We left Balak and Balaam at odds. While both seemed to acknowledge Jehovah, neither really honored Him or worshiped Him. They had their other gods and traditions of men that were more important and real to them. Remember, Satan’s false religions and false teachers always seem to be more interesting, more accommodating, and more powerful. Sadly, this was not the end of this story of deceit and evil desires.
Numbers 23:13 Then Balak said to him, "Please come with me to another place from where you may see them, although you will only see the extreme end of them and will not see all of them; and curse them for me from there." 23:14 So he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
Balak’s belief that Balaam’s curse would protect him from Jehovah and His people is astounding. So once again, seven altars are prepared and sacrifices are offered. Does this repeated appealing to their false god sound familiar? King Ahab was evil, wicked, and sinful. Elijah was sent by Jehovah to bring this into the open when he challenged all the false prophets of Baal.
1 Kings 18:24 "Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God." And all the people said, "That is a good idea."
18:25 So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it."
18:26 Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, "O Baal, answer us." But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made.
While Satan must have at some time showed these Baal worshipers some evidence of his reality, this time Jehovah prohibited it from His revelation.
18:27 It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened."
18:28 So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them.
18:29 When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.
So could Balak and Balaam believe that they just had not gotten their god’s attention, after all gods are busy with other requests, aren’t they? Maybe they need to just up the ante.
23:15 And he said to Balak, "Stand here beside your burnt offering while I myself meet the LORD over there."
23:16 Then the LORD met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, "Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak." 23:17 He came to him, and behold, he was standing beside his burnt offering, and the leaders of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, "What has the LORD spoken?"
Incredible, Balak still wants to know if Balaam had received permission to curse Israel, even though Balaam had already said that was not going to happen. But, did Balaam really believe that? Why did he once again have to ask Jehovah? Just like with his second request to got with the princes to Balak.
The world today treats Jehovah exactly the same way. He is given lip service and treated as some divine genie from whom to request and fulfill their desires.
23:18 Then he took up his discourse and said, "Arise, O Balak, and hear; Give ear to me, O son of Zippor!
23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
23:20 "Behold, I have received a command to bless; When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it.
23:21 "He has not observed misfortune in Jacob; Nor has He seen trouble in Israel; The LORD his God is with him, And the shout of a king is among them.
23:22 "God brings them out of Egypt, He is for them like the horns of the wild ox.
23:23 "For there is no omen against Jacob, Nor is there any divination against Israel; At the proper time it shall be said to Jacob And to Israel, what God has done!
23:24 "Behold, a people rises like a lioness, And as a lion it lifts itself; It will not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain."
Once again, Balaam really is not in charge of the very words he speaks. He wants to curse them, as that is what he will be paid for doing. He feigns righteousness while depicting unrighteousness.
The world does the same. The most self-righteous people in the world all seem to bring Jehovah into their conversations and declarations, while denying Him the worship due only to Him.
23:25 Then Balak said to Balaam, "Do not curse them at all nor bless them at all!" 23:26 But Balaam replied to Balak, "Did I not tell you, 'Whatever the LORD speaks, that I must do'?"
There is truth in Balaam’s reply, Jehovah is entirely in total control of this event, Balaam’s pronouncements, the entire Moabite and Midianite nations, and His plan to bring Israel into the ‘promised land’.
More next Saturday.