The Blessings and Curses of Balaam–A Magician with a Divided Heart

By Ariella Casey

Parshat Balak is chock-full of ideas and truths from which can be extracted important lessons. Here we will look at a few blessings and the wayward Balaam. 

Balaam

We have a pagan magician, Balaam, who apparently realizes that Israel’s God must be consulted before he can get away with pocketing the money from a bribe offered for cursing the people who have passed into the land of Moab. We note that Balak, the Midianite king, sends all the way to the Euphrates river to find Balaam and bring him to solve his problem–the problem of the Israelites (Hebrews at that time) who were in his land. Balaam was obviously a well known prophet, for the passage claims that he had fame of success in cursing or blessing whomever he wished. See Numbers 22:6.

But, realizing he could do nothing without some kind of spiritual permission, Balaam asks the messengers of Balak to wait until he spoke to God about it. At this time Balaam does the right thing, and we see him refuse the visitors and send them off the next morning. Balak sends other more important messengers with promises of riches and glory. This time he wavers, though he says he must ask permission, he already knows the answer, but he insists on asking Elohim for the right to go with the men. We see how greed works on his resolution to do what the Eternal told him at the beginning. 

Here is a fine example of when people rationalize that what God said really isn’t what He meant–That we can change things by excusing ourselves to Him.

 “Could I just have a little change in the rules? After all you know how I like those things!” Take a look at Lot after the destruction of Sodom when he pled with the Almighty to let him go to the small town of Zoar even though the instruction was to flee clear out of there. Lot ended up in a cave with his two daughters, and this is what engendered the people of Moab–the same ones we are talking about here. So Balaam made excuses so that he might find a way to get the money and fame. He became hardened in his path, playing both sides of the coin. And we see it as the story develops. 

Next is the episode of the ass and the angel. Balaam makes excuses to the Angel that he finally sees standing over him–excuses about beating his donkey. The beast was keeping him from going on to collect his reward. He is sternly warned by the Angel, but he continues in the way of his already corrupted heart. 

When he finds Balak, he tells him he can only say what is placed in his mouth. Numbers 22:38. Another excuse. In other words, “You see, I have come all this way and I really want to do this for you, but there is a Power greater than me that will not let me out of his control. I will do my best to please you!”

After eating a sumptuous steak dinner from the sacrifices Balak offers to his gods, Balaam goes to different places at the suggestion of Balak, thinking perhaps that the location may be hidden from the Eternal, and he can get away with cursing Israel. YHVH makes him into a laughingstock time after time because of his greed and unwillingness to walk away from temptation. After several sacrifices of seven bullocks and seven rams and efforts to curse Israel from different places, Balaam ends up blessing Israel to the extent that Balak orders him to go home! All he accomplished was to bless, which was the opposite of what was asked of him. 

Blessings

There were several significant blessings that Balaam pronounced upon Israel. And finally, a promise of a Redeemer that should arise at end times as a deliverer. 

Balaam said to Balak: “How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I denounce whom YHVH doth not denounce? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him:”
“Lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone and shall not be reckoned among the nations.”

This utterance was given as advice for Israel, advice which has rarely been followed: “not to be reckoned among the nations”. And we see the result time after time when Israel compromises to keep peace with the nations. We see it even now!

See (Num 23:5-12)

The next set of blessings were even stronger, and we think how wonderful it would have been if we had remained true to our covenant!

“He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen wrong in Israel; YHVH his God is with him, and the shout of a king is in his midst. God brought him out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a buffalo. For there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel. At this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! Lo, the people will rise up as a lioness, and lift himself up as a lion. He shall not lie down until he have eaten the prey and drunk the blood of the slain.” (Num 23:21-24)

And:

“How goodly are thy tents, Jacob, and thy tabernacles, Israel! Like valleys are they spread forth, like gardens by the riverside, Like aloe-trees whichYHVH hath planted, like cedars beside the waters. Water shall flow out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in great waters, And his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. God brought him out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of a buffalo. He shall consume the nations his enemies, and break their bones, and with his arrows shall smite them in pieces. He stooped, he lay down like a lion, and like a lioness: who will stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.” (Num 24:5-9)

So Balak becomes angry and orders Balaam to leave.

“And Balaam said to Balak, Did I not also speak to thy messengers whom thou sentest to me, saying, If Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the commandment of YHVH to do good or bad out of my heart: what YHVH shall say, that will I speak?” (Num 24:12-13)

Before Balaam leaves, he asks for Balak to listen one more time as he gives an end-time prophecy about Israel, one that we also should take to heart! Listen:

“I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not nigh: There cometh a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and he shall cut in pieces the corners of Moab, and destroy all the sons of tumult. And Edom shall be a possession, and Seir a possession, — they, his enemies; but Israel will do valiantly. And one out of Jacob shall have dominion, and will destroy out of the city what remaineth. And he saw Amalek, and took up his parable, and said, Amalek is the first of the nations, but his latter end shall be for destruction. And he saw the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Firm is thy dwelling-place, and thy nest fixed in the rock; But the Kenite shall be consumed, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive. And he took up his parable, and said, Alas! Who shall live when God doeth this? And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and afflict Asshur, and afflict Eber, and he also shall be for destruction.” (Num 24:17-24).

In Summary, it appears that Balaam was of a divided heart. He wanted money and fame, but at the same time he was swayed by the words of Elohim. When under the power of Elohim, he did well, but when the Spirit was lifted from him, he was another person all together. 

After that, even though Balaam is not mentioned in the connecting story, it was he who suggested that the Midianite girls go into the camp of Israel to seduce the men and induce them to worship their gods. This is born out later in the battle against Midian when Moses declared:

“Lo, these, through the counsel of Balaam, caused the children of Israel to commit sin against YHVH in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague on the assembly of YHVH.” (Num 31:16)

I can imagine that Balaam got his money after all! But the reward did not last long, for he was killed in the ensuing battle with Midian. 

Stay tuned! Next week we shall learn about Pinchas who killed a tribal leader who took one of these girls into a tent!