CHAPTER 40.

Balaam–Patriarchs and Prophets

WHEN they returned to the Jordan, after the conquest of Bashan, the Israelites, in preparation
for the immediate invasion of Canaan, they camped by the river a little upstream from the point of their
mouth into the Dead Sea, facing the plain of Jericho. They were at the very border of Moab, and the
The Moabites were filled with terror at having the invaders so close.
The people of Moab had not been troubled by Israel; but they had observed with foreboding.
disturbing everything that had happened in the neighboring countries. The Amorites before whom I had to
to retreat, they had been defeated by the Hebrews, and the territory that the Amorites had taken from Moab
was now in the possession of Israel. The armies of Bashan had yielded to the mysterious power that
it enclosed the column of cloud, and the gigantic fortresses were occupied by the Hebrews. The Moabites
they did not dare to risk taking them out; in the face of the supernatural forces that worked in their favor, appealing to arms
It was futile. But, like Pharaoh, they decided to resort to the power of sorcery to counteract the work of God.

They would attract a curse upon Israel.

The people of Moab were closely related to the Midianites, through national and...
religion. So Balak, king of Moab, awakened the fears of that neighboring people, and obtained their cooperation.
In their purposes against Israel through the following message: 'Now this people will lick all our...
contours, as I called the ox the grass of the field." (See Numbers 22-24.) It was rumored that Balaam,
inhabitant of Mesopotamia, had supernatural powers, and that fame had reached the land of Moab. He
he agreed to request your help. 468 Therefore, they sent messengers "the elders of Moab, to the
elders of Midian," to ensure the services of their divinations and magic against Israel.
The ambassadors immediately embarked on their long journey through the mountains and deserts towards
Mesopotamia; upon finding Balaam, they handed him the message from their king: "A people has come out of Egypt, and ...
Here is that covers the face of the earth, and dwells before me: come now, I pray you, curse me this.
town, because it is stronger than me: perhaps I can wound it, and drive it from the land: for I know that the one you
you will bless, and he who you curse will be cursed.
Balaam had once been a good man and a prophet of God; but he had apostasized and had given himself to
greed; nevertheless, he still professed to serve the Most High faithfully. He was not unaware of God's work in favor of
from Israel; and when the messengers delivered their message to him, he knew very well that he should refuse the gifts from
Balac, and to dismiss the ambassadors. But he ventured to play with temptation, he asked the messengers to
they would stay that night with him, and he told them that he could not give them a definitive answer before
consult the Lord. Balaam knew that his curse could not harm the Israelites in any way.
God was on their side; and whenever they were faithful to him, no earthly or infernal adverse power
could prevail against them. But the words of the ambassadors flattered his pride: "The one you
you will bless, will be blessed, and whoever you curse, will be cursed." The bribery of expensive gifts and of the
exaltation in perspective excited their greed. Avidly, he accepted the offered treasures, and then, although
professing to strictly obey the will of God, he tried to fulfill Balak's desires.
During the night the angel of God came to Balaam with the message: "Do not go with them, nor curse the
people; because it is blessed.
In the morning, Balaam reluctantly dismissed the messengers; but he did not tell them what he had said.
Mr. Airado 469, because his desires for profit and honors had been suddenly frustrated, exclaimed
With petulance: "Return to your land, for the Lord does not want to let me go with you."
Balaam "loved the reward of wrongdoing." (2 Pet. 2: 15.) The sin of greed which, according to the statement
divine, it is idolatry, it made him seek temporary advantages, and for that single flaw, Satan came to dominate him
completely. This caused his ruin. The tempter always offers gain and worldly honors to
to separate men from the service of God. He tells them that their excessive scruples prevent them from achieving
prosperity. Thus many allow themselves to be diverted from the path of strict integrity. After committing a
bad action becomes easier to commit another, and they become increasingly presumptuous. Once they
have surrendered to the domain of greed and the ambition for power will dare to do the most
terrible. Many flatter themselves thinking that for a while they can depart from strict probity to
to gain some worldly advantage, and that after achieving their goal, they may change their behavior
Whenever they want. Such people get tangled in the ties of Satan, from which they rarely escape.
When the messengers told Balak that the prophet had refused to accompany them, they did not imply that
God had forbidden it. Believing that Balaam's delay was due to his desire to obtain a
To grant a greater reward, the king sent a larger number of princes and ones of higher rank than the first.
with promises of greater honors and with authorization to accept all the conditions that Balaam
You would. The urgent message from Balak to the prophet was this: "I beg you not to stop coming to me: for without
I will honor you greatly, and I will do everything you tell me: come now, curse this people for me.
For the second time, Balaam was tested. In his response to the requests of the ambassadors, he boasted of
to have a lot of awareness and probity, and I assure you that no amount of gold and silver could persuade him.
to act against the will of God.
But he longed to access the king's plea; and although he had already been informed of God's will in a certain way
definitively, he asked the messengers to stay so that he could consult God again, as if the
Infinity was a man subject to persuasion.
During the night the Lord appeared to Balaam and said to him: 'If men come to call you, rise up and go'
with them; however, you will do what I tell you." Up to that point, the Lord would allow Balaam to do his
own will, as he was determined to do so. He did not seek to do the will of God, but rather decided his
behavior and then he strove to obtain the Lord's sanction.
Today there are thousands who follow a similar behavior. They would have no difficulty in understanding their duty, if
this will harmonize with your inclinations. It is clearly stated in the Bible, or plainly and simply
indicated by the circumstances and reason. But because this evidence contradicts their desires and
Inclinations, frequently they set them aside and pretend to turn to God to know what their duty is.
They seem to have a scrupulous conscience and in fervent and long prayers, they ask to be enlightened. But
God does not tolerate men mocking him. He often allows such people to follow their own
desires and let them suffer the consequences. 'But my people did not listen to my voice, ... let them therefore be left to their hardness of heart.'
his heart: they walked in his counsels." (Ps. 81: 11, 12.) When one clearly sees his duty, he does not seek
to presumptuously go to God to ask Him to exempt him from fulfilling it. Rather, he must go with a spirit
humble and submissive, asking for divine strength and wisdom to do what is required.
The Moabites were a debased and idolatrous people; however, according to the light they had received,
his guilt was not in the eyes of Heaven, as great as that of Balaam. By the fact that he asserted
being a prophet of God, he would be attributed divine authority to everything he would say. Therefore, he was going to be allowed river
speak as I would like, but there would be 471 to announce the message that God would give you. 'You will do what I tell you'
"It was the divine order."
Balaam had received permission to accompany the messengers from Moab in case they came for the
Tomorrow to call him. But angry about his delay and believing that he would refuse to go again, they left.
for your land without consulting him any further. The excuse to fulfill what Balak requested had been removed.
But Balaam had resolved to obtain the reward; and taking the animal he usually rode, he set out
road. He feared that the divine permission would be withdrawn from him even now, and he hurried anxiously, impatient and
fearful of losing the coveted reward for one reason or another.
But "the angel of the Lord stood in the way as an adversary to him." The animal saw the divine messenger, to
who the man had not seen, and he slipped away from the royal road and entered the field. With cruel blows,
Balaam turned the beast back onto the path; but again, in a narrow place enclosed by walls of
stone, the angel appeared to him, and the animal, trying to avoid the threatening figure, tightened its master's foot.
against the wall. Balaam did not see the divine intervention, and did not know that God was putting up obstacles.
on its way. He got furious, and mercilessly hitting the donkey, he forced it to keep going.
And the angel of the Lord passed by, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn aside.
neither right nor left." The angel appeared, as before, in a threatening manner, and the poor animal,
trembling with terror, it stopped completely, and fell to the ground beneath its master. Balaam's anger did not
he knew limits, and with his rod he struck the animal even more cruelly than before. God then opened his mouth
to the donkey, and the 'beast of burden, speaking in a man's voice, restrained the madness of the prophet.' (2 Pet. 2: 16.)
"What have I done to you, that you have hurt me these three times?" he said.
Filled with anger at being hindered in his journey, Balaam answered the beast as if it were a being.
rational: "Because 472 you have mocked me: I wish I had a sword in my hand, that I would kill you now!" There
there was a man who called himself a wizard, who was on his way to cast a curse on a
village with the aim of paralyzing its strength, while it did not even have enough power to kill the
animal I was riding!
Balaam's eyes were then opened, and he saw the angel of God standing with a drawn sword.
ready to kill him. Terrified, he " bowed down and fell on his face." The angel said to him: "Why
What have you wounded your donkey this three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is
perverse before me: the donkey has seen me, and has turned away from me these three times: and if of
I wouldn't have stayed away, I would also kill you now, and I would leave her alive.
Balaam owed the preservation of his life to the poor animal so cruelly treated by him. The man who
he claimed to be a prophet of the Lord, who declared himself to be a 'man of open eyes,' and 'who saw the vision of'
Omnipotent," was so blinded by greed and ambition that he could not discern the angel of God who
It was visible to his beast. 'The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.' (2 Cor. 4:4.)
How many are thus blinded! They hasten down forbidden paths, they transgress the divine law, and they cannot
to recognize that God and his angels oppose them. Like Balaam, they rise against those who seek to prevent their
ruin.
By the way he treated his beast, Balaam had demonstrated what spirit dominated him. 'The righteous attends
to the life of his beast: but the wicked are cruel.
properly how wicked it is to abuse animals or to let them suffer due to negligence. He who created man
He also created the lower animals, and extends "his mercies over all his works." (Ps. 145: 9.)
Animals were created to serve man, but he has no right to impose mistreatment on them.
cruel demands. 473
Because of man's sin, "the whole creation groans together with us, and is in pain
from childbirth until now." (Rom. 8: 22. V.M.) Thus, suffering and death fell not only upon the
human race, but also about animals. It is therefore the man's responsibility to try to lighten, instead of
increase, the weight of the suffering that their transgression has imposed on the beings created by God. The one who
he abuses animals because he has them in his power, he is a coward and a tyrant. The tendency to cause pain,
whether it is to our fellow beings or to irrational animals, it is satanic. Many believe that it will never be
known for her cruelty, because the poor beasts cannot reveal it. But if the eyes of those men
they could open as those of Balaam opened, they would see an angel of God standing as a witness, to
testify against them in the celestial courts. A record ascends to heaven, and the day will come when the judgment...
will be pronounced against those who abuse the beings created by God.
When he saw the messenger of God, Balaam exclaimed in terror: "I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing in the way."
in front of me on the path; but now, if it seems wrong to you, I will turn back." The Lord allowed him to continue his
trip, but he made it clear that his words would be controlled by divine power. God wanted to give to
Moab evidenced that the Hebrews were under the custody of Heaven; and it did so effectively when it
he demonstrated how impossible it was for Balaam to pronounce a curse against them without divine permission.
The king of Moab, informed that Balaam was approaching, went out with a large entourage to the outskirts of his
kingdom, to receive him. When he expressed his astonishment at Balaam's delay, in light of the rich
the rewards that awaited him, the prophet gave him this answer: "Behold, I have come to you: but can I
Now shall I speak something? The word that God puts in my mouth, that will I speak.
He would have imposed this restriction; he feared that his ends could not be achieved because of the power of the Lord.
he dominated.
With great pomp, the king and the dignitaries of his kingdom escorted Balaam "to the heights of Baal," from where
I was going to be able to see the Hebrew army. Let us behold the prophet standing on the high ground, looking towards
the camp of the chosen people of God. How little the Israelites know about what is happening so
near them! How little they know of God's care, who shelters them day and night! How dull
The people of God have the perception! How slow have been their children throughout the ages to understand.
his great love and mercy! If only they could discern the marvelous power that God manifests.
constantly in their favor, wouldn't their hearts fill with gratitude for their love, and with reverence to
to think of His Majesty and power?
Balaam had some understanding of the sacrifices and offerings of the Hebrews, and he hoped that, by surpassing them in
costly donations could obtain the blessing of God and ensure the realization of their projects
sinful. Thus, the feelings of the idolatrous Moabites were dominating his heart and mind.
wisdom had become folly; his spiritual vision had been obscured; yielding to the power of
Satan had blinded himself.
At Balaam's suggestion, seven altars were erected, and he offered a sacrifice on each one. Then he withdrew to
a height, to communicate with God, and he promised that he would let Balak know anything that the Lord would tell him.
reveal
With the nobles and the princes of Moab, the king stood by the sacrifice, while the
a longing multitude gathered around them, and everyone was waiting for the return of the prophet. At last
he returned, and the people waited to hear the words capable of forever paralyzing that strange power that
he expressed in favor of the hated Israelites. Balaam said:
From Aram, Balak brought me,
King of Moab, from the mountains of the east:
Come, curse me to Jacob;
And come, curse Israel.
Why should I curse someone whom God has not cursed?
And why should I curse the one whom the Lord has not cursed?
Because from the summit of the cliffs I will see it,
And from the hills I will watch it:
Here is a people that will dwell in confidence,
And he will not be counted among the people.
Who will count the dust of Jacob,
Or the number of the fourth part of Israel?
Let my person die from the death of the upright,
And may my end be like hers.
Balaam confessed that he had come to curse Israel; but the words he spoke
they categorically contradicted the feelings of his heart. He was forced to pronounce blessings, while
that his soul was filled with curses.
As Balaam looked at the camp of Israel, he marvelled at the evidence of their prosperity.
They had painted it as a rough and disorganized crowd infesting the country with groups of
raiders who afflicted and terrified the surrounding nations; but what I saw was all the
opposite. He noticed the vast expanse and the perfect order of the camp, and that everything showed discipline and
caval orders. He was revealed the favor that God bestowed upon Israel, and the distinctive character of that people.
chosen. It does not speak of equaling other nations, but of surpassing them in everything. The "people will dwell
confident, and he will not be counted among the people." When these words were spoken, the Israelites still did not
they had permanently established themselves in one place, and Balaam did not know their particular and special character nor
his manners and customs. But how surprisingly this prophecy was fulfilled in the subsequent history of
Israel! Through all the years of its captivity and all the centuries of its dispersion, they have endured.
as a people distinct from others. So too the children of God, the true Israel, although dispersed
Among all nations, they are but newcomers on the earth, and their citizenship is in the heavens.
Not only was the history of the Hebrew people shown to Balaam as a nation, but he also contemplated the
increase and the prosperity of the true Israel of God until the end. He saw how the special favor of
The Most High assisted those who love and fear Him. He saw them, supported by His arm, enter the valley of the
shadow of death. And he saw them emerge from the grave, crowned with glory, honor, and immortality. He saw the
redeemed rejoice in the imperishable glories of the renewed earth. Looking at the scene, he exclaimed: "
¿Quién contará el polvo de Jacob, o el número de la cuarta parte de Israel?" Y al ver la corona de gloria en
each front and the joy that shone on all faces, contemplated with anticipation that life
limited to pure happiness, and solemnly prayed: "Let my person die the death of the righteous, and my
may the afterlife be like yours!
If Balaam had been willing to accept the light that God had given him, he would have kept his word; and
I would have immediately cut all ties with Moab. I would no longer have boasted of mercy.
of God, but he would have turned to him with deep repentance. But Balaam loved the wages of
iniquity, and he was determined to obtain it at all costs.
Balak had confidently expected that a curse would fall like a devastating plague upon Israel; and upon hearing
the words of the prophet passionately exclaimed: 'What have you done to me? You have taken me to curse...'
my enemies, and behold, you have spoken blessings." Balaam, trying to make a virtue of necessity,
he asserted that, motivated by a conscientious respect for the will of God, he had spoken words that
they had been imposed on their lips by divine power. Their response was: "Shall I not observe what
Will Jehová place it in my mouth to say it?
Nevertheless, Balak could not give up his intentions. He decided that the imposing spectacle offered by the
the vast camp of the Hebrews had intimidated Balaam in such a way that he did not dare to practice his
divinations against them. In 477, the king decided to take the prophet to a point from which he could only...
to see a part of the host. If it was possible to induce Balaam to curse it in small groups, all the
the camp would soon be seen delivered to destruction. On top of an elevation called Pisgah, there
he did another test. Again, seven altars were built, on which the same were placed
offerings and sacrifices than before. The king and the princes remained beside the sacrifices, while
Balaam withdrew to communicate with God. Once again, a divine message was entrusted to the prophet, which did not
could neither silence nor alter.
When she was introduced to the company she had been eagerly anticipating, she was asked: 'What has Jehovah said?'
the response, as before, instilled terror in the hearts of the king and the princes:
God is not a man, that he should lie;
Not a son of man that he should repent:
He said, 'and won't he do it?';
He spoke, and will not execute it?
Here, I have taken a blessing:
And He blessed, and I cannot revoke it.
He has not noticed iniquity in Jacob,
You have seen wickedness in Israel:
The Lord his God is with him,
joy of the king in him.
Embargoed by the reverent fear inspired by these revelations, Balaam exclaimed: 'There is no spell'
against Israel, nor is there divination against Israel." (Num. 23:23, KJV) According to the wish of the Moabites, the
the great wizard had tested the power of his enchantment; but precisely regarding this occasion he
I was going to say of the children of Israel: "What God has done!" As long as they were under divine protection,
no people or nation, even if aided by all the power of Satan, could prevail against
they. The whole world was going to marvel at the amazing work of God on behalf of his people, namely, that
a man determined to follow a sinful conduct was so dominated by the power
divine that he was obliged to utter, instead of imprecations, the richest and most precious
promises in the sublime and fiery language of poetry, And the favor that on that occasion God granted to
Israel was to be a guarantee of its protective care towards its obedient and faithful children in all ages.
When Satan incites the wicked to slander, mistreat, and exterminate the people of God,
this very event would be remembered by them and would strengthen their spirit and faith in God.
The king of Moab, discouraged and distressed, exclaimed: "Since you do not curse him, nor do you bless him." No
nevertheless, a weak hope remained in his heart, and he decided to make another attempt. He led Balaam to the
Mount Peor, where there was a temple dedicated to the licentious worship of Baal, their god. There he was erected.
number of altars that were before, and the same number of sacrifices were offered; but Balaam did not depart
just like on other occasions, to ascertain the will of God. He did not intend to practice any sorcery,
but, standing next to the altars, looked far away at the tents of Israel. Again the Spirit of God
settled upon him, and the divine message burst forth from his lips:
How beautiful are your tents, oh Jacob,
Your rooms, oh Israel!
As streams are spread,
Like gardens by the river,
Like linden trees planted by Jehovah,
Like cedars by the waters,
From his hands, waters will drip,
And his seed shall be in many waters:
And to exalt oneself more than Agag,
And his kingdom will be exalted...
He will bend down to crouch like a lion, and like a lioness;
Who will wake him up?
Blessed are those who blessed you,
And cursed be those who curse you.
The prosperity of the people of God is presented here through some of the most beautiful figures.
offered by nature. The prophet compares Israel to the fertile valleys covered with abundance
harvests; to flourishing gardens watered by inexhaustible springs; to the fragrant sandalwood tree and to
majestic cedar. This last figure is one of the most beautiful and suitable that can be found in the
Inspired word. The cedar of Lebanon was honored by all the peoples of the East. The genus of trees
To whom it belongs is found wherever man has gone, throughout the earth. They bloom from the
arctic regions to tropical zones, and although they enjoy the heat, they know how to withstand the cold; they sprout
exuberant on the riverbanks, and yet, they rise majestically above the barren moorland and
thirsty. They drive their roots deep into the rocks of the mountains, and boldly challenge the
storm. Its leaves remain fresh and green when all else has perished under the breath of the
winter. Among all the other trees, the cedar of Lebanon stands out for its strength, firmness, and vigor.
perpetual; and it is used as a symbol for those whose life "is hidden with Christ in God." (Col. 3:
The Scriptures say: "The righteous will flourish like the palm tree: he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon." (Ps. 92:
The divine hand elevated the cedar to the status of king of the forest. 'The beeches were not similar to them, to their
branches, nor were the chestnuts similar to their branches." (Eze. 31: 8.) The cedar is often used as
emblem of royalty; and its use in Scripture, to represent the just, shows how heaven
consider and appreciate those who do the will of God.
Balaam prophesied that the king of Israel would be greater and more powerful than Agag. Such was the name that was
he gave to the kings of the Amalekites, then a powerful nation; but Israel, if it was faithful to God, would subjugate it
all his enemies. The King of Israel was the Son of God; his throne was to be established one day on earth,
and his power would be exalted above all earthly kingdoms.
Upon hearing the words of the prophet, Balak was overwhelmed by the frustration of his hope, by fear.
and the anger. He was outraged by the fact that Balaam had dared to give him the slightest promise of a
favorable response, when everything was resolved against him. He looked with disdain at the accommodating behavior and
deceptive of the prophet. The king exclaimed angrily: "Flee now to your place: I said that I would honor you,
"But behold, the Lord has deprived you of honor." The response that the king received was that he had been.
warned that Balaam could only pronounce the message given by God.
Before returning to his village, Balaam issued a very beautiful and sublime prophecy regarding the Redeemer.
of the world and to the final destruction of God's enemies:
I will see it, but not now: I will look at it, but not closely:
The STAR of Jacob will rise, and the scepter of Israel will be raised,
And he will strike the corners of Moab, and will destroy all the sons of
Seth.
And he concluded by predicting the total extermination of Moab and Edom, of Amalek and the Kenites, with which
it deprived the king of the Moabites of any ray of hope.
Frustrated in his hopes for riches and elevation, in disgrace with the king, and knowing that there had been
Having incurred God's displeasure, Balaam returned from the mission he had imposed on himself. After
when he arrived home, the power of the Spirit of God that had dominated him left him, and his prevailed.
greed, which until then had been merely restrained. He was willing to resort to any trick to
to obtain the promised reward from Balak. Balaam knew that Israel's prosperity depended on that
he would obey God and that there was no way to bring about his ruin except by leading him to sin.
He then decided to gain Balak's favor by advising the Moabites on the procedure that had been
to continue to bring a curse upon Israel.
He immediately returned to the land of Moab and shared his plans with the king. The Moabites themselves were
convinced from 481 that as long as Israel remained faithful to God, He would be their shield. The proposed project
by Balaam consisted of separating them from God, inducing them to idolatry. If it were possible to make them participate
In the licentious worship of Baal and Astarte, it would make them enemies with their omnipotent Protector, and soon they would be
the capture of the fierce and warlike nations that lived around him. The king willingly accepted this
project, and Balaam himself stayed there to help carry it out.
Balaam witnessed the success of his diabolical plan. He saw how God's curse fell upon his people and
how thousands were victims of their trials; but the divine justice that punished sin in Israel did not leave
to escape the temptations. In the war of Israel against the Midianites, Balaam was killed. He had foreseen
that his own end was near when he exclaimed: "May my person die the death of the righteous, and my
"last part may be like yours." But he had not chosen the life of the righteous, and he had the fate of the
enemies of God.
The fate of Balaam was similar to that of Judas, and the characteristics of both are very similar. They tried to
to unite the service of God and that of Mammon, and they completely failed. Balaam acknowledged the true one.
God and professed to serve Him; Judas believed in Christ as the Messiah and joined His disciples. But Balaam
I hoped to use Jehovah's service as a ladder to reach worldly riches and honors; upon failing
In this, he stumbled, fell, and got lost. Judas hoped that his union with Christ would secure him wealth and elevation.
in that earthly kingdom which, he believed, the Messiah was about to establish. The failure of his hopes
he pushed towards apostasy and perdition. Both Balaam and Judas received much spiritual enlightenment and
both enjoyed great privileges; but a single sin that they harbored in their hearts poisoned
all his character and caused his destruction.
It is a dangerous thing to harbor an unchristian trait in the heart. A single sin that is kept will go
corrupting the character, and will subject to bad desire all its nobler faculties. The elimination of a
only the safeguarding of conscience, the gratification of a single harmful habit, a single negligence with
regarding the high demands of duty, they break the defenses of the soul and open the way for Satan
so that he enters and gets us lost. The only safe procedure consists of elevating daily with heart.
sincerely the prayer that David offered: 'Sustain my steps in your ways, so that my feet do not slip.'
(Sal. 17: 5.) 483