THE PEOPLE SHALL DWELL ALONE. Numbers 23 Some have wondered how Balaam's prophecies made their way into the Hebrew scriptures of the Pentateuch. In the Middle East, it was common to record important events and teachings in both oral and written forms. This practice existed long before written communication was developed in Europe. The Israelites knew the taunt-song of the Amorites [Num.21:27-30] when they confronted them. There were both oral and written communications among the people living in that region.
Yet more importantly, the Holy Spirit of God gave Moses information about the conversations between Balaam and Balak so that they would be recorded for God's people. They understood how the idolaters would perceive them. From that high place where Balaam, Balak, and their attendants stood, the orderliness of the camp, the Tabernacle at its center, and the cloud and pillar of fire would impress onlookers that they faced more than they realized. This was no ordinary group of nomads passing through. Dealing with such a God, who had assigned each tribe to a specific area marked by a banner, and with visible signs of God's presence over the Tabernacle, was more than any opposing leader could handle.
Of interest is that God is now called the Lord. Balaam is under divine authority even though he was spiritually dead to God. In his first experience of speaking to Balak, he learned what God thinks about His people and their standing before Him, and that God has answers to give to those who accuse His people for some reason. We know there are shortcomings and failings in and among the people of God, but as far as the unbelieving world is concerned, God sees them as perfect and complete in Christ. God can open the eyes of men to see what the natural man does not see. We "are justified freely by His grace" and are "accepted in the Beloved."
The seven altars with seven oxen and seven rams being burned on them would have sent out seven columns of smoke that likely could be seen by the Israelites. The Spirit of God revealed the whole event to Moses, and the Israelites learned how God had delivered them. Three times, Balaam tried to please Balak, and three times, God repeated that He would be the One speaking through the deceitful lips of Balaam. Three times, the people of God were blessed.
The first parable or prophetic oracle, Balaam, spoke after he returned to Balak, who was engaging in the usual religious rituals, outlining Israel's negative stance. They were a separate people destined to dwell alone. Their identity was special and would be maintained. As a nation, the people of God are set apart for Him. God shapes them into what He desires. It wasn't simply about what they were separated from, but more about who they were separated to.
This same principle applies to us today. We "go forth unto Him without the camp." The rituals people perform now are no more valuable to God than the religious rituals common in ancient times. People often climbed mountain tops for religious activities because they believed they would be closer to their gods. When high peaks weren't available, they built towers or ziggurats for the same purpose. In Christianity, tall steeples have been built to follow the same man-made religious practices.
Prophetic oracles were not only passed down in the Middle East during that time, but anything of significance was written down. Israel was the only nation connected to a living God through a covenant. All others worshiped idols made by humans to represent their ideas of the so-called deity they called upon. Israel was a distinct people who lived separately and were not counted among the nations of idol worshipers. They were set apart by the moral law and commandments of God given to them at Mount Sinai.
Balaam was like many today; they want their "last end" to be united with the blessings of God's people, but they also desire to be accepted by the world and its ways now. There is a cost of separation that requires God's people to live and worship differently. "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord."
The second parable God gave Balaam took a positive stance, showing God's people on secure ground. God blessed them, and His blessings remain unrevoked. In God's view, they were separated and justified because God was with them as a "King among them." Balak took Balaam to a spot where he could not see much of the Israelite camp, hoping that from that vantage point, Balaam would not be overwhelmed by the sight and would curse the Israelites. Apparently, Balak was curious about how God communicated His message to Balaam, so God addressed Balak directly. How frightened he must have felt when he realized that God was reading his thoughts!
It is important for us to understand that nothing is hidden from God. "He knows our thoughts afar off." The second prophetic declaration was longer, as Balaam confirmed that God is morally consistent and does not lie. What God says is absolute truth. Balaam had no choice but to obey God’s word and relay His decisions regarding His people. People may change and believe that God is blessing them because of their own choices. However, the spiritual standards God has given remain constant. Loyalty to Him and His revealed truth is all that keeps us safe from spiritual disaster.
Balaam's prophecy depicted Israel as an unstoppable wild bull that, in its strength, defeated all opponents. It was also like a lioness on the hunt, tracking and killing its prey while the lion distracted others with its loud roaring. Balaam understood that magic had no place in the nation of Israel. God was the source of all power and authority. Any divination by men is useless when God is in control. The people of God may have been unaware of everything happening on those peaks where Balak, Balaam, and their companions watched.
We may not know what God teaches those who watch us from afar and wonder how He keeps His own people safe. It’s enough to recognize that there is a King among us, and we must obey and submit to Him. The result of any situation is up to God, not us. Neither Balak nor Balaam was willing to change their stance and beliefs despite what God said. Balak asked Balaam to try again in a different place, and Balaam was still willing to go along for the sake of "the wages of unrighteousness."
Balaam was not a true servant of God, but the words he spoke were God’s blessings on His people. In God's sovereign will, He used a false prophet, a mercenary, to bless His people. Balaam claimed to speak for the Lord, and the Lord made sure he did. Israel’s strength was God Himself in their midst, to deliver and forgive them. Evil is at work in the world, but God is greater than His enemies.
What he said was right, but he was still wrong because his motive was to get what he could. It was easy for him to see, by the order, the layout of the camp, the cloud, and the pillar of fire, that the people of God were strong. Their strength was in the Lord. The onlookers from the heights were aware that the Lord was among them. Even though the words seemed right, and they were, for they came directly from God, the apostate prophet still trusted only what he saw. Even though God used him to pass on His word.
God is consistent; no man changes His mind, though He can be appealed to through faith in prayer. When someone sincerely seeks to know God’s will with an honest heart, they will find it. But the question is, does that person genuinely care, or do they only say the right words when it is convenient? Is there an ulterior motive behind those words and that hope that, despite being deceived, God, who knows all, will be lenient and overlook the true motive as sinful?
The pressure will come, and we can't avoid it. To curse what God blesses and to bless what He curses will lead to consequences based on our decisions. What we considered minor was far worse than if we had remained faithful and shown loyalty to our Lord and His word. With God, there is no trickery or deception. I wonder what He can honestly say about me.