Numbers 23:1-12

D. THE FIRST BLESSING OF BALAAM (Numbers 23:1-12)

TEXT

Numbers 23:1. And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams. 2. And Balak did as Balaam had spoken; and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 3. And Balaam said unto Balak Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go: peradventure the Lord will come to meet me; and whatsoever he showeth me I will tell thee. And he went to a high place. 4. And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram. 5. And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6. And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7. And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the Mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. 8. How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? 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 the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! 11. And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether. 12. And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth? 13. And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them: thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all: curse me them from thence.

PARAPHRASE

Numbers 23:1. And Balaam said to Balak, Build seven altars for me here, and supply me with seven bulls and seven rams. 2. And Balak did as Balaam asked; and Balak and Balaam sacrificed upon each altar one bullock and one ram. 3. And Balaam said to Balak, Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me; and whatever he shows me, I will tell you. And he went to a steep place. 4. And God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered upon each altar a bull and a ram. 5. And the Lord put a message in Balaam's mouth and said, Return to Balak, and this is what you shall speak. 6. And He returned to him, and behold, he stood by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab. 7. And he began his message, and said, Balak has brought me from Aram: the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel. 8. How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? or how shall I defy whom the Lord has not defied? 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 the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like his! 11. And Balak said unto Balaam, What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have done nothing but bless them. 12. And he answered, Must I not be careful to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?

COMMENTARY

The first action of Balaam now is to order the construction of seven altars, upon each of which a bullock and a ram is sacrificed. Numerologists would have the number of great significance, based upon an ancient and almost universal belief to this effect. Among the Hebrews, it typified the seven days of creation, and was applied to those matters which pleased God. Such may have been the thought as Balaam specified the circumstances under which he would deliver his message. Since he has given the orders, it seems correct to assume that the sacrifices were given in the name of Jehovah. Balak made certain that the precise instructions were carried out: indeed, he, not Balaam, seems to have presided at the sacrifices since the subject of the verb offered seems originally to have been singular, and Balak requests the king to stand beside the offering while he consults the Lord for His words.
Just what did Balaam now expect the Lord to tell him? Is there any reasonable ground upon which he might hope the situation will turn to his own advantage? We can hardly imagine what rationalizations he might have permitted in his mind; but he pledges to relate only what the Lord tells him. Is he playing both ends against the middle, ready now to convey God's message with an eye to some future moment when he will disregard the message if Balak makes it really worth while and the reward is sufficiently large? It would be an interesting ploy. The high place is literally a bald height. Pagan prophets were wont to choose such sites among the barren mountain peaks, where they followed their auguries.
Immediately God informed Balaam of the words to be given Balak. They have not changed. When he spoke to the king, Balaam at first reviewed the situation, beginning with the request made of his services. He had been asked to curse Jacob (the Israelites), a request God disallowed altogether. These people had been especially blessed, and Balak had asked the impossible. When Balaam returned, he delivered the prophecies exactly as he received them. His words were a glowing tribute to the people the Lord loved and chose as His own; they could neither be cursed nor defied; they were unique among all the nations; they were special recipients of God's blessings and favor; they had become a vast multitude under His care; and, the prophet himself hoped for a fate as great as theirs.
Upon hearing these words, Balak is distraught. They are far from his expectations, and quite a bitter disappointment. He protests vigorously, blaming Balaam, who reaffirms that he can do nothing other than what God has ordered him to do. Acting upon the concept that the gods had limited and prescribed areas of jurisdiction and power, Balak requests that the same ritual be performed at another placein a more favored spot, where all the Israelites are not visible.

QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH ITEMS

436.

Explain the reason for erecting and sacrificing upon seven altars.

437.

Why should Balak, rather than Balaam, have presided at the rituals of the sacrifices themselves?

438.

How might Balaam have expected to turn the persistent words of the Lord to his own advantage?

439.

Research references to the high places of pagan worship. Learn where they were located, and what elements of worship were involved.

440.

Analyze God's words to Balaam, showing the elements of his personal history, those of the request of Balak, the message Balaam was to deliver, and the divine promises to Israel.

441.

What advantage did Balak seek in ordering Balaam to another place, and why did he expect anything to be different in the second location?