When Balak heard that Balaam was finally coming, he rushed out to meet him. He asked, “Why did you not come sooner!” and he told Balaam that he would give him a “Place of honor if only he would help in this time of trouble.
But Balaam answered, “I can not promise to help you even though I have come. I can speak only the words that God gives me.”
Perhaps Balak thought this wise man was trying to get more money from him, by talking thus. He did not understand that Balaam could speak against people in the name of the Lord only when God wished to have him do this. Balak was an idol-worshiper, and he did not understand about the true God.
When Balaam saw all the money which Balak promised to give him he wished in his heart that he might please Balak and become a rich man. But he remembered the words of the angel, and he said, “I can speak only the words of the Lord.”
Then the king took Balaam to the top of a mountain, from which they could look down upon the plain and see the Israelites’ camp. And Balaam told the king to build seven altars on this mountain and offer to the Lord an ox and a sheep upon each of the altars. Balaam may have thought that God Would be pleased with Balak’s offerings and would then be willing to let him help Balak. But when Balaam went aside to hear God’s words, he could hear only words of blessing for the Israelites. And he told these words to Balak, in the presence of the princes of Moab.
Now Balak was much displeased with Balaam because he had blessed the Israelites instead of speaking against them. He said, “Instead of helping me you are helping my enemies.” But Balaam replied again that he could speak only the words, that God gave him.
Balak thought he would try again. So he took Balaam to another place where they could see a part of the Israelites’ camp. And here again he built seven altars and offered oxen and sheep to the Lord as he had done before. Still God would give only words of blessing to Balaam to speak about the Israelites.
When Balak tried the third time, and Balaam still failed to speak against Israel, the king became very angry. He thought that Balaam did not want to help him. He said, “I had planned to give you riches and honor, but your God has kept them from you. Now go in haste back to your own country. I am done with you because I see you are not my friend.” And Balaam returned again to his home.
Although Balaam was careful to speak only the words of the Lord, yet down in his heart he wished he might please the king. Because he was a wise man he thought of another way to help Balak. Perhaps he thought Balak would still be willing to give him riches and honor. He told the king to act friendly toward the Israelites instead of trying to fight against them. And the king and all the people of Moab and of Midian, Balaam’s country, were glad to do this.
But making friends with the Moabites and with the Midianites soon brought great trouble into Israel’s camp. The young men of Israel began to marry these strange young women who worshiped other gods. And these young women took their husbands to the feasts of their gods and many of the Israelites bowed down to idols.
God saw the great danger of the Israelites becoming idolaters, like the nations near by, and forgetting him entirely. So he sent a plague into their camp, and many of these young people died. Then Moses took the men who were leading others into sin and caused them tio be killed. After this the Israelites went to war against the Moabites and the Midianites and killed many of their people. And Balaam, the man who caused the Israelites to sin, was killed in his own land. He might have been a good man if he had always tried to please God; but because he loved riches and honor he disobeyed God and finally died among the enemies of God’s people.