On Balaam, Part 1

The famous Christian English writer of the last century, G. K. Chesterton, wrote the following. “It is always simple to fall; there are an infinity of angles at which one falls, only one at which one stands. To have fallen into any one of the fads from Gnosticism to Christian Science would indeed have been obvious and tame. But to have avoided them all has been whirling adventure; and in my vision the heavenly chariot flies thundering through the ages, the dull heresies sprawling and prostrate, the wild truth reeling but erect.” (Orthodoxy)

This is literally true of our bodies. Yet it is even more true of our whole selves as we live in this life. In light of that truth, I want to examine the character Balaam from Scripture and then reflect on the impact of his life example for us who believe.

Balaam encountered the living God when the Israelites began to enter the land yet “fell” in the worst way possible after. We want to learn from this unusual incident from Israel’s history when Balaam’s life intersected their travels into the promised land. What I propose to from the outset is that these stories reveal that there is a holy kind of fear that is essential to real faith in the living God.

Balaam is one of the most intriguing characters in the Old Testament (see Numbers 22-24). He had a reputation for having the power of divination or sorcery. Divination is the (supposed) power to control and direct unseen “spiritual” forces toward some specific evil end (see Numbers 23:23; 24:1, 10; Joshua 13:22). Thus King Balak of Moab came to him requesting that he curse the Israelites because he and others in that region were terrified of the them (Numbers 22:2-5; Deuteronomy 23:4-5). He thought that if Balaam cursed them they would become vulnerable to military defeat (Numbers 22:6).

            God intervened and had Balaam ask for explicit direction before speaking (Numbers 22:8-21). Repeatedly he was prevented from speaking a curse against the Israelites. At first, he sought to ask God what he should do and did heed God’s “NO” answers. God knew that he wanted to do what Balak wanted and gave him a bizarre stern warning as he traveled—by utilizing his own donkey to save his life and speak to get his attention (Numbers 22:22-35).

            Once he arrived in Moab, he was brought to three different locations where he could see some of the Israelites. He functioned as a “Seer” and in a vision he heard from and communicated direct words from God concerning the blessing on the Israelites (Numbers 23:5, 16; 24:3-4)—and this in the presence of King Balak and his officials! Further, once Balak became finally fed up and dismissed Balaam in anger but he then delivered a word from God predicting the defeat of the Moabites by the Israelites (Numbers 24:14-24). Balaam reluctantly did as God required (Joshua 24:10).

His true attitude towards the Israelites was revealed in the fact that he gave these nations advice regarding how to get the Israelites to sin against God (Numbers 25:1-5; 31:16; Revelation 2:14). Balaam died at the hands of Israelites after having allied himself with a neighboring people, the Midianites (Numbers 13:8). Finally, the NT writers describe him as a man who had encountered the living God and yet chose to turn away from knowledge of God for the sake of greed (2 Peter 2:14-16; Jude 11).

When this incident with Balaam occurred the Israelites were traveling in the southern region of what is now land controlled by the modern states of Israel and Jordon. They had already crossed the Red Sea and the Torah of God had been delivered through Moses to the people. Moses led them into this one portion of the land of promise. They were attacked after peaceably requesting to travel through the region controlled by the Amorites and they defeated them (Numbers 21:10-35). They then encamped near Moab (Numbers 22:1). 

What I find remarkable is that apparently they were not aware until later of efforts of King Balak to bring spiritual forces against them through Balaam. Nor were they aware that God was using Balaam to bless them in the presence of the King of Moab who had declared them enemies! There was a spiritual conflict swirling around them that they were not aware of.

Some further explanation is needed to understand the King’s actions: In the ancient near east (that is, the Middle East) it was assumed that in order to secure victory in battle and maintain military and political dominance one had to have the gods on one’s side. And the most lethal way to undermine your enemies was to utilize people with the ability to control and direct negative “spiritual” power against one’s enemies. He recognized that they had the protection of Almighty God on them and that had to be removed to defeat them. 

            Balaam had no interest in blessing the Israelites. He may not have had any personal hatred for them but he certainly did not want to aid them. Thus God spoke forcefully to him and then restrained him so that he would bless them rather than curse them.

One lesson from this story is clear: We must understand that we are surrounded by people and spirits who consider us enemies. The Israelites knew that they were entering a land where the people would be hostile towards them. We are very much in the same situation. Do not be surprised that you have enemies and do not be surprised that you encounter many difficult situations because of this. For the world as it now functions stands against the Kingdom of God. If you have chosen sides by becoming a disciple of the Lord Jesus then you have entered a spiritual struggle. But God is faithful and he turns what is intended for evil into a blessing.

Balaam was an extraordinarily gifted man who peddled his supposed “spiritual” wares (or psychic abilities) to the highest bidder. Yet consider this: God choose to work with this man to bless his own people. And further in giving him an opportunity to prophecy the true word of God, he was giving him an opportunity to join the people of God. For he had defied the King of Moab and done the opposite of what he wanted! Why not go down to join the Israelites? 

Yet his true character came out. He was a man whose “god” was greed and who sought to prey upon the people of God (see 2 Peter 2:14-15; Revelation 2:14). For he thought that God or the “gods” were all “manageable” so long as one knew the right ritual to perform. He cared only to pursue his own interest and gain. Indeed, he was so obsessed that he could not recognize his own limits and vulnerability as a human creature before mighty spirit beings (see 2 Pet 2:10-16).

So then it was this man who encountered the Almighty living God and acknowledged God and spoke truly God’s word regarding Israel, but never became himself a true worshipper of God! Indeed, the last glimpse we get of Balaam is assisting and dying with the enemies of Israel (Numbers 31:8; Joshua 13:22; 24:9-10). What a terrible waste of a man’s life—to live simply for a reputation of power and accumulation of wealth.