THE “MADNESS”

OF THE PROPHET

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 B A L A K ’ S AT T I T U D E
Reasons why Balak was afraid of Balak’s methods to convince
Israel: Balaam:

Because it was a large people and God had He sent Balaam money and
already shown His power. They couldn’t do expensive presents. He flattered
anything against that power. him : “I know that those you
Nevertheless, God gave Israel clear instructions bless are blessed, and those
about not approaching Moab’s land. you curse are cursed” (Numbers,
22: 6).
CALLING THE PROPHET

Balak was afraid of being attacked by Israel, so he formed

an alliance with the elders of Madian to call the well-known
prophet Balaam.
He didn’t go to his own gods for help because he knew they
were powerless before the God of Israel.
Some princes were sent, carrying “the fee for divination” to
convince Balaam of cursing Israel.
Balaam lived next to river Euphrates, about 15 days far from
Moab.
 WHO WAS THE PROPHET?

“Balaam was once a good man and a

prophet of God; but he had apostatized,
and had given himself up to
covetousness; yet he still professed to be
a servant of the Most High. He was not
ignorant of God's work in behalf of
Israel; and when the messengers
announced their errand, he well knew
that it was his duty to refuse the
rewards of Balak and to dismiss the
ambassadors. But he ventured to dally
with temptation, and urged the
messengers to tarry with him that night,
declaring that he could give no decided
answer till he had asked counsel of the
Lord.”

E.G.W. (Patriarchs and Prophets, cp. 40, page 439)

God “Do not go with them. You must not put a (Numbers, 22: 12-18)
curse on those people, because they are
blessed”
Balaam “Go back to your own country, for the Lord
has refused to let me go with you.”

Princes “Balaam refused to come with us”

Balak He sent princes more numerous and more
honourable than they, with this message: “Do
not let anything keep you from coming to
me, because I will reward you handsomely
and do whatever you say. Come and put a
curse on these people for me”

Balaam “Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with

silver and gold, I could not do anything great
or small to go beyond the command of the
Lord my God.  Now stay here tonight as the
others did, and I will find out what else the
Lord will tell me”

THE PROPHET’S OBSTINACY

“And God came to Balaam at
night and said to him, "If the
men come to call you, rise and go
with them; but only the word
which I speak to you -- that you
shall do” (Numbers, 22: 20 , KJV)

“Balaam had received permission to go with the messengers from Moab if

they came in the morning to call him. But, annoyed at his delay, and
expecting another refusal, they set out on their homeward journey
without further consultation with him. Every excuse for complying with
the request of Balak had now been removed. But Balaam was determined
to secure the reward; and, taking the beast upon which he was
accustomed to ride, he set out on the journey. He feared that even
now the divine permission might be withdrawn, and he pressed eagerly
forward, impatient lest he should by some means fail to gain the coveted
reward” (E.G.W. Patriarchs and Prophets, cp. 40, page 441)

“Then God's anger was

aroused because he went”
(Numbers, 22: 22)

THE PROPHET’S DECISION

 A DUMMY RIDING A DONKEY

1 2 3
DONKEY: When she saw DONKEY: She saw the
DONKEY: When she saw
the angel of God with his angel of God again on a path
the angel of God on a very
with stone walls at both
sword (to kill Balaam), she sides, so she pressed close to
narrow path, she lay down
turned off the road into a because she couldn’t avoid
the wall to pass. She crushed
field. him.
Balaam’s foot against it.

BALAAM: He beat BALAAM: He beat BALAAM: He beat

the donkey. the donkey. the donkey.
THE DONKEY WHO SPOKEN MORE WISELY THAN THE
PROPHET DID Numbers, 22: 28-30

Donkey : “What have I done to you to Balaam: “You have made a fool of me! If I
make you beat me these had a sword in my hand, I would
three times?” kill you right now.”

Balaam was so blind that he didn’t surprise when his donkey spoke to him. The one who
boasted about his ability to destroy a nation cursing it was incapable of killing his own
donkey.

Donkey : “Am I not your own donkey, which you have Balaam: “No”
always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the
habit of doing this to you?”

The animal reasoned coherently when she told him that it wasn’t her usual behaviour.
When Balaam accepted that, God opened his eyes and showed him the threatening angel.
 THE PROPHET’S EYES ARE OPENED
Numbers, 22: 32-35

“Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to
oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. The donkey saw
Angel : me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I
would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her”

“I have sinned. I did not realise you were standing in the road to oppose me.
Balaam:
Now if you are displeased, I will go back”

Angel : “Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you”
FIRST TRY Where: Bamoth Baal.
Numbers, 22: 41-23: 12
What did he see: Part of the people of Israel.
Offering: They built seven altars and offered seven
bulls and seven rams.
Balaam’s attitude: He went aside to ask for God’s
guidance.

“Balak brought me from Aram, 

he king of Moab from the eastern mountains.  Message
`Come,' he said, curse Jacob for me; 
come, denounce Israel.'
How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? 
How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?
From the rocky peaks I see them, 
from the heights I view them.
I see people who live apart
and do not consider themselves one of the nations.
Who can count the dust of Jacob 
or number the fourth part of Israel? 
Let me die the death of the righteous,
and may my end be like theirs!”
 SECOND TRY Where: The top of Pisgah.
Numbers, 23: 13-26 What did he see: A smaller part of the camp.
Offering: They built seven altars and offered seven
bulls and seven rams.
Balaam’s attitude: He went aside to ask for God’s
guidance.

“God is not a man, that he should lie, Message

nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. 
Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?
I have received a command to bless; 
he has blessed, and I cannot change it. 
No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel.
The LORD their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them. 
God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. 
There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel. 
It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel,
`See what God has done!'
The people rise like a lioness;
they rouse themselves like a lion
that does not rest till he devours his prey
and drinks the blood of his victims.”
THIRD TRY
Numbers, 23: 27-24: 10

Where: The top of Peor.

What did he see: The whole camp.
Offering: They built seven altars and offered
seven bulls and seven rams.
Balaam’s attitude: He turned his face towards the
desert.

“How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, 

Message
your dwelling-places, O Israel!
Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, 
like aloes planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters. 
Water will flow from their buckets; 
their seed will have abundant water. 
Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted.
God brought them out of Egypt; 
they have the strength of a wild ox. 
They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces;
with their arrows they pierce them. 
Like a lion they crouch and lie down, 
like a lioness--who dares to rouse them?
May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!”
THE PROPHET IS NOT REWARDED
“Then Balak's anger burned
against Balaam. He struck
his hands together and said
to him, "I summoned you to
curse my enemies, but you
have blessed them these
three times. Now leave at
once and go home! I said I
would reward you
handsomely, but the Lord
has kept you from being
rewarded” Numbers, 24: 10-11

Balaam lost his reward and is filled with

the Holy Spirit. He announces the future
of Israel and the neighbour nations to
Balak.
 THE PROPHET ANNOUNCES THE FUTURE
Numbers, 24: 15-24
AMALEKITES
“Amalek was first among the
ISRAEL nations,
“I see him, but not now; but he will come to ruin at
I behold him, but not near; last.”
A star will come out of Jacob;
a sceptre will rise out of Israel.
He will crush the foreheads of
Moab,
the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.
Edom will be conquered; ASSYRIA
Seir, his enemy, will be “Ships will come from the shores of
conquered, Kittim;
but Israel will grow strong. they will subdue Asshur and Eber,
A ruler will come out of Jacob, but they too will come to ruin.”
and destroy the survivors of the
city.” KENITES
“Your dwelling-place is secure,
your nest is set in a rock;
yet you Kenites will be destroyed,
when Asshur takes you captive.”
 “Balaam "loved the wages of unrighteousness." (2 Peter. 2: 15). The sin of
covetousness, which God declares to be idolatry, had made him a
timeserver, and through this one fault Satan gained entire control of him.
It was this that caused his ruin. The tempter is ever presenting worldly
gain and honor to entice men from the service of God.

He tells them it is their

overconscientiousness that keeps them
from prosperity. Thus many are induced
to venture out of the path of strict
integrity. One wrong step makes the next
easier, and they become more and more
presumptuous. They will do and dare most
terrible things when once they have given
themselves to the control of avarice and a
desire for power. Many flatter themselves
that they can depart from strict integrity
for a time, for the sake of some worldly
advantage, and that having gained their
object, they can change their course when
they please. Such are entangling
themselves in the snare of Satan, and it
is seldom that they escape.”
E.G.W. (Patriarchs and Prophets, cp. 40, page 439)