Num 24:10-13 | KingComments | STEP | Balak is desperate. In words and gestures his anger burns against Balaam. The striking of the hands is a gesture of horror, of great anxiety ( ). He dismisses Balaam, who gets nothing from what he promised him because he has not kept the deal. Balak says it is the LORD’s fault that Balaam gets no reward. That is also true, but Balak means this mockingly, to indicate where the obedience of Balaam to the LORD has led to. Balaam is not impressed. He keeps the honor to himself. He can’t do anything else either. He is against will an instrument in God’s hand. He is so much impressed by the power of God, that all the gold and silver of Balak could not persuade him to go against God. Under the power of God, he acts against his greedy nature. Unfortunately, all this is beyond his conscience. He loses the reward of Balak, but he doesn’t choose for the LORD either. If he continues to pronounce another prophecy, it is because of the same power that led him to pronounce the former prophecies. He invites Balak to come once again and listen to an announcement of future events. Among other things, they are about what “this people”, that is Israel, will do to “your people”, that is Moab. This means that Balak’s fear of “this people” ( ) is justified. However, this fear will only become true in the future. Anyway, because it is also about his people, those events will have to interest Balak.

‏ Numbers 24:10-13

Reaction of Balak – Reply of Balaam

Balak is desperate. In words and gestures his anger burns against Balaam. The striking of the hands is a gesture of horror, of great anxiety (Job 27:23). He dismisses Balaam, who gets nothing from what he promised him because he has not kept the deal. Balak says it is the LORD’s fault that Balaam gets no reward. That is also true, but Balak means this mockingly, to indicate where the obedience of Balaam to the LORD has led to.

Balaam is not impressed. He keeps the honor to himself. He can’t do anything else either. He is against will an instrument in God’s hand. He is so much impressed by the power of God, that all the gold and silver of Balak could not persuade him to go against God. Under the power of God, he acts against his greedy nature. Unfortunately, all this is beyond his conscience. He loses the reward of Balak, but he doesn’t choose for the LORD either.

If he continues to pronounce another prophecy, it is because of the same power that led him to pronounce the former prophecies. He invites Balak to come once again and listen to an announcement of future events. Among other things, they are about what “this people”, that is Israel, will do to “your people”, that is Moab. This means that Balak’s fear of “this people” (Num 22:3) is justified. However, this fear will only become true in the future. Anyway, because it is also about his people, those events will have to interest Balak.