Balaam’s First Oracle
22:41 to 23:12
Balaam’s first oracle DIG: In this first oracle, what is Balak’s desire? Balaam’s desire? God’s desire? How would each see the function of the seven altars and seven sacrifices? Why can’t Balaam bring himself to curse Isra’el? What secures Isra’el’s blessing forever? What truths about the people of Isra’el did God’s message through Balaam reveal to Balak? In what ways are God’s people separate from the world?
REFLECT: When you want to know God’s will for your life, what do you do? When are your desires most likely to conflict with God’s desires? Have you ever tried to convince God that your way is better? What was the result? What can you do to ensure that, unlike Balaam, you mold your desires to fit God’s desires? How are you like the world? How are you separate from the world (First John 2:15-16)?
The first intervention on God’s part corresponds to the first time the donkey turned aside;
for just as God forced the donkey off the road, He forces Balaam to turn aside from cursing Isra’el (22:23).
The high places of Ba’al (22:41 to 23:6): The next morning after their meeting (to see link click Dr – Balaam and the Donkey: Preparation for the first oracle), Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Ba‘al (22:41). The high places, very simply, were places of worship on elevated pieces of ground. High places were originally dedicated to idol worship (Numbers 33:52; Leviticus 26:30), especially among the Moabites (Isaiah 16:12). These shrines often included an altar and a sacred object such as a stone pillar or wooden pole in various shapes identified with the object of worship (animals, constellations, goddesses, and fertility deities). It seems that, at times, high places were set up in a spot that had been artificially elevated, like the tower of Babel (see the commentary on Genesis Dl – The Tower of Babel).
The Israelites, forever turning away from God, practiced Molech worship and built high places for Ba’al (Jeremiah 32:35). Although Solomon built the Temple of God in Jerusalem, he later established idolatrous high places for his foreign wives outside of Jerusalem and worshiped with them, causing him the loss of the Kingdom (First Kings 11:11). The people were still sacrificing at the pagan high places before the Temple was built, and Solomon joined them. After God appeared to him in a dream at Gibeon, the king returned to Jerusalem and sacrificed offerings; however, he continued to waver between the two places of worship.490
In Chapter 25, we will see the Midianites and Moabites worshiping Ba’al (see Ea – Taking a Stand for God), a local deity, perhaps associated with the Canaanite Ba’al cult which will plague Isra’el in later years. From there, the sorcerer could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp (see Am – The Camp of the Twelve Tribes of Isra’el). But after his encounter with ADONAI on the road the previous day, Balaam understood the situation better than Balak. Chemosh, Ba’al and the Ba’al of Peor would be of no assistance.
Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare me seven bulls and seven rams here.” Balak did as Balaam said, then Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Through the means of the sacrifices, Balaam hoped to appease the angry Deity that had nearly decapitated him the day before. The sorcerer reasoned that seven sacrifices might change God’s mind about the whole cursing thing. Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering while I go off. Perhaps ADONAI will come and meet me; and whatever He reveals to me I will tell you” (23:3). Then he went off to a bare hill. God met with him, and Balaam said to God, “I prepared the seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. But all of these were of pagan origin and were hardly impressive to YHVH. So the bribe failed. Then ADONAI put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said: Go on back to Balak, and speak as I tell you. So he went back to him and found him standing beside his offering, with all the Moabite rulers.491 The scene is dramatic as Balaam returned to those who had sent for him. They were all standing by the seven altars and hoping for a word from heaven that would destroy their presumed foe. They received a word from heaven all right; but that word was far from what they expected.492
The first oracle (23:7-10): Hebrew poetry is not based on the concept of Western meter. The poetry of Isra’el was infused with rhythm, and the accentuation (with basically one “beat” per word) most likely signifies that pattern. The predominant feature of Hebrew poetic structure is the repetition of meaning in parallel expressions . . . or poetic parallelism. The biblical verse of poetry normally has two or more of these parallel units. The first line makes a statement, followed by the second line which elaborates on it in some manner. The words are not meant to rhyme, but are parallel in thought. Thus, Balaam’s first oracle is written in seven tightly parallel couplets. From atop the high places of Ba’al, Balaam looked out over a portion of the camp of Isra’el and spoke his oracle (Hebrew: mashal, usually translated as a proverb). At the beginning of the oracle, the speaker shifts from third to first person, with Balaam now speaking in his role as the oracle speaker.
(A) Balak brought me from Aram,
(A) the king of Mo’ab from the eastern mountains (23:7a). In the first couplet, Balak summons Balaam from his homeland, the country of Aram, which is northeast of Isra’el in northeast Syria and northwest Mesopotamia. This area is in agreement with the location of Pethor (22:5). Thus, the eastern mountains are the mountains that run through the eastern Syrian-Arabian desert up toward Pethor.
(B) Come, put a curse on Jacob for me;
(B) come and denounce Isra’el (23:7b). The second couplet gives the reason for which Balaam brought Balaam to Mo’ab: to curse and to denounce. The first of these verbs (Hebrew: ‘arar) commonly means to utter a curse and in the present context probably means something like to put under an evil spell. The second of these verbs (Hebrew: za’am) means to threaten or injure. When taken together the two words indicate that Balaam’s job was to put Isr’ael under an evil spell that would threaten or injure her.493 These verbs work together to give the sense of anger and indignation. Jacob and Isra’el are regularly occurring pairs, and, of course, they are interchangeable words marking out the people of God’s covenant. In these words there is a call, deliberate or not, for YHVH to break His promise to the patriarchs.494
(C) How am I to curse those whom God has not cursed?
(C) How am I to curse those whom ADONAI has not denounced (23:8)? In the third couplet, we discover that Balaam couldn’t do what he’d been hired to do. The blessing of Isra’el was sacred and holy and Balaam had no power to attack their blessing. God forbade him to speak in a curse on his people, who were unlike the nations of the world.495 Balaam stayed true to his promise to speak only what God allowed him to say.
(D) From the top of the rocks I see them,
(D) from the hills I behold them (23:9a). In the fourth couplet, we are brought alongside Balaam, and with him look down at the camp of Isra’el. Along with him we affirm that these people are not like any other; they live apart to this very day, not a part of the families of the nations. Their distinction was in their relationship with their God. As He is holy, so they are holy.496 Ha’Shem has judged every ruler or nation that has caused His people to suffer, including Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and, of course, Nazi Germany.
(E) I see a people who live apart,
(E) and do not consider themselves one of the nations (23:9b). In the fifth couplet, we are reminded that Isra’el is a separate people. This was true even when Isra’el dwelt among other nations and is a characteristic which defines them even to this day. They are fundamentally different. There should be no difficulty in distinguishing them from the other Gentile nations. The significance of this observation may refer back to the story of Abraham and Lot. When Abraham and Lot separated, the Torah tells us that Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against ADONAI (Genesis 13:12-13). Lot failed to live apart from the wicked culture around him. Unlike Abraham and his descendants, Lot found himself numbered among the Gentile nations.497
Isra’el’s great temptation was wanting to be like the other nations, and this is what led to their downfall and captivity. Instead of rejoicing in their uniqueness as the people of the true and living God, they imitated their neighbors in their worship and conduct, and Ha’Shem had to discipline them. Instead of letting God rule as their King, they asked for a king like all the other nations (see the commentary on the Life of King Sha’ul Br – Give us a King), and this brought the nation nothing but trouble and heartache.
Unfortunately, many people in the Church today have the mistaken belief that being like the world is the way to reach the world. They forget that the Church is the people of God, a very special people, saved by His grace. Instead of maintaining separation (see the commentary on Second Corinthians Bi – Do Not be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers), they promote imitation (First John 2:15-16; Romans 12:2), so that it’s becoming more and more difficult to distinguish the people of God from the people of the world. And yet, as Campbell Morgan famously reminded us, “The Church did the most for the world when the Church was the least like the world.”498
(F) Who can count the dust of Jacob,
(F) or numbered even a fourth part of Isra’el (23:10a)? The sixth couplet describes the outward sign of Isra’el’s election and blessing of God. The numerical strength of Isra’el (see Ep – The Numbering of the Eleven Tribes) was, of course, the reason why the Moabites were fearful and decided to call Balaam in the first place (22:3-6). They seemed as numerous as the dust on the ground. Here, Balaam sees that their strength was no mere accident, but was the sign of Isra’el’s separate status and the blessing of YHVH. The Israelites were divided into four great camps, north, south, east, and west (Numbers 2). It seems that Balaam could only see one of those campsites, or a fourth part of Isra’el, as it were, from the high places of Ba‘al (22:41).499
(G) May I die as the righteous die!
(G) May my end be like theirs (23:10b)! After describing his target, Balaam was expected to deliver a devastating curse upon them. It should have spelled out some nasty, horrid death for the Israelites. Something like a plague, starvation, or military defeat. Instead, the seventh couplet closes the oracle with a personal reflection by Balaam. Here, Balaam’s wistful desire was to share in Isra’el’s blessing! He who had come to curse the people of God wished himself to be blessed along with them (Genesis 12:3).500 The irony was so thick he could eat it with a spoon! You don’t die the death of the righteous unless you live the life of the righteous, and that was something Balaam wasn’t prepared to do. His love of money so controlled his life that he would do anything to obtain great wealth. Balaam died with the wicked when Isra’el defeated the Midianites (see Fq – Report of the Battle), and he joined Hitler and many others in eternal judgment.501
Balak’s response to Balaam (23:11-12): Balak’s furious response came as expected, since, as the king of Mo’ab, he had spent so much time and money personally working toward the desired end of condemning Isra’el to destruction. Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me?! I brought you to put a curse on my enemies; but, here, you have done nothing but bless them!” He took Balaam’s actions and words as a personal and professional affront, yet his words expressed the reality of the situation. God would curse any who would try to destroy His people. Then Balaam reminded Balak of what he had been communicating from the beginning. Must I not take care to say just what ADONAI puts in my mouth?502
Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You that what You say, You will always do. Thank You for adopting those who love and trust You to be Your children. But whoever did receive Him, those trusting in His name, to these He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12 and Ephesians 1:5). Your Word is totally reliable (Second Corinthians 1:20). You are always everything that I could possibly need. You are my shield when I am in a battle. ADONAI is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in Him, and I was helped. Therefore my heart leaps for joy, and I will praise Him with my song (Psalms 28:7). You are my rock when I need a safe place to run to for protection. There is none holy as ADONAI, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God (First Samuel 2:2). You are my wisdom when I don’t understand or know what to do. I can trust in Your Word.
Praise You for Your everlasting love! “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. (Jer 31:3b). I know I can trust You with complete confidence! Thank You for Your promise that You will take me to Your wonderful eternal heavenly home of peace and joy, to live with You eternally. Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to Myself, so that where I am you may also be (John 14:1-3). You are so wonderful! In Messiah holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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