NUMBERS 22:1-20 SAVED? OR LOST? BALAAM: WAS HE A PROPHET OF GOD? “The people of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many. Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. And Moab said to the elders of Midian, ‘This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.’ So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, ‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.’ “So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message. And he said to them, ‘Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the Lord speaks to me.’ So the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. And God came to Balaam and said, ‘Who are these men with you?’ And Balaam said to God, ‘Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now come, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.”’ God said to Balaam, ‘You shall not go with them. You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.’ So Balaam rose in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, ‘Go to your own land, for the Lord has refused to let me go with you.’ So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak and said, ‘Balaam refuses to come with us.’ “Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. And they came to Balaam and said to him, ‘Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: “Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.”’ But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, ‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord my God to do less or more. So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will say to me.’ And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, ‘If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.'1 ike smoke drifting before a forest fire, Balaam wafts through the pages of Scripture. The New Testament invokes his name several times. Never does the sacred page speak of L Balaam in a positive manner. For instance, in the General Epistles, we read a censure delivered both by Peter and by Jude. In his Second Letter to Jewish believers scattered in the Diaspora, Peter writes of false teachers, “Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness” [2 PETER 2:15, 16]. 1 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Good News Publishers, 2001. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NUMBERS 22:1-20 SAVED? OR LOST? BALAAM: WAS HE A PROPHET OF GOD? Jude delivers a similar censure against individuals who even then threatened the Faith. The Lord’s brother wrote, “Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion” [JUDE 11]. One other reference to Balaam is found in the New Testament. The Risen Lord delivers a stern message to the Church then located in Pergamum. He instructed John to warn that congregation, “I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality” [REVELATION 2:14]. None of these references are positive; each leaves the distinct possibility that Balaam is forever marked as a man divinely cursed. His life serves as a warning against setting oneself in opposition to God’s people. These statements against Balaam reveal that He “loved gain from wrongdoing” and that he counselled the wicked in how they could trip up the faithful. Assuredly, these are dark blots staining the life of the mad prophet. In similar manner, the writings of the Old Testament likewise do not present Balaam in a positive light. He is named in a few Old Testament books where we learn something of his character.2 The later Old Testament references demonstrate that Balaam was hired to curse the people of God [see DEUTERONOMY 23:4, 5; JOSHUA 24:9, 10; NEHEMIAH 13:2]. The actions that brought Balaam into opposition against God are recorded in CHAPTERS 22, 23 and 24 of the Book of NUMBERS. With the exception of a summary statement provided in NUMBERS 31:8, Balaam is named fifty-two times in the Book of Numbers and he is referred to well over two hundred times in this Book. Obviously, if we wish to know who Balaam was and why he is such a negative example in the remainder of the Word, we must review these three chapters of Numbers. The question to explore in this message is whether Balaam was saved or lost. In studying his life and death, perhaps we can draw precepts that will warn those who think to set themselves against God and His people. Perhaps we will take to heart the warning against presumptive sin that leads even believers into opposing God and His work. BALAAM— PROPHET OF GOD? OR CHARLATAN? – Who is Balaam? We know little of him before he is introduced in the text for today’s study. There are a few aspects concerning his life suggested in Scripture that may help us understand who he was. Balaam was a diviner with some renown in the ancient world during the days of Israel’s wilderness wanderings. This brings up a significant issue that must be addressed in order to understand who Balaam might be. Balaam is nowhere identified either as a prophet (nāḇîʾ) or as a seer (either ḥōze or rōʾe); he is a diviner (qôsēm)—one who divined the will of the gods through manipulative means and he is identified as such in JOSHUA 13:22. A diviner plied his calling for money. Drugs, music and emotional frenzy were the stock in trade of the diviner as he or she sought to imply discovery of the will of the gods. The diviner would resort to sorcery, augurs or omens as evident from this verse: Balaam “did not go, as at other times, to look for omens” [NUMBERS 24:1]. We are introduced to this man as “Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw” [NUMBERS 22:5]. Pethor has been identified with Pedru listed in the topographical lists of the Egyptian king Thutmose III and with Pitru, a city listed in the military itinerary of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III. The city is traditionally identified with Tell el-Ahmar on the west bank of the Euphrates River.3 2 See DEUTERONOMY 23:4, 5; JOSHUA 13:22; 24:9, 10; NEHEMIAH 13:2; MICAH 6:5 3 M. W. Chavalas, “Balaam,” Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch (InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL 2003) 77 Page 2 of 9 NUMBERS 22:1-20 SAVED? OR LOST? BALAAM: WAS HE A PROPHET OF GOD? It is not possible to say how Balaam became acquainted with the LORD God or with God’s covenants with Israel. That Balaam was familiar with the Name of the LORD God is obvious from his response to Balak’s messengers. Balaam responded to the messengers’ invitation, “Lodge here tonight, and I will bring back word to you, as the LORD speaks to me” [NUMBERS 22:8]. It should surprise no one that when Balaam attempted to employ magical arts against Israel, he was thrown into conflict with the Living God. Consequently, the diviner would find himself under the control of Yahweh—the LORD God, Who debarred him from attempting to pronounce a curse against God’s chosen people. In fact, even before leaving Pethor, Balaam had to seek God’s permission even to accompany Balak’s emissaries [see NUMBERS 22:7-20]. When Balaam at last arrived and Balak pleaded with him to curse Israel, Balaam was quite circumspect in his response.