Overall Question: Why did Balaam finally die the death of an enemy of God?

Memory Text: 1 Timothy 6:10 KJV “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Sunday – A Fearful and Deluded King
Numbers 22:1-6 Contemporary English Version “1 ¶ Israel moved from there to the hills of Moab, where they camped across the Jordan River from the town of Jericho. 2 When King Balak of Moab and his people heard how many Israelites there were and what they had done to the Amorites, he and the Moabites were terrified and panicked. 3 (SEE 22:2) 4 They said to the Midianite leaders, "That bunch of Israelites will wipe out everything in sight, like a bull eating grass in a field." So King Balak 5 sent a message to Balaam son of Beor who lived among his relatives in the town of Pethor near the Euphrates River. It said: I need your help. A huge group of people has come here from Egypt and settled near my territory. 6 They are too powerful for us to defeat, so would you come and place a curse on them? Maybe then we can run them off. I know that anyone you bless will be successful, but anyone you curse will fail.”
Numbers 22:1 COMMENTARY BY MATTHEW HENRY They needed not to fear any harm from them if they knew (and it is probable that Moses let them know) the orders God had given to Israel not to contend with the Moabites, nor to use any hostility against them, De 2:9. But, if they had any notice of this, they were jealous that it was but a sham, to make them secure, that they might be the more easily conquered. Notwithstanding the old friendship between Abraham and Lot, the Moabites resolved to ruin Israel if they could, and therefore they will take it for granted, without any ground for the suspicion, that Israel resolves to ruin them.
Genesis 48:21 ESV “Then Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers.”
Exodus 15:1 ESV “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, "I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
Deuteronomy 1:30 ESV “The LORD your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,”
Deuteronomy 20:4 ESV “for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.’”

Monday – Balaam
Numbers 22:7-21 God’s Word to the Nations “7 The leaders of Moab and Midian left, taking money with them to pay for Balaam’s services. They came to Balaam and told him what Balak had said. 8 "Spend the night here," Balaam said to them, "and I’ll report to you what the LORD tells me." So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9 God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men with you?" 10 Balaam answered, "Balak, son of King Zippor of Moab, sent them with this message: 11 ‘Some people have just come from Egypt and are spreading out all over the countryside. Now come and curse them for me. Maybe I’ll be able to fight them and force them out.’" 12 But God said to Balaam, "Don’t go with them! Don’t curse these people, because they are blessed." 13 When Balaam got up in the morning, he said to Balak’s princes, "Go back to your own country, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you." 14 So the Moabite princes went back to Balak and said, "Balaam refused to come with us." 15 ¶ Balak sent a larger group of more highly respected princes. 16 When they came to Balaam, they said to him, "This is what Balak, son of Zippor, says: Don’t let anything keep you from coming to me. 17 I will make sure you are richly rewarded, and I will do whatever you ask. Please, come and curse these people for me." 18 But Balaam answered Balak’s servants, "Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I couldn’t disobey the command of the LORD my God no matter whether the request was important or not. 19 Now, why don’t you stay here tonight, as the others did, and I’ll find out what else the LORD may have to tell me." 20 That night God came to Balaam and said, "If these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you." 21 When Balaam got up in the morning, he saddled his donkey and left with the Moabite princes.”
Numbers 22:21 COMMENTARY BY MATTHEW HENRY God gave Balaam up to his own heart's lusts. As God sometimes denies the prayers of his people in love, so sometimes he grants the desires of the wicked in wrath.
2 Peter 2:14-16 Holman “14 having eyes full of adultery and always looking for sin, seducing unstable people, and with hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 By abandoning the straight path, they have gone astray and have followed the path of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, 16 but received a rebuke for his transgression: a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.”
2 Peter 2:15 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY Way of Balaam. Instead of following the way of Christ these false teachers have slavishly followed the course taken by Balaam. Throughout this chapter it appears that Peter has had Balaam in mind as the prototype of the deceivers of his own day. They have loved financial gain and have encouraged sensuality, even as did the ancient prophet.

Tuesday – Unnatural Confrontation
Numbers 22:22-34 NRSV “22 ¶ God’s anger was kindled because he was going, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the road as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 The donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand; so the donkey turned off the road, and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey, to turn it back onto the road. 24 Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. 25 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it scraped against the wall, and scraped Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck it again. 26 Then the angel of the LORD went ahead, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it lay down under Balaam; and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" 29 Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have made a fool of me! I wish I had a sword in my hand! I would kill you right now!" 30 But the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way?" And he said, "No." 31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed down, falling on his face. 32 The angel of the LORD said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? I have come out as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me. 33 The donkey saw me, and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away from me, surely just now I would have killed you and let it live." 34 Then Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now therefore, if it is displeasing to you, I will return home."”
Numbers 22:27, 29, 30, 33 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY 27. She fell down. The ass realized the hopelessness of the situation. The prophet, blinded by avarice and anger, could only see stubbornness in her conduct. 29 Now would I kill thee. The insincerity of the prophet was exposed. He was setting himself forth as able to destroy a nation by his incantations, yet was helpless to kill his ass. A man could scarcely be more blind than not to feel surprised that an ass should converse with him. 30 Was I ever wont? “Is this the way I usually act?” The peculiar behavior of the she-ass should have been enough to impress Balaam that something was wrong, for she had never behaved perversely before. 33 Saved her alive. God would have preserved the ass even if He had slain Balaam. Obedience is a virtue in God’s sight. Compare the experience of another disobedient prophet’s ass (1 Kings 13:24).
Zephaniah 1:17 NRSV “I will bring such distress upon people that they shall walk like the blind; because they have sinned against the LORD, their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.”
Matthew 15:14 NRSV “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit."”
Revelation 3:17 NRSV “For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

Wednesday – The Death of the Righteous
Numbers 23:5-10 CEV “5 The LORD gave Balaam a message, then sent him back to tell Balak. 6 When Balaam returned, he found Balak and his officials standing beside the offerings. 7 Balaam said: "King Balak of Moab brought me from the hills of Syria to curse Israel and announce its doom. 8 But I can’t go against God! He did not curse or condemn Israel. * 9 "From the mountain peaks, I look down and see Israel, the obedient people of God. 10 They are living alone in peace. And though they are many, they don’t bother the other nations. "I hope to obey God for as long as I live and to die in such peace."”
Romans 3:20-24 ESV “20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it–– 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

Thursday – Star and Scepter
Numbers 24:15-17 God’s Word to the Nations “15 ¶ Then Balaam delivered this message: "This is the message of Balaam, son of Beor. This is the message of the man whose eyesight is clear. 16 This is the message of the one who hears the words of God, receives knowledge from the Most High, has a vision from the Almighty, and falls into a trance with his eyes open: 17 I see someone who is not here now. I look at someone who is not nearby. A star will come from Jacob. A scepter will rise from Israel. He will crush the heads of the Moabites and destroy all the people of Sheth.”
Genesis 49:10 God’s Word to the Nations “A scepter will never depart from Judah nor a ruler’s staff from between his feet until Shiloh comes and the people obey him.”
Matthew 2:1-2 God’s Word to the Nations “1 ¶ Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea when Herod was king. After Jesus’ birth wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem. 2 They asked, "Where is the one who was born to be the king of the Jews? We saw his star rising and have come to worship him."”

JAMES423


WHEN you mind is so occupied with matters of this
world you become blind to GODS WORD

dgrim60

Good thought.

Balaam was once a true prophet. Where do you think did he get on the slippery slope?

What slope was he on? He remained faithful throughout his dealings with Balak. And God continued to work through him, speak through him ... and guide him.

What makes you think he wasn't a true prophet?

His slope was greediness (covetousness). He was faithful in Balak's presence only because God would not let him say anything except what He (God) wanted him to say. And God let him go only because Balaam had decided that he wanted to do it his own way and God didn't stop him. But God would have killed Balaam if not for his donkey's obedience. Utterly amazing!

Explain how God closed the mouth of Balaam so as not to allow anything except for what He wanted? Was this God forcing Balaam? Or was it the will of Balaam to follow God?

I appreciate the conversation Redwood!

Taking a hint or two from Patriarchs and Prophets - I understood that God told Balaam that he should not go with the princes of Moab. (Test #1). But Balaam 'loved the wages of unrighteousness' as Peter explained (2 Peter 2:15). God allowed Balaam to be tested a second time because Balaam longed to comply with the king's request although he knew that it was not God's will. God then said, "If the men come to call thee in the morning, rise up, and go with them - but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do." thus far the Lord would permit Balaam to follow his own will, because he was determined upon it. He did not seek to do the will of God, but chose his own course, and then endeavored to secure the sanction of the Lord.

But in the morning the men were already gone, and Balaam rose and went anyway! Even though this evidence of God's doing was contray to Balaam's desires, God permited him to follow his own interest anyway - and then to sufer the result. (Which he did with dreadful consequences to Israel and himself).

God closed Balaam's mouth to his (Balaam's)intent, because God would not allow the Israelites to be cursed since He (God) had already blessed them,- (and the Moabites saw Balaam as a prophet who represented God). In the New Testiment Balaam's actions were described as 'the doctrine of Balaam' which was to 'cast a stumbling block before the cildren of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.'

It's pretty hard to think that Balaam was really trying to follow God. God was not forcing him, but protecting His (God's) own intent or plan.

Well, so much for my discourse! It's getting late, I'll check in again tomorrow for continued discussion if you have interest.

How did he know that it was not God's will? God punished Israel many times. Why couldn't this be another? God changed His mind many times. In fact ... he just changed his mind about letting Balaam go with Balak.

It appears to me that although there could be some fault in Balaam ... he was still doing his best. He kept faithful to God about only saying what God wanted him to say. He could have easily have done his own thing and secured his reward from the king.

I think this may tie into the faulty premise that some have that a prophet must be infallible. Could this be some of the problem here?