AM Bible Study Group; August 25, 2010
Numbers 22:1-8
Theme: This chapter describes the way God used a sinfully motivated man; and turned his intended curse into a blessing.
This morning’s portion of Scripture is a part of a story that extends from chapter 22-25. It tells of the events that occurred just before the second numbering of the people in chapter 26 that preceded their entry into the land. It’s a story in which the people of Israel are clearly marked out as “blessed” by Him. But it’s also a story that involves the tragedy of their disobedience and fall into grievous sin; and that underscores their own unworthiness of His blessing.
Its main character is a mysterious man named Balaam. Some have called him a prophet; but the Bible doesn’t seem to endorse him as one. He’s a real, historical person. Recent archaeological discoveries have confirmed this; and have even shown that he was someone who was held in high esteem among ancient peoples (see R.K. Harrison, Numbers [Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1992], pp. 293-4). But he is a man that, by the New Testament times, had become a proverb of someone who errs in thinking that they can use the office of prophet for personal gain (Jude 11) and teach error for personal profit (2 Peter 2:15-16). He was hired by a pagan king to curse God’s people in a malicious way (Deuteronomy 23:4; Nehemiah 13:1-2); but God instead used him to give a blessing to His people (Joshua 24:9-10).
In spite of the fact that God used him, he still brought great destruction on Israel. He caused Israel to fall by counseling their enemies to draw them away to false gods through sexual temptation (Numbers 25:1-18; 31:16; Micah 6:3-5; Revelation 2:14). Later on, Balaam was killed when the Israelites attacked their enemies because of this (Numbers 31:8; Joshua 13:22).
I. THE FEARFULNESS OF BALAK (vv. 1-4).
A. The story begins when Balak—the king of the people of Moab—saw how the people of Israel were conquering the people groups of the East. Apparently, an alliance of some kind had been formed between the people of Moab and the people of Midian over this concern. Together, they were “sick with dread because of the children of Israel” (v. 3).
B. The concern certainly would have been over the amazing conquests that God had already given Israel over the Favorites and the kingdom of Og (see Numbers 21:21-35). But there was also a concern that massive numbers of the people of Israel would consume much of the land (v. 4).
II. THE OFFER TO BALAAM (vv. 5-21).
A. Balak then sent messengers to this “seer” named Balaam. Balaam lived several hundred miles north near the Euphrates River, in a place that may have been very close to where the garden of Eden once was. Though he lived far away in Mesopotamia, he was already held in esteem far and wide as a man who knew how to bring curses upon others. Note that Balak said that he knew “that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed” (v. 6). And yet, this sound very much like the words that God Himself spoke to Abraham concerning the nation that would come from his body— saying, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you . . .” (Genesis 12:3). Balak’s plan would have guaranteed that both Balaam and Balak were bringing a curse upon themselves in seeking to curse the Israelites! Nevertheless, Balak sent noblemen explained the situation to Balaam, offer him riches and honor, and request that he come.
B. Apparently, Balaam knew something of the God of Israel. (It may have been only because it was a part of his business to know the gods of the different people groups that he was often called upon to bless or curse.) He told these nobles to wait until he heard from the Lord. God indeed spoke to him—which may have come as a bit of a surprise (see the surprise of the medium of En Dior in1 Samuel 28:11-13 when Samuel actually did rise from the dead). God told Balaam not to go; because the people he intended to curse were actually blessed of Him. And so, Balaam told the men from Balak that he could not go with them and sent them home.
C. Balak responded by sending the request again with even greater nobles and an even greater promise of riches. We see something of Balaam’s character in that he said, “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” (v. 18). This probably wasn’t a resolve as much as it was a “hint” to Balak of how much Balaam really wanted! Even though God said no, Balaam asked again; and God gave him permission. (Sometimes, God punishes sinful people by giving them what they really want!) God told him, however, to only say what He said to say.
III. THE REBUKE FROM A DONKEY (vv. 22-35).
A. God was angry with Balaam for going—much in the same way that God once conceded to the sinful lust of the people of Israel for meat, and then became angry with them for having greedily eaten what He permitted them, in their rebelliousness against Him, to have (see Numbers 11:33). Along the journey, the Angel of the Lord stood in the way of this sinfully motivated ‘seer—most likely because he was still plotting ways that he could profit from the thing God was permitting him to do. Balaam could not see the Angel of the Lord; but the donkey that he rode could. Three times the donkey turned from the path out of fear of the Angel’s sword, and three times Balaam ignorantly beat the donkey. Then, God opened the donkey’s mouth to ask Balaam why he was beating her. You would think that the fact that the donkey spoke to him would have stopped Balaam short; but it didn’t. Balaam was an emotional and spiritual mess! He even engages in an argument with his donkey—and loses the argument!
B. It’s then that God opened Balaam’s eyes to see how he was standing in Balaam’s way because of his greed. It may be that along the way, Balaam was plotting ways to give Balak what he really wanted in order to gain profit from him. (Note that there have been times when God spoke through sinful people; see Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 1 Samuel 19:23-24; John 11:51-52. As we can see from this passage, God can even send a rebuke through a donkey!)
IV. THE RESTRAINT OF THE THE SOOTHSAYER (vv. 36-38).
A. By the time Balaam arrived, Balak was quite angry with him. He said, “Am I not able to honor you?”—that is, pay handsomely.
B. Balaam, however, was—by this time—very much afraid to say anything other than what God said to say. The content of what it is that God wanted him to say is told to us in chapters 23-24.
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What an illustration this chapter is of the power of God to turn to good what others may mean as evil against God’s people (Genesis 50:20)!