“All that the Lord says…” | Numbers part 26

A couple of weeks ago, Pastor Bob began our look at Balaam’s story with this main point:

God is Sovereign over man’s schemes.

It is well-worth remembering the main characters in these chapters are all technically pagan. Even Balaam is from outside the tribe of Israel, though he seems to know some things about the God of Israel. Balaam’s main problem is that he is more concerned about Balaam than he is about God.

As we continue Balaam’s story, it may help us to look at it in the framework of a trilogy. A typical trilogy has a certain pattern with its three parts.

Part 1 is the world-building. It introduces the characters and the conflict. In this case, chapter 22 introduces us to Balaam, the famous Seer, and Balak, the King of Moab, who is afraid of Israel. Israel is a great dread for the people of Moab because they are conquering wherever they go. There’s a certain irony in this framework, because in legendary stories of heroes being summoned to destroy the enemies of the king, the enemies aren’t the good guys in the overall mythology. Israel is God’s people. They have a purpose pre-ordained by God.

Part 2 is the conflict build-up. The conflict is ramped up as the characters do battle with the enemy. Spoiler alert: part 2 never ends well for the heroes. Though they seem to make some headway, there is inevitably a twist that escalates the conflict. What is the twist in chapter 23? Just wait and see.

Part 3 is the final resolution. The emperor is killed. Darth Vader returns to the Light Side. The King returns and Mordor is vanquished…but not until the great conflict! There still has to be the awesome fight scene between the main hero and the dark villain. This happens next week, so no spoilers today!

Now, the irony with Balaam’s story, again, is that we see this pattern play out from the vantage point of the antagonist, the villain. Balak, of course, doesn’t see himself as the villain. He is a king in fear for his people. Because he is king and desires to protect his people, he does what any good ancient king would do. He seeks out a Seer, a divination expert, who can turn the tide of battle. Balak has already seen chariots and giants fall against Israel. Therefore, he seeks a more nuclear option by seeking aid from the gods. Balaam is his connection to their help.

What Balak fails to understand, and what Balaam is actively learning in this story, is exactly the point of this whole trilogy.

God is Sovereign over man’s schemes, and no amount of divination can make God act differently than His character.

As we continue the story, let’s begin in 22:31 to reiterate another point from last time.

Balaam’s Charge | Numbers 22:31-41

Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face. And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me. The donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times. If she had not turned aside from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let her live.” Then Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the road against me. Now therefore, if it is evil in your sight, I will turn back.” And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but speak only the word that I tell you.” So Balaam went on with the princes of Balak.

When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at the city of Moab, on the border formed by the Arnon, at the extremity of the border. And Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?” Balaam said to Balak, “Behold, I have come to you! Have I now any power of my own to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that must I speak.” Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent for Balaam and for the princes who were with him.

And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people.

Numbers 22:31-41

As noted last time, the Lord opens the eyes of Balaam so that he can see the angel, but even more, Balaam is beginning to understand the true nature of man’s relationship to God. As a Seer and general magic user, Balaam is supposed to have the ability to manipulate spiritual forces, even gods, in order to create the preferred outcome for whoever hires him.

In today’s world, we relegate magicians and psychics to the realm of con artists and entertainers. There was certainly a measure of that in the ancient world, but the magic arts were also used for battles and kingdom-building. The ancients truly believed if their gods were more powerful than the other kingdom’s gods, then they would be able to conquer their enemies. Balaam has proven himself capable of invoking spiritual powers to get what he wants. Balak knows this, and Balaam knows this.

Here, the angel of the Lord is telling Balaam, “That’s not how this works with the God of Israel.”

Notice the contrast of the exchange between Balaam and the angel, and the one between Balaam and Balak. The angel dictates terms with Balaam. Balaam will speak, but only what he is allowed to speak. Balak believes his offer of wealth and honor should encourage Balaam to respond. And so, Balaam is left with a choice, will he serve God or Wealth?

Jesus told us we also will have to make the choice between these two masters.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Matthew 6:24

Balaam’s position is one of great privilege. Not only is he wealthy by ancient standards having carved a good living from his trade, but he also has been given spiritual insight. He has known pagan spiritualism, and now the God of the Universe is making Himself known to Balaam. Jesus also said,

Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.

Luke 12:48b

Balak takes Balaam to the top of Bamoth-Baal, which literally translates “The High Place of Baal”. It is a place of worship for Baal, the chief god of Canaanite religion. It is a false god that will plague Israel for the entirety of the Old Testament. If there is anywhere where Balaam should be able to curse Israel, this is the place.

But Balaam is learning what Balak soon will,

When the Lord God has declared good for His people, there will be no cursing.

The First Oracle | Numbers 23:1-12

And Balaam said to Balak, “Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” Balak did as Balaam had said. And Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram. And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height, and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” And he returned to him, and behold, he and all the princes of Moab were standing beside his burnt offering. And Balaam took up his discourse and said,

“From Aram Balak has brought me,
    the king of Moab from the eastern mountains:
‘Come, curse Jacob for me,
    and come, denounce Israel!’

How can I curse whom God has not cursed?
    How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced?

For from the top of the crags I see him,
    from the hills I behold him;
behold, a people dwelling alone,
    and not counting itself among the nations!

Who can count the dust of Jacob
    or number the fourth part of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright,
    and let my end be like his!”

And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them.” And he answered and said, “Must I not take care to speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?”

Numbers 23:1-12

The pattern of these first two oracles is the common practice of Balaam. First, he offers an appropriate sacrifice to the deity. Second, he presents the sacrifice declaring why he has come. The Lord uses this pattern to meet with Balaam. It’s worth noting the Bible gives no say in whether or not God is honoring the sacrifice, so much as it is describing God meeting with Balaam in a manner in which Balaam is accustomed to meeting with the gods.

Keep in mind the big point of this saga—God is sovereign over man’s schemes. Sometimes the Lord chooses to use things “out of the norm” in order to accomplish His purpose. Undoubtedly, based on the location and pattern of this sacrifice, Balak is certainly confused as to which god they are talking to, and there is some indication in the text, Balaam may not be fully understanding the God he is summoning. Regardless, the Lord is not limited by human ignorance. This entire exchange reinforces the same principle Joseph tells his brothers at the end of Genesis,

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Genesis 50:20

God can use evil kings to accomplish His good.

Balak is confused. Balaam was supposed to pronounce a curse. Everything went as it normally should. Balaam explains the situation…again. He is bound to speak only what the Lord allows.

But look again at the oracle itself. Balaam reiterates the story so far. He was summoned to curse, but he cannot. The Lord will not allow it. In verse 9, Balaam declares how Israel is set apart from the nations. They dwell “alone,” not in the sense of not having neighbors, but in the sense they alone serve the Living God. They do not count themselves like the nations. Then, in verse 10, the line asks who can actually count Israel because they are so great.

But the last line is worth a closer look. Balaam seeks to “die the death of the upright.” It would appear in Balaam’s vision and word from the Lord, he is considering what it would take to join with Israel. He certainly desires the blessings of Israel, but will he be willing to sacrifice his current lifestyle?

The Second Oracle | Numbers 23:13-26

And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place, from which you may see them. You shall see only a fraction of them and shall not see them all. Then curse them for me from there.” And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Balaam said to Balak, “Stand here beside your burnt offering, while I meet the Lord over there.” And the Lord met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus shall you speak.” And he came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?” And Balaam took up his discourse and said,

“Rise, Balak, and hear;
    give ear to me, O son of Zippor:

God is not man, that he should lie,
    or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
    Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Behold, I received a command to bless:
    he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.

He has not beheld misfortune in Jacob,
    nor has he seen trouble in Israel.
The Lord their God is with them,
    and the shout of a king is among them.

God brings them out of Egypt
    and is for them like the horns of the wild ox.

For there is no enchantment against Jacob,
    no divination against Israel;
now it shall be said of Jacob and Israel,
    ‘What has God wrought!’

Behold, a people! As a lioness it rises up
    and as a lion it lifts itself;
it does not lie down until it has devoured the prey
    and drunk the blood of the slain.”

And Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them at all, and do not bless them at all.” But Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell you, ‘All that the Lord says, that I must do’?”

Numbers 23:13-26

Balak takes Balaam even higher up the mountains. Pisgah literally means “summit” and probably refers to Mt. Nebo, the tallest mountain of the region. In the pagan mindset, the higher the mountain the closer one is to the gods. Perhaps the communication between Balaam, Balak, and the gods is not strong enough because they are too low.

Once again, Balak is disappointed with the results. He tells Balaam to just stop talking altogether.

But before we close with the second part of this trilogy, we must also take a look at this second oracle. In it we read, not just the twist in Balaam’s story, but also a profound truth.

“God is not man.”

In the world of paganism, it is much like today. Each person desires a “god” made in their own image because this is a god they can understand and perhaps even manipulate. Powerful people want powerful gods that will allow them to gain more power. Wealthy people, and many poor who just want to be wealthy, seek a god that will embolden their selfishness. Even the atheist seeks to be their own god in order to live their life as they see fit.

But the reality is “God is not man.”

He does not lie.

He does not change his mind.

He is consistent.

Humans have the capacity for great good in this world. Unfortunately, that also means they have the capacity of great evil. Many, many people have been hurt by evil people who use God as their excuse and shield.

But, God is not man. He does not lie. He does not change His mind, and nor does He inflict evil on this world.

In verse 20, Balaam reiterates the lesson for Balak. Balaam has received a command to bless, and there is nothing he, nor Balak, can do about it.

God cannot be manipulated.

Israel will be victorious in their dealings with other nations. The Lord will complete His work with His people, just like a lioness who finishes her meal. Balak was worried about a nation of oxen licking up the grass. Balaam clarifies these are lions who will finish off the carcass of their victims.

You see, the twist for this trilogy is that neither Balak nor Balaam is the hero of this story. They find themselves to be the villains. They are up against the Creator God of the Universe Who seeks to create a nation for His people. And from this nation, He will bring the Messiah who is the conquering lion and the king of verse 21.

“The LORD their God is with them, and the shout of a king is among them” has two meanings. The first is the present one. The Lord is with them—smoke by day, fire by night. The second is the Messianic meaning. The LORD, their King, is not just with them now, but will continue to be with them, and one day demonstrate Himself as the true King of Kings.

This Messianic layer will become even more pronounced in the last two oracles. For today, we are left with the same question Balaam and Balak must now face:

If we find ourselves working against the Lord, will we repent or continue a course that is doomed to failure?

The Lord’s will is still to build a Kingdom of people for Himself. This work started in Creation, and though it went off the rails a bit in Genesis 3, He continued to make a people for Himself in the nation of Israel. Then, 2000 years ago, He sent His Son, Jesus, to fulfill His mission to reconcile all nations back to Himself. Today, we are given the opportunity to join in this mission. We can serve the Living God who is not like any other, or we can serve our own interests. Balak will soon learn his selfishness and desire to thwart the plans of God is a fool’s errand. If we continue to serve ourselves, we will inevitably discover, that too is a fool’s errand.