Balaam (Part 09) – (Num 22:34-41) – Balaam Confesses His Sin; Balak’s Meeting With Balaam

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1. Balaam confesses that he has sinned (Num 22:34).
2. Notice how Balaam did not confess his sin of disobeying God’s first commandment to him when He told him “Thou shalt not go with them” (Num 22:12).
3. Balaam rather in essence says to the angel, “I’m sorry — I didn’t know that you were standing there in my way.”
4. In other words, “I’m sorry that I got caught going where God told me not to go.”
5. Next Balaam offers to “repent”, saying, “If it displease thee, I will get me back again.” (Num 22:34b)
6. Notice how Balaam doesn’t declare that he is going to repent, but rather he conditions his repentance on how the angel feels.
7. Balaam doesn’t need to ask if it displeases the angel because God had already said, “Thou shalt not go with them” (Num 22:12).

iii.    Balaam is trying to feign repentance, all the while hoping that the angel will tell him to keep going because he loves the wages of unrighteousness.

1. Balaam is not bringing forth fruit meet for repentance (Mat 3:8).
2. Balaam’s “confession” and “repentance” would be tantamount to the following:
3. You tell your son to not go to the party.
4. He goes anyway and you get there ahead of him and catch him as he is walking up the driveway to his friend’s house.

iii.    He says, “Dad, I have sinned — I didn’t know you were going to be standing in the driveway.  If my going to this party is going to displease you, I will turn around and go back home.”

1. What father would consider that a sincere apology and repentance?
2. The angel tells him to go with them and Balaam goes (Num 22:35).
3. Balaam hasn’t learned a thing.
4. The angel of the LORD told Balaam the same thing that God told him in Num 22:20.
5. God was angry with him for going that time and sent His angel to stop him (Num 22:22).

iii.    Balaam apparently has a short memory.

1. God’s first command still stands: “Thou shalt not go with them” (Num 22:12).
2. Balaam is only concerned about what he wants, not what God wants (Phi 2:21; Pro 18:2).

Num 22:36-41 – Balak’s meeting with Balaam

1. Balak goes out to meet Balaam when he hears that he is come (Num 22:36).
2. Balak is angry with Balaam for not coming soon enough (Num 22:37a).
3. Balak was an impatient man.
4. The wicked are diligent and want to waste no time devising and accomplishing their sin (Pro 7:15; Pro 24:2; Psa 64:2-6; Mic 2:1).
5. Balaam was foolish to desire to be with Balak (Pro 24:1).
6. Balaam should have rather made haste to keep God’s commandments (Psa 119:60).
7. Balak again entices Balaam to do evil by telling him that he is able to promote him to honour (Num 22:37b).
8. Balak thinks his wealth is his strength which he uses to gain influence (Pro 18:11).
9. Beware of the man who tries to entice you to disobey God with promises of wealth and honour (Pro 1:10-19).
10. Balaam should have remembered that it is God that promotes us and then gone back home (Psa 75:6-7).
11. If Balaam would have exalted and embraced wisdom, it would have promoted him to honour (Pro 4:8).
12. Instead, Balaam is going to be promoted to shame (Pro 3:35).
13. Balaam tells Balak that he will only speak the word that God puts in his mouth (Num 22:38).
14. Balaam is again sounding pious.
15. Note: beware of the man who is in the process of disobeying God and at the same time is telling you that he will only say what God tells him to.
16. God condemns such prophets (Jer 23:34-36).
17. Balaam goes with Balak to Kirjathhuzoth (Num 22:39).
18. Balak offers some oxen and sheep, and then sends for Balaam (Num 22:40).
19. Balak apparently thinks that he is going to find favour with God by making some sacrifices.
20. The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to God (Pro 15:8-9).
21. Note: don’t ever think that your religious service to God is a substitute for doing what He says (Luk 6:46).
22. God even hates His own ordinances when they are done by sinners (Isa 1:10-20).
23. Balak takes Balaam to the high places of Baal that he might see the people of Israel (Num 22:41).
24. Apparently, Balak thinks he is going to obtain God’s favour by staging he and his hireling false prophet, Balaam in a place where false religion is practiced.
25. This is the first mention of Baal in the Bible.
26. Serving Baal is forsaking the LORD (Jdg 2:13).

iii.    Baal was not able to help his foolish followers in Elijah’s day (1Ki 18:26-29), nor will he be able to help Balak curse Israel.

1. God hates the high places of idolatrous worship (Lev 26:30; Num 33:52; 1Ki 11:7-10).
2. This demonstrates how stupid Balak and Balaam were, expecting to find favour from God in a place of pagan wickedness.
3. Idolaters are as stupid as the idols they make (Psa 115:4-8).