Continuing a chronological Bible study, and reaching the conclusion to a literal chiffhanger from the last chapter and post:
(Numbers 23:1) And Balaam said to Balak, “Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams."
At the end of the last chapter, Balak had taken Balaam up to the high places of his idol Baal to allow him to see the Israelites below them. Balaam now asked that Balak build right there in one of the high places devoted to Baal seven altars, and to prepare for him seven oxen and seven rams. There was much speculation among the early Biblical scholars I study about Balaam's motive in this. Most seemed to think it was perverse, that perhaps he was "bribing God" with so many altars, that building seven altars was heathenish, that they were built for the seven known planets at the time. I may stand corrected as I read on, but at this point, I give Balaam full benefit of the doubt that he had seen the light. Seven is also the number of perfection. Maybe Balaam asked for these preparations that would seem familiar and acceptable to Balak, so that he would be more susceptible to hearing the truth from the one true God. As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:19-22:
"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."
(2) And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
Balak did as Balaam had instructed him, and together they offered on each altar a bull and a ram.
(3) And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the L
ORD will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a high place.
Balaam asked Balak to stand by his burnt offerings while he went away from him to another high place to meet with the Lord if He would come to meet him. Balaam told Balak that whatever his Lord showed him, that is what he would tell him.
(4) And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered on every altar a bull and a ram.”
God did indeed meet with Balaam, and Balaam told him he had prepared seven altars and had offered a bull and a ram on each. Again Biblical scholars believe Balaam was boasting to the Lord, hoping to gain His favor in what he desired to do all along for his client, Balak. I still don't necessarily see this; we shall see how God responds to it:
(5) And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
The Lord did not reprimand Balaam, but told him to return to Balak and speak to him the words the Lord put in his mouth, which is exactly what the Lord had told him to do in chapter 22 of Numbers. I see no reason to add to the story that Balaam was still trying to force his own will and bribe his Lord.
(6) And he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab.
Balaam returned to Balak to find him doing just as he had told him to do, standing by his burnt offering, he and all his princes. They were surely anticipating a favorable response from Balaam.
(7) And he took up his parable, and said, “Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, defy Israel.'"
Balaam "took up his parable", or advanced his words of wisdom as received from God. He said that Balak the king of Moab had brought him there to curse and defy Israel. So far, so good, with respect to how Balak might receive these words, and with how Balaam was following his Lord's will and not his own.
(8) “How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? Or how shall I defy whom the L
ORD has not defied?"
Balaam went on to say how could he possibly curse whom God had not cursed, and how could he defy whom God had not defied, again showing his willingness to only do what God had told him to do, and telling Balak what he had said he would tell him--whatever his Lord showed him, he would tell him.
(9) "For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him; lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. (10) Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!”
Balaam went on to pronounce a blessing on Israel, rather than the curse Balak expected. From the high places of Baal where he was, he could see Israel. The Israelites were to dwell alone and separate and would never be reckoned among the other nations, but would always be a distinct nation. Adam Clarke, in his Commentary on the Bible, rightly noted that this was a prophecy that had been literally fulfilled through a period of thousands of years to the present day, and was truly an astonishing fact. Balaam went on to ask who could even count the infinite multitude as numerous as the dust of the earth; who could number even a fourth of them? When he died, as all men do, he wished to die as the righteous died, and wished for his end to be as Jacob's (Israel's) was. The death of the righteous was far superior to the death of the wicked. How could death be better one way or another? It can only be if there is something after that death. The original word "achariyth" that was translated as "end", Strong's more fully defines as "posterity" and Brown-Driver-Briggs adds to that "after part, latter time". Especially when you consider the fact that Balaam said "last end", he was undoubtedly speaking of what came after death. The last end of Jacob was peace, rest, and eternal life. It was so blessed, Balaam wished his end to be like Jacob's.
(11) And Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have altogether blessed them."
In utter disbelief, Balak cried out to Balaam to ask what had Balaam done to him. Balak had brought Balaam there to curse Israel, whom he considered his enemies, and Balaam had instead completely blessed them.
(12) And he answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD has put in my mouth?”
Balaam answered Balak with the question of should he not take heed to speak only what the Lord had put in his mouth. Most of the great scholars I study at this point, still suggest that Balaam had been pretending regard for the Lord. I still don't see it. Maybe because Balaam went this far, instead of shutting off Balak in the beginning, is why they feel his heart had not been changed. They say he would have to speak what the Lord would have him speak at this point, against his will, unable to resist the power of the Lord. While that is true, I've seen no reference to his hardened heart at this point. I don't see why it couldn't be that he was shown the light by the Lord and was doing all this to show the glory of God in His blessing of Israel.
(13) And Balak said to him, “Please come with me to another place from which you may see them; you shall see only the outer part of them, and shall not see them all; curse them for me from there.”
Then Balak suggested that Balaam go with him to another place where he could see the Israelites, although only the outer edge of them, and he would not see them all. Balak told Balaam to curse the Israelites for him from there. I'm not quite sure why Balak thought a different view would change his blessing, but I guess he felt he was a desperate man. Perhaps he thought Balaam had been overwhelmed by the sight of such an immense camp, or maybe even full of admiration for the glorious sight. Maybe seeing just a small outer edge of the group would change his perspective.
(14) And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
Balak brought Balaam into the field of a place called Zophim, which literally meant "watchers". He took him to the top of Mount Pisgah and there again built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. These appear to be the actions of Balak, not Balaam, so once again I don't see Balaam acting wickedly as so many scholars believed. Balak was the one trying to entice Balaam into giving him what he wanted.
(15) And he said to Balak, “Stand here by your burnt offering while I meet the
L
ORD over there.”
Balaam did agree to meet with the Lord again. He told Balak to stand by his burnt offering while he went to meet with the Lord.
(16) And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
The Lord did meet with Balaam and told him to go back to Balak and tell him the words the Lord had put into his mouth to say. I don't see a God admonishing Balaam for coming to Him again. I don't see Balaam asking the Lord to change His mind. I still don't see a conniving Balaam anxious to change the mind of the Lord for his own benefit. I see this all as the Lord gaining Balaam's full attention and understanding through the words of the angel, and Balaam going through the motions as the Lord had then told him, "Go, but only speak the word I give you".
(17) And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the L
ORD spoken?”
When Balaam returned to Balak, he was standing by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab with him. He was most anxious to hear what the Lord had spoken to Balaam. Balak appears to have at that point realized that Balaam would only do what his Lord would have him do or say, but he was still under the impression that His mind could be encouraged to change.
(18) And he took up his parable, and said, “Rise up, Balak, and hear. Hearken to me, you son of Zippor."
Balaam took up his parable, again delivering the words his Lord had given him. Balak was already standing by his burnt offering, but the words of the Lord seem to imply he was to raise his attention and carefully listen to what the Lord had to say directly to him.
(19) “God is not a man, that He should lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent; has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and shall He not make it good?"
God, through Balaam, asked Balak directly about His nature. Was He a man who lied or like a man that he should change His mind? No, he said He was not. Did Balak really think that He had spoken and would not bring it about?
(20) "Behold, I have received commandment to bless; and He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it."
The words of Balaam, put there by God, now told Balak that he had received the command from God to bless Israel. He had blessed them, and Balaam could not reverse that blessing.
(21) “He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has He seen perverseness in Israel; the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them."
Balaam went on to say the words of his Lord to Balak. The Lord had not observed any iniquity or perverseness in Israel that He should curse them. Of course, they had had sin and iniquity, but not to the point that God would curse them and not be their Lord. The Lord God was with Israel, and the joyful and triumphant shouts that people might give their king was among Israel; He was their King and ruler.
(22) "God brought them out of Egypt; he has strength like a unicorn."
Balaam went on to pronounce that God had brought His people out of Egypt. "He" meaning Jacob or Israel, had the strength of a unicorn. It seems no one knows exactly what the original word "reem" translated as "unicorn" really meant. Since a unicorn is a mythical creature, it is unlikely that that is what is meant, unless the fables of their time suggested an animal of strength that could no longer be held as a slave, as the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt. Some scholars speculate that it might have actually been a rhinoceros that was meant; the rhino having a single horn was definitely an animal of great strength.
(23) "Surely there
is no enchantment against Jacob, neither any divination against Israel; according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'What has God wrought!'"
Balaam told Balak that there was no enchantment or divination that could prevail to bring about a curse to Israel. According to that particular time, it would be said of Israel with wonder and amazement, what great things God had done for His people.
(24) "Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up itself as a young lion; he shall not lie down until he eats the prey, and drinks the blood of the slain."
Balaam went on to say that the Israelites would rise up like a great lion, the old king of the forest that was feared and respected by all other animals. Israel would lift itself up as a young lion, the young predatory lion that would not rest until it devoured its prey. These images illustrated a people strong and courageous and even victorious against their enemies.
(25) And Balak said to Balaam, “Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.”
Balak's response to Balaam was something to the effect of--"Fine, if you won't curse them for me, then don't, but don't bless them, either." I believe it might be a little late for that request, not that it would have done any good, as God had placed the words in Balaam's mouth, and he was going to say them, regardless of any other requests or orders.
(26) But Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Did I not tell you, saying, ‘All that the L
ORD speaks, that I must do’?”
Indeed Balaam did answer Balak that he had already told him that whatever the Lord spoke, he must also speak.
(27) And Balak said to Balaam, "Come, I pray thee, I will bring you to another place; perhaps it will please God that you may curse them for me from there.”
Incredibly, Balak suggested they go to a different place and maybe God would curse them from there. Balak did not have a full understanding of the Almighty never-changing God of the universe. However, at least at this point, he seemed to realize and acknowledge that there was this God of Balaam and that it was He who hindered Balaam, that it was not Balaam's fault that he did not curse the Israelites for him. Perhaps now he was trying to please God with a more worthy location from which to curse them.
(28) And Balak brought Balaam to the top of Peor, that looks toward Jeshimon.
Balak took Balaam to the top of Mount Peor, afterwards called Baal-Peor where the idol Baal was worshiped. There was very likely a temple for Baal here, and perhaps Balak thought that God would appreciate this high place of honor. Dr. John Gill, in his Exposition of the Entire Bible, pointed out that Jeshimon was the same as Beth Jesimoth in the plains of Moab, thus being the place where Israel camped (Num. 33:49), and a place where Balaam would have a full view of the Israelites.
(29) And Balaam said to Balak, “Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams."
Once again Balaam told Balak to build seven altars prepared with seven bulls and seven rams. Perhaps Balaam shouldn't have kept on tempting or appearing to bribe the Lord, as most scholars believe he did for selfish reasons. I still don't see it that way. Only God knows what was in Balaam's heart at this point, but God did allow them to keep going forward with these futile motions. When you consider the time and labor and even expense spent on preparing multiple sets of seven altars with multiple sets of sacrifices, I believe the answer would make more of an impactful impression on both Balak and Balaam, and was used for God's purposes at this point. It is true that God first told Balaam not to go to Balak. However, once He allowed him to go, God's will was to be shown in another way that would be well impressed upon both these men, as Balaam surely needed this reinforcement after his initial actions of pressing forward to go to Balak.
(30) And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
Once again, Balak did as Balaam told him to do, and built the altars (or had them built) and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Again considering the time and expense in an action that seemed less and less likely to produce the desired effect, you can see that Balak was a desperate man grasping at straws in order to have Israel cursed.
(Numbers 24:1) And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go as at other times, to seek to use enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
This is the first indication I have that perhaps Balaam had tried to use his own means to maybe achieve his more desired answer of the Lord. He had used sorcery or divination the other times he sought an answer from the Lord. He now had definitely seen that the Lord was determined to bless Israel, and he did not bother with enchantments or asking the Lord, but just turned his face toward the wilderness to look upon Israel and to pronounce his parable. I still don't believe this necessarily proves that Balaam had evil and selfish motives at this point. This is how he had become accustomed to seeking an answer from the Lord, using his enchantments, but now he was totally convinced of the Lord's intentions and will, and did not bother with his enchantments.
(2) And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel encamped according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
Balaam looked upon Israel encamped according to their tribes, and the Spirit of God came upon him. Whether or not Balaam was filled with the Holy Spirit because he had finally come to have complete faith in God alone, or God was just using his vessel just as He had used the donkey's, God's spirit was now upon him.
(3) And he took up his parable, and said, "Balaam the son of Beor has said, and the man whose eyes are open has said, (4) He has said, who heard the words of God, who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:"
In prophetic words, Balaam spoke of himself in the third person as a man whose eyes were opened to the truth, one who heard the words of God and who had seen a vision of the Almighty God. Falling into a trance but having eyes wide open, I believe is Balaam's attempt to explain that although he was wide awake, it was as if the truth came upon him as he was in a sort of trance. Most scholars would suggest that he was declaring that his eyes had only at that point been opened to the truth, but I still believe they had been opened ever since he saw the angel of the Lord in Numbers 22:31--"Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the
LORD standing in the way..." The only inkling I have had that Balaam was still trying to assert his own will all this time was the fact that he had continued to use sorcery up to this point. However, if he had learned to always use sorcery to inquire of the Lord, he may have still believed that was the only way to hear from the Lord. At this point, he realized that was no longer necessary.
(5) "How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, and your tabernacles, O Israel!"
Balaam began the actual blessing of Israel. How good and pleasing were the tents of Israel! Not that they were rich or magnificent in structure, but they were in a pleasant order that suggested unity and harmony. The Israelites didn't have multiple tabernacles, but I believe the sense is that their general church of God where Israel dwelt in tents with their Lord among them, was very good.
(6) "As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of aloes which the LORD has planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters."
As long and broad as the valleys, Israel lay encamped. As gardens, perhaps because of their beauty and the fact they were laid out in a pleasing manner, Israel lay pleasingly encamped. As the aloe trees that the Lord had planted, that were beautiful in their natural state as opposed to gardens planted by man, so was Israel. As the cedar trees beside the waters that grew tall and mighty and majestic, so was the camp of Israel.
(7) "He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted."
Israel would have plentiful blessings as I believe the image of water pouring forth from buckets suggests. His posterity would be showered with many blessings from the Lord. Israel's king would be higher and greater than Agag, the king of Amalek, who was probably considered the greatest king on earth at that time. Israel's kingdom would be exalted in the world.
(8) "God brought him forth out of Egypt; he has as it were the strength of an unicorn; he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows."
God brought Israel forth out of Egypt out of bondage, and now Israel had that strength of a unicorn or rhinoceros, or whatever mighty beast was meant. He would devour his enemies, breaking their bones, signifying the breaking of their men and their cities, and would utterly slay them.
(9) "He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion; who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesses you, and cursed is he that curses you."
Israel lay as a sleeping lion, the king of the forest respected by all others and having no fear of the others. Who would dare to rouse the sleeping lion or provoke Israel? Then speaking directly to Israel, Balaam pronounced the blessing that whoever blessed Israel would be blessed, and whoever cursed Israel would be cursed.
(10) And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have altogether blessed them these three times."
At this point, Balak had become very angry with Balaam and he struck his hands together in an expression of that anger. He said to Balaam that he had called him to curse the Israelites whom he called his enemies, but Balaam had completely blessed them instead these three times.
(11) “Now therefore, flee to your place; I thought to promote you to great honor, but, lo, the LORD has kept you back from honor.”
Balak told Balaam to go back to his own country. He told him that he had intended to promote him to great honor when he cursed Israel for him, but his Lord had kept him from that honor.
(12) And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, (13) ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the commandment of the L
ORD, to do good or bad of my own mind; but what the LORD says, that will I speak?'"
Balaam reminded Balak that he had warned his messengers that even if Balak were to give him his entire house full of silver and gold, he would not stray from what the Lord had put in his mouth to speak.
(14) “And now, behold, I go to my people; come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the latter days.”
Balaam agreed to go back to his people, but first he wanted to tell Balak what the Israelites, whom he had wanted cursed, would later actually do to his people.
(15) And he took up his parable, and said, "Balaam the son of Beor has said, and the man whose eyes are open has said:"
Balaam spoke the prophetic words of the Lord, beginning with the fact that he had had his eyes opened to the truth.
(16) "He has said, who heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open."
Balaam, still speaking of himself in the third person, said he had heard the words of God and thus spoke; he knew what the most high God wanted as he had seen a vision of Him while awake.
(17) "I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not near; there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of
Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the
children of Sheth."
At this point, Balaam seemed to possibly be prophesying about the coming Messiah. He would see Him in the future, but not yet; he would behold Him from afar. A Star would come out of Jacob and a scepter would rise out of Israel, descriptive words of the Messiah who would come out of Israel as King. He would destroy Moab from one corner to the other, and would destroy all the children of Sheth. Sheth means "substituted" and was the same as Seth, the third son of Adam. As all nations came from Seth, He would rule over all the world. Some scholars believe this might refer to some ruler of Moab whom He would destroy. Some of the Bible commentators believed this prophesied the coming of King David out of Israel who would smite the Moabites. However, David himself was a sort of illustration of the coming Messiah who would rule the world and destroy all those who opposed Him.
(18) “And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly."
Balaam went on to prophesy that Edom, including Mount Seir, would be possessed by Israel. Indeed David would make the Edomites his servants. Perhaps the mention of Mount Seir depicted the strongest and most fortified places would fall to their enemy, Israel. Israel would conquer valiantly!
(19) "Out of Jacob shall come He who shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remains of the city."
Once again Balaam appeared to be prophesying about the coming Messiah who would have dominion over the entire world, destroying any enemies who remained.
(20) And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish forever."
Of Amalek, Balaam prophesied that although it might have been first among the nations, whether literally the first nation, or the most powerful or richest, or even that it was the first to war against Israel, its ultimate end would be that it would perish forever.
(21) And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, "Strong is your dwelling place, and you put your nest in a rock. (22) Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry you away captive."
Balaam looked upon the Kenites. There is some uncertainty as to exactly who the Kenites were, but it seems reasonable to assume that the Kenites were a Canaanite people, who may have derived their name from the city of Kain. The word translated as "Kenites" in verse 21 is not the same word translated as "Kenite" in verse 22. "Qeyniy" in verse 21 Strongs' states means "Kenite or member of the tribe of Kajin" stemming from the root word "qayin" which is the word used in verse 22. "Qayin" means "the name of the first child, also of a place in Palestine". Qayin would be wasted, which could be the city of Kain, as some scholars suggest, but I believe it was just the nation as a whole--Kain, the Kenites; as Edom, the Edomites, was used; and Amalek, the Amalekites. The Kenites may have been the securest of the nations as nature had fortified them as they dwelt in the rocky places, but they would waste away until carried away captive by Asshur, or the Assyrians.
(23) And he took up his parable, and said, “Alas! Who shall live when God does this?"
Balaam continued his prophesying, asking the rhetorical question of who could possibly live when God brought all this about. Some scholars suggest that this might mean that it will happen so far in the future that no one in that present time would live to see it happen.
(24) "And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish forever."
Strong's defines Chittim as "...from an unused name denoting Cyprus (only in the plural); a Kittite or Cypriote; hence an islander in general, that is, the Greeks or Romans on the shores opposite Palestine..." Ships would come from Chittim, or Cyprus, or the islands. Albert Barnes explained it this way in his Notes on the Bible, "Cyprus, the nearest of the western islands, the only one visible from Palestine, and so the representative to Balaam and to Israel of all those unknown western regions across the Mediterranean Sea, from which were at length to come the conquerors of the mighty empires of the East." Asshur would carry away Kain, and then Chittim would afflict Asshur, and also Eber. Most of the older commentaries I study believed Eber referred to the descendants of Eber, or Shem, and were Hebrews. It makes more sense that they were as Adam Clarke suggested, "Probably not the Hebrews, as some think, but the people on the other side the Euphrates, from עבר abar, to pass over, go beyond; all which people were discomfited, and their empire destroyed by Alexander the Great." Indeed, even Strong's states Eber is the same as "eber" meaning "properly a region across...on the opposite side (especially of the Jordan; usually meaning the east)". Either Eber would also perish forever, or it might even mean that the conqueror from Chittim would also perish.
(25) And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.
With the end of the words of prophecy given him by God, Balaam then rose up and went back toward his home, and Balak also left. Reading those prophetic words, it is interesting to note how God can use all people to bring about His purposes. He can use evil nations to bring down other evil nations, but then He also used a donkey, so it should come as no surprise that God can use whomever or whatever He chooses to bring about His will and purposes.
