The children of Israel had 603,000 men of war in their army walking through the wilderness of the land for 40 years before entering the promised land.
God was leading them from place to place and the people of those lands heard about them and were very afraid of them.
Numbers 22
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me: 6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land: for I wot (know) that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
(What
is it that these men are here with you? A negative statement from
God. What are you doing being with this type of person?)
10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,
11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
13 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak, Get you into your land: for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.
The men returned to their land and their king, Balak, and told him Balaam refused to go with them.
But Balak didn't give up and sent even more honorable men with rewards to Balaam.
In
his heart Balaam had a desire for the rewards that the king could give
him and he shows his lust through the next things he did.
Balaam decided to ask God again if he could go with the king's men.
What did God say the first time Balaam asked this of God?
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.
This should have ended the matter with Balaam.
Keep the Word from God in front of you and go forward doing that word and being led by that word.
How could you want to curse people who are blessed?
(You
are sure to lose doing that! You will bring curses upon yourself doing
that. And why would you even want to do that, setting yourself with
enemies of God and setting yourself against God and HIS people?)
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Numbers 22
18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
That should have ended the matter. Balaam should have refused to be around these men further and should have sent them away.
21 And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
(But instead Balaam said:)
19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.
(Such a bad idea to ask God again if he can go curse the children of Israel! If you keep on at God, HE might turn you lose to pursue your own desires.)
20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him.
20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him.
Why would God be angry? God told him to go. This was a type of test to view the true heart of Balaam who lusted for the reward of man.
When
God revealed these people were blessed of God, Balaam should have
restrained himself and refused to go against them in any way knowing now
they are blessed of God.
But Balaam coveted reward from the worldly king.
Let us set our heart as Abraham did when the king of Sodom offered him reward:
Genesis 14
22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the possessor of heaven and earth,
23 That I will not take from a thread even to a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
We should set our hearts wanting our "wealth" to come from God only ... and wanting our praise to come from God in matters pertaining to this life.
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