It is very difficult to read this summary without raising questions about Jehovah using false prophets to work with pagan kings. Here we read the rest of this sad story with Balaam once again speaking truth that even he does not fully believe.
Num 24:1 When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times to seek omens but he set his face toward the wilderness. 24:2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
24:3 He took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened;
24:4 The oracle of him who hears the words of God, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered,
24:5 How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!
24:6 "Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens beside the river, Like aloes planted by the LORD, Like cedars beside the waters.
24:7 "Water will flow from his buckets, And his seed will be by many waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.
24:8 "God brings him out of Egypt, He is for him like the horns of the wild ox. He will devour the nations who are his adversaries, And will crush their bones in pieces, And shatter them with his arrows.
24:9 "He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him? Blessed is everyone who blesses you, And cursed is everyone who curses you."
How does the world respond when truth confronts them? How do they react when others don’t follow their orders? They get angry at the message and messenger.
24:10 Then Balak's anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times! 24:11 "Therefore, flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the LORD has held you back from honor."
Apparently Balak is totally oblivious to Balaam’s dilemna and can’t get himself to believe that Balaam wouldn’t want the riches he promised just to curse Israel. It is unbeliveable that both seem to believe that Balaam’s curse would triumph over Jehovah’s blessings.
24:12 Balaam said to Balak, "Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying, 24:13 'Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything contrary to the command of the LORD, either good or bad, of my own accord. What the LORD speaks, that I will speak'? 24:14 "And now, behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the days to come."
Well, Balaam once again tries to explain that which he doesn’t fully comprehend. If he did he would have forsaken all of his evil divinations and surrendered himself to the one and only GOD.
24:15 He took up his discourse and said, "The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, And the oracle of the man whose eye is opened,
24:16 The oracle of him who hears the words of God, And knows the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, Falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered.
24:17 "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.
Once again he begins to bless Israel and once again Balak leaves in anger. Both departed and went home. But is this the end of this sad story of fighting against Jehovah? No, there are two very important events still to come.
24:25 Then Balaam arose and departed and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way.
Numbers 25:1 While Israel remained at Shittim, the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.
25:2 For they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
25:3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the LORD was angry against Israel.
25:4 The LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel."
The very next chapter and recorded event is the temptation, initiated by the daughters of Moab enticing the men, even the leaders, of Israel to engage in the feasting and sexual abominations associated with the worship of their idols. How did Jehovah view their apostasy? He ordered Moses to have all of them killed, immediately. But how did this all come about?
Rev 2:14 'But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.
Satan’s schemes and desires are almost limitless. His servant Balaam did not want to give up the honors Balak promised to him. So, while technically, he no longer could curse them, he counseled them to destroy them from within and without an arrow being fired. The men, especially some of the leaders, were quickly and apparently easily led away to worship idols and indulge in their pagan sexual practices.
It is probable that throughout human history, more men have fallen in adultery and abominable sexual sins, than in battle. But, what about Balaam?
31:1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 31:2 "Take full vengeance for the sons of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people."
31:7 So they made war against Midian, just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they killed every male.
31:8 They killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain: Evi and Rekem and Zur and Hur and Reba, the five kings of Midian; they also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
Jehovah will not be mocked. He will not tolerate lip service. He will punish sin. He will not let the guilty go free or unpunished.
All too often, since Jehovah’s mercy and patience is misunderstood, people continue with their sin as they mistake His mercy for His indifference to their sin. So this ends this sad story of Balaam and Balak.
But, since their is nothing new under the sun; we can see this once again playing out in our world today. Hasn’t Satan brought this nation far from Jehovah with every kind of detestable sexual practice? Can you watch any TV, ad, or movie that doesn’t chip away at our abhorrence of these practices? Just because in our twisted world something is lawful doesn’t make it holy.
Next week we will study a troubling question within the ‘church’ and the world, which is what to do with Israel? Is Israel a nation, a people group, or the assembly of all of the true redeemed? We will use Jehovah’s inspired Word to help us biblically bring understanding to this often confusing and contradicting area.
We will begin next Saturday.