Have you ever had a plan that you thought was so perfectly put together and then at the point of time it should all come together nothing went right? I think of this when I read about Balak not being happy with Balaam’s first oracle. I wonder what Balaam felt as the words were coming from his mouth, blessing the Israelites instead of cursing them. Balak undoubtedly expected to get his way eventually. He had been told or warned by Balaam that he could only say what the Lord put in his mouth. Balak tried different points of view to try to change the outcome. This makes me think of how we may try to get our way when we’ve been told it is not the way it is going to happen. My NIV notes say it like this, “changing locations won’t change God’s will.” Anyway, no matter how Balak tried to manipulate the situation Balaam would only bless the Israelites.
In chapter 24 it states that Balaam didn’t use his sorcery as the other times which sounds like he must have used his pagan practices before this third oracle. This is difficult for me to understand except to say that God will get His way! He can and will use whatever He wants to do His will. It also sounds like Balaam is experiencing God. The first two verses tell us that Balaam turned his face toward the wilderness and when he saw the tribes of Israel, the Spirit of God came upon him. This third oracle just makes Balak furious and he tells Balaam to just go home.
Verse 17 is thought to be a prophecy of Jesus: "I see him, but not in the present time. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel. It will crush the foreheads of Moab's people, cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth." How exciting. What do you think?
Next we read about some of the Israelite men being enticed by the Moabite women to indulge in sexual immorality and participate in worshipping their gods. The Lord was angered and He commanded Moses to take the leaders of the guilty people and kill them. During this time there was a plague killing Israelite people because of the Lord’s anger. While Moses was talking to the judges and in front of the whole assembly of Israel at the Tent of Meeting, a man brought a Midianite woman into his tent. Phinehas, son of Eleazar, takes a spear and goes into the man’s tent. He drives the spear through the man and the woman at one time, killing them. Because of Phinehas’s action the plague stopped and the Lord was pleased. Then Moses is commanded to treat the Midianites as enemies and kill them.
Once again God made the point that He alone is the one true God and no other should be worshipped. He will not tolerate anything taking His place. His way is the only way.
