He is like a daredevil, like Evel Knievel, who without thought or fear, endangers his and others' lives for his own selfish purposes. It soon becomes apparent which direction we are going, which path we are taking. A truly righteous individual would never even think of causing others to sin. Peter puts it plainly: Balaam was insanehe was totally willing to oppose God Himself. All of this could have been avoided with a little bit of communication between Balak (the Devastator) and Moses. Can't you see Me working?" Now bear in mind, first, that Balaam is no impostor or magician. [7] Translation by Jacob Milgrom, Numbers: The Traditional Hebrew Text With the New JPS Translation (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1990), 474. He was considered by them to be a diviner or soothsayer of considerable power. ( Num 24:1) He seems to know nothing of Moses and the Israelites. Then God opens Balaams eyes, and he sees the angel in the road, sword drawn. [3] If this is correct, we ought to translate our verse as El brought them/him out of Egypt; like the horns of a wild ox does he have! Particularly noteworthy is the fact that Els general epithet was Bull., The Bible itself repeatedly demonstrates that ancient Israelites either acknowledged the existence of, or outright worshipped, more than one god/God, and that, eventually, some of these gods coalesced in the minds of the Israelites into the one God of Israel familiar from the Bible and later Judaism.[4]. A false prophet. In verse 18, he says, "I cannot go beyond the Word of the LORD my God to do less or more." "In the morning Balaam reluctantly dismissed the messengers, but he did not tell them what the Lord had said. Balak took gold and went to hire the best curser in the known world. Perhaps he thought, "Well, I've talked to her enough. Nicolaitanism Today. God gave Balaam an unmistakable sign. If thats true, Balaam would have known that God had promised Abraham to bless these people: I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse (Gen. 12:3). In fact, one branch of Christianity in particularcalled Protestantismwas founded on this formula. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. Revelation 2:6 declares, "But this you [the Ephesian church] have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." 23:22; repeated in Num. For instance, Luke means "white," and any spiritual connotation it has to him or his work is pure conjecture. As a result of their sin, the men of Israel were judged by God. Christ implies that all three are the same basic heresy under different guises. ." The Israelites had spent all this time coming out of Egypt, wandering from camp to camp, sometimes staying quite long in one place and perhaps just a night in another, moving again, sometimes coming back to stay at a place where they had been then moving onward again. The incident with the donkey and the angel left Balaam without any excuse for continuing to compromise with Balak's wishes, God judged Balaam worthy of death. And this made him thoroughly evil. Balaam pronounces Israel safe. Yet, the dumb donkey, a lowly beast of burden, saw God at work and deferred to Him, and by its submission, the donkey made it possible for "blind" Balaam to see (compare Isaiah 42:18-20; Matthew 11:5; Luke 4:18; John 9:39-41; Revelation 3:17-18). [1] Richard Elliot Friedman, Who Wrote the Bible? He would also go up Mount Nebo and view the land Israel was to inherit (Deuteronomy 32:48-52). What was Jesus message to the church in Pergamum in Revelation? Balak tries again, taking Balaam to a field atop Mount Pisgah, where he could see only the outermost part of the camp (Numbers 23:13). It is an important part of his character. But they did not! (Note that Jewish tradition does not see sorcery as inherently evil or forbidden to non-Jews.). The first is that Balaam, a confirmed polytheist, knew of the true God by reputation (whether by His works on Israel's behalf in Egyptsee Joshua 2:8-11or from local folklore, as the cities of Haran and Nahor, associated with Abraham, were located nearby) and professed devotion to Him to enhance his chances of receiving an oracle. Farewell. Oops! All he is thinking about is, "What am I going to do when I get to Balak? Today, we are bombarded on every side with sex. The Israelites had marched right along their northern border, opposite Jericho. He should have said, "Go back to your master!" He is a wise man, and a prophet of God. What does God do? Tap the title above, next to the arrow, to go to thatlesson with a link back to thispage. He was putting on his diviner's hat and doing a little acting here. It is noteworthy that Balaam refers to God using the personal name Yahweh, instead of the more generic term "God," Hebrew Elohim (compare 22:13). ", God says to Balaam, "Your way is headlong and reckless before Me. His father's name, Beor, means "burning," another allusion to destruction. In both of the first two prophecies is an interesting phrase: "God [or, the LORD]met Balaam" (verses 4, 16). He ignored the conditions God placed on his liberty. A Man Who Resisted God's Will Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY Such a person is willing to cheat on his income tax, when he knows the eighth commandment says, "You shall not steal." What does it mean to have left your first love (Revelation 2:4). It is found in Numbers 22,23,24. He did not believe God. Balaam replies, "Oh. Nonetheless, we still have things we can learn about God, and about ourselves, as we pause to consider how our forebears in Israelite antiquity imaged God, and we can appreciate the ingenuity that they brought to their efforts to understand God, to worship God and to describe God. (Psalm 141:8-10). God does not come out against Balaam as a normal enemy wouldto do him harmbut to turn him around and give him a chance to repent. [3] How is the divine name El being used in the Balaam orations? He certainly knew about Israel, about Israel's God, and what He had done miraculously for Israel for forty years. What Does It Mean to Be "Spiritually Blind"? But Balaam, intent on his assignment, doesnt notice the angel. prove this assumption faulty. Enticing others to sin will be the death of something. Notice the next verses: The LORD delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. I'm just a poor, ignorant person." Chosen by God: The Story of David and His Divine Appointment as King, The Secrets Behind Adams Incredible Lifespan, An Exploration Into the Lives of Bible Characters Who Showed Love, How Did Hezekiah Die? Truly, grace is a wonderful thing. God also counselled the nations in that land through prophets such as Balaam (Deuteronomy 1-34). We do not know how he came to be regarded as a prophet or a man with spiritual powers, but king Balak certainly knew Balaam's reputation. Note: "In the night season the angel of God came to Balaam with the message, 'Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed' (Numbers 22:12). What will happen to such lawless people? Proverbs 22:3 says, "A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished." Is such a position tenable, given the text of that verse? Wasn't it Balaam who was led by the Spirit to prophecy blessings over Israel? Rabbi Robert Harris is professor of Bible at The Jewish Theological Seminary, teaching courses in biblical literature and commentary, particularly medieval Jewish biblical exegesis. Balaam himself, biblical historians believe, descended from a line of diviners whose reputation for cursing had spread over the whole region. Instead, Balak makes some sort of alliance with the Midianites, who, as the book of Judges details, became a thorn in Israel's side. In this case, Judah stands for the whole nation (as it later came to rule all Israel in David). He is more concerned about the antinomian spirit, the attitude of lawlessness, that allows these sins to infest the church. In Revelation 2:14, within the comments to the seven churches, we find this problem still haunting the church. I am thankful that God gives grace and that he works through sinful people. I know God will let me do it because I'm just a wonderful negotiator, and that's just the way it is. There are several verses in the Bible that say, "Who are we before God?" All rights reserved. This is exactly what the donkey is trying to do, but what does Balaam do? In today's lingo, we would call Balaam totally materialistic. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. Faith holds sway in the castle of the believers heart, but it is always under attack. Is it not self-interest above what's in God's interest? She blogs atliamartinwriting.com. I'm taking my shingle down. The doctrines of Balaam are in their congregation, as well as the doctrines of the Nicolaitans. Remarkably, the ancient texts depict a prophet very similar to the biblical figure from our Torah portion: The similarity between the above and some of the key lines that introduce Balaams prophecies in the parasha are striking: Both the ancient inscriptions and the Book of Numbers regard the figure of Balaam as a messenger of the god El. (I John 2:3-4), Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. Causing others to sin can sever relationships, especially with God. But instead he says, "Why don't you stay the night? By putting together different parts of the Bible on him, Balaam comes out smelling like manure, not roses. He catches us in a place where we can turn around and gives us an opportunity to make a right decision. In this message there is mention of Balaam. Who was Balaam in the Bible? - CompellingTruth.org In this account, the voice of God comes through a donkey to convict Balaam of how his desire for prize money was blinding him, and separating him from the work God had called him toward. God gave conditional permission. He gets him to the point where there is only plunging on to destruction on one hand, and on the other, stopping and retracing his steps to where he can head in the right direction. This was a train of people that stretched for miles! Further, the Bible never calls him a "prophet" or "seer" as it does true prophets of God, but it names him a "soothsayer" (Joshua 13:22; see Isaiah 3:2, where "diviner" is antithetical to "prophet"). Did Balaam's donkey really talk to him? | GotQuestions.org Balaam rode his donkey along with the Moabites to go curse the Israelites. The soothsayer reminds him that he warned him from the start that he "could not go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of [his] own will; but what the LORD says, that [he] must speak" (Numbers 24:13). The princes certainly do not want Balak angry at them because they failed in their mission, and Balaam did not want to tell the princes all that God had said to him because he wants them to come back with more money. The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. It is difficult to decide which of these two characters is more ludicrous: Balaam, for thinking that God would give in and let him curse Israelor at least put in a good word for Moab; or Balak, for listening to and putting up with Balaam! It may refer to a tyrant or despot, but it can just as easily speak of a popular hero. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. The book of Numbers says Balaam practiced divination and was certainly a wicked man, worshiping idols. They were finally prepared to enter the Promised Land, and they camped at the border of Politics makes strange bedfellows Moab. This question is not just about Balaams prophetic abilities, but also about the nature of Gods revelation and communication with humanity. However, this is just conjecture. What the Bible says about Balaam - Bible Tools Balaam: A Case Study in True Prophecy | Reform Judaism Balaam and the End-Time Church (Part 1). | The Hub People then had the same human nature as people do now, and they wanted the best of both worlds. He had set himself up as an enemy of God, and he never turns himself around. For, as the verse goes on to say, He is with Israel as their King! Characters. I'm here! Happy in their last end. Sure, Balaam uttered a blessing instead of a curse, but only because God gave him no option. Jesus says, "[God's] word is truth" (John 17:17). The name of a Parshah is generally based on its first words, and therefore this Parshah is called " Parshat Balak," but the truth is that it should be called Parshat Balaam.Without a doubt, Balaam is the hero of the Parshah, all of which revolves around his personality and actions. He was not insane in the sense that he needed to be locked in a mental facility, but he was insane in his willingness to fight the Maker and Ruler of the entire universe! There was nothing else he could do but to send them away. (I Peter 2:15-16). Balaams knowledge of God was primarily through divine encounters. He loved the wages of unrighteousness. "Pethor" has made some historians wonder, but they think they know where it is. MT+SP=LXX. If we try to change God's will on some matter that He has clearly shown us, we are saying, "I am God, not You." Returning to the character of Balaam, this figure is not only a character in the Bible but is known from extra-biblical literature as well, specifically in what are known as the Deir Alla inscriptions. The Founding of Israels Judicial System, How Many Trumpet Blasts to Travel? His story is a testament to Gods sovereignty and His ability to communicate with individuals outside the Abrahamic lineage. Campuses in Arlington Heights, Barrington, Itasca, Marengo, Northfield, and Vernon Hills. There are millions of people in the world like this. [12] People tend to describe God in whatever way resonates with them most deeply. AgainBalaam exacts his frustration by beating the poor donkey. Come and put a curse on these people for me (Numbers 22:16-17). Rather, when our needs are greatest, we typically think of God in more descriptive or passionate terms: When we feel our most passionate about prayer, we more naturally gravitate towards thinking about God in more compassionate, and less philosophical, terms despite any consideration of theological truths. Notice His warnings to Pergamos and Thyatira: Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. It is precipitant." I think this is an amazing story of what we should do. Happy in their numbers, which made them both honourable and formidable. . He wants us to learn to submit to authority, especially to God's. Although prior studies on this phenomenon had been done, the church's interest in Nicolaitanism coincided with the breakup and scattering of the church in the early 1990s. Although Balaam lived among idolaters, he professed great knowledge of God. Another idea that surfaces here is that he thought he could manipulate God. This brings out his major flaw, one that many in the world also have. Balaam is an illustration of a person who has access to the truthlike a person who reads the Bible all the timebut never obeys it! The Prophecies of Balaam (Part One). Balak said as much when he summoned Balaam to curse the Israelites (Numbers 22:6). We are the clayHe is the Potter! Balaam {Nave's}. It challenges the notion that Gods revelation is exclusive to a particular group of people. However, the engagement at Megiddo stalled Necho long enough for the Babylonians to defeat the Assyrians, probably near Haran where Abraham had lived for a whilewhere Terah, Abraham's father, died. While we have long passed the time when we would consider praying to El as a separate divine entity, the imagery associated with God in these prayers resonates much more with the mythic descriptions of El than they do with Maimonides dispassionate descriptions of an unmoved mover. Balaam and the End-Time Church (Part 2). He tuned out the part that began with if. Because of this, Balaam tells Balaks officials that the Lord will not allow him to go with them. God responds emphatically, "No! Balaam is known as a powerful diviner, so Balak asks him: A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the land and have settled next to me. She speaks, and he answers! Was the "Agag" of Num. Nevertheless, it is doubtful that many of us would pray using them, especially in an hour of great need or trauma. Consider I Peter 2 in terms of what Balaam did. From James Prictchard,Ancient Near Eastern Pictures Relating to the Old Testament(1969). In effect, God is saying, "Balaam is going to do what he wants to do, and I'm not going to stand in his way because he's set his mind on destruction." What about his life between this particular time and his own death? That is what Balaam did. The Moabites ended up acting upon what was essentially a figment of their imaginations. Both Peter and Jude describe him as the personification of greed in using religion for personal gain (II Peter 2:15; Jude 11). And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur. If the saints did not exist, there would be no world. Thus, Nicolaitanism and Balaamism are biblical symbols or representatives of the larger Gnostic, antinomian influence on Christianity. Abraham, a direct descendant of Shem, had given up a great deal to follow God's calling, and had come through the area where Balaam and his family lived. A vast army was camped on the borders of his territory. script>. We have two choices. God was longsuffering to Balaam. Lets look at what is declared in Deuteronomy, after God holds his blessing on the Israelites firmdespite the desires of Balak and Balaam. They fail to make him wonder what is going on. He knew what was right, but would not take the responsibility to do it. They had made it all up in their own heads; their fears were figments of their imagination. Numbers 22 consists of Balak's delegation, Balaam's response, the trip to Moabduring which the Angel of the Lord blocks his path three times and Balaam's donkey speaksand Balak's reception of the diviner at the border. As we reflect on Balaams story, let us remember the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:14 (NKJV): For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.. However, Balaam's heart was not right with God, and eventually he showed his true colors by betraying Israel and leading them astray. However, the Council enjoins the Gentiles on four points of typical Gentile religious practice: For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. God continuously warns Balaam, "Do not go beyond what I tell you to do," and every time, Balaam tries to anyway.
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