Reading: Numbers 22-24, Psalm 47

One of the more popular Bible stories in children’s Sunday Schools, the story of Balaam and his talking donkey, has a certain silly fable-like quality to it that makes it fun to tell. Unfortunately it also lends itself to learning the wrong lesson when we pull the story from it’s context. This is one of the classic problems with the story of the Bible. It is a whole bunch of stories that make up a big story, and when a story is taken from it’s place in the big one it can end up meaning all the wrong things. So let’s look at Balaam son of Beor and see if we can figure out what this story is really about.

First of all, who is Balaam? All we know is what the Bible tells us: he is a diviner, and those whom he blesses are blessed, while those whom he curses are cursed. Balaam would bless or curse for hire, and he had a reputation from effectiveness. It is kind of interesting to wonder about how Balaam worked, and whether conversations with God like the ones we read about were normal for him, or if this was exceptional. But the story doesn’t tell us that. We know he was for hire, and that the locals believed his words were powerful.

Now, what is Balaam doing in our story at all? He is a local figure, disconnected from the people of Israel. He intersects with Israel because Balak, king of Moab, gets freaked out about how powerful the Israelites have become. He’s seen them smite the Amorites, Aram, Sihon, and Bashan. He’s worried that he’s next. So he sends for Balaam to hire him to curse Israel as insurance.

So, Balak’s people come to hire Balaam. But he tells them he can only speak what he is told to speak by God, and God tell him to have nothing to do with Israel. They say okay, but Balak sends them back with more money. So Balaam asks God again, and this time God relents and says go with them, but to say only what God tells him.

Then we get the famous part of the story, where Balaam’s donkey, seeing the Angel of the Lord in the way, saves Balaam’s life by refusing to go forward. Balaam beats the donkey so much that God allows the donkey to speak. But what does the donkey say? Haven’t I served you faithfully all your life? The donkey talks about obedience. Then Balaam is able to see the Angel, and he is again told say only what I tell you to say.

Balaam arrives at Balak’s camp. There is much sacrificing of bulls, and Balak asked Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam tells Balak the same thing he told the messengers: I can only say what God tells me to say. So Balaam blesses Israel. Balak, understandably upset about this, does something a little odd. He brings Balaam to another spot and repeats the exercise. Perhaps God will feel differently from another place? But it doesn’t matter, and Balaam again blesses Israel.

This little scene is repeated two more times, in which Balaam blesses Israel, and predicts doom for Moab, Edom, Amalek, the Kenites, Asshur, and Eber. Not a super pleasant result for king Balak. But then they both just up and go home.

Okay, what is this story about? Remember that so far in the book of Numbers we have had a long series of stories about authority, but they are all within the context of Israel. Now we have a story about God’s authority among the nations surrounding Israel. Balak wants a curse, and he keeps moving Balaam around to try and get one. Why? Because the traditional belief in the ancient near east was that various gods had authority over geographical spaces. Balak is trying to scoot Balaam into the space of a god that will be willing to curse Israel. But where is the God of Israel present in this story? At Balaam’s home. On the road. At all the mountain tops surrounds the camp of Israel. This is a story about God’s universal presence and authority. We are used to thinking about God in these terms, but to the people of the time, this is a revelation. Israel’s God is the creator God, not a local deity who rules just those people.

This is another story about authority. We have been talking now for quite a while about the human problem in terms of a declaration of independence from God, and we have seen Moses at his crisis moment on Mount Sinai make a declaration of total dependence on God on behalf of his people. The book of Numbers is recounting numerous efforts of the people of Israel, and now other nations, to rule themselves. It doesn’t go particularly well. Whether humans continue to try and live independently of God, God is still in charge, and such efforts will always fail.