King Balak was very sure of himself and his position. In reading his story it is evident that he obviously got what he wanted. He had people at his beck and call no questions asked.
So I was somewhat amused that he sent messengers to call Balaam. After all, he wouldn’t accept the fact that the people of Israel had arrived from Egypt and were numerous. Balak and his people were terrified.
His message to Balaam was “these people cover the face of this earth and are threatening me. Please come and curse these people for me because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people you bless and curses fall on people you curse.”
When the messengers arrived with the message; Balaam told them to stay the night and in the morning he would tell them whatever the Lord directed him to say.
But God told Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse these people, for they have been blessed!”
Balak refused to accept the answer and tried again. This time however, he sent a larger number of even more distinguished officials. This was their message to Balaam, “please don’t let anything stop you from coming to help me. I will pay you very well and do whatever you tell me. Just come and curse these people for me!”
Balaam responded to these messengers, “even if Balak were to give me His palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord my God!”
That night God told Balaam “since these men have come for you, get up and go with them. But do only what I tell you to do.”
Even though God had told him to go, the scripture tell us that the next morning, God was angry that Balaam was even going. He sent the angel of the Lord to stand in the way and block his passageway.
The donkey that Balaam rode saw the angel of the Lord so he bolted off the road, but Balaam beat it and turned it back onto the road. Then the angel of the Lord stood at a place where the road narrowed, it tried to squeeze by but it crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So Balaam beat the donkey again. Then the angel of the Lord moved down the road and stood in a place too narrow for the donkey to get by at all. This time when the donkey saw the angel , it lay down under Balaam. In a fit of rage Balaam beat the animal with his staff.
The Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. “What have I done to you that deserves your beating me three times?” It asked Balaam. ” You have made me look
like a fool!” Balaam shouted. “If I had a sword with me, I would kill you!” “But I am the same donkey you have ridden all your life,” the donkey answered. “Have I ever done anything like this before?” “No,” Balaam admitted.
At this point the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes , and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the roadway with a drawn sword in His hand. Balaam bowed his head and fell face down on the ground before him.
The angel of the Lord admonished him for his stubbornness and for beating the donkey. Balaam confessed to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned. I didn’t realize you were standing in the road to block my way. I will return home if you are against my going.”
But the angel of the Lord told him to go but to say only what he was told to say.
As they neared a Moabite town Balak came rushing to greet him and asked him why he hadn’t come right away. Balaam just told him that he came but that he had no power to say whatever he wanted. “I will speak only the message that God puts in my mouth”
The next morning Balak took Balaam up to a place where he could see some of the people of Israel spread below him. After telling Balak to build seven altars and prepare them for sacrifice, Balaam sought the Lord and he told him to “Go back to Balak and give him my message.
In essence the message told Balak how could Balaam curse those whom God has not cursed. How can I condemn those who the Lord has not condemned? So Balak did not receive the response he wanted. And he continues to insist and in reading the story it is obvious that God was not going to change his mind to accommodate Balak.
But the insistent and stubborn King Balak wouldn’t give it up! He figured if Balaam wouldn’t curse all of the Israelites perhaps he would curse a few. So he took Balaam to see a smaller group from another part of the country and Balaam told him you stay here and I’ll go talk to the Lord.
But this was the message that Balaam delivered from God: “God is not a man , so
He does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? Listen, I received a command to
Bless; God has blessed and I cannot reverse it!”
Again Balak insisted but this time, Balaam knew that God was determined to
Bless Israel so he didn’t resort to divination as before; instead, he turned and looked toward the wilderness where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon him and he delivered his message: ” like a lion Israel crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse her? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, O Israel, and cursed is everyone who curses you.”
Needless to say, Balak flew into a rage against Balaam. But Balaam had the message ready for Balak: “Don’t you remember what I told your messengers? Even if Balak were to give me his palace filled with silver and gold, I would be powerless to do anything against the will of the Lord. I told you that I could say only what the Lord says. Now I am returning to my own people. But first let me tell you what the Israelites will do to your people in the future.”
And, the rest is history!
My perspective on the point of this story will be sent as part 2 – be blessed!
ritasalomon 