Numbers 22
Balaam Refuses to Curse Israel
22:1 The Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan River across from Jericho. 22:2 Balak son of Zippor saw all that the Israelites had done to the Amorites. 22:3 And the Moabites were greatly afraid of the people, because they were so numerous. The Moabites were sick with fear because of the Israelites.
King Balak was the king of the Moabites. The Moabites descended from the incestuous relationship of Lot and his oldest daughter. Israel possessed an army of over 2,000,000 soldiers. While all of the other ancient nations were killing each other in war, Israel multiplied in Egypt during their 400 years of slavery. The Moabites saw what Israel did to the Canaanites, so they were afraid of the Israeli military might.
22:4 So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “Now this mass of people will lick up everything around us, as the bull devours the grass of the field. Now Balak son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at this time. 22:5 And he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates River in the land of Amaw, to summon him, saying, “Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are settling next to me. 22:6 So now, please come and curse this nation for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I will prevail so that we may conquer them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”
The Midians were the descendants of Ishmael. The Moabites and Midianites knew that they could not defeat Israel physically, so they decided to destroy Israel by supernatural occultic magic from the dark side. They hired a demonic magician from Babylon to curse Israel. His name was Balaam.
22:7 So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fee for divination in their hand. They came to Balaam and reported to him the words of Balak. 22:8 He replied to them, “Stay here tonight, and I will bring back to you whatever word the Lord may speak to me.” So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. 22:9 And God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?” 22:10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent a message to me, saying, 22:11 “Look, a nation has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Come now and put a curse on them for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them out.” 22:12 But God said to Balaam, “You must not go with them; you must not curse the people, for they are blessed.”
Balaam was most likely receiving information from demons who disguised themselves as different gods. When Jehovah contacted Balaam, He was most likely not recognized as the one true God and Creator of the universe. Balaam recognized Him as just one among a pantheon of gods. Jehovah commanded Balaam not to go to Canaan. Israel was to be blessed and not cursed.
22:13 So Balaam got up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, “Go to your land, for the Lord has refused to permit me to go with you.” 22:14 So the princes of Moab departed and went back to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.”
Balaam refused Moab's request to curse Israel.
Balaam Accompanies the Moabite Princes
22:15 Balak again sent princes, more numerous and more distinguished than the first. 22:16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor: ‘Please do not let anything hinder you from coming to me. 22:17 For I will honor you greatly, and whatever you tell me I will do. So come, put a curse on this nation for me.’”
King Balak of the Moabites sent more ambassadors and a larger contract to entice Balaam to curse Israel.
22:18 Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Even if Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I could not transgress the commandment of the Lord my God to do less or more. 22:19 Now therefore, please stay the night here also, that I may know what more the Lord might say to me.” 22:20 God came to Balaam that night, and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, get up and go with them; but the word that I will say to you, that you must do.” 22:21 So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam was polytheistic. Jehovah was just one of his many gods. Jehovah allowed Balaam to travel to Canaan. Balaam was commanded to say only what Jehovah commanded him to say.
God Opposes Balaam
22:22 Then God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord stood in the road to oppose him. Now he was riding on his donkey and his two servants were with him. 22:23 And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn in his hand, so the donkey turned aside from the road and went into the field. But Balaam beat the donkey, to make her turn back to the road.
Jehovah was angry at Balaam, because he wanted to curse Israel for profit.
22:24 Then the angel of the Lord stood in a path among the vineyards, where there was a wall on either side. 33:25 And when the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed herself into the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he beat her again.
God allowed the donkey to see into the spiritual world.
22:26 Then the angel of the Lord went farther, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. 22:27 When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she crouched down under Balaam. Then Balaam was angry, and he beat his donkey with a staff.
The donkey once again saw danger into the spirit world.
22:28 Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” 22:29 And Balaam said to the donkey, “You have made me look stupid; I wish there were a sword in my hand, for I would kill you right now.” 22:30 The donkey said to Balaam, “Am not I your donkey that you have ridden ever since I was yours until this day? Have I ever attempted to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”
Balaam did not seem surprised when God caused the donkey to speak. Satan spoke through the serpent in the Garden of Eden. Speaking with animals was an occultic practice of many of the ancient nations. The Druids spoke with animals. The Africans, Indians, Chinese, and those from India also were involved in animal spiritism. Balaam most likely had previous experiences of speaking with animals through demonic power.
It is important to note that demons will allow foolish people to pick their own poison. If a person is foolish enough to believe in animalism, then demons will disguise themselves as animal’s spirits and speak through animals. If a foolish person wants to speak to their deceased loved ones through a seance, then demons will disguise themselves as the deceased loved one. Demons will also speak through crystal balls, tarot cards, Ouija boards, ghosts, mediums, tongues, words of knowledge, modern charismatic prophets, or any other method which the foolish person chooses. The modern new age of channeling spirits is nothing but modern demonsim.
22:31 Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; so he bowed his head and threw himself down with his face to the ground. 22:32 The angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Look, I came out to oppose you because what you are doing is perverse before me. 22:33 The donkey saw me and turned from me these three times. If she had not turned from me, I would have killed you but saved her alive.”
God is omnipotent. He controls even the mouth of all animals. Jehovah opened up the eyes of Balaam so that he could see into the spiritual world.
22:34 Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood against me in the road. So now, if it is evil in your sight, I will go back home.” 22:35 But the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but you may only speak the word that I will speak to you.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
Balaam confessed his sin. Jehovah was just one of many gods to Balaam. He most likely had other conversations with demons, who were disguising themselves as the Babylonian gods.
Balaam Meets Balak
22:36 When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at a city of Moab which was on the border of the Arnon at the boundary of his territory. 22:37 Balak said to Balaam, “Did I not send again and again to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honor you?”
22:38 Balaam said to Balak, “Look, I have come to you. Now, am I able to speak just anything? I must speak only the word that God puts in my mouth.”
Balaam told King Balak that he was only allowed to speak what God allowed him to speak. Notice that God is sovereign over even a medium of the occult.
22:39 So Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 22:40 And Balak sacrificed bulls and sheep, and sent some to Balaam, and to the princes who were with him. 22:41 Then on the next morning Balak took Balaam, and brought him up to Bamoth Baal. From there he saw the extent of the nation.
King Balak sacrificed bulls and sheep to the Moabite gods. This was a pagan ritual in which Balaam was involved. This verse shows that Balaam was not a true prophet of Jehovah. Balaam saw Jehovah as just one of many gods.
King Balak took Balaam to the top of the mountain at Bamoth Baal. This mountain was named after the pagan god Baal. Many of the pagan cults met on the top of mountains. They wanted to practice their idolatry on the top of mountains, because it was closer to the proximity of heaven. It was closer to the eyes of Jehovah. This was a blatant and brazen insult to Jehovah, who is the one true God.
At the top of the mountain, Balaam could see the camp of Israel in its Numbers arrangement. The arrangement of the camp was in the shape of the cross.