The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 340

Balaam looks here from Moses going up into Sinai, or Elijah when he wont his day's journey into the wilderness, or Ezekiel when he heard the Lord say, 11 Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk to thee 11 (Ezek. iii. 22); above all, from Jesus, in those s6litAI], ref~eshing, blesse~ hours of which_ we have some hints in the Gospels I How f&r this retirement was smcere, how far 1t was meant to deceive Balak, and how far it was mere habit, we cannot tell The conscience that is well-nigh dead to practical righteousness, to justice, compassion, and truth, may yet be in an everlasting fidget with superstitious fear. II. THE UNEXPECTED RESULT. 1. To Bal,aam. The whole of what happened may not have been unexpected. The meeting with God he certainly would be pre- pared for. He bad met with God only too often of late, and not at all to his peace of mind and the furtherance of his wishes. We may conclude that God allowed him to go through with his enchantments1 else he would hardly have gone to repeat them .a second time (cf. eh. x.xiii.15 and x.xiv. 1). And perhaps the very fact that there was no interruption to his enchantments may have lifted his mind in hope that God was .at last going to be propitious. If so it was but higher exaltation in order to deeper .abasement. God meets with him, puts a word in his mouth, and commands him tlms to speak with Balak. Are we to understand that by having the word put into his mouth, Balaam there and then had all the prophecy clearly before his mind, so that he could consider every word he had presently to utter? Possibly so. And it is possible also that as he went be.ck to Balak he considered how he could trim this prophecy, as previously he had trimmed the commands of God. And now comes something for which, with all his assertions of only being able to speak the word God put in his mouth, Balaam was probably quite unprepared. He gets no chance of exerting his skill to trim and soften down unacceptable words. God assumes per- fect control of those rebellious, lying lips. God, who opened the mouth of an ass and me.de it utter human speech, now opens the mouth of one whose heart was ready to deceive and curse, and makes that mouth to utter truth and blessing. 2. To Balak. "The words of the prophecy must have been utterly unexpected by him. He had -eounted with all confidence on getting what he wanted. Not a shadow of doubt had crossed his mind as to Balaam'a power to curse and his own power to buy that power. Hardly a more impressive instance could be found of a man given over to strong delusion, to believe a lie. Counting on the curse as both attainable and efficacious, he now finds to Lis amazement, horror, and perplexity that Balaam cannot even speak the words of cursing; for doubtless when the Lord took possession of Balsam's mouth he took possession also of eyes, expression, tone, gesture, so that there would be no incongruity between the words and the way in which they were uttered. III. THE PROPHECY ITl>ELF. 1. A dear statement of how these two men, come to be .standing wgether. Bah,k brings Balaam all this long way in order to curse Jacob and defy Israel. The object of all these messages and these smoking sacrifices is stated in naked and brief simplicity. There is no reference to motives, inducements, difficulties. The simple historical fact is given without any note or comment; the request of Balaam mentioned, in order that it may be clearly contra11ted with the reason why it is refused. 2. Bal,aam-i,s forced into a humiliating confessi,on. What he had so long concealed, as dangerous to his reputation, he must now publish from the high places of Baal. And notice that he confines himself to saying that the required curse and defiance are impracticable. No more is put into his mouth than he is able truthfully to say. Glorious as this prophecy is, one might imagine it being made more glorious still by the mingling with it of a penitent, candid confession of wrong-doing. He might have said," Balak hath brought me," &c., and surely God would not have sealed his lips if it had been in his heart to add, "I bitterly repent that I came. 11 He might have said," How can I curse whom God hath not cursed? and indeed I discovered this long ago, but pride and policy kept the discovery co~ed within my own breast." And so we see how, while God kept Balaam from !1ttenng falsehood, and forced him to utter sufficient truth, yet Balaam the man remmll:ed the same.: He says no more than he is obliged to say, but it is quite enough; with ~1B own hps he publishes !tie incapacity to the world. 3. The very place of BJJealdng become, ~ to tl,e purpose of God. We may presume that Balak well knew CII. XXII. 41-·XXIV,] THE BOOK OF NUMBERS. 327