Balak sends for Balaam to curse Israel
22
📚And the children of Israel set out, and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan opposite Jericho. 2 📚And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 📚And Moab was very much afraid of the people, because they were so many, and Moab was filled with dread because of the children of Israel.
4 📚And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick up everything that is around us like an ox licks up the grass of the field”. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time. 5 📚So he sent messengers to summon Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the river in the land of the children of his people, saying, “Lo and behold, a people has come out from Egypt. See, they cover the surface of the earth, and they are staying opposite me. 6 📚Therefore, please come now and curse this people for me; for they are too strong for me. If you come perhaps I can succeed in striking them down and driving them out of the land. For I know that the one whom you bless is blessed and the one whom you curse is cursed”.
7 📚And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left with the fee for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam, and told him Balak’s words.
22:1-7 The Moabites were descended from Lot, Abraham’s nephew (Gen 19:37). Their country was east of the southern part of Canaan. Knowing how Israel had defeated Sihon and Og they were very much afraid to come against them in battle. The strategy of Balak their king was this: he wanted the curse of God to come on them so that God would no longer give them victory in battle. The Midianites joined with him in this plot and sent for Balaam to Aram (Num 23:7 – also called Mesopotamia. The river in v 5 is the Euphrates). Balaam must have had a great reputation, judging from Balak’s words in v 6. He was familiar with the name Jehovah – Num 22:8; 23:8, 12 (LORD is Jehovah in Hebrew). He was a prophet and received messages from God and delivered them. Chapters 23 and 24 contain true prophecies. (See note on prophet at Gen 20:7; on prophecy at Num 11:25.)
But Balaam was a bad man who loved the reward that Balak offered him and so he taught Balak a way to corrupt the children of Israel. This way was to tempt the Israelite men with the women of Midian and Moab (Num 25:1-3; 31:15). Balaam was killed later in a battle against Israel (Num 31:8). In the New Testament Balaam is condemned in three places (2 Pet 2:15-16; Jude 11; Rev 2:14). Like so many today who profess to be servants of God he loved money more than righteousness, truth, or God.⚜
Balaam’s refusal
8 📚And he said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as the LORD speaks to me”. And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.
9 📚And God came to Balaam, and said, “Who are these men with you?”
10 And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent men to me, saying, 11 ‘Lo and behold, a people has come out of Egypt, which covers the surface of the earth. Come now, curse them for me. If you come perhaps I will be able to overcome them and drive them out.’ ”
12 📚And God said to Balaam, “You must not go with them. You must not curse that people, for they are blessed”.
13 📚And Balaam got up in the morning and said to Balak’s princes, “Go to your country, for the LORD refuses to give me permission to go with you”.
22:8-13 So far Balaam does well. He clearly knows God’s commands not to go and not to curse Israel, and he seems fully obedient.⚜
Balaam’s consent
14 📚And the leaders of Moab rose up and went to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us”.
15 📚And Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more honoured than they. 16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “This is what Balak the son of Zippor says, “Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me; 17 📚for I will greatly honour you, and will do whatever you say to me. So please come, curse this people for me”.
22:14-17 What are all the honors men can give compared to the honors God gives (John 12:26).⚜
18 📚And Balaam answered and said to Balak’s servants, “Even if Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
22:18 Verse 38; Num 24:13. Balaam was sincere in this, it seems. He had his reputation as a prophet to consider. Also he would not want God to stop giving him messages to deliver.⚜
19 📚Therefore you also please stay here tonight, and I will find out what else the LORD will say to me”.
22:19 Here Balaam shows his weakness for the first time. He knew God’s command not to go (v 12). What else was there to find out? No doubt he was hoping God would change His mind, so he could go and collect the reward (2 Pet 2:15; he was not of the same mind and character as Daniel – Dan 5:17). Once we know God’s will about something it will be dangerous for us if we try to get God to change His instructions.⚜
20 📚And God came to Balaam at night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them; but you must do according to the word which I speak to you”.
22:20 God saw the secret desire of Balaam’s heart, his eagerness to get different instructions, and gave him permission to go. God sometimes allows men to follow the evil desire of their hearts (Ps 18:25-26; 81:12; Acts 7:42; Rom 1:28; Job 5:13). It would have been much better for Balaam if he had obeyed the first command of God and stayed home. Following the lure of earthly reward he now heads for shame, dishonor and death.⚜
Balaam’s donkey
21 📚And Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the leaders of Moab. 22 📚And God’s anger burned against him because he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road as an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
22:22 God was angry at what he saw in Balaam’s heart which made his behavior perverse (v 32). Note on angels at Gen 16:7.⚜
23 📚And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned away from the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey to turn it back onto the road.
24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path in the vineyards, with a wall on this side, and a wall on that side. 25 📚And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pressed herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; and he struck her again.
26 📚And 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. 27 📚And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger burned, and he struck the donkey with a staff. 28 📚And 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?”
29 📚And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish there was a sword in my hand, for I would kill you right now!”
30 📚And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden your whole life to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” And he said, “No”.
31 📚Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand. And he bowed his head, and fell prostrate on his face.
32 📚And the angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Look, I went out to oppose you, because your way is contrary to me.
22:32 Here the angel of the LORD clearly states that Balaam’s behavior is not right and that God was against him. The meaning of the Hebrew of the last phrase of this verse is uncertain. It could also be translated “your way is perverse before me”. In 2 Pet 2:16, Peter, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, describes Balaam’s behavior as “madness”. He was behaving like a crazy man. Yes indeed, is it not madness to go on in a way that is not God’s way for the sake of financial benefits?⚜
33 📚And the donkey saw me, and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away from me, I would surely have killed you by now, and preserved her life”.
34 📚And Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I have sinned; for I did not know that you were standing in the road opposing me. Therefore, now, if you are displeased, I will go back again”.
22:34 In his heart Balaam still wanted to go to Balak. His confession and seeming repentance were not deep and genuine. This fact is revealed by what he later did (Num 31:16; Rev 2:14). True repentance leads to righteous conduct. Compare 2 Cor 7:10-11.⚜
35 📚And the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men; but you must speak only the word that I speak to you”. So Balaam went with Balak’s princes.
22:35 The angel put great fear into the heart of Balaam so that he would speak only God’s message. Then he gave him permission to go on to Balak.⚜
36 📚And when Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at a city of Moab which was on the border of Arnon, which was at the most distant part of the border. 37 📚And Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not urgently send to you to call you? Why didn’t you come to me? Am I not able to honour you greatly?”
38 📚And Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you. Now do I have any power at all to say anything? I will speak the word that God puts in my mouth”.
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath Huzoth. 40 📚And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam, and to the leaders who were with him. 41 📚And it came about the next day that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to the high places of Baal, so that there he might see the distant part of the people.
22:41 Baal was one of the false gods of the nations in that time. Note at Jud 2:11.⚜