The Prophet for Hire
Introduction: The World's Playbook
We live in a thoroughly pragmatic age. The world, and sadly, much of the church, is run by the Balaks of this world. Balak was a king who saw a problem, a very large and numerous problem, and he immediately began to calculate a solution. His solution was not to inquire of the Lord, not to repent of his own wickedness, but rather to find the right lever to pull, the right button to push, the right spiritual mercenary to hire. He believed that the spiritual world operated on the same principles as his own grubby political world: everything and everyone has a price.
This is the essence of paganism, ancient and modern. It is the belief that God, or the gods, can be managed. It is the attempt to harness supernatural power for carnal ends. The modern church is riddled with this mindset. We want church growth, so we hire the consultants. We want influence, so we adopt the world's marketing techniques. We want revival, so we try to manufacture the right emotional atmosphere. We act as though God's blessing is a commodity that can be secured if we just find the right technique, the right program, or the right personality. We are all tempted to be like Balak, trying to buy a blessing, or worse, trying to hire someone to curse our enemies.
But the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is not for hire. His will is not for sale. His blessing is not a product to be purchased. He is the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, and His purposes are not subject to negotiation. The story of Balaam is a stark and solemn warning against the folly of trying to manipulate the Almighty. It is the story of a pagan king's futile attempt to curse what God has blessed, and the story of a compromised prophet whose greed led him to the very brink of destruction. It reveals the heart of man, which is full of fear and covetousness, and the heart of God, which is full of fierce, covenantal loyalty to His people.
The Text
Then the sons of Israel set out and camped in the plains of Moab beyond the Jordan opposite Jericho. And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. So Moab was in great fear because of the people, for they were numerous; and Moab was in dread of the sons of Israel. Then Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this assembly will lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." And Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, at Pethor, which is near the River, in the land of the sons of his people, to call him, saying, "Behold, a people came out of Egypt; behold, they cover the surface of the land, and they are settled opposite me. So now, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to strike them down and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."
So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went away with the fees for divination in their hand; and they came to Balaam and spoke Balak’s words to him. And he said to them, "Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as Yahweh may speak to me." And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam. Then God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?" And Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent word to me, 'Behold, there is a people who came out of Egypt, and they cover the surface of the land; now come, curse them for me; perhaps I may be able to fight against them and drive them out.' " And God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." So Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s leaders, "Go back to your land, for Yahweh has refused to allow me to go with you." And the leaders of Moab arose and came to Balak and said, "Balaam refused to go with us."
Then Balak again sent leaders, more numerous and more honorable than the former. And they came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak the son of Zippor, 'Let nothing, I beg you, withhold you from coming to me; for I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Please come then, curse this people for me.' " And Balaam replied to the servants of Balak, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, to trespass the command of Yahweh my God. So now, please, you also stay here tonight, and I will know what else Yahweh will speak to me." And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you shall you do."
So Balaam arose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the leaders of Moab.
(Numbers 22:1-21 LSB)
A Panic Born of Unbelief (vv. 1-6)
The story begins with fear. Balak and the people of Moab are terrified. They see this massive horde of Israelites, and they have heard the intelligence reports about what happened to the Amorites. Their fear is entirely carnal. They see a political and military threat, and they react with worldly wisdom. They see Israel as a great ox that will "lick up all that is around us."
"So he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor... 'So now, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me... For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.'" (Numbers 22:5-6)
Balak does not see Israel as the covenant people of the living God. He sees them as a demographic problem. And so he seeks a spiritual solution, but it is a pagan solution. He seeks to hire a prophet, Balaam, who has a great reputation. Balak's theology is simple: power is what matters. He believes Balaam has this power intrinsically. He doesn't say, "The God who speaks through you is powerful." He says, "he whom you bless is blessed." He thinks the power resides in the man, in the technique, in the incantation. This is the essence of magic. It is the attempt to bypass God's will and manipulate spiritual forces for one's own ends. The world is full of Balaks, men who believe that if they can just find the right guru, the right technology, the right political maneuver, they can control reality.
A Piety Tinged with Greed (vv. 7-14)
Now we meet Balaam. He is a strange and troubling figure. He is not an Israelite, yet he knows and speaks with Yahweh. The messengers arrive with "the fees for divination in their hand." Let us not miss this. The temptation is presented immediately and tangibly. This is not an abstract discussion about theology; it is a business proposal.
"And he said to them, 'Spend the night here, and I will bring word back to you as Yahweh may speak to me.'" (Numbers 22:8 LSB)
Balaam’s initial response appears pious. He will inquire of the Lord. But God's response to him is a test. God asks, "Who are these men with you?" Of course, God knew who they were. This question was for Balaam's sake, to force him to articulate the wicked errand these men were on. It is a moment for his conscience to be pricked. God then gives a clear, direct, and unambiguous command: "Do not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed."
This should have been the end of the matter. The will of God was plain. The people are blessed. The project is a non-starter. But notice Balaam's careful wording to the princes of Moab. He says, "Yahweh has refused to allow me to go with you." This is technically true, but it is a masterpiece of misleading minimalism. He does not say, "God has informed me that your entire premise is flawed because these people are irrevocably blessed by Him, and therefore your mission is futile." No, he frames it as a personal prohibition. He makes it sound like a scheduling conflict. This kind of careful, self-serving communication is the mark of a man who wants to keep his options open. He is hoping for a better offer.
The Seduction of a Second Asking (vv. 15-21)
Balak, being a man of the world, understands this kind of negotiation. If the first offer is refused, you simply increase it. He sends more messengers, more honorable men, and a much more lucrative offer. "I will indeed honor you richly, and I will do whatever you say to me." This is the blank check of temptation.
"And Balaam replied... 'Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not... trespass the command of Yahweh my God. So now, please, you also stay here tonight, and I will know what else Yahweh will speak to me.'" (Numbers 22:18-19 LSB)
Balaam's verbal response is magnificent. It is the very model of prophetic integrity. "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold..." This is the kind of statement that gets a man a reputation for piety. But his actions immediately betray his heart. If the answer from God was a clear and final "no," why is he asking a second time? What "else" could Yahweh possibly have to say? God does not have a secret, negotiable will that can be accessed if you just keep pestering Him. Balaam is not seeking clarity; he is seeking a loophole. He is hoping God will change His mind. He is treating the Lord like a stubborn parent who might eventually give in.
And then we come to the most terrifying verse in the passage. "And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, 'If the men have come to call you, rise up and go with them...'" Is God changing His mind? Not at all. This is the permissive will of God in judgment. This is the principle of Romans 1, where God "gave them up" to the desires of their own hearts. God is saying, in effect, "You are so determined to have the money and the honor that you refuse to take 'no' for an answer. Very well. Go. Walk in the path your greedy heart has chosen, and see where it leads you." This is not a blessing; it is a leash. God is going to let Balaam go, but only so that He can use this hireling prophet's journey to display His own sovereignty and bring blessing upon His people.
Balaam's response is telling. "So Balaam arose in the morning and saddled his donkey." There is no hesitation. He has the permission he wanted, and he leaps at the opportunity. His heart is laid bare. His pious words were a sham, a thin veneer over a soul consumed with covetousness.
The Way of Balaam and the Way of Christ
This account is not in Scripture to satisfy our historical curiosity. It is a profound warning. The New Testament refers to "the way of Balaam" and "the error of Balaam" (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:11). It is the way of the religious professional who uses his spiritual gifts for financial gain. It is the error of loving the wages of unrighteousness more than the approbation of God. This is a constant temptation for all who minister the Word. The desire for honor, for wealth, for influence can easily corrupt the purest motives. We must constantly be on guard against the spirit of the hireling.
But the ultimate contrast is between Balaam, the false prophet, and Jesus Christ, the true Prophet. Balaam was willing to curse God's people for a house full of silver and gold. Jesus, the beloved Son, became a curse for us, so that we might receive the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14). Balaam sought the honor of a pagan king. Jesus "made himself of no reputation" and took the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7). Balaam saddled his donkey in eager pursuit of riches. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, in humble pursuit of the cross.
And the central truth of this passage is the glorious security of the people of God. Balak's entire scheme was doomed from the start for one simple reason: God had already said of Israel, "they are blessed." Our salvation, our security, our standing before God does not depend on our ability to ward off curses. It does not depend on our own performance. It rests entirely on the unilateral, sovereign, and irreversible declaration of God. He has blessed His people in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3). And because He has blessed us, no curse can stand. No scheme of man or devil, no accusation of the enemy, and no covetous prophet can ever reverse the verdict that God has rendered over His people in His Son. What God has blessed is blessed forever.