The Old Bait and Switch
Numbers 23: 1-12
So Balaam begins his work as Balak's lackey. It seems the motivation here for Balak is to manipulate God and lure Him away from the Israelites. Balam stands by his, "I can only tell you what God allows me to" spiel.
But Balaam has Balak help him build seven altars and on each altar they sacrifice both a bull and a ram. Then Balaam exits to a high place to talk with God. He tells God of the sacrifices and God tells him His message to deliver.
Balak is salivating- this is it- we've done it. He's like Wile E Coyote thinking that the ACME company has finally come through. He can almost taste the road runner... and then the boulder falls from the sky.
Balaam delivers the message (written in Numbers as poetry). So- Balak the king brought me here- and said c'mon man- curse Jacob- denounce Israel- all the cool kids are doing it.
But how can I possibly curse or denounce people that God hasn't?
I go to the hilltop and I can see them.
They keep themselves away from the other nations.
And you can't even count them.
You couldn't even count a fourth of them.
I hope my death will be righteous like their's will be.
Balak realizes he has been crossed. What are you doing? I said CURSE them, not bless them.
Balaam says- dude, I told you- I'm only saying what God tells me to.
While elements of this story are amusing- the enemy of God who thinks he's clever gets double-crossed and Israel is blessed, there's also an element of false pretense. Balaam has to know that things aren't going to work out the way that Balak intends, yet he lets him go through the motions of travel and altar building/sacrifice in vain. Balaam was up front about his message though, if you bring me, I'll only speak God's words. Since Balak insisted, perhaps the fault lies there. Carnivorous Vulgaris, indeed.
It is interesting that Balaam promises nothing other than to speak God's words and lets Balak hoist himself by his own petard. Maybe that's the lesson here, to deal with those who are potential enemies with God's messages and let any damage that comes be self-inflicted.
Numbers 23: 1-12
So Balaam begins his work as Balak's lackey. It seems the motivation here for Balak is to manipulate God and lure Him away from the Israelites. Balam stands by his, "I can only tell you what God allows me to" spiel.
But Balaam has Balak help him build seven altars and on each altar they sacrifice both a bull and a ram. Then Balaam exits to a high place to talk with God. He tells God of the sacrifices and God tells him His message to deliver.
Balak is salivating- this is it- we've done it. He's like Wile E Coyote thinking that the ACME company has finally come through. He can almost taste the road runner... and then the boulder falls from the sky.
Balaam delivers the message (written in Numbers as poetry). So- Balak the king brought me here- and said c'mon man- curse Jacob- denounce Israel- all the cool kids are doing it.
But how can I possibly curse or denounce people that God hasn't?
I go to the hilltop and I can see them.
They keep themselves away from the other nations.
And you can't even count them.
You couldn't even count a fourth of them.
I hope my death will be righteous like their's will be.
Balak realizes he has been crossed. What are you doing? I said CURSE them, not bless them.
Balaam says- dude, I told you- I'm only saying what God tells me to.
While elements of this story are amusing- the enemy of God who thinks he's clever gets double-crossed and Israel is blessed, there's also an element of false pretense. Balaam has to know that things aren't going to work out the way that Balak intends, yet he lets him go through the motions of travel and altar building/sacrifice in vain. Balaam was up front about his message though, if you bring me, I'll only speak God's words. Since Balak insisted, perhaps the fault lies there. Carnivorous Vulgaris, indeed.
It is interesting that Balaam promises nothing other than to speak God's words and lets Balak hoist himself by his own petard. Maybe that's the lesson here, to deal with those who are potential enemies with God's messages and let any damage that comes be self-inflicted.
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