At 42, Ethan was a deacon at Grace Community Church, a husband to his wife Rachel, and father to three children. He worked as the finance director for a small Christian nonprofit that drilled clean-water wells in rural Africa. The salary wasn’t much, but the work felt like worship.
Lately, though, worship had been harder to feel. Tuition for the Christian school, a leaking roof, and Rachel’s medical bills had stacked up like unpaid invoices. Every month Ethan prayed the same prayer: “Lord, provide.” Every month the answer seemed to be “Wait.” Then Richard Kane called.
Richard was a major donor to the nonprofit—a sharp, silver-haired businessman who had made millions in commercial real estate. Over lunch at an expensive steakhouse, he leaned across the table.
“Ethan, I need someone I trust to handle the books on a new acquisition. My company is buying a smaller competitor. The numbers need to look… cleaner for the investors. We need a few small adjustments here and there. Do this quietly for me, and I’ll give you one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cash. No one will ever know.”
Ethan’s fork froze halfway to his mouth. One hundred and fifty thousand dollars would pay off their debt plus leave enough to finally breathe. He could pay the school in full, buy Rachel the treatment her insurance wouldn’t cover, and give more to the very missions he loved.
Richard smiled like a man who already knew the answer.
“Think about your family, Ethan. God gave you a brain for a reason. This is just smart business.”
Money can be a huge temptation. Money can very easily trick us into doing something wrong. The 22nd chapter of Numbers illustrates the correct attitude we should have when money tempts us to disobey God. It also illustrates half-hearted obedience.
The 21st chapter of Numbers records Israel’s travels and conquests on the east side of the Jordan River. After traveling past Edom and Moab on the east, Israel conquered the Amorites and Og of Bashan, taking control of a long swath of land on the east bank of the Jordan River.
Num. 22:2 ¶ And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
Num. 22:3 So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel.
Num. 22:4 Then Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this assembly will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
Moab reached out to Midian. Midian was roughly 150 miles / 250 km south of Moab. That would have been around a one-week journey.
Num. 22:5 So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are settled opposite me.
The pronoun “he” refers to Balak, king of Moab.
The term “the River” refers to the Euphrates River.
It was around 375 miles / 600 km from Moab to the Euphrates River. That journey would have taken 3-4 weeks.
Num. 22:6 So now, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to strike them down and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”
Num. 22:7 ¶ So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went away with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and spoke Balak’s words to him.
Don’t miss the phrase “fees for divination in their hand”. The elders took money to pay Balaam for his services.
Num. 22:8 And he said to them, “Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as Yahweh may speak to me.” And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam.
Num. 22:9 Then God came to Balaam and said, “Who are these men with you?”
Num. 22:10 And Balaam said to God, “Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me,
Num. 22:11 ‘Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.’”
Num. 22:12 And God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.”
Notice God’s command to Balaam. God told Balaam not to go. Furthermore, God told Balaam that the Israelites were blessed.
Num. 22:13 So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, “Go back to your land, for Yahweh has refused to allow me to go with you.”
Num. 22:14 And the leaders of Moab arose and came to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to go with us.”
Num. 22:15 ¶ Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more honorable than the former.
Take note of the phrase “more numerous and more honorable”. Balak was trying to appeal to Balaam’s vanity to get him to do what he wanted.
Num. 22:16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, ‘Let nothing, I beg you, withhold you from coming to me;
Num. 22:17 for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Please come then, curse this people for me.’”
Look at the words “honor you richly”. Balak offered Balaam a lot of money.
Num. 22:18 And Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, to trespass the command of Yahweh my God.
Ponder Balaam’s response. Balak offered Balaam a lot of money, but Balaam correctly responded that no amount of money could get him to disobey Yahweh.
There are times in life when we are tempted to disobey God for financial gain. However, we should have Balaam’s attitude that no amount of money can get us to disobey God.
Num. 22:19 So now, please, you also stay here tonight, and I will know what else Yahweh will speak to me.”
While we can commend Balaam’s determination to choose obedience over financial gain, Balaam’s response was also somewhat half-hearted because he did not immediately tell Balak’s messengers to go home. Balaam knew Israel was blessed and that he could never do what Balak wanted. Therefore, we can argue that Balaam should not have even asked God for further instructions.
Num. 22:20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do.”
While it appears Yahweh was willing to send Balaam to Balak, tomorrow we will see that Yahweh was not happy with Balaam.
Money is a huge temptation. Whenever financial gain tempts us to do something wrong, we should have Balaam’s attitude that no amount of money in the world can get us to go against God’s commands.
Thanks for visiting Bible Mountain. If you have already joined my email list, thank you and please tell others about Bible Mountain. If you have not joined my email list yet, please do so now. In order to join, go to BibleMountain.com, click on subscribe, and that will take you to a page where you can sign up. Your email address will not be sold nor given away. Once again, thanks for visiting Bible Mountain.
“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”