Marcus knew it was wrong. He sat in his truck outside the diner, engine idling, staring at the glowing sign of Harlan Construction across the street. The company had underbid him on three jobs in the last year. Marcus’s own crew was down to four men. He wanted Harlan Construction out of business.
He knew that actively destroying another man’s livelihood is wrong. Sabotage, lies, and anonymous complaints are in the same category as stealing or bearing false witness. Marcus had never been a churchgoer, but he had a clear enough sense of right and wrong that he could feel the line he was standing on. He decided he would not cross it. Instead, he would stand just behind it and let someone else step over.
That evening he met with an old subcontractor named Ray, a man who had worked for both Marcus and Harlan over the years and had a well-known habit of talking too much after a couple of beers. Marcus also knew Ray had a beef with Harlan. They met at a bar Marcus rarely visited. Marcus bought the first round and let the conversation drift naturally to work. After the second round, he mentioned, almost casually, that he’d heard Harlan was using cheaper rebar on the new municipal building. He didn’t say he had proof. He didn’t say he wanted anything done. He simply said it like a man venting about the industry.
Ray nodded, drank, and changed the subject. Two days later Marcus heard through the grapevine that someone had called the city inspector’s office with “concerns” that Harlan was cutting corners on the project. The call wasn’t traced to Marcus. It wasn’t even traced to Ray.
A few days later, more rumors were flying around the industry that Harlan was cheating. Harlan’s bonding company got nervous. When the big hospital renovation contract came up for bid, Harlan was suddenly viewed as risky. Marcus’s bid came in second on price but first on “reliability.” Marcus got the job.
Humans are creative people. Sometimes we use our creativity to do something wrong, but we do it in a way so as to pretend we did not do anything wrong.
We will learn today that this is what Balaam did. Yahweh did not allow Balaam to curse Israel, but Balaam figured out a way to harm Israel without cursing them. The New Testament statements about Balaam warn us that we should not imitate Balaam’s duplicity.
Balak was the king of Moab. He was afraid of Israel and summoned Balaam to curse Israel. However, the word Yahweh gave to Balaam about Israel was a blessing, not a curse.
Num. 24:10 ¶ Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have blessed them repeatedly these three times!
Num. 24:11 So now, flee to your place. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, Yahweh has held you back from honor.”
Num. 24:12 And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you had sent to me, saying,
Num. 24:13 ‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything to trespass the command of Yahweh, either good or bad, of my own accord. What Yahweh speaks, that I will speak’?
At this point it sounds like Balaam was a faithful follower of Yahweh, willing to obey Yahweh in everything. Even though Balak had offered Balaam a lot of money to curse Israel, Balaam refused to disobey Yahweh.
Num. 24:14 So now, behold, I am going to my people; come, and I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the last days.”
Num. 24:15 ¶ Then he took up his discourse and said,
“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,
And the oracle of the man whose eye is uncovered,
Num. 24:16 The oracle of him who hears the words of God,
And knows the knowledge of the Most High,
Who beholds the vision of the Almighty,
Falling down, yet having his eyes opened.
Balaam claimed to be a prophet of Yahweh. That was a true claim.
Num. 24:17 I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
A star shall come forth from Jacob,
A scepter shall rise from Israel,
And shall crush through the forehead of Moab,
And tear down all the sons of Sheth.
The word “scepter” indicates a ruler. Balaam foretold that a king would arise from Jacob. This may refer to David. 2 Samuel 8:2 tells us David defeated the Moabites.
The name “Sheth” is the same Hebrew name as Adam’s son Seth. Noah was a descendant of Seth. Therefore, every human who has ever been born after the flood is a descendant of Seth. The fact that the star from Jacob will tear down all humans indicates the star from Jacob is Jesus.
Num. 24:18 And Edom shall be a possession,
Seir, its enemies, also will be a possession,
While Israel performs valiantly.
Num. 24:19 And one from Jacob shall have dominion,
And will make the survivor perish from the city.”
Num. 24:20 ¶ Then he looked at Amalek and took up his discourse and said,
“Amalek was the first of the nations,
But his end shall be destruction.”
Num. 24:21 ¶ Then he looked at the Kenite and took up his discourse and said,
“Your habitation is enduring,
And your nest is set in the cliff.
Moses’ father-in-law was a Kenite (see Judges 1:16). Perhaps Balaam was referring to the relatives of Moses who were traveling with the Israelites (see Numbers 10:29-32).
Num. 24:22 Nevertheless Kain will be consumed;
How long will Asshur keep you captive?”
Asshur was a city in the Mesopotamian Valley, a city which eventually became the Assyrian Empire.
Num. 24:23 ¶ Then he took up his discourse and said,
“Woe, who can live except when God has ordained it?
Num. 24:24 But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim,
And they shall afflict Asshur and will afflict Eber;
So they also will come to destruction.”
Num. 24:25 ¶ Then Balaam arose and went and returned to his place, and Balak also went his way.
This appears to be the end of Balaam’s story.
Num. 25:1 ¶ And Israel remained at Shittim, and the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab.
Num. 25:2 Indeed they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.
Num. 25:3 So Israel joined themselves to Baal of Peor, and the anger of Yahweh burned against Israel.
Notice the name “Peor”. Later, we will read in the book of Numbers that Balaam is the one who suggested that the way to defeat Israel was to get them to play the harlot with Baal (see Numbers 31:16).
Num. 25:4 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all who are the heads of the people and execute them in broad daylight before Yahweh, so that the burning anger of Yahweh may turn away from Israel.”
Num. 25:5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who have joined themselves to Baal of Peor.”
Num. 25:6 ¶ Then behold, one of the sons of Israel came and brought near to his brothers a Midianite woman, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, while they were weeping at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
Num. 25:7 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, so he arose from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand,
Num. 25:8 and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and pierced both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through the body. Then the plague on the sons of Israel was checked.
Num. 25:9 So those who died by the plague were 24,000.
Balaam wanted the money that Balak was offering, but Balaam knew he could not curse Israel if Yahweh did not allow him to do so. Instead, Balaam figured out a way to harm Israel without actually cursing them. The Bible doesn’t tell us if Balak paid Balaam for this advice, but it is quite possible he did so.
The New Testament does not speak highly of Balaam. Peter criticized him for loving the wages of unrighteousness (see 2 Peter 2:15). The book of Revelation uses the term “teaching of Balaam” as a criticism. This is a warning to us that we should not use other people to accomplish something we know is wrong so that we can pretend we are not disobeying God.
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“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.”