Numbers 22:18
But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything small or great to go beyond the command of the LORD my God.
But Balaam replied to the servants of Balak,

Balak, king of Moab, had sent a more distinguished delegation with promises of great honor and reward if Balaam would curse Israel.

2Pe 2:15 They have left the straight way and wandered off…
Jud 1:11 Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain;…
Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because some of you…

“If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold,

The offer represented extraordinary wealth and revealed Balak’s desperation to stop the advancing Israelites by spiritual means.

Hag 2:8 The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine…
Exo 23:8 Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see…
Pro 16:8 Better a little with righteousness than great gain…

I could not do anything small or great

Balaam acknowledged that neither reward nor royal pressure could give him authority to alter God’s will.

Jos 1:7 Above all, be strong and very courageous.…
Deu 17:20 Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen,…
Pro 30:6 Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you…

to go beyond the command of the LORD my God.

Yahweh ruled over Balaam as surely as He ruled over Israel and Moab. Balaam’s later conduct showed that professing submission to God’s command is not the same as possessing a heart wholly devoted to God.

Deu 4:2 You must not add to or subtract from what I command you…
Deu 12:32 See that you do everything I command you;…
1Ki 13:9 For this is what I was commanded by the word of the LORD:…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Balaam
A non-Israelite prophet known for his ability to bless or curse, who is approached by Balak to curse Israel.

2. Balak
The king of Moab who fears the Israelites and seeks Balaam's help to curse them.

3. Moab
The region ruled by Balak, located east of the Dead Sea, where the Israelites camped during their journey to the Promised Land.

4. The LORD (Yahweh)
The God of Israel, who communicates His will to Balaam, emphasizing His sovereignty and authority.

5. The Servants of Balak
Messengers sent by Balak to persuade Balaam to curse the Israelites.
Teaching Points
Obedience to God's Command
Balaam's response highlights the importance of adhering strictly to God's commands, regardless of external pressures or temptations.

The Temptation of Wealth
Balaam's mention of silver and gold serves as a reminder of the seductive power of material wealth and the need to prioritize God's will over financial gain.

God's Sovereignty
The passage underscores God's ultimate authority and control over all situations, including the intentions of those who oppose His people.

Integrity in Leadership
Balaam's initial stance reflects the necessity for leaders to maintain integrity and not be swayed by personal gain or the influence of others.

The Danger of Compromise
Balaam's account warns against the dangers of compromising one's faith and values for personal benefit or acceptance.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Balaam's response to Balak's servants demonstrate the importance of obedience to God in our own lives?

2. In what ways can the temptation of wealth and material possessions challenge our commitment to God's commands today?

3. How does the account of Balaam illustrate God's sovereignty and protection over His people, and how can this assurance impact our faith?

4. What lessons can we learn from Balaam's initial integrity, and how can we apply these lessons to our roles as leaders or influencers in our communities?

5. How can we guard against the dangers of compromise in our spiritual walk, as illustrated by Balaam's eventual downfall?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 23:4-5
This passage recounts how Balaam was hired to curse Israel but was instead used by God to bless them, highlighting God's protective power over His people.

2 Peter 2:15-16
Peter references Balaam's error, emphasizing the danger of loving the wages of unrighteousness over obedience to God.

Jude 1:11
Jude warns against following the way of Balaam, which is characterized by greed and rebellion against God's will.

Revelation 2:14
Jesus rebukes the church in Pergamum for holding to the teaching of Balaam, who led Israel into sin, illustrating the consequences of compromising with evil.
The Second VisitD. Young Numbers 22:15-21
A Rotting ConscienceH. W. Beecher.Numbers 22:15-35
BalaamC. Kingsley, M. A.Numbers 22:15-35
Balaam Rebuked, But not CheckedT. T. Munger.Numbers 22:15-35
Balaam Stopped by an AngelJ. Parker, D. D.Numbers 22:15-35
Balaam the Man of Double MindC. Ness.Numbers 22:15-35
Balaam, an Instance of Moral PerversionW. M. Taylor, D. D.Numbers 22:15-35
Balaam; Or, Spiritual Influence, Human and DivineHomilistNumbers 22:15-35
Balaam's AssW. Jones.Numbers 22:15-35
Balaam's Ass, or Cruelty RebukedJ. W. Hardman, LL. D.Numbers 22:15-35
Balaam's I have SinnedJames Vaughan, M. A.Numbers 22:15-35
Balaam's ProtestW. Roberts.Numbers 22:15-35
Balaam's VisionJ. P. Smith, LL. D.Numbers 22:15-35
Balak's Second Application to BalaamW. Jones.Numbers 22:15-35
Dallying with TemptationT. T. Munger.Numbers 22:15-35
God Answers Men as They WishIsaac Williams, B. D.Numbers 22:15-35
God Permits Balaam to Go, and Yet is AngryF. D. Maurice, M. A.Numbers 22:15-35
God Withstanding SinnersJ. J. Van Oosterzee, D. D.Numbers 22:15-35
God's Opposition to BalaamHenry, MatthewNumbers 22:15-35
Gold an Ignoble Motive for ServiceC. Kingsley.Numbers 22:15-35
No Contradiction Between God's Two Answers to BalaamT. T. Manger.Numbers 22:15-35
No Without Any Yes in ItS. S. ChronicleNumbers 22:15-35
Obedience Without Love, as Instanced in the Character OfJ. H. Newman, D. D.Numbers 22:15-35
Obstacles to VisionJ. Halsey.Numbers 22:15-35
Obstructive ProvidencesT. G. Horton.Numbers 22:15-35
On Tampering with ConscienceA. Jessopp, M. A.Numbers 22:15-35
Parallels to the Case of BalaamAmerican S. S. TimesNumbers 22:15-35
Perversion as Shown in the Character of BalaamF. W. Robertson, M. A.Numbers 22:15-35
Restraints from SinD. G. Watt, M. A.Numbers 22:15-35
Sin PerverseBp. Babington.Numbers 22:15-35
Something Wrong with ConscienceChristian AgeNumbers 22:15-35
The Cause of God's Anger with BalaamS. Cox, D. D.Numbers 22:15-35
The Character of BalaamG. Wagner.Numbers 22:15-35
The Divine Permission of Self-WillS. Cox, D. D.Numbers 22:15-35
The Opposition of God's AngelW. Roberts.Numbers 22:15-35
The Talking Ass, and What it Taught BalaamS. Cox, D. D.Numbers 22:15-35
The Way of the PerverseT. De Witt Talmage.Numbers 22:15-35
Trifling with ConscienceJ. E. C. Welldon, M. A.Numbers 22:15-35
Withstanding TemptationJuvenile Templar.Numbers 22:15-35
People
Amorites, Balaam, Balak, Beor, Israelites, Moabites, Moses, Zippor
Places
Amaw, Arnon, Bamoth-baal, Egypt, Euphrates River, Jericho, Jordan River, Kiriath-huzoth, Midian, Moab, Pethor
Topics
Able, Answereth, Anything, Balaam, Balak, Beyond, Can't, Command, Commandment, Contrary, Either, Filled, Full, Fulness, Gold, Less, Orders, Palace, Pass, Possible, Replied, Servants, Silver, Though
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Numbers 22:18

     4333   gold
     4363   silver
     5437   palaces

Numbers 22:18-19

     1421   oracles

Library
Balaam
He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.'--NUM. xxii. 6. Give a general outline of the history. See Bishop Butler's great sermon. I. How much knowledge and love of good there may be in a bad man. Balaam was a prophet: (a) He knew something of the divine character,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Confession of Sin --A Sermon with Seven Texts
The Hardened Sinner. PHARAOH--"I have sinned."--Exodus 9:27. I. The first case I shall bring before you is that of the HARDENED SINNER, who, when under terror, says, "I have sinned." And you will find the text in the book of Exodus, the 9th chap. and 27th verse: "And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked." But why this confession from the lips of the haughty tyrant? He was not often wont to
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

The Assyrian Revival and the Struggle for Syria
Assur-nazir-pal (885-860) and Shalmaneser III. (860-825)--The kingdom of Urartu and its conquering princes: Menuas and Argistis. Assyria was the first to reappear on the scene of action. Less hampered by an ancient past than Egypt and Chaldaea, she was the sooner able to recover her strength after any disastrous crisis, and to assume again the offensive along the whole of her frontier line. Image Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a bas-relief at Koyunjik of the time of Sennacherib. The initial cut,
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 7

Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12). In our last chapter we considered at some length the much debated and difficult question of the human will. We have shown that the will of the natural man is neither Sovereign nor free but, instead, a servant and slave. We have argued that a right conception of the sinner's will-its servitude-is essential to a just estimate of his depravity and ruin. The utter corruption and degradation of human nature is something which
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

How the Whole and the Sick are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 13.) Differently to be admonished are the whole and the sick. For the whole are to be admonished that they employ the health of the body to the health of the soul: lest, if they turn the grace of granted soundness to the use of iniquity, they be made worse by the gift, and afterwards merit the severer punishments, in that they fear not now to use amiss the more bountiful gifts of God. The whole are to be admonished that they despise not the opportunity of winning health for ever.
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Numbers
Like the last part of Exodus, and the whole of Leviticus, the first part of Numbers, i.-x. 28--so called,[1] rather inappropriately, from the census in i., iii., (iv.), xxvi.--is unmistakably priestly in its interests and language. Beginning with a census of the men of war (i.) and the order of the camp (ii.), it devotes specific attention to the Levites, their numbers and duties (iii., iv.). Then follow laws for the exclusion of the unclean, v. 1-4, for determining the manner and amount of restitution
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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