is probably the same as Ar of Moab in Numbers 21:15. It is located on the Arnon, or “Roaring Stream,” which formed the boundary of Moab.

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?”

Balak’s words are superlative, halo shaloakh shlakhti elekha liqro – “Did not sending I send to you for calling?” Because the original message from the Lord was so watered down by Balaam, and then completely missing from the words of the messengers, the denial made no sense at all to Balak.

In the words, “Am I not able to honor you?” there is a certain amount of wondering if Balaam thinks he is good for his word or not, as if he is hurt at the mere suggestion of it. As one can see, and will continue to see, Balak is a highly emotional person who becomes frustrated over his inability to get his own way.

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.”

Here, it appears at first as a pious note of faithfulness, but it is a set of words which lack that. First, instead of saying Yehovah, he says God. Twice before, Balaam has said Yehovah, and once he said, Yehovah elohai, or Yehovah my God.

Now, he simply says, elohim. That can be the true God, or any god, or multiple gods. The context decides the meaning, and here, the meaning is questionable as to who he is even speaking of.

Secondly, he never tells him that Yehovah had forbidden him to come, or that he was told to only speak what Yehovah said. And third, Yehovah had said that what was to be uttered was blessing, not cursing. Though Balaam has stated a fact, he has only partially stated it, and he has – once again – withheld more than revealed.

 ³⁹ So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kirjath Huzoth.

From their meeting place, it says they have traveled to qiryath khutsoth, or City of Streets. The name may imply a trading city, or a city where people sell their wares on the streets, or something like that. The word khuts simply means “outside.” This is the only time it is seen in Scripture.

 ⁴⁰ Then Balak offered oxen and sheep, and he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

Here the word “offered” indicates a slaughter for sacrifice. Two kinds of animals are mentioned, the baqar, which comes from a root meaning to inquire or seek, and tson, which comes from a word meaning to migrate. Both indicate animals which move as they forage for food.

The sacrifice is certainly intended as a means of seeking the favor of the gods of Moab, and hopefully appeasing the God of Israel. That it is sent to Balaam and the princes indicates that it is also a type of fellowship offering, where there is a meal between the deity and the people.

*^{41 (fin)} So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he might observe the extent of the people.

The chapter ends with Balak going to either a specific place called Bamoth Baal, or it could also be any given place. The meaning of bamoth is “high places,” but it also refers to a specific place at times. It is one of the places where those of Moab would worship their god Chemosh.

In saying, “the extent of the people,” it can mean “from one extent to the other,” or “the outlying extent of them.” The former seems likely based on what will later be done.

Here is where the chapter ends, high with anticipation concerning what will happen when Balaam is asked to speak out his utterance against the people of Israel.

In a cursory reading of the chapter, even many times, I had always looked at the positive side of Balaam. That made the later passages about him, which are spoken in the negative, more difficult to understand. Some of my friends who emailed me about him felt the same.

However, after studying this first chapter in detail, it becomes evident that he was, in fact, an opportunist who held Yehovah as simply one God among many. His sitting down to a meal sacrificed by the king of Moab, knowing that he would have done so to Chemosh, reflects this as much as anything else which has been presented.

He may have desired to only speak what Elohim told him to speak, but Elohim is a very large word which conveys many meanings in Scripture. In Balaam’s case, it was most certainly a collection of gods who were there to help him become wealthy.

Unfortunately, we are all susceptible to following after “the gods,” of this world which are led by the “god” of this world, meaning the devil. Money, addictions to sex, drugs, fame, or whatever else, even lesser gods of chance, luck, and fortune, and so on. The world is filled with “gods,” but we are told to reject them, because they all belong to one ruler, Satan.

Instead, we are to stand opposed to them and to proclaim that there is one, and only one true God, and that God – the Creator – has revealed Himself to us in the person and work of Jesus Christ. May we set our hearts and affections on Him, and let us pursue Him and Him alone – to the glory of God the Father.

Closing Verse: “A man with an evil eye hastens after riches,
And does not consider that poverty will come upon him.” Proverbs 28:22

Next Week: Numbers 23:1-12 His words are not just allegorical (Balaam’s First Oracle) (45^th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Donkey Speaks

Then God’s anger was aroused because he went
And the Angel of the Lord took His stand
———-in the way as an adversary against him
And he was riding on his donkey
And his two servants were with him
———-as things took a turn that was grim

Now the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord
Standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand
And the donkey turned aside out of the way
And went into the field, something of which he had not planned

So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road
Then the Angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path, it wasn’t wide
Between the vineyards
With a wall on this side and a wall on that side

And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord
She pushed herself against the wall
And crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall
So he struck her again, not very nice at all!

Then the Angel of the Lord went further
And stood in a narrow place; of leeway it was bereft
Where there was no way to turn
Either to the right hand or to the left

And when the donkey saw the Angel of the Lord
She lay down under Balaam; seemingly an annoying gaffe
So Balaam’s anger was aroused
And he struck the donkey with his staff

Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey
And she said to Balaam, words for our rhymes
“What have I done to you
That you have struck me these three times?”

And Balaam said to the donkey
“Because you have abused me, so you did do
I wish there were a sword in my hand
For now I would kill you!”

So the donkey said to Balaam
“Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden
———-Isn’t it so?
Ever since I became yours, to this day?
Was I ever disposed to do this to you?”
———-And he said, “No.”

Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes
And he saw the Angel of the Lord there in that place
Standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand
And he bowed his head and fell flat on his face 

And the Angel of the Lord said to him
“Why have you struck your donkey these times three?
Behold, I have come out to stand against you
Because your way is perverse before Me

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, that’s the way it was to be

And Balaam said to the Angel of the Lord
“I have sinned, for I did not know; the knowledge I did lack
You stood in the way against me
Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back

Then the Angel of the Lord said to Balaam
“Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you
———-hear Me now as I talk
That you shall speak
So Balaam went with the princes of Balak

Now when Balak heard that Balaam was coming
He went out to meet him at Moab’s city
Which is on the border at the Arnon
The boundary of the territory

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? When I speak, so I will do

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; to His word alone I must cling

So Balaam went with Balak
And they came to Kirjath Huzoth on a whim
Then Balak offered oxen and sheep
And he sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him

So it was, the next day
That Balak took Balaam and brought him up
———-high like atop a steeple
To the high places of Baal
That from there he might observe the extent of the people

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to you for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

Numbers 22:1-21
Curse This People for Me

I am Mesha, son of Chemosh-gad, king of Moab, the Dibonite. My father reigned over Moab thirty years, and I have reigned after my father. And I have built this sanctuary for Chemosh in Karchah, a sanctuary of salvation, for he saved me from all aggressors, and made me look upon all mine enemies with contempt. Omri was king of Israel, and oppressed Moab during many days, and Chemosh was angry with his aggressions. His son succeeded him, and he also said, I will oppress Moab. In my days he said, Let us go, and I will see my desire upon him and his house, and Israel said, I shall destroy it for ever. Now Omri took the land of Madeba, and occupied it in his day, and in the days of his son, forty years. And Chemosh had mercy on it in my time. And I built Baal-meon and made therein the ditch, and I built Kiriathaim. And the men of Gad dwelled in the country of Ataroth from ancient times, and the king of Israel fortified Ataroth. I assaulted the wall and captured it, and killed all the warriors of the city for the well-pleasing of Chemosh and Moab, and I removed from it all the spoil, and offered it before Chemosh in Kirjath; and I placed therein the men of Siran, and the men of Mochrath. And Chemosh said to me, Go take Nebo against Israel, and I went in the night and I fought against it from the break of day till noon, and I took it: and I killed in all seven thousand men, but I did not kill the women and maidens, for I devoted them to Ashtar-Chemosh; and I took from it the vessels of Jehovah, and offered them before Chemosh. And the king of Israel fortified Jahaz, and occupied it, when he made war against me, and Chemosh drove him out before me, and I took from Moab two hundred men in all, and placed them in Jahaz, and took it to annex it to Dibon. I built Karchah the wall of the forest, and the wall of the Hill. I have built its gates and I have built its towers. I have built the palace of the king, and I made the prisons for the criminals within the wall. And there were no wells in the interior of the wall in Karchah. And I said to all the people, ‘Make you every man a well in his house.’ And I dug the ditch for Karchah with the chosen men of Israel. I built Aroer, and I made the road across the Arnon. I took Beth-Bamoth for it was destroyed. I built Bezer for it was cut down by the armed men of Daybon, for all Daybon was now loyal; and I reigned from Bikran, which I added to my land. And I built Beth-Gamul, and Beth-Diblathaim, and Beth Baal-Meon, and I placed there the poor people of the land. And as to Horonaim, the men of Edom dwelt therein, on the descent from old. And Chemosh said to me, Go down, make war against Horonaim, and take it. And I assaulted it, And I took it, for Chemosh restored it in my days.

That is the text of what is known as the Mesha Stele. It is an inscription by Mesha, king of Moab, who is mentioned in 2 Kings 3:4. The account he writes substantiates several names and places listed in the Bible, and it also shows us something that the Bible reveals concerning the gods of the nations.

Here he speaks of his god Chemosh, and he speaks of Israel’s God, Yehovah. Nations generally had then own god or gods, and at times, one nation would take the gods of another nation as their own. This even happened in Israel, where in 2 Chronicles 25:14, Amaziah defeated the Edomites, captured their gods, set them up, and bowed down to worship them – not the brightest bulb in town.

The point of this is that just because someone claims the Lord is their God, it doesn’t mean that is true. Balaam is a soothsayer and so for him to call on one god or another was what he did. If he could profit off of Yehovah, that was as good as profiting off of any other god of any other nation.

Text Verse: “Nevertheless the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you.” Deuteronomy 23:5

As you have seen, Balaam had to be summoned twice before he actually went. Moses says that the Lord wouldn’t listen to Balaam. It is apparent from the verses today that Balaam either didn’t listen or he didn’t heed the Lord’s word either.

His first visit showed that he was obedient, but only partially so. This resulted in a second visit with a better offer. The Lord passively hardened his heart in this. The second visit, where he was allowed to go, left him overjoyed at the prospects which lay ahead.

However, by the end of his time with the king, he will lose his fee–reward altogether, he will become reckless, and he will bring about his own destruction. This won’t be evident for quite a while, but I’m apprising you now so that you will have a better idea of why Balaam is so looked down on from this point and forward, even to the book of Revelation. He is a curious figure, and we will be following him for a while.

The story of Balaam, and what he says and does, are a marvelous part of God’s superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Who Are These Men with You? (verses 1-14)

Then the children of Israel moved, and camped in the plains of Moab

The last recorded details of Israel’s march toward Canaan brought them into battle with Sihon and Og where they took possession of the land of both kings. Now it says that the children of Israel moved on from there, camping “in the plains of Moab.”

Here is a new word in Scripture, aravah, translated as “plains” because it is in the plural here. It is a steppe, or a desert plain. It comes from the verb arav, meaning to become evening, or grow dark. In this, it signifies a wilderness area. The word is often prefixed by an article, and thus it speaks of a specific desert often called “the Aravah.”

In Psalm 68:4, the word is used when referring to where the Lord rides, and so some translations will say “clouds,” or “heavens,” which is how the NKJV translates it –

“Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Extol Him who rides on the clouds,
By His name Yah,
And rejoice before Him.” Psalm 68:4

Here in Numbers, it is simply referring to the wilderness of Moab.

^1 (con’t) on the side of the Jordan across from Jericho.

Where they are now is right at the doorstep of Canaan. As it says, me’eber l’yarden yerekho, or “on the side of Jordan Jericho.” The Jordan is the dividing line. When they cross over that, they will be in Canaan, the land of Promise. The name “Jordan” signifies “Descender.”

It is given this name because it goes from the high mountains all the way down into the Dead Sea. However, when the Jordan is used in typology, it signifies the advent of the Lord. He is the Descender who has come from the heights of heaven and descended even to the pit of death in order to redeem man.

As Israel is on one side of the Jordan, it signifies they are on one side of Christ’s advent. It is anticipatory of them crossing over and into what is Promised by going through Christ. This is the typology to remember as we advance towards the book of Joshua when that actually occurs.

Where they are is at the Jordan, across from Jericho. Jericho is introduced into Scripture now. It will become common in the OT from here, and it will also be referred to in the NT synoptic gospels and Hebrews.

The name Jericho is based on one of two roots, yareakh, or “moon,” or ruakh, meaning “smell.” The first would indicate “City of the Moon,” or the other would be “Place of Fragrance.” In fact, the similarity in the roots probably means that there is an understood duality in the name where both meanings equally apply.

The exact travel to where they are, and the spread of their encampment, is recorded in Numbers 33:48, 49 –

“They departed from the mountains of Abarim and camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho. ⁴⁹ They camped by the Jordan, from Beth Jesimoth as far as the Abel Acacia Grove in the plains of Moab.”

Thus, they are on the east of the Jordan in the plains of Moab. But, this is land that was taken in battle from Moab and which Israel then took from the hand of those who took it from Moab.

² Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

Here Balak the son of Zippor is introduced. The name Balaq comes from the verb balaq which signifies “waste.” In this, the name means something akin to Devastator, Empty, or Wasting. Zippor comes from tsippor, a little bird. It is the same root as the name of Moses’ wife Zipporah.

It may be, then, that this person, though being in Moab, is a Midianite, bearing a name similar to other Midianites, named after birds and animals. He saw what Israel did to the Amorites, and he is fearful of encountering them himself. Therefore…

³ And Moab was exceedingly afraid of the people because they were many,

Here the word gur is used to describe the people. It means to sojourn or dwell among others. In this, you get the sense of people huddling together in fear because of the multitudes of Israel. This is then expanded on with…

^3 (con’t) and Moab was sick with dread because of the children of Israel.

Here the word quts, or dread, is used. It is the same word used to describe how the Egyptians felt at the expansion of Israel right at the beginning of the book of Exodus –

“But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.” Exodus 1:12

The translation, “because of the children of Israel,” gets the meaning across, but it lacks the substance of the Hebrew. The word is mi’peneh, “from the face.” And so it more literally reads, “and Moab was sick with dread from the face (meaning the presence) of the children of Israel. It is as if the collective whole, made up of a great multitude, is staring at them in the face, and they shrink back, cowering together in fear.

In what is an interesting parallel, the first time mi’peneh was used in the Bible was in Genesis 3:8 where it said –

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”

There Adam and Eve who were “from Father,” having been created by God, hid in fear from the presence of the Lord. Now, Moab, or “from Father,” shrinks back in fear from the presence of Israel.

⁴ So Moab said to the elders of Midian,

This is a possible indication that Balak is not a hereditary king of Moab, but is rather a king such as Herod was over Judah. Herod was an Idumean and Balak appears to be a Midianite. Midian means, “Place of Judgment.” Midian was descended from Abraham through his wife Keturah, and so they are actually more closely related to Israel than the Moabites.

The term “elders” is a word which indicates being old. It comes from a word meaning a beard. And so it is someone who is known for his beard, and thus an elder. If the same people, these men are called the “five kings of Midian” in Numbers 31.

^4 (con’t) “Now this company will lick up everything around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.”

The word used, qahal, speaks of Israel not as a group of individuals, but as an organized whole. It is one mass of people who are now likened to an immense ox which consumes so much that nothing is left when he is finished.

Here is a new word, lakhak, or lick. It is used twice here, and it will be seen just four more times in the Bible.

^4 (con’t) And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

As the Moabites came to the elders of Midian, it would appear that they are under the kingship of Midian, with Balak as the head. It could be the other way around, but this is the more likely scenario. Whichever way, he now takes action…

⁵ Then he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor,

The name Bil’am is a bit hard to pin down, but it may mean “Destroyer of the People,” or “Confuser of the People,” or “Swallowing up the People.” Regardless, in each, there is something negative which occurs with the people. There is a connection of this name directly to the Nicolaitans who are found in Revelation 2:14-16 –

“But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. ¹⁵ Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. ¹⁶ Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.”

Nicolaitan comes from two words signifying “victory,” as in conquering, and “people.” Thus, “Destroyer of the People” seems to be the intent of both, one Hebrew and one Greek. This is seen in Revelation elsewhere such as Abaddon & Apollyon, and Satan & Devil.

These Nicolaitans are equated to Balaam because they tried to trip Christians up by committing sexual immorality, just as Balaam did to Israel in Numbers 31. However, Balaam is also equated by both Peter and Jude as one who followed after profit –

“They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.” 2 Peter 2:15, 16

“Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.” Jude -11

Balaam here is called to be a destroyer of the people through a curse. That will fail. Later he will be used in an attempt to destroy the people through interbreeding and sexual immorality. The name fits the character.

His father’s name, Beor, comes from baar, “a burning.” And so it means someone like “Burning,” as in a lamp. Pethor means, “Interpreter,” as in one who interprets dreams or visions. The names seem to indicate that his father was also a diviner and the place where they dwell is known for divination.

^5 (con’t) which is near the River

The River is the Euphrates. Here and in other places, it is simply called ha’nahar, or “the River,” due to its eminency. That this is speaking of the Euphrates is confirmed by Deuteronomy 23:4. However, the next clause may also confirm this…

^5 (con’t) in the land of the sons of his people,

Here it says, eretz bene ammo, “land sons of his people.” However, a good number of Hebrew and other manuscripts all say eretz bene ammon, or “land sons of Ammon.” That would be in accord with Deuteronomy 23. Either way, “the River” means “Euphrates.”

^5 (con’t) to call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me!

Here is a phrase seen only three times in the Bible. It doesn’t say, “the face of the earth.” Rather, it says, “the eye of the earth.” It was first used in Exodus 10:5 when speaking of the locusts which covered everything. Now, it will be used twice in this chapter in regards to Israel.

Israel is so numerous that it would be as if the “eye” of the land would be darkened by them, just as the eye of the earth in Egypt was completely covered by the locusts. All the white is swallowed up by the masses.

The fact that the same term is used, and that he says these people have come out of Egypt, even though that was forty years earlier, is not to be missed. A direct connection between Israel being redeemed from Egypt, and Israel being led to a land of promise, is being made.

The eye of the earth had been covered to bring forth Israel, and now Israel – who had been brought forth – covers the eye of the earth. The same people, with the same God who established them, is now at his own doorstep. If God is on their side, to him there is only one possible remedy to their plight. He now seeks it…

⁶ Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me.

Although the king of Moab believes that a curse upon the people by Balaam would be a satisfactory weapon against Israel, he apparently doesn’t believe that such a curse was powerful enough to work unless he was right there with him.

Today, we may get an email from a person in Australia who wants prayer, and so we pray. Location means nothing when speaking to the omnipresent God. But Balak doesn’t understand, or he doesn’t accept, this premise. And so he summons someone he believes can effectively curse Israel in order to diminish their power, which far exceeded his own…

^6 (con’t) Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land,

In cursing Israel, he would be limiting their power. As each nation had its own gods, apparently he believes that the curse of Balaam was sufficient to weaken the God of Israel. So confident is he in this that he acknowledges it as an almost omnipotent ability…

^6 (con’t) for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

The reputation of Balaam preceded him, and he was renowned for his ability. This is a close comparison to another man in the New Testament who was given the same high regard –

“But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, ¹⁰ to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” ¹¹ And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.” Acts 8:9-11

Misplaced trust in the ability of man, regardless as to who he is, inevitably turns out to be a disaster for the one who was at first so confident. Such is the case with Balak now. But onward he goes…

⁷ So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the diviner’s fee in their hand, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak.

Here it specifically says that elders of both Moab and Midian were members of the summoning party. The two groups are united in purpose and intent against Israel. With them, they bring qesemim, or divinations. The word qesem, or divination, is introduced here. In stating it in the plural, qesemim, it signifies payment for divination. With this diviner’s fee presented, they repeat the words of the king expecting that Balaam would come along without any delay. However…

⁸ And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

The narrative is rather confusing to the reader, and it has been so all along. If Balaam were a true prophet, one would think he would have known Israel to be the chosen people of the Lord and to send the emissaries away immediately.

But, he says specifically that he would relay to them whatever the Lord, meaning Yehovah, spoke to him. Thus, he has a knowledge of the God of Israel. But this doesn’t mean it was any more than a “knowledge of name” knowledge. In Exodus 18:1 it says –

“And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.”

Jethro had a name knowledge, and wanted to increase it to an understanding of who Yehovah was and what He was in relation to Israel. The same is true with Rahab the harlot –

“Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, ⁹ and said to the men: ‘I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. ¹⁰ For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.’” Joshua 2:8-10

It is obvious that the name of Israel’s God went before them, and it had gone as far as Mesopotamia, where Balaam dwelt as well. What appears to be the case is that Balaam sought out whatever god of whatever land he was asked to seek out. Yehovah is the God of Israel, and therefore, to the God of Israel, meaning Yehovah, he will make his petition. In this case, he seeks out Yehovah, not because he knew him, but because he knew of him. In the night, that begins to change…

⁹ Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”

Here it says, v’yabo elohim el bil’am – “and came God to Balaam.” When He comes, it is with a question. It doesn’t mean God is curious. Rather, it is a common way that God introduces Himself when attempting to elicit a cognitive process in the one He is speaking to.

He asked, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”, when He wanted Elijah to consider his spiritual state. He asked King Hezekiah, through Isaiah, a series of questions concerning his actions towards the Babylonians. This was to get Hezekiah to consider what he had done in his prideful display before them. The same is true here.

It very well may be that Balaam didn’t expect any answer from Him, but it was a pretense to get them to think he was actually able to communicate with the other-world of the gods. It is even possible that he could have grifted them for a higher fee by claiming this was a special case.

Whatever the reality of the situation, the Lord is not inattentive to it. However, in not knowing how Yehovah deals with men, meaning at times in the form of an interrogative, Balaam now assumes that Yehovah is not omniscient. Rather, He needs to be informed concerning the matter.

It is a way of hardening Balaam’s heart without him even realizing it. “Yes, Yehovah is a ‘God’ but He doesn’t know everything. I have to explain to Him the details.” However, in this question by God, Balaam should have immediately realized that the God of Israel was not limited to where Israel was.

Rather, He was with Israel, and yet could extend Himself beyond their location in knowledge of events which concerned them. Emissaries are there, and they are there because of His people, Israel. Due to the question of Elohim, Balaam realizes that Elohim requires a proper answer, which he then provides…

¹⁰ So Balaam said to God,

Elohim, or God, is mentioned six times in this chapter. This is the only time the word is prefixed by an article. It says, v’yomer bil’am el ha’elohim – “And said Balaam to the God.” It is a clear indication that the God to whom Balaam spoke is the true God, whether Balaam realizes this or not. This does not make Balaam a true prophet of God. It simply means that he is a diviner who has now had an encounter with the true God.

God revealed Himself to Pharaoh in a dream. He did so to Nebuchadnezzar as well. Both were for the benefit of the people of the Lord, not because they were prophets. The same is true here.

If he had demonic encounters in past divination, he could readily assume that those were also “gods” along with the God he is now speaking to. Regardless as to how he views Yehovah, he answers…

^{10 (con’t)} “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying,

There is an abruptness in the Hebrew. The word “saying” is not in the original. It seems to show that Balaam is caught off guard by being questioned as he is, as if it was actually unexpected.

¹¹ ‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt, and they cover the face of the earth.

Balaam is specific with his words. He says, “the people have come out of Egypt.” The article specifically identifies them. He knows that Yehovah is their God, and so he is directing his words with that in mind. He then repeats that they cover “the eye of the earth.” The connection to the locust plague of Egypt, and the immense size of Israel as an assembly, is repeated back to the Lord. The earth is darkened with them. Because of this Balak had said…

^{11 (con’t)} Come now, curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out.’”

Here is a word not seen before in Scripture, qavav. It will be seen eight times, all in the account of Balaam being asked to curse Israel from Numbers 22-24. It comes from a root meaning “to scoop out.” Thus, it means to malign someone, stabbing them with words. In essence, the words would scoop out their power and allow them to become overpowered. In this, Israel would be driven out.

¹² And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

God now explains, rather clearly, that there is no point in Balaam going, and so he tells them he is not to go. Balak had said to him, “…he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” But God tells him that they are, in fact, already blessed. His maligning them would mean nothing. But after receiving this information, he fails to convey it to the emissaries…

¹³ So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, “Go back to your land, for the Lord has refused to give me permission to go with you.”

The words here show us that Balaam is a cunning operator who is looking to profit off of this deal. He knows Israel is blessed, and he knows that his words would be ineffectual against them – he has been told as much. But he never conveys this to his guests.

Instead, he says, that Yehovah has simply not given him permission to go with them. This leaves open the door that he would have gone with them if he had permission. In his words with the Lord, he never asked what he should do, or any relevant question.

Thus, he was not seeking the Lord’s counsel at all. And to tell them what the Lord had said would have ended the matter. Instead, his words don’t just leave open the door for Balak to return with a greater reward, rather, it assures it…

¹⁴ And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.”

The words God spoke to Balaam were his words. Balaam’s words to the emissaries included the directive of the Lord, but not the substance of His words. Now, the word of the Lord is completely missing. It is man’s word alone which Balak receives, and it has nothing in common with what was conveyed by Yehovah. Because of this, the expected result follows…

Please curse this people with a curse
Bring them to ruin with the words you speak
Bring them down to a lowly state, or even worse
Take away their power and make them weak

They are too powerful for me and I need relief
Curse them so that over them I can prevail
Curse them and bring them to sorrow and grief
Bring them low; no longer the head, but only the tail

I will reward you for your effort, curse them now
In your words, I will gain the victory
Curse them and with woe please them endow
Curse them for they are too powerful for me

II. Rise and Go with Them (verses 15-21)

¹⁵ Then Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more honorable than they.

Balak understands that Balaam wasn’t actually unwilling to come, but that in order to do so, he would need to be enticed more than the first time. If not, he would have simply given up on the matter. In sending greater dignitaries, it meant greater honor and prestige for Balaam. It is what any head of state would do in such an instance. The word “honorable” here is kaved. It signifies that which is weighty or heavy. Thus, they are heavy with honor and abounding in dignity.

¹⁶ And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me;

The recorded words are more formal than before. They specifically state the full name of their king, indicating that they are under his authority, and are speaking his exact words. And the words of Balak are firm in their intent. It is a royal invitation, but it is also a royal appeal, and it comes with a royal promise…

¹⁷ for I will certainly honor you greatly,

Again, the word kaved is used, kaved akavedkha meod – honoring you, I will honor you greatly. The superlative nature of the words indicates that the weighty nature of the emissaries will be outmatched by the dignities he is to be extended by the king.

^{17 (con’t)} and I will do whatever you say to me. 

It is a word like that spoken by King Ahasuerus to Esther, or that of King Herod to Herodias’ daughter when they promised them up to half their kingdom. What Balaam desired, he would receive.

^{17 (con’t)} Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’”

It is the second time he has used the word qavav, meaning to malign Israel with words. But Balak now reintroduces his supposed piety before the Lord, and dismisses the promised honors as if they were nothing to him…

¹⁸ Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.

Balaam reveals where his heart is with these words. He translates the idea of honor into silver and gold, and he fails to say that he has already been told that cursing Israel would be pointless. And then he says Yehovah elohai, “Yehovah my God.” Yehovah is Israel’s God, and so he is, in effect, aligning himself with Israel.

Now that he has done this, and because his curse would be ineffective anyway, he can trust that he will indeed receive a great reward from Balak, and neither he nor Israel will be harmed, but he will be immensely more wealthy when his calling is complete.

If this were not correct, he would have simply ended the talk with what was said to him the first time. But instead, he anticipates either no response from the Lord, or a favorable one. Now that the Lord is his God, how could he be turned down? And so he says…

¹⁹ Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.”

The fact that he asks them to stay the night again indicates that he really wanted to go with them. If not, he would have simply repeated what he already knew, and he would have then excused them for their journey home, but instead, he anticipates that the Lord will have something new to speak out. This is evident with the words mah yosef, or “what more.”

²⁰ And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.”

The word “if” here should be “since.” They have come to call, and so, the Lord will send him on the journey to Moab, but he warns him that what he is instructed to speak, only that is he to speak.

There is no contradiction in now allowing Balaam to go. The prohibition was on cursing Israel, to which not going with the first emissaries was attached. Now, in fact, it is clear that Yehovah wanted all along for Balaam to go and bless Israel, turning what man had designed as man’s curse into what the Lord purposed as His blessing.

It is not correct that Balaam’s curse would become a curse upon Israel, but it is true that the Lord’s blessing through Balaam would be a blessing upon them. This was the Lord’s intent, regardless of the attitude of Balaam. His path is a reckless one, but the Lord’s is one which is set, and it is pre-determined, as we now see…

*^{21 (fin)} So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.

It is interesting that this is stated, and then in verse 22, we will see that Balaam is with two of his servants, but then much of the account after that is as if he is all alone in the world with just him and his donkey. This donkey will be seen fourteen times in this chapter, but not again in either Chapter 23 or 24.

Though it is an anxious place for us to stop, in the middle of the chapter, and just before the coming of one of the Bible’s memorable passages, it is good that we stop now. It will 1) instill in us a need to come back next week to continue on, and 2) it will also teach us patience as we wait.

Until then, we shall close with the thought that the Lord’s word is set and we are to live by it, we are to pass it on as we receive it, and we are not to add to it or subtract from it. The reason this is important, is because it tells us of our state before God, and the only way to correct that state. We have a defect in us, and that defect is sin.

Christ Jesus came to correct that, and He did just that, but we must act upon what He did by believing the message and applying it to our lives. We’ll close with that thought and be back here next week, the Lord willing, to continue on with the story of Balaam.

Closing Verse: “Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!” Genesis 27:29

Next Week: Numbers 22:22-41 It didn’t come by divination, through moans or creaks. Rather is came through an animal… (The Donkey Speaks) (44^th Numbers Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It may seem at times as if you are lost in a desert, wandering aimlessly. But the Lord is there, carefully leading you to the Land of Promise. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Curse This People for Me

Then the children of Israel moved
And camped in the plains of Moab, it was there
On the side of the Jordan
Across from Jericho is where

Now Balak the son of Zippor, that was his ancestral rights
Saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites

And Moab was exceedingly afraid
Of the people because they were many, as the record does tell
And Moab was sick with dread
Because of the children of Israel

So Moab said to the elders of Midian
“Now this company will lick up everything around us
———-so says this rhyme
As an ox licks up the grass of the field
And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time

Then 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
———-so we see
To call him, saying: “Look, a people has come from Egypt
See, they cover the face of the earth, and are settling next to me

Therefore please come at once, curse this people for me
For they are too mighty for me, this situation is just the worst
Perhaps I shall 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

So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian
Departed with the diviner’s fee in their hand
And they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak
As we now understand

And he said to them, “Lodge here tonight
And I will bring back word to you
As the Lord speaks to me
So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam, so they did do

Then God came to Balaam and said
———-“Who are these men with you?”
So Balaam said to God, as requested to do

“Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab
Has sent to me, saying
‘Look, a people has come out of Egypt
And they cover the face of the earth. Thus he was relaying

Come now, curse them for me, I trust your clout
Perhaps I shall be able to overpower them and drive them out

And God said to Balaam, “You shall not go with them
———-so He to Balaam addressed
You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed

So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak
As he was instructed to do
Go back to your land
For the Lord has refused to give me permission to go with you

And the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said
“Balaam refuses to come with us. That end is dead

Then Balak again sent princes
———-more numerous and more honorable than they
And they came to Balaam and to him said
“Thus says Balak the son of Zippor:
‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me
———-hurry to me instead

For I will certainly honor you greatly
And I will do whatever you say to me
Therefore please come, curse this people for me
I’m desperately in need of you, can’t you see?

Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak
“Though Balak were to give me his house
———-full of silver and gold
I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God
To do less or more than just as I have been told

Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight
———-won’t you hear my plea?
That I may know what more the Lord will say to me

And God came to Balaam at night
And said to him words sure and true
“If the men come to call you, rise and go with them
But only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do

So Balaam rose in the morning; on this journey he took a stab
Saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab

Lord God, we are even now in a wilderness
And we are wanting to be led by You
Without You to direct, our lives would be a mess
And so be our guide, O God; You who are faithful and true

We long for the water in this barren land
May it flow forth from the Rock, our souls to satisfy
Give us this refreshing, spiritual hand
And may we take it, and to our lives daily it apply

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to you for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…