Balaam – a folly for self

In the Old Testament in the book of Numbers I came across an interesting fellow by the name of Balaam.

He was not part of the camp of Moses and the Israelites but had the ability to communicate with God. It is presumed that he was part of Abraham’s larger family several generations earlier. Balaam seemed to be famous in the region and even Balak the king of the Moabites knew of him.

Balak had seen the armies of Israel defeat the powerful armies of the Amorites and he knew that he could not win in straight combat. He knew that their idol god, Baal, had proved impotent against Israel. This cunning king decided to use the power of the Israelite’s god, Jehovah, against the Israelites themselves. Thus he sent a deputation to Balaam. (see Numbers Chapter 22; verses 5 to 13)

5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:
6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you.

This was the first delegation from King Balak. This delegation took the “standard sum of remuneration” for Balaam to perform this task to curse Israel. God responded to Balaam with two instructions, namely (1) Do NOT go with the delegation and (2) do not curse Israel for they are a blessed nation. Obediently Balaam told the Moabite princes to return to their land as God has not given him permission to go back with them.

But this King Balak is a persistent fellow, he knows his armies cannot defeat the armies of Israel and he needs an advantage. This time he sends an even more prestigious company from his court. The reward offered to Balaam is considerably greater.

15 ¶ And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they.
16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:
17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.
19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more.
20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.

There must have been something to encourage the king to try again, and the king was perceptive because we can see that Balaam’s mindset is weakening. Look at his response in verses 18 and 19 above. Balaam tells the delegation that even if King Balak would give Balaam “his house full of silver and gold” he cannot oppose the will of God. But Balaam says to the delegation that they must stay the night as he will ask again. We can see that Balaam is hoping for God to change his mind, then Balaam can get rewarded with honours and gold!

It is very important to note that mortals have the freedom of choice (but not consequence) and that our life here on earth is to learn through our decisions. Balaam had already asked God and had been answered. Up to that moment he had not sinned, but now asking again and hoping for God to change his mind, was sinful. This time God tells the man that he can go with the delegation but Balaam was warned not to state anything that is contrary to God’s wishes.

We then see what happened; the ass of Balaam avoided going where the angel with the sword was. Balaam punishes the ass and the beast is given the power of vocalisation in the tongue of man. Balaam then sees the angel and repents. The angel tells him to go with the delegation and once again Balaam is warned to only say that what God tells him. Balaam seems to respond to the ass without realising the remarkable nature of the event, an animal speaking to man! I suppose that the mind of Balaam was in a state of turmoil, all those riches and honour in the court of a king! If only God would allow him to say what the king wanted to hear!

When Balaam arrives where king Balak is, he tells the king to prepare seven altars where various animal sacrifices take place. In the beginning of Chapter 23, Balaam is told by God what to tell the king. Balaam dutifully reports back to the king what he has been told. The king is annoyed, in verse eleven, he complains to Balaam that Israel is not being cursed. Balaam responds that he cannot oppose the intentions of God. Balaam tells the king that God is not a mortal who has a capricious, changeable mind, but he is a God whose word is certain in fulfilment.

The king takes Balaam to two more places and tries to get Balaam to curse Israel but to no avail. In the 24th chapter, the king is angered and says to Balaam that the Lord has kept him (Balaam) away from honour and riches. Balaam tells the king that God is not a mortal who has a capricious mind, but he is a God whose word is certain in fulfilment. Balaam then is given a vision from God of the latter days. Balaam even prophecies of Jesus Christ. The last verse of the chapter then shows the two men going their separate ways.

So why did God allow Balaam to continue his journey? I suppose it was to prophecy to king Balak. The king was a heathen who supposed that much entreaty to this God of the Israelites could allow him to have his way for Israel to be cursed.

I thought that was the end of the story but how wrong I was.

Balaam’s lust for riches was too great for him to resist. Balaam knew he could not curse the Israelites but he showed the Moabites and the Midianites what to do. The daughters of the Moabites tempted some of the Israelite men into idol worship and related sexual transgressions. Thousands of Israelites died from a punishment of plague.
Later in a battle Balaam was killed. (see chapter 31 verse 8 below)

8 And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

So Balaam got his riches and his honour in the courts of kings but to what avail? He lost everything, both in this life and even in the next.

Riches and honour proved to be the Folly of Balaam.