Balaak
Torah: Numbers 22:2-25:9 Haftarah: Micah 5:6-6:8 Brit Chadashah: Romans 11:25-32
This weeks parasha (portion) Balaak is great indeed! I especially love how the midrash gives insight to this already awesome and amazing story. As always I suggest you read the above listed verses prior to reading this study. The entirety of chapter 22 of Numbers contains the meat for what I’ll be discussing with you today, but one of the main portions is found in 22:2-9 ”Balak the son of Tzippor saw all that Yisra’el had done to the Amori. 3 Mo’av was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Mo’av was distressed because of the children of Yisra’el. 4 Mo’av said to the Zakenim of Midyan, Now will this multitude lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. Balak the son of Tzippor was king of Mo’av at that time. 5 He sent messengers to Bil`am the son of Be’or, to Petor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Mitzrayim: behold, they cover the surface of the eretz, and they abide over against me. 6 Please come now therefore curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me: peradventure I shall prevail, that we may strike them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed. 7 The Zakenim of Mo’av and the Zakenim of Midyan departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came to Bil`am, and spoke to him the words of Balak. 8 He said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the L-RD shall speak to me: and the princes of Mo’av abode with Bil`am. 9 G-d came to Bil`am, and said, What men are these with you?” (HNV)
The first thing that always strikes me on this portion is that good stories travel fast, don’t they? Even a couple thousand years ago without the benefit of facebook, twitter and other social media you couldn’t slow down the spreading of amazing news! The accounts of the Israelites coming out of captivity and the events that lead to the freedom for the Hebrew children and the destruction of the Egyptian army spread far and wide! Additionally you still have to put things in the context that although the people were many in number they were not an army. They had a big disadvantage in that area if you think about it. Of course, you would have to temporarily ignore the fact that they had the One True G-d on their side! But in natural terms they shouldn’t have been cause for too much concern.
We also learn that King Balaak knew that the two great kings Sichon and Og had been defeated by Israel. This is important to grasp because, as the midrash teaches, the Moabites under Balaak essentially were protected by the armies of these two kings! We know that Balaak paid tributes to them. To put it in other terms, Balaak paid these kings protection money. So now that they had been defeated also by the G-d of Israel Balaak knew he was in trouble.
Now we look at the fact that Balaak sought to destroy the people with a curse. Was this simply because he was an evil king? Was it because he was a man who was involved in occult practices? While these are true, the midrash gives a little more insight. We know from the plain text that Balaak sought the elders of Midian. The midrash gives more detail as to the conversation with them. Essentially Balaak asked them the source of Moshe’s (Moses’) power since he had lived with them so long, they should know. The elders replied that his power was in his mouth. What he spoke, happened! This is why Balaak intended to fight them on the spiritual plane.
Look at verses 21-31 of chapter 22, “Bil`am rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Mo’av. 22 G-d’s anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of the L-RD placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. 23 The donkey saw the angel of the L-RD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Bil`am struck the donkey, to turn her into the way. 24 Then the angel of the L-RD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. 25 The donkey saw the angel of the L-RD, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Bil`am’s foot against the wall: and he struck her again. 26 The angel of the L-RD went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 The donkey saw the angel of the L-RD, and she lay down under Bil`am: and Bil`am’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 The L-RD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Bil`am, What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times? 29 Bil`am said to the donkey, Because you have mocked me, I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I had killed you. 30 The donkey said to Bil`am, Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? was I ever wont to do so to you? and he said, No. 31 Then the L-RD opened the eyes of Bil`am, and he saw the angel of the L-RD standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head, and fell on his face.” Again, the midrash fits nicely with the plain text and completes the story. Balaams’ donkey also said, and I paraphrase, you seek to fight Israel with words but to kill me you need a sword? Ouch! To this, the midrash says, Balaam had no response.
For the myriad of lessons the entirety of this parasha contains the one I wanted to focus upon was the awesome power the Father has given us. This power is accessed by our mouth! When we speak according to the will of the Father, and we know His will is manifest in His Word, we can do the impossible. On the one hand speaking against, or cursing His plan cannot prosper. However, we must be very careful how we use our words. While we cannot thwart the plans of G-d on the macro level, there is plenty of evidence that we can curse ourselves and at least cause ourselves great problems. Be careful the speech you choose to use when speaking about yourself, your family, etc. Be certain you speak life over these things. I’m not talking law of attraction, name it and claim it stuff. I’m not not telling you to speak a new Cadillac in your driveway or a windfall of cash into your life. I’m talking about speaking life and blessing over the very things G-d Himself has already spoken over you in the Word. Bless the ability of you and your family to fulfill your purpose on this earth for the Kingdom of G-d. Speak health and safety over your life. Of these things and the other promises of G-d we ought to be engaged in and as we do, we will see the miraculous hand of G-d in our lives.
messiahinsight 