Num 22:15 Once again Balak sent princes, more in number and more honorable than these. And they came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak the son of Zippor: ‘Let nothing hinder you from coming to me, for I will surely do you great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do. Come, curse this people for me.’” But Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the LORD my God to do less or more. So you, too, please stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me.” And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men have come to call you, rise, go with them; but only do what I tell you.” So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam said the right words. He told his guests, the elders from Moab and Midian (Numbers 22:7) to return without him. Though Balaam told his guests to go, he said it in a way that told them that Balaam wanted to go, but God wouldn’t let him. The message from Balaam was, “Go back to your land. I would really like to go with you, but God won’t allow me.” It was as if Balaam told them, “God doesn’t want me to do this, but I can be persuaded.” The message would be clear to King Balak. The response of Balak shows that Balaam effectively communicated the message, “God told me no, but perhaps you can persuade me.” King Balak sent messengers more numerous and more honorable, with the promise of greater reward. No longer did they merely carry with them the diviner’s fee of Numbers 22:7; now they also brought a promise of great riches. Balaam refused to decisively put away a temptation the first time it came to him. Now the temptation came back to him stronger than it was before.
We can imagine Balaam’s tone of voice and expression when he said this. With a sense of longing, Balaam found a way to suggest a big offer from these richer messengers of Balak. “Balaam’s words echo the reality that he had indeed had an encounter with the God of Israel, through which the true Elohim had confronted and revealed himself to the pagan diviner. Yahweh God of Israel will use whatever means he desires to reveal himself to humanity.” This was proof that Balaam continued to entertain this sin. There was no need to seek God again when the will of God was clear both from his moral conscience (which troubled him from the beginning) and from the clear revelation of God.
We can say that God did not change His will. God had clearly spoken His will, and Balaam had decisively rejected it. Now God prepared Balaam for judgment, to both test and reveal the wickedness of Balaam’s heart. We know that sometimes, God says “no” to the prayers of His people, because He loves them. But sometimes God also says “yes” to the desires of the wicked because He will judge them.
“He was first forbidden, and afterwards commanded to go. The only explanation that is satisfactory is that, while attempting to maintain an external obedience to this supreme will of God, his heart was lusting after the riches offered to him by Balak.” God’s word to Balaam, rise and go with them was no more evidence of God’s approval of Balaam’s greed than the words of Jesus to Judas in John 13:27 (What you do, do quickly) were an approval of the actions of Judas. (Guzik)
I wonder how many times we court sin with thoughts of:
- If God wants me to stop He will show me
- God’s Word does not specifically say not to do this
- I’ve not been convicted of it so it must be ok
- Confusing worldly wisdom and Godly living
- I’m good in many areas of my life, this one thing is not so bad
- I don’t hurt anyone by doing it
- It is accepted and tolerated by others
- I’ll stop for a new years resolution
Clearly, when our hearts and minds are worldly focused there will be greed, pride, jealousy, hate, anger, bitterness, fear, lust, and tolerance of what is neither God honoring or right in His eyes.