Parashah Numbers 22:2-40 Chavurah Shalom 1/20/18

Up until the Israelites came upon the scene, the Moabites were vassal to Sihon, King of the Amorites, Numbers 21:26. Balak was most likely set up as king by the Amorites, due to his loyalty to them. The Name Balak comes from a root word in Hebrew which means “to lay waste,” and thus some have named Balak “the devastator.” No wonder they faced Israel with fear and dread – they successfully wiped out the very one who had defeated them, Sihon, King of the Amorites. But God had graced the children of Moab with their land because of Abraham’s prayers for Lot. Abraham’s long prayer and deliberation with God over Lot occurred in Genesis 18:16-33 – Deuteronomy 2:9 records God’s gifting of land to the descendants of Lot. It was after the departure of Lot that God declared that Canaan would be the land of Promise to Abraham and his seed, Genesis 13:14-16. The Midianites were the descendants of Abraham and Keturah, Genesis 25:1-6. They were something of a Nomadic tribe, who existed in Arabia, Sinai, Egypt and occasional forays into Canaan. Exodus 2:15-22; Numbers 10:29; Genesis 37:25-36; Judges 6:1-6. The fact that Moab dealt with the elders of Midian suggests Midian was not a kingdom. There is evidence that there were up to 5 separate nomadic groups of Midianites, that could be found some among the Israelites, some among the Moabites, and among some of the other nations associated with the East such as Amalekites and Amorites. The importance of Bilam to the story is that when God has chosen to bless, nothing can thwart His plans. There is no power on earth or in heaven that can go against God’s plan and intent to bless His people. There are two trains of thought on Bilam, even in the Scripture before us. One is that here is a Gentile prophet, who receives his prophecies from the one true God. The other is that Bilam is no man of God at all, but simply seeks to profit from being a prophet! The Sages almost universally see Bilam as evil, and is often grouped with villains such as Cain, Korah, Doeg, Ahithophel, Gehazi, Absalom, Adonijah, Uzziah and Haman. However, he is also grouped with Job and Jethro since here was a wise Gentile to whom others came for counsel. Apostolic references to Bilam’s greed are found 2 Peter 2:14-16, Jude 1:11, Revelation 2:14. Other references to Bilam in the Tanach are found at: Deuteronomy 23:3-6; Joshua 13:15-23; 24:9-10; Nehemiah 13:1-3; and Micah 6:5. At the very least he is a man who was subverted by the

- 1 - lure of gain and wealth. What I am saying is that whether he is a man of God or not, the same result is true – you cannot curse what God has determined to bless. A quick side note here, without going into all of the foregoing reference to the rabbinic literature, the message of Peter concerning Bil'am is "loving the wages of unrighteousness," which was a basic teaching of the Sages, and chronicled in the , b. Sanhedrin 106a. The point being that, at least in this instance, the perception of Bilam is the same in both the Jewish world and that of the Apostles. However, we acknowledge that the Talmud is 500-600 years later than Peter. In 1967 a Dutch archaeological expedition, digging at Deir ʿAlla in an ancient delta formed by the juncture of the Jabbok and Jordan rivers, uncovered fragments of an inscription written on wall plaster inside an Iron Age II (900– 600 b.c.e) temple. On both stratigraphic and epigraphic grounds, the inscription has been dated to the eighth century. Its language, though originally thought to be Aramaic, is clearly a dialect of Hebrew, probably of that very region of Transjordan in which it was found. Judging by the curve of the fragments, the inscription was most likely written on a stele (pillar). And judging by the contents, it may have had something to do with the founding of a temple. The many lacunae and the questionable readings and renderings give some idea why the above translation is largely conjectural. Yet the following is clear. A seer named the son of Beor has a nocturnal vision in which the gods speak to him (1.1–2)—precisely the circumstances of Numbers 22:8–9,14–20. If this interpretation of the Deir ʿAlla inscription is correct, it has far-reaching implications for the biblical story of Balaam. First, it distinctly shows that the Balaam tradition was very much alive in the eighth century in a non-Israelite, Transjordanian community. Indeed, that it is situated just to the north of the biblical setting of the story may indicate as well that Balaam was not a Mesopotamian from the Euphrates (see the Comments to 22:5; 23:3) but an Aramean (23:7) or an Ammonite (23:5 Sam.), that is, from a nearby region. Moreover, Balaam is not introduced, implying that his name was well known. And furthermore, Balaam is presented as a seer, not as a sorcerer, in keeping with the biblical narrative (see Excursus 59). Equally significant is that Balaam is presented in a positive light, again in agreement with the main biblical story (but not with the ass episode; see Excursus 57). It has also been noted in Excursus 58 that the prophet Micah, also of the eighth century, holds a

- 2 - favorable opinion of Balaam. However, the accusation that Balaam devised the scheme to have the Moabite women seduce Israel into worshipping Baal-peor (Num. 31:16; see Excursus 58) may be traceable to Deir ʿAlla’s assertion that Balaam founded a pagan (fertility?) cult. This means that both views of Balaam, positive and negative, are contemporary. In fact, they must be older than the eighth century, since both Micah and Deir ʿAlla refer to the Balaam episode as having occurred long before. Thus we now have extrabiblical confirmation of the antiquity of the Balaam traditions.--JPS Torah Commentary, Excursus 60. The prospect of cursing another person, family, group, tribe or nation was well known in the Ancient Near East. The pagan nations believed in the power of sorcerers to be able to manipulate the gods, and to cast spells, and to curse other peoples. Scripturally, you can find the basic reference to Blessings and Cursings from God concerning Israel, found in Deuteronomy 28-30. However, you also find this ability in certain people. Eliyahu – when approached by the captain of the armies of Samaria, with his 50 men, Eliyahu called down fire from heaven and consumed him and his 50 men, :9-16. Paul, on his first missionary journey, when opposed by Elymas the magician, prayed and struck him with blindness, Acts 13:8-12. In Genesis 19:11, the Angels who went to remove Lot from Sodom struck the adversaries at the door with blindness. There are actually 7 oracles often called “The Bilam Oracles.” They make up the majority of chapters 22-24. The 7 oracles are laid out thusly: 1) Numbers 23:7-10; 2) 23:18-24; 3) 24:3-9; 4) 24:15-19; 5) 24:20; 6) 24:21-22; 7) 23-24. Each of the Oracles are poetic in form. When one place does not occasion a curse, Balak has Bilam move to a new location with the hopes that he will be able to curse them from there. In each case, Bilam pronounces a blessing, and in each case it is in the form of a poem, which celebrates the prosperity of Israel, either present or future. The big problem in our text is that on the one hand, Bilam seems to be involved in sorcery, while on the other hand he is engaged in conversation with God, and appears to submit to His demands. On top of this, God puts words into Bilam's mouth, much like He does for His own prophets. Yet in the end, Bilam gives counsel to Balak which brings about Israel’s demise. He is clearly the enemy of Israel! Tim Hegg had an interesting little commentary on Spiritual Warfare based upon this passage: We may also note several more subtle indications that Bilam is

- 3 - presented in our text as the messenger of Satan. First, in v. 6, Balak gives us apparently what was commonly known and asserted about Bilam: "For I know יָדַעְתִּ י אֵ ת) ".that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed This is clearly a reference to the words of (אֲשֶׁ ר־תְּבָרֵ ך מְ בֹרָ ך וַאֲשֶׁ ר תָּ אֹר יוּאָר HaShem to Abraham, found in Genesis 12:3: "And I will bless those who bless ( וַאֲבָרֲ כָה מְבָרְ כֶיך וּמְקַלֶּלְך אָאֹר) ".you, and the one who curses you, I will curse Here, the blessing and cursing is the work of HaShem. What characterizes HaSatan from the beginning is his desire to attribute to himself what can only be the work of the Almighty. Apparently Bilam had done the same thing. Secondly, Balak's message to Bilam, which he sent by the way of messengers, was this: Arar) them for me." But when Bilam reports Balak's' ,אָרַר) Come curse" qabav) them for ,קָבַב) message to God in v. 11, he changes the verb: "Come curse me." The verb qabav is not as strong as the verb originally used, 'arar. And in the Torah, every other use of the verb 'arar relates to God's actions, not man's. Again, in the Torah qabav is only used in the Bilam oracles, and appears always to have connection to the magical arts. Thirdly, in v. 12, God makes it clear to Bilam that the people of Israel are blessed, meaning that He has blessed them. As already noted, this hearkens back to the Abrahamic Covenant, and the divine purpose to bless the descendants of Abraham. Balak's request to Bilam is therefore construed in our text as a request to overcome the work of the Almighty. This likewise, is the strategy and purpose of Satan. Hegg went on to associate the approach to God by Bilam to be similar to the approach to the presence of God by Satan in the story of Job. Given permission or opportunity, it is obvious that Bilam would have cursed Israel so that Balak could destroy them. In like manner, Satan approached God (Job 1:6) and requested permission to afflict Job. Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; Revelation 12:10 “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. Thus, in the mysterious realm of spiritual warfare, Satan has an audience with the Almighty. Hegg further suggests that Bilam's knowledge of God is quite deficient. While he seems quite aware that there is an Almighty God, he has no knowledge of this Covenant People Israel, and merely speaks of a "people coming out of Egypt." At this point of world history, only Israel had received God's self revelation.

- 4 - Since he knows nothing about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then he must not know about this Covenant making and keeping God. Therefore the sacrifices of Bilam and Balak must have been pagan in origin. Concerning the Spiritual Warfare as revealed from these Bilam Oracles, Hegg makes the following statements: First, there have always been those who appear to have a connection with God, and who even appear to obey Him, who in fact are the enemies of God and His people. Bilam had no regard for God's ways or for His People. You cannot at the same time Love God and Hate His People. Second, since Bilam has no connection to God's people and their Covenant, he has no knowledge of the Torah. He has no knowledge of the Covenant Promise to Avraham, since he is trying to curse the very ones whom God has blessed. He may not have recognized this God as the Only True God, and seen Him as one of many. Thirdly, the enemies of God, including the demonic powers of a diviner, are limited. In our text, even the dumb donkey is more aware of the spiritual realities than this supposed diviner. Satan and his demons are not all knowing, nor all powerful, nor all present. They conduct their warfare by lies and deception. Israel is completely in the dark to this event. As long as they continue to obey God, and keep on following after Him, they have nothing to fear.--taken from Tim Hegg, Parashah 116. We are told in the beginning of our story, as noted in the beginning, that Israel, having defeated the one who defeated Moab, created a great fear and dread in the eyes and mind of Balak, King of Moab. His remarks to the Elders of Midian, is that this people will lick up everything around us like an ox licks up all the grass of the field. v. 4 – The Chumash explains that while Moab and Midian have been traditional enemies, that they banned together in order to fight against the threat of Israel. They feared Israel would uproot and utterly destroy them and everything in their path so that there would be no pasture left. Midian was a confederation of peoples (see the Comment to 10:29), and part of its people may have been ruled by the Moabite king. The fact that Midianites lived on Moabite soil is attested by Genesis 36:35. That the Midianite rulers are called “elders” rather than “royal officials” indicates that Midian was not a monarchy at this time as was Moab.--

- 5 - JPS Torah Commentary, p. 185. We find again and again, that the nations surrounding Israel, the various subgroups of the Islamic lands, continue to fight among themselves for supremacy, but can unite against the common foe of Israel and the United States. This should not surprise us as this was common in antiquity. Vv. 5-6 Balak sends to “the River” Pethor is Identified with Pitru on the Sajur River, a tributary of the Euphrates, some 20 kilometers (12 mi.) south of Carchemish. Targum Onkelos identifies the region as Aram, and this is confirmed by an Egyptian text that designates the area up to the Euphrates as Aram. Furthermore, the annals of Shalmaneser III indicate that in the tenth or the first half of the ninth century b.c.e. Pitru was in Aramean hands. If the identification is correct, then the journey from Pethor to Moab, a distance of about 640 kilometers (400 mi.) would have taken at least twenty days. And since the text records four such journeys, three months would have been occupied in traveling. Euphrates - Literally, the River, as in Genesis 31:21, Exodus 23:31, and Joshua 24:2.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 186. There is the use of the Hebrew idiom for an invading army, “they have covered the eye of the earth,” or "they have covered the surface of the earth." They are being compared to a plague of locusts, the customary simile for an invading army. Balak affirms a basic understanding of Bilam’s ability when he notes, “For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” These are attributes of God in Genesis 12:3, in Adonai’s promise to Avram. Satan is characterized by the desire to attribute to himself that which belongs only to Almighty God. Balak is seeking a military advantage in order to annihilate this enemy that, as he sees it, threatens to annihilate himself and all of his territory. to interpret dreams ,פָּתַר And the conjecture that the name Pethor is derived from (Gen. 41:8), and marks the place as a seat of the possessors of secret arts, is also in Aramaean; although there פָּתַר corresponds to פְּשַׁר more than doubtful, since can be no doubt that Pethor may have been a noted seat of Babylonian magi, since these wise men were accustomed to congregate in particular localities (cf. Strabo, xvi. 1, § 6, and Münter Relig. der Babyl. p. 86).--Keil & Delitzsch. Vv. 8-11 Bilam Asks Permission from God

- 6 - The interesting part of this exchange is that Bilam said to this entourage, wait while I seek the counsel of the LORD. Then Elohim came to him, and Bilam spoke to Elohim and Elohim to him. Thus he claimed to have the ear of the very God Moshe represented on the earth. God’s questions to Bilam are two fold. First, what is the purpose of these people coming to you? This is well established in the text, that the purpose is to curse Israel that they might be defeated by their enemies. Second, what is your purpose and intent in receiving them and your petitioning of Me? In other words, God already knows what these people are up to, and now is causing Bilam to consider his own motives. The Chumash, noting that the reference to the Midianites now disappears, conjectures that they had decided beforehand that if Bilam stalled, it would indicate that he was a fraud, so when he asked for a delay, they left (Rashi).--p. 156. If Balaam had been a true prophet and a faithful servant of Jehovah, he would at once have sent the messengers away and refused their request, as he must then have known that God would not curse His chosen people. But Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness. This corruptness of his heart obscured his mind, so that he turned to God not as a mere form, but with the intention and in the hope of obtaining the consent of God to his undertaking. And God came to him in the night, and made known His will. Whether it was through the medium of a dream or of a vision, is not recorded, as this was of no moment in relation to the subject in hand.--Keil & Delitzsch. Obviously, in our text, ADONAI has to inform this "prophet" that "this people" were a people blessed of God, and cannot be cursed. They have actually been blessed since the call of Avraham from Ur of the Chaldees. It would seem that Bilam was completely ignorant of the Chosen People, and God's covenant relationship with them. This seems to our minds to be an impossibility - that one could truly know God and yet be ignorant of His intent and purposes to make Himself known to the entire world through Israel and Jerusalem. v. 12 – 14 God responds, "Do Not Go!" First God says, You shall not go with them! You shall not curse them, for they are blessed! And then in v. 20 he permits him to go with them. There are two different Hebrew words used, with different connotations. First in v. 12 is the which has the connotation of full agreement as to , ִע ָמּ ֶ ֑הם ,Hebrew imahem

- 7 - purpose, which was forbidden to Bilam. Do not join them in their intentions and which refers to accompany someone on , ִא ָ֑תּם ,purposes. V. 20, the word is itah their journey with no agreement of purpose. This was permitted, with the restraint of speaking only what ADONAI permits him to speak.--The Chumash, p. 156. The seeming personal relationship with the personal name of God confuses at this point. V. 13 Bilam affirms that it is the Yod He Vav He that refuses to let him go with Barak’s entourage to curse Israel. Bilam refers to Him as ADONAI my God, v. 18; and 24:15-16, he describes himself as the oracle of God, one who knows the knowledge of the Most High, Who sees the vision of the Almighty, with his eyes uncovered. Joshua 13:22. This is often ,הַקּוֹסֵ֑ם ,Bilam is called “a diviner,” a haqoseim translated as "sorcerer." In Israel, sorcery (keshafim) is not only banned (Deut. 18:10) but punished with death (Exod. 22:17). Mesopotamian laws also hold that sorcery (kishpu) is a capital crime, but they refer to black magic, for example, hexing an individual and other such antisocial behavior. Bilam parallels the actions of HaSatan, the accuser of the brethren, Job 1:6, Revelation 12:10. It appears that Bilam knew God, but did not know Israel. The whole point of the founding of the nation of Israel, is that in order to know God you must know His Chosen People. Only to Israel had God so personally revealed Himself so as to call them out after Himself and had given them the Torah. God makes it clear to Bilam that the people of Israel are blessed because God had already blessed them. This itself takes us back to the covenant with Abraham and God’s intention to bless Israel and that all the world would be blessed through them, Genesis 27:33. Israel provided the means by which this One True God could be known, heard, understood and worshipped. The God of Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’akov would not receive just any kind of worship in any old way man wished to express it. Thus the sacrifices which Balaam required and Balak offered must have been pagan in origin, for they did not fit the Torah. What is to come will express his arrogant belief that he knew this One God as false. Vv. 15-17 Barak Increases the Pressure on Bilam The report that the emissaries brings back fails to mention anything of this relationship to God or any divine reason for not coming, perhaps they themselves believe that Bilam is bartering for an increase in fee. V. 15-17, Barak sends more

- 8 - and more important people to persuade him with the promise of riches if he will come and curse the nation of Israel. Vv. 18-20, Again Bilam retorts that he cannot do anything against lit. "the mouth of God," neither large nor small, no matter what the reward might be. However, he again asks them to spend the night so that he might receive word through dream or vision, and would seek God to see if He might change His mind. Now we begin to see something of the character of the man Bilam. Being a prophet of God, if that was indeed what he was, does not eliminate the normal temptations common to all men! This was most certainly true of Gehazi, the servant of , 2 Kings 5:20-27. Gehazi's punishment for his greed was to be afflicted with the leprosy that had afflicted Na'aman the Aramean. Vv. 18-20 God grants permission God grants Bilam permission to go with the men, but he is permitted to speak only that which God tells him to speak. When you speak Truth, you can do it in more ways than one. Some speak the Truth in order to hurt, to defeat or even to destroy. Lashon Hara, or evil speech does not have to be false in order to be evil, but have an evil intent. Bilam had an evil intent that ADONAI is about to reveal first of all to Bilam, but also to us. God came to Bilam in a dream. While this is not an unusual manner, we should note a more complete understanding of our terminology. We have God came to Bilam, God spoke to Bilam, and now God came to Bilam at night. Nowhere does the word "dream" appear, only the semblance of a dream for these encounters occurred at night. The same language is used for divine manifestations to non- Israelites, as in the case of Abimelech in Genesis 20:3 and of Laban in Genesis 31:24. It is never used with Israel’s prophets, an indication that Balaam is the recipient of an inferior theophany.--JPS Torah Commentary, p. 189. v. 21-30 Bilam and the Donkey This verse begins the little story of Bilam and the donkey, and the point is that God was angry with Bilam because he was going, 21-30. We had a little hint at Bilam’s greed when he went back to God about going with the emissaries from Barak after God had already told him, NO. 2 Peter 2:15, Shimon Kefa compared Bilam to those who loved the wages of unrighteousness. This donkey actually saved Bilam's life. The Angel of ADOANI stood in the path to prevent Bilam's progress in a state of defiance against God's command to not go which means ,שָׂטַן ,in order to curse Israel. The actual Hebrew word used is Satan

- 9 - "Adversary." Satan is often referred to or described as our Adversary. In this case, the word is used as an adjective to describe the role of the Angel of the LORD. The angel stands in the way three times and is seen three times by the donkey, which turns aside three times and is beaten three times by Bilam. The donkey speaks only twice; in the third and climactic instance it is replaced by the angel, who reproves Bilam in its stead. The goal of the episode is doubtless the humiliation of Bilam, evidenced by the strain of irony that runs through the entire pericope (and recognized by the midrash). Bilam, who desires to subdue Israel with words, cannot even subdue his ass with a stick. Bilam, who claims prophetic sight (24:4, 17), cannot see what his ass sees three times. Bilam, who claims prophetic speech since the Lord puts words into his mouth (22:38; 23:5, 12, 16), is now matched by his ass (v. 28). Bilam, who boasts that “his knowledge is from the Most High” (24:16), has to admit, “I did not know” (v. 34;). Bilam, who is the wisest of the wise, is bested in a verbal exchange with the most stupid of beasts (v. 30; Gen. R. 93:10; Num. R. 20:14). Bilam, who wishes to slay a whole people with his words, can only kill his ass with a sword (Num. R. 20:14). Bilam, who would slay his ass if only he could find a sword (v. 29), does not see the sword extended by the angel (v. 23). Thus “the ass in this episode plays the role of Bilam—beholding divine visions with eyes unveiled—to Bilam’s Balak.” In truth, Bilam is depicted on a level lower than his ass: more unseeing in his inability to detect the angel, more stupid in being defeated verbally by his ass, and more beastly in subduing it with his stick whereas it responds with tempered speech. The lampooning of Bilam, then, serves the purpose of downgrading his reputation. It aims to demonstrate that this heathen seer, who was intent on cursing Israel without God’s consent, is in reality a fool, a caricature of a seer, one outwitted even by his dumb beast. This image of Bilam—as wicked—is the one reflected in the later biblical and postbiblical literature. He is depicted as one whose Pharaonic malice toward Israel will be frustrated by Israel’s God as He transforms Bilam’s curses into blessings.--JPS Torah Commentary, Excursus 47, p. 476. The whole point of the story is that Bilam can do nothing apart from God’s will concerning Israel. He cannot change God’s mind and purpose to bless the Chosen People. He will not be enabled to speak for his own benefit, but for the glory of

- 10 - God and his chosen ones. That God caused a dumb animal to be able to speak His Words to Bilam were an ironic assault upon the one who professed to be a prophet of God. God would most certainly put into Bilam's mouth that which God intended him to speak. If he could implant His Words into the mouth of a donkey, He most certainly can implant His Words into the mouth of a man. It is not about the one who speaks, but rather about that which God wants spoken. In this case, it was all about the blessings of God upon Israel. The three times was an allusion to the future merit of Israel, which would protect it from the Balaams who wish it harm. Three times a year, for the three pilgrimage festivals of Pesach, Shavuot, and Succot, Jews would leave their fields and homes without protection and go to the Temple in Jerusalem. Did Balaam think that he could harm a people that had such faith in God?--The Chumash, p. 160. Vv. 31-35 God opens the Eyes of the Seer that he might truly See Adonai opens the eyes of the one whose eyes are open! This is a sarcastic revelation of just how impotent Bilam truly was. Bilam himself admits, “I did not know.” Here this seer, the knower of mysteries, and of things supernatural and spiritual, was unable to discern the presence of the Angel of the Lord standing in the way and preventing his journey to curse the Chosen People. This Angel of the Lord is none other than the pre-incarnate Yeshua, once again defending the people of God from their adversary. Elisha apparently could see the angels of God, if not all of the time, at least he was aware of their presence. For he prayed unto God to open the eyes of his servant, in order that he might see the mighty hand of God in behalf of Elisha, 2 Kings 6: 15-19. The Chumash noted that if Bilam were a true prophet, he would have been accustomed to seeing angels. While we do get that from this passage concerning Elisha, we don't necessarily get that sense from all the prophets. That Bilam said he was ready to turn back, he was sidestepping the truth (R' Hersh Goldwurm).--The Chumash, p. 162. The fact that the Angel of ADONAI withstood him three times, and the whole command is repeated that Bilam is to speak only that which ADONAI places in his mouth, begs the point that his heart was not right before God. We also note that ADONAI charged him to speak what God told him and no more, as if he had a choice in the matter. 1 Corinthians

- 11 - 14:31-33, Paul tells the Corinthians that the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet. That is, the prophet can withhold that which he has to say. The point is that sometimes, a man of God may speak something more than, or in addition to, what God has given him to speak. Or a man of God may not speak what God has told him to speak at all. There are times when a man of God is used of God without the man of God's approval, but most of the time, God works through a conscious, willing vessel. As it was a longing for wages and honour that had induced the soothsayer to undertake the journey, the nearer he came to his destination, under the guidance of the distinguished Moabitish ambassadors, the more was his mind occupied with the honours and riches in prospect; and so completely did they take possession of his heart, that he was in danger of casting to the winds the condition which had been imposed upon him by God. The wrath of God was kindled against this dangerous enemy of his soul; and as he was riding upon his as an“ ,לְשָׂטָ ן לוֹ ass with two attendants, the angel of the Lord stood in his way adversary to him,” i.e., to restrain him from advancing farther on a road that would inevitably lead him headlong into destruction (cf. v. 32).--Keil & Delitzsch. Vv. 36-40 First, Balak upbraids Bilam for not having come the first time, as if he did not have the power to enrich his life. Balak showed Bilam great honor in meeting him at the very border of the land of Moab. Again, Bilam responds that he can only say what God allows him to say. Then they prepare a sacrifice and a feast from the animals sacrificed as a peace offering. We should note however, that Bilam does not explain to Balak the opposition of God, neither at the first, nor on the journey with the incident of the donkey. His expressions are open ended, as if he still hoped to oblige Balak and enjoy the boun- ty of his service. The obvious point is the power to bless or to curse. However, Bilam acquiesces that he in and of himself is not able to speak anything at all. Per- haps the voice of the donkey still resounds in his mind, along with the rebuke of the Angel of the LORD. God has granted us the power of speech, the power of the tongue. With it we can bless or with it we can curse. There is no wonder so much is said about the use of the tongue by both James and Paul. James 3:1-10, James describes the tongue of a man as a source of both blessing and cursing from the same source, and declares this an evil. These things ought not so to be. It reveals a divided heart and mind.

- 12 - What God blesses no one can curse, and what God curses no one can bless. This is of course the bottom line of this passage of Scripture. We must speak in agreement with the present purposes and intentions of our God, and that requires a close abid- ing walk with Him. There are none of the typical 613 Mitzvot found in this passage.

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