A Sad Verse Numbers 24:17

An old Harley Davidson and heavy rain did not mix.

Near the end of Israel's sojourn in the wilderness, they were to pass through Moab. A king of Moab named Balak feared for his kingdom. He had heard that God led the Israelites from Egypt and that on their way out of that country, they spoiled the Egyptians. He also heard that when Pharaoh's army pursued the Israelites, that army was destroyed by the collapse of the miraculous passageway through the Red Sea that God had created for the fleeing Israelites. The sea parted for Israel and collapsed again upon the Egyptians.

So King Balak sent for a soothsayer named Balaam. Balak's desire was that Balaam would curse the Israelites so that King Balak's army could slay them. What Balak did not understand is that the future of Israel had been decided by God many years ago, and the promises he made to Abraham and his descendents had not yet been fulfilled. 

The messengers of King Balak found Balaam and presented their case and told Balaam of the riches he would earn for his curses. Balaam instructed the messengers to spend the night with him while he asked God for direction.

During the night, God came to Balaam and warned him not to go to Balak. In the morning Balaam told the messengers, "Get you into your land: for the Lord refuseth to give me leave to go with you." Numbers 22:13b

This was not an answer Balak was eager to accept and he sent messengers and princes who had higher standing than those he had sent on the previous mission to Balaam. These informed Balaam that Balak wished that no impediment should prevent Balaam from coming to King Balak. They told Balaam that Balak would promote him to a position of very great honour and that Balaam could hardly ask a reward that would not be granted him.

Now this is where Balaam began to go wrong. At first Balaam told the messengers that even if Balak gave him the king's house full of gold, he could not go against what the Lord had commanded. But then, instead of telling these messengers and princes that he had already heard from God and that there would be no new answer, he instructed this group to spend the night while Balaam again consulted God; with a hope that God would relent and allow Balaam to curse Israel.

To Balaam's relief God allowed that Balaam could go with the messengers but that he could only speak what God himself would allow. Did God relent or did Balaam hear from God what he wanted to hear from God? I will not try to answer, but it is clear from what followed that God was displeased with Balaam's repeated request.

On the way to Balak, with Balak's entourage ahead of him and Balaam's own servants behind him, God sent the angel of the Lord to thwart Balaam's advance. The angel of the Lord stood before Balaam with his sword drawn, but Balaam could not see him for his eyes were filled with lust. The donkey on whom Balaam sat however suffered no lust of the eyes and therefore could clearly see the angel. The donkey turned aside. Balaam was furious with the donkey and struck her with his staff. The donkey again began to walk, but seeing the angel of the Lord again, she turned aside and crushed Balaam's leg between herself and the wall of a vineyard. Then she fell down with Balaam still on her back. Balaam hit the donkey, and the donkey opened her mouth and spoke to Balaam. "What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?"

Balaam replied, "Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee." Numbers 22:29.

The donkey asked Balaam if she had ever acted this way toward Balaam before in all the time he had ridden upon her. Balaam answered that she had not. Then Balaam's eyes were opened and he saw the angel of the Lord and admitted that he was acting sinfully. To Balaam's relief the angel of the Lord allowed Balaam to continue his trip, but reminded him that he should only say what God allows him to say.

To move along with this story, Balaam met Balak and they proceeded to a high place where they could see some of the Israelites, but not all of them. Balaam instructed Balak to build seven altars and to offer a young ox and a ram on each altar while he, Balaam, inquired of God. Balaam returned to Balak and told him that he could not curse the Israelites but only bless them.

As Balaam had asked God a second time if he could go to Balak, Balak asked Balaam not twice, but three times if he would curse the Israelites and two more times he built seven altars and offered a ram and a bullock on each one. And three times Balaam would not curse the Israelites.

Balaam explained to Balak that he had fallen into trances and had heard from God and that God would allow Balaam only to bless the Israelites. Then Balaam described the Star out of Jacob, and the Sceptre that would rise out of Israel. His vision was of Jesus who would come after many generations.

Then Balaam shared the sad prophecy that inspired this sermon, "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh." Numbers 24:17

Balaam could have been one of the great men of the Bible, but he let greed get in his way. When first asked to curse the Israelites, he sought God and received an answer, but then he asked again. When first he was prevented from cursing the Israelites, he went to other hills and built other altars and asked God if he could here curse the Israelites. These were errors on his part and as the story here ends, they are all that we know of Balaam, but by continuing on with our Bible reading we find that there is more to the story.

Though Balaam would not curse the Israelites, he advised Balak "to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication." Revelation 2:14

Balaam advised Balak that by encouraging the Israelites to fornicate and marry local women they could be encouraged to fall into the sin of worshipping their gods; for their lust for the women would overcome their commitment to God. This was an insidious plan because it would encourage the Israelites to enrage God through their own sins so that God would become their foe instead of their protector. Balaam did this because "he loved the wages of unrighteousness." 2 Peter 2:15

So the verse that inspires the title for this post, "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh." Numbers 24:17 was a prophecy Balaam pronounced against himself. The Star out of Jacob, and the Sceptre that shall rise out of Israel are allusions to Jesus. Balaam could have served God and worshipped Jesus with all the saints through eternity, but for the wages of unrighteousness he chose instead wealth and honour from Balak. Balaam will see Jesus in the end, but he will not be near him to worship him with the saints.

After a battle with Midianites, and under the direction of Moses, the children of Israel cleaned up and "Balaam, the son of Beor they slew with the sword." Numbers 31:8

We got behind a load of fire plugs.

We went to Texas to visit a friend. He wasn't home.

Should have called first.

This motorcycle brings his garage with him. I have a

better setup, but we leave it at home.