Why did God allow Balaam to go with Balak's men in Numbers 22:21? Passage Overview (Numbers 22:12–22) “God said to Balaam, ‘Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.’ … Then God came to Balaam by night and said, ‘If the men have come to summon you, get up and go with them, but only do what I tell you.’ So Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. But God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the Angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him.” Historical and Cultural Setting Israel was encamped on Moab’s eastern border after defeating the Amorites (Numbers 21). Balak, Moab’s king, feared Israel’s expansion and hired Balaam—an internationally known diviner from Pethor on the Euphrates—to pronounce a curse (22:4–6). Extrabiblical tablets from Deir ʿAllā (Jordan, c. 8th century BC) mention “Balaʿam son of Beor, a seer,” confirming his historical reputation. Sequence of Divine Commands 1. First delegation: God’s explicit prohibition—“Do not go … do not curse” (22:12). 2. Second delegation: God’s conditional permission—“If the men have come … go with them, but only the word I speak to you, that you shall do” (22:20). 3. Road encounter: God’s anger reveals Balaam’s true motive (22:22). The Angel of the LORD blocks the path; the donkey sees what Balaam cannot. God’s Perfect Will vs. Permissive Will God’s perfect will was revealed in the initial command: Israel must not be cursed. Balaam’s covetous persistence (cf. 2 Peter 2:15) provoked God to grant a permissive “yes,” similar to His allowance of Israel’s request for a king (1 Samuel 8) or of Pharaoh’s hardened heart (Exodus 9–11). The permission exposes the rebel heart while advancing divine purposes (Proverbs 16:9). Divine Sovereignty and Human Agency Though Balak schemes and Balaam bargains, God remains sovereign. The Lord turns intended curses into blessings (Numbers 23–24), demonstrating Proverbs 21:30—“There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD” . Human freedom is real, yet never capable of overturning divine decree. A Test of Motive: Greed and Compromise Balaam’s eagerness (“he rose in the morning,” 22:21) contrasts with reluctant prophets such as Jonah. The New Testament labels his path “the wages of wickedness” (Acts 1:18; 2 Peter 2:15–16; Jude 11). God’s permission exposed the profit-seeking heart that had masked itself with pious words (“I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD,” 22:18). The Angel of the LORD and the Talking Donkey The miraculous encounter highlights three truths: • Spiritual blindness: a pagan seer cannot see what a beast perceives. • Divine protection: the Angel guards Israel by threatening Balaam. • Gracious warning: the donkey’s speech (22:28) is a sign of God’s restraint, echoing Psalm 145:9—“The LORD is good to all.” Blessing through Apparent Contradiction By allowing Balaam to go, God positions him on Moab’s heights to issue four canonical oracles of blessing (Numbers 23:7–10; 23:18–24; 24:3–9; 24:15–19). The climax—“I see Him, but not now … a Star will come forth out of Jacob, a Scepter will rise out of Israel” (24:17)—is an early Messianic prophecy later echoed in Matthew 2:2. What Balak meant for curse, God used to proclaim the Redeemer. Foreshadowing the Messiah The Angel of the LORD (often a Christophany) stands with drawn sword (22:23), prefiguring the warrior-king of Revelation 19:15. The donkey’s substitutionary suffering anticipates the Servant who bears stripes we deserved (Isaiah 53:4–5). Subsequent Biblical Commentary on Balaam • Joshua 13:22 records his death among Midian’s slain. • Numbers 31:16 exposes his counsel that led Israel into idolatry at Peor. • 2 Peter 2:15–16, Jude 11, and Revelation 2:14 condemn “the way,” “the error,” and “the teaching” of Balaam—greed, compromise, and enticement to sin. Scripture interprets Scripture, showing that God’s permission was never endorsement. Archaeological Corroboration At Deir ʿAllā, eight plaster fragments (A: V 7–9) read: “Warnings from the book of Balaʿam son of Beor. He was a seer of the gods.” This extra-biblical witness corroborates Balaam’s existence and notoriety, aligning with the Mosaic narrative. Theology of Prophecy Outside Israel God can speak through non-Israelite channels (cf. Melchizedek, Jethro, the Magi) yet always for Israel’s good and His glory. Balaam’s accurate blessings demonstrate Romans 11:29—“the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable”—while his moral failure illustrates 1 Corinthians 13:2: possessing prophetic insight without love profits nothing. Practical and Pastoral Applications 1. Obedience must be immediate; seeking loopholes invites discipline. 2. Spiritual gifts do not guarantee spiritual health; character matters. 3. God may allow sin’s pathway to expose hearts and accomplish higher ends (Romans 1:24). 4. No curse can stand against those God has blessed in Christ (Galatians 3:13–14). Conclusion God allowed Balaam to accompany Balak’s men not out of approval, but to unmask the prophet’s covetousness, safeguard His covenant people, and transform intended malediction into one of Scripture’s clearest anticipations of the Messiah. The episode magnifies divine sovereignty, warns against greedy compromise, and reassures believers that “the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because He loves you” (Deuteronomy 23:5). |
    |