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Balak: Numbers 22:2 - 25:9 |
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What an
extraordinary figure Balaam is. He appears suddenly, out of nowhere in
the account of Israel’s wilderness wanderings. He was obviously known
far and wide in the ancient Middle East because although he lived 400
miles from Moab, Balak the king of Moab was aware of his reputation as
a soothsayer. Balaam must have had a reputation for truth and accuracy
in his prophetic messages or he would never have become so famous and
Balak would never have called him. Balak wanted Israel to be under a
curse so that Moab might enjoy peace, so he called for the man known
throughout the ancient world as one whose words came to pass. And indeed, what
Balaam spoke about Israel was true. Israel was a unique people, the
people of the LORD. Because of
God’s grace they were a people with hope. They were powerful in the
strength of God, enjoying his blessing and protection from their
enemies. Balaam saw a great ruler arising in Israel who would defeat
Moab and Edom, and his prophecy came to pass hundreds of years later in
the reign of David, who foreshadowed the greater king to come, the
Messiah. At the time Balaam observed Israel, his utterances concerning
Israel were true, or would be true in the future. But, unlike the
future prophets of Israel there was perversity in Balaam. The word of
the Most High was quite clear, he was not to go with the messengers of
Balak and he was not to curse Israel. That should have been the end of
the matter, and when the messengers of King Balak returned he should
have sent them away immediately. But Balaam clearly was determined to
go with Balak’s servants. Instead of waiting to see if they called him,
he rose the next morning, saddled his ass and went with them. That was
why God became angry with him. The LORD had purposed to
use Balaam for his own ends, but Balaam went out of self-interest.
Because his motives were impure, he was wrong to go and God was rightly
angry with him. Balaam was
motivated by greed. Balak was prepared to reward him well, and the
messengers made special mention of this on their second visit. Balaam
knew he would have to speak the word of God but he hoped also to
benefit from the situation. And he succeeded. After his prophecies
failed to meet the king of Moab’s expectations, Balaam revealed to
Balak how Moab could weaken Israel. In Numbers 31:16 Balaam counsels
Moab to invite Israel to a feast of the Baal of Peor, which was little
more than an orgy in honour of Moab’s god. Balaam remains
typical of the kind of people whose beliefs are sound but whose
behaviour fails to match their profession. He was a prophet who uttered
sublime truths while at the same time being consumed by greed. It is
all too possible to be like that. We are not talking about a basically
sound individual guilty of an occasional fall, but a man with a
completely wrong attitude of heart. The Haftarah
contains those famous words from Micah about what God requires of us,
“Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God”. Those
qualities should motivate us. To love mercy is to rejoice in it and to
take pleasure in it. To walk humbly with God indicates a
moment-by-moment communion with him and a delight in him, rather than
in ourselves, our gifts or our achievements. A great religious document
asks the question, “What is the chief end of man?” And answers, “The
chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever”. These aspirations
should be our true inner motivation to follow the ways of the LORD. Do they
characterise you or are you more like Balaam, driven by pride, greed,
envy and lust, unseen but nevertheless real? If so then, as the Great
Sage said to Rabbi Nicodemus, “You must be born again”. |
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