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This week’s parasha is entitled Balak, the name of the King of Moab, which means “devastator” or “one who lays waste”. It takes us from Numbers Chapter 22: 2 through 25:9.
This parasha opens as Israel traveled to the Jordan Valley in Moab, where they camped near the Jordan River, across from Jericho. Israel’s tribes were arranged in a rectangular encampment. This camp was several miles wide in each direction, with the Tabernacle at its center.
Balak the king of Moab was so afraid of Israel after seeing how other nations were so easily defeated by them. Balak understood that Israel was far too powerful to be defeated militarily, so he devised a plan to have Israel cursed. The Moabites formed an alliance with Midian, and at the instigation of Balak, elders from the two nations were sent to a prophet named Balaam to induce him, by means of a bribe, to pronounce a curse on Israel.
Actually Balak had no reason to fear Israel because the Edomite, Moabite, Ammonite and the Midianite nations were distantly related to Israel through Abraham and Lot, In fact Adonai had explicitly told Moses that Israel was to avoid any harmful contact with them. So presumably these nations had nothing to fear from Israel.
Balak asked Balaam to come to Moab and curse Israel from a distance, so that the chosen nation would be weakened enough to be defeated. When Balaam first received the delegation sent to him he said they should spend the night there, while he sought to determine the will of the LORD.
Adonai said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed.” The next morning Balaam got up and said to the Elders, “Go back to your own country, because the LORD has refused to let me go with you.”
Having been turned down, Balak sent to Balaam a second delegation of princes – these were of higher rank. The message sent the second time was a stronger message. “Let nothing I beg you, hinder you from coming to me; for I will indeed honor you richly.” Implied was a bigger payment.
Balaam replied, “Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD.” This sounded noble and pious, and at first Balaam appears to be uninfluenced by worldly prosperity. But this would prove to be empty rhetoric.
He requested the committee to stay there overnight so he could get further instructions from God. This shows Balaam’s wickedness. He knew that Balak’s desire was to only curse Israel, and that Adonai had already made it clear that Israel must not be cursed because they were blessed. There was no need for Balaam to seek Adonai a second time.
God said to Balaam, “These men have come again to ask you to go with them. Rise up and go with them but only the word which I shall say to you, shall you speak.” God was testing Balaam (to reveal his heart) with this apparent permission to go. Tragically, Balaam failed the test.
The next morning, Balaam got up, put a saddle on his donkey and with Two of his servants went with the Moabite leaders. God was angry at Balaam for defying His will and allowing the love of money to control
The angel of the LORD stood in a path, blocking the Prophets way. His donkey saw the angel and tried to divert Balaam three times because of her fear of the angel. Each time Balaam beat his donkey, the first time the donkey detoured off the path to get away from the angel.
The second time it crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall in an attempt to avoid the angel.
The third time the donkey had nowhere to go, but simply lay down under the wicked prophet, unable to go any further because that fearsome angel blocked the way. “Notice” the descent into stupidity and blindness by this otherwise giftedprophet as he became clouded by greed and selfishness.
The Lord opened the mouth of the donkey and she asked Balaam,
What have I done to you, that you have beaten me these three times?” Balaam was angry and told the donkey that he struck her because she mocked him by her conduct. Balaam had wished a sword was in his hand, so that he could kill his donkey.
Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and Balaam saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, with his sword drawn. “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Your donkey turned from me… and had she not done so, surely I would have slain you and let her live.” The angel warned Balaam that he was rushing recklessly on a wicked path that could only lead to ruin.
Balaam offered to return home. Balaam words, “I have sinned,” were empty and hollow, and didn’t reveal a sincere repentance. Remember Pharaoh, King Saul, and Judas Iscariot also uttered these words but they also didn’t turn to Adonai for mercy.
The angel allowed Balaam to continue on his journey, but He cautioned him again to speak only the messages that he would give.
When Balak king of Moab finally met Balaam he scolded him for having taken so long in arriving.
Balak desperately wanted Israel cursed, but every time Balaam opened his mouth, God caused him to bless Israel instead.
Balaam made it clear that he could not curse Israel because God has blessed them.
Frustrated, Balak took Balaam to another place with a different viewpoint, hoping that from that location Balaam would be able to pronounce a curse.
Chapter 23
Opens with a second oracle: this time Balaam announces the amazing fact that Adonai sees no iniquity in Israel. That they had been delivered from Egypt by the blood of the Passover lamb, and that they were Adonai own purchased possession. By now, of course, Balak was furious, but he took Balaam for another look at Israel from a different vantage point.
In Balaam’s third vision, the seer declared that the Spirit of God came upon him and opened his eyes. This vision describes Israel enjoying her blessings in the Promised Land, with the other nations defeated.
This vision was more than Balak could bear. He threatened Balaam, hinting that the Lord” had kept him from receiving wealth and honor.
In chapter 24
Balaam is given the fourth and greatest of his prophecies, a vision of Messiah the King
In verse 17, he declares, “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 the heads of the Moabites, and tear down all the sons of Sheth.
There are probably two ways to look at this prophecy.
Certainly King David fits this description, since he did defeat the Moabites, Edomites, and other peoples. But the greater fulfillment is in Yeshua, the Messiah, the “Star of Jacob and Scepter of Israel.” In His days, Israel will have complete dominion over these lands and her enemies will be defeated.
These four oracles present a wonderful panorama of Israel’s history, all the way from their election as a nation to their exaltation in the Kingdom.
In a similar way, the New Covenant believer has also been chosen of God, justified, given a rich inheritance in Messiah, and promised a glorious future.
Had Balaam stopped there, he might have been safe, but wanting the riches and prestige that Balak promised, he suggested a plan to defeat Israel. The plan was simple: invite the Jewish men to share in the Moabite’s feast to Baal, and corrupt them with idolatry and lust. The rituals involved in Baal worship were highly sexualized, and Balaam knew that they would be tempted to join with the Moabite women. This is exactly what happened.
In fact, one Israeli man was cold-hearted enough to bring a Midianite woman into his tent, right in front of Moses and the whole assembly as they grieved.
We need to understand that what the armies of these nations could not do through force, their women accomplished through seduction. If Satan cannot overcome God’s people as a lion, then he’ll come as a serpent.
Aaron’s grandson Phinehas, was furious at this compromise with heathens, and zealous for the Lord’s honor, he took a stand for Adonai, and slew the Israeli man and Midianite woman. But by then a plague from Adonai had already taken 24,000 lives. This parasha ends tragically.
In these dark days, This fallin society would have us forsake our biblical morals. Ungodly leaders using abortion, homosexuality and other wick sins have set this nation on a collision course with the wrath God,.
Today we need more courageous men like Phinehas who will take a stand for righteousness and holiness. “Adonai” Please… Please’ give each of us the steadfastness, courage and zeal to live for you and to resist evil.