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Scripture Reading: Num. 22:41; 23:1-26
In the foregoing message we saw Balak's evil intention. In this message we will begin to consider Balaam's prophesying in parables (22:41—24:25). The Hebrew word translated "parable" in 23:7, 18; 24:3, 15, 20, 21 may also be rendered "proverb." Here we prefer to use the word parable. Balaam's prophecies were not proverbs; they were parables.
Balaam's first parable is in 22:41—23:12.
"In the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal; and from there he saw the extremities of the people" (22:41). In the Old Testament the high places were places where people worshipped idols. "Baal" was the name of an idol. Therefore, the high places of Baal were places where people worshipped the idol of Baal.
"Balaam said to Balak, Build for me here seven altars, and provide for me here seven bulls and seven rams. And Balak did as Balaam had spoken" (23:1-2a). Balaam's word indicates that the worship in which he was involved was a mixture. It is according to God's way to build an altar. However, here Balaam mixed the worship of God with the worship of Baal.
"Balak and Balaam offered on each altar a bull and a ram" (v. 2b). To whom did they offer — to Jehovah or to Baal? Because of the mixture of the worship of God and the worship of Baal, it is difficult to determine to whom Balak and Balaam offered these offerings.
Such a mixture in worship can also be found in Catholicism. In the Catholic Church offerings are offered, but it is not clear to whom they are offered. Apparently, the offerings in the Catholic Church are offered to God; actually, these offerings are offered to different idols and images. Thus, the Catholic religion has mixed the worship of God with the worship of idols. In actuality, this worship is not even a mixture, for it is the worship of idols.
Balak and all the rulers of Moab stood beside Balaam's burnt offering (vv. 3, 6). Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and Balaam prophesied in a parable (vv. 4-5, 7-10).
The situation here was quite strange. The offerings were not offered to Jehovah; rather, in an ambiguous way, they were offered to Baal. Nevertheless, for the sake of His people Israel, God ruled over Balaam. No doubt, Balaam had the desire and the intention in his heart to curse Israel that he might please Balak and receive more money. But as the One who was watching and ruling, the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and Balaam had no choice but to speak God's word.
The word in verses 7 through 10 was surely inspired by God. The human mind is not able to compose such a parable, a parable which Balaam spoke as a prophecy. This is strong evidence that the Bible was inspired by the living, almighty, and speaking God. Let us now look into certain aspects of Balaam's first parable.
Balak had said to Balaam, "Come, curse Jacob for me,/And come, denounce Israel" (v. 7b). However, this was impossible. Balaam said, "How can I curse him whom God has not cursed?/How can I denounce him whom Jehovah has not denounced?/For from the top of the rocks I see him,/From the hills I behold him./Behold, a people that will dwell alone,/And will not reckon themselves among the nations!" (vv. 8-9). The word about the children of Israel's dwelling alone and not reckoning themselves among the nations indicates that they were a holy, sanctified people, a people set apart from the nations.
In verse 10 Balaam went on to say, "Who can count the dust of Jacob,/Or number the fourth part of Israel?/Let me die the death of the upright,/And let my end be like theirs!" Here we see the blessing of increase. Jacob, like the dust, will be numberless, countless. No one will be able to count even the fourth part of Israel. Furthermore, the word concerning the death of the upright is a word of great blessing and appreciation.
The first parable was a blessing upon the children of Israel as a separate people, a particular and special class of people who dwell alone and who are not reckoned among the nations. Because this people will be blessed with abundant increase, no one will be able to number them. After uttering this great blessing, Balaam expressed his appreciation of Israel.
Balaam's word of blessing and appreciation concerning Israel offended Balak. This was the reason Balak said to him, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and you have altogether blessed them!" (v. 11). To this Balaam replied, "Must I not take heed to speak what Jehovah puts in my mouth?" (v. 12).
In 23:13-26 we see Balaam's second parable.
"Balak said to him, Come with me to another place, from which you may see them; you shall see only the edge of them, and shall not see them all; then curse them for me from there. And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar" (vv. 13-14). Balak brought Balaam to another place, a mountain, and, as in verses 1 and 2, built seven altars.
Again, Balak and all the rulers of Moab stood beside Balaam's burnt offering, and again Jehovah put a word in Balaam's mouth, and Balaam prophesied in a second parable (vv. 15-24).
One of the most striking lines in this parable is in verse 21: "He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob;/Nor has He seen trouble in Israel." How could Balaam speak such a word, since Israel was not perfect and since God could see all the iniquities of His people? The answer is that this word was spoken not according to the human view but according to the divine view. God's view is different from our view. If we realize this, we will be careful whenever we speak of the defects of the saints. According to our view, a certain saint may have many defects, but according to God's view, this saint is perfect.
How can we reconcile the word in verse 21 with the obvious fact that the children of Israel had many iniquities? This apparent contradiction is reconciled by the fact that God's redeemed people have a twofold status: their status in themselves and their status in God's redemption. This is our situation as believers today. In ourselves we have many defects, but in God's redemption and in Christ we have no defects. When God looks at us, He does not see us according to what we are in ourselves but according to what we are in Christ. God does not look at what His redeemed people are in themselves. We may even say that He has forgotten what we are in ourselves. Our basis for saying this is that God has forgiven us, and when God forgives, He forgets (Heb. 8:12). God has put us all into Christ (1 Cor. 1:30). Since He has put us into Christ, when He looks at us, He sees us in Christ. God's view of us is that in Christ we do not have any iniquity.
The principle is the same with God's view of the church life. According to our view, the church life may be very poor. But according to God's view, the church life is glorious. God has not beheld iniquity in the church.
Numbers 23:21 says that God has not seen trouble in Israel. Here the word trouble means hard things, evil things that cause people to be troubled. This kind of trouble is even worse than iniquity. In the sight of God, there was neither iniquity nor trouble in His people Israel.
In the same principle, God does not see iniquity or trouble in the church life, because the church is in Christ. In Christ we have been chosen, redeemed, and saved from the bondage of the fall. Therefore, according to God's view, we have been brought out of the fall, out of condemnation, and out of ourselves. Therefore, we may say that in Christ the church life is glorious. The first line in the chorus of a hymn on the church (Hymns, #1221) speaks of the "glorious church life." Since the church life is glorious only in Christ, I suggest that we add the words "in Christ" at the end of this line and sing, "Glorious church life in Christ!" We may want to make a further adjustment and sing, "Glorious church life, in Christ but not in ourselves!" In ourselves the church life is not glorious, but in Christ the church life truly is glorious.
God surely had the standing to say that He did not behold iniquity in Jacob nor see trouble in Israel. His people had been redeemed and forgiven; therefore, God could say that they were without iniquity. Balaam, under the control and inspiration of God, had no choice except to declare that God did not behold iniquity or see trouble in the children of Israel.
In Numbers 23:21 Balaam also said, "Jehovah their God is with them,/And the shout of a king is among them." Who is this king? I believe that, ultimately, this king refers to Christ. Thus, for the shout of a king to be among them means that the shout of Christ is among them.
Verse 22 speaks of God's bringing His people out of Egypt. This verse also tells us that Israel "has as it were the horns of the wild ox." Verse 23 says that there is neither enchantment nor divination against Israel, for "it shall be said of Jacob/And of Israel, What God has wrought!" Finally, in verse 24 the second parable concludes: "Behold, a people rises up as a lioness,/And lifts himself as a lion;/He shall not lie down till he devours the prey,/And drinks the blood of the slain." The lioness, the lion, and the horns of the wild ox all refer to the fighting of the people of Israel.
After Balaam uttered his second parable, Balak said to him, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all" (v. 25). Here Balak was telling Balaam to be neutral concerning God's people.
