Balaam: Prophet for hire

"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19)

At the core of God’s character is Truth. He is the very essence of Truth. As Christ followers, we yearn to develop the character of Christ. But are we willing to do what it takes? Are we genuinely devoted in all areas of life to developing the character of Christ?

Numbers 23 contains two of the four prophecies God delivered through the mouth of Balaam. Although God used Balaam to prophesy, he was not a prophet, he was a soothsayer, a diviner, a multiculturalist who was devoted to every god, every religion, tolerant of all. He studied details of local religions, and was willing to work for any god, for any reason. He was pricey, internationally known, and very skillful at cursing people.

Balak, the Moabite King, feared destruction at the hand of the encamping Israelites and spared no expense to crush them with best curser in the known world. He and his people were “sick with dread” they were so afraid. The Hebrew translation tells us they were so terrified they were throwing up. Their fear was visceral; it made their guts wrench.

This type of fear takes on a life of its own, leading to many desperate choices and reckless actions. If Balak hadn’t panicked, and simply communicated with Moses, he would have discovered there was nothing to fear, for God had told Israel to pass by the Moabites without harming them. Instead he relied on magic and sorcery as national weapons, and hired Balaam.

Balaam desired a relationship with God, to be able to bless and curse, to be a real prophet—but he never wanted to obey. In fact, he constantly and consistently refused to do what God told him. In the end, God took over his mouth, and he was helpless to prevent it. Balaam knew enough truth to outwardly appear sincere and faithful, but was not at all willing to yield his life to God.

I have walked in both sets of shoes. I have been so caught up in fear and panic, making tragic choices because I didn’t seek God. And I’ve known what the truth was and not lived by it. But when I signed away the right to myself, and yielded to Christ, those shoes fell from my feet. It’s possible to live worry-free, never fearing God’s next move, knowing He is managing my life according to His character, not mine.