1. Balack sends for Balaam
Balaam did what all men in authority ought always to do. He decided to seek God’s face in order to know what God’s mind was about the request from Balak. He told the leaders of Moab to stay the night and he was to bring word to them as the Lord spoke to him. So they stayed with him.
The Bible says,
“Then the people of Israel set out, and encamped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan at Jericho. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was in great dread of the people, because they were many; Moab was overcome with fear of the people of Israel. And Moab said to the elders of Midian, ‘This horde will now lick up all that is round about us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River, in the land of Amaw to call him, saying, ‘Behold, a people has come out of Egypt; they cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed’” (Numbers 22:1-6).
Israel was the people of God. Moab was in great dread of them and their king, Balak, was in great anxiety to save his people. Balaam’s reputation as a prophet was well established. Balak knew that he whom Balaam cursed will be cursed and he whom he blesses will be blessed. We are therefore dealing with a prophet of weight and reputation. Balak was anxious that Israel might be cursed, so that it should grow weak and that he might defeat her. Balaam was the only one who could pronounce the curses and they would have effect. He was therefore the only hope of Moab against Israel. He was the only hope of Moab against God.
2. The price of divination
The elders of Moab left to see Balaam with the price of divination in their hands. Whatever the amount, it was in such a way that Balaam could see. It was such that if he was interested in money, his eyes would immediately fall on it. They came to him and gave him Balak’s message.
3. Seeking God’s face
Balaam did what all men in authority ought always to do. He decided to seek God’s face in order to know what God’s mind was about the request from Balak. He told the leaders of Moab to stay the night and he was to bring word to them as the Lord spoke to him. So they stayed with him.
When the request was made to him, he did not turn to his mind as to what to do. He did not merely ask for how it will affect him. He did not simply see the people’s need. Rather, he decided to bring word to them as the Lord spoke to him. He set out to seek God’s mind and will about it.
This is very crucial, but many believers do not do it. They face a situation and just rush at it carnally to provide carnal answers. Then they later want God to come and save them from the confusion to which they have landed. Faced with a decision, demand or report, seek the will of God. Do not just react. Do not be carried away by the urgency of the situation.
When an urgent case was carried to the Lord Jesus; the sickness of Lazarus, He did not rush. He only went when it was time to go. He did not just change everything and rush there. Before what men call an emergency, and there is no emergency with God, because God is the Lord of all, seek Gods will. Do not be moved by the foolish thoughts of people. Do not be moved by the fact that the person can die in the next second, so that you do not bother about God’s will anymore. Do not be bothered by the thinking that if you do nothing immediately all is lost. Seek God’s will. If you fail here, you have blundered very seriously.
Up to this point, Balaam carried the marks of someone who had history with God. He decided to bring back word to them, according to what God would say to him. He was saying I will not act according to what I want or think. I want it as God wants. Those who do not seek God’s face miss the perfect will of God. Often, it is those who do their own projects and are afraid that God may say no.
4. Absolute surrender
The only way to be sure that you want the will of God is to be fully surrendered to Him. Only those who are absolutely surrendered can walk in the perfect will of God. Some people fear that the will of God may stand on the way of their own interests. If there is an area in your life that is not surrendered to the Lord, you will not get things right. Many things in your life will go wrong. Your understanding of the scriptures will be affected. Even what you say will be twisted. Your spirit of discernment will be confused.
Unless you are absolutely abandoned in all things, you will make very many mistakes; you are doomed for confusion. I want to ask you, “Are you ready to hear the word of God and to obey?” If there is no willingness; if there is some secret reserve, or partial willingness, you will fail. If you are not fully surrendered, God’s light will conflict with your interests and things will become blurred.
5. The God who speaks
‘When Balaam went to seek God, God did not tarry to speak out to him. He asked him who the people were. God’s question meant that Balaam ought to have understood that it was no matter to ask Him. He was all wrong from the beginning. They did not need to stay with him, but then, he had left them in his place. He housed them. He gave them hospitality. He gave hospitality to the enemies of God.
Then Balaam explained everything to God and God gave him two very clear instructions. First of all, he was not to go with them. Secondly, he was not to curse the people because they were blessed. This was very clear. There was no ambiguity. God does not speak in such a way as to confuse His people. When people are confused, it is because they want to get themselves confused. Often I tell unbelievers that philosophers raise dust and then complain that they cannot see. In the same way, many children of God first hear the instructions of God, mix them with their own desires and then say they are confused. It was clear to Balaam: you shall not go with them and you shall not curse a blessed people.
There was no need for Balaam to question God further. Often when believers ask me something, I tell them what I understand to be God’s will. Afterwards, they want me to modify the situation in order to agree with them. There is no possibility that the modified situation should be God’s will. God does not modify His will.
The first thing God says is the reality. For those who seek God’s will, when He has said a thing, all that is necessary is obedience. There should be no room for discussion and pleading.
The Bible says, “So Balaam rose in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, ‘Go to your own land; for the LORD has refused to let me go with you. ‘ So the princes of Moab rose and went to Balak, and said, ‘Balaam refuses to come with us’” (Numbers 22:13-14). The way Balaam put it meant that he was not in total agreement with what God had said. Each time people want to modify a situation, they always know what the true situation is. But they do not want it. They want a modified situation.
6. Reluctant obedience
Balaam said to the Moabites, “Go to your own land; for the LORD has refused to let me go with you. ‘” He meant that he would have loved to go, but God was on his way. He was sort of saying, “God is stronger than me, so I must obey, although I am willing to come with you.” Balaam was no longer single-hearted towards God. His heart was divided. All whose hearts are divided will miss God’s will, unless they do something radical to remedy the situation.
If your heart is fixed on something else, other than the Lord; you love someone more than you love the Lord, you have some ambition that is not the Lord, you will miss His will.
Balaam did not say, “I am not coming with you.” This would mean that he and God’s will were one. But in this case he was saying, – God is the problem. I want to come. I know you want to destroy these people, but God has refused. If God were not on the way, I would have come. I wish he were not on the way. He knew no integrity of heart with God.
Do you know integrity of heart with God? If not, you will fail. The failure may not be obvious now, but you will ultimately fail. Balaam wanted to go. Actually, his heart went, but his body remained behind. It was not joyous obedience to stay. To him, not going with the officials of Balak was not the good, acceptable and perfect will of God. God’s will was a problem, a weight.
He had seen the fee that they had brought and his heart had gone after it. He loved gain but God stood on his way to it. He could not go with them. There was sin in his heart. He loved things. He loved gifts. Do you love worldly things? Do you love worldly positions, goods and possessions? Do you love to be accepted and congratulated by the world?
If you are inclined to want to be accepted by the world, then let God treat it once and for all. Let Him meet you in your place of need. If not, your failure will be final. Can it be that you cannot find God’s will because your heart is attached to money, to a job, a big salary, to praise, to a man, to a woman, to a family, to a tribe, a nation, or a profession, etc.? Is your heart attached to something? If these things have any place in you, you will go wrong, unless you put them in their rightful place.