Numbers 22 - Why did God tell Balaam to go then get mad when he went? (Full Version)

All Forums >> [Theology] >> The Bible



Message

Fledgling -> Numbers 22 - Why did God tell Balaam to go then get mad when he went? (9/30/2008 11:31:59 AM)

See the scripture below. Why was God "very angry when he went"? This is the NIV translation. Numbers 22:19- 35 Thanks in advance for your help on this.

quote:

Now stay here tonight as the others did, and I will find out what else the LORD will tell me."
That night God came to Balaam and said, "Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you."
Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.
But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, she turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat her to get her back on the road.
Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between two vineyards, with walls on both sides.
When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat her again.
Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left.
When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat her with his staff.
Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?"
Balaam answered the donkey, "You have made a fool of me! If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."
The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?" "No," he said.
Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.
The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.
The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her."
Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back."
The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.



Lapidoth -> RE: Numbers 22 - Why did God tell Balaam to go then get mad when he went? (9/30/2008 12:58:52 PM)

Just move up to verse 12.

"And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them;
thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed."

But then in verse 20 God tells him to go.

Verse 22 says God's anger was kindled because he went.

It will take some meditation; perhaps a lot of meditation.
There's always a "test." Most flunk the "test" given to them.

This is the way a lot of Christendom is.
They were told what to do, but God gives them over to their own ways.

God even tells Balaam to "go" but God's will was to "stay put."

Sometimes it's hard to recognize God's ways.

Hope that helped without getting too theological.



DougHorton -> RE: Numbers 22 - Why did God tell Balaam to go then get mad when he went? (9/30/2008 3:09:58 PM)

Scripture tells us what we need to know, not every detail. Balaam disobeyed in some area, and from learning what he did later, telling the women to tempt the Israelite men, we can guess what he might have done.

Still, we are not given details. If it was important, God would have told us.



biblewalks -> RE: Numbers 22 - Why did God tell Balaam to go then get mad when he went? (9/30/2008 3:30:15 PM)

God permits Balaam to go after Balaam repeated his request. God allowed him to go, appear before Balak king of Moab, and praise the Israelites instead of cursing them.

After Balaam rides off with his donkey, God reads his heart and interprets the true intention of Balaam: Balaam intended to appear before Balak and curse the Israelites, in spite of God's explicit request. Therefore God was angry and sent his angel to block Balaam and to warn him on his true intentions.

This hidden plan of Balaam was not specified in the text, but may be implied.



Lapidoth -> RE: Numbers 22 - Why did God tell Balaam to go then get mad when he went? (9/30/2008 4:13:51 PM)

REV. 2:14
"But I have a few things against thee,
because thou hast there them that hold
the doctrine of Balaam, who taught
Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the
children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed
unto idols, and to commit fornication."



SpongeBlog -> RE: Numbers 22 - Why did God tell Balaam to go then get mad when he went? (9/30/2008 8:31:21 PM)

quote:

Numbers 22 - Why did God tell Balaam to go then get mad when he went?



It follows in the same vein as when Jesus said to Judas, "What you are about to do, do quickly" (John 13:27) just before Judas left to make the deal to turn Jesus over to the chief priests. Obviously Jesus didn't like what Judas was about to do, but knew that Judas had determined in his heart to do just that.

And just as in the case of Balaam, God turned Judas's evil intention around for good, so that blessing instead of cursing was the result for the people of God.


" 1 On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, 2 because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.) (Nehemiah 13:1-2)



Szaftoo -> RE: Numbers 22 - Why did God tell Balaam to go then get mad when he went? (10/1/2008 9:45:50 AM)

I think God was angry because of Balaam's readiness to go without questioning the implications for Israel. He was later chastised for his reckless attitude in verse 32. Verse 35 shows, there is also the possibility he may not fully obey and that he might speak more than what God says.



Fledgling -> RE: Numbers 22 - Why did God tell Balaam to go then get mad when he went? (10/1/2008 10:58:22 AM)

quote:

That night God came to Balaam and said, "Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you."
Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.


in verse 22, God tells Balaam to go because "these men have come to summon you". God tells Balaam to go and speak what God says.

To me it seems like Balaam is doing Gods bidding.

In Numbers 25, NIV
quote:

While Israel was staying in ****tim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women,
who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate and bowed down before these gods.
So Israel joined in worshiping the Baal of Peor. And the LORD's anger burned against themwe are told that the Israel


We are told that the Israelites began to sin as the Moabites.. but Balaan is not mentioned as the reason for this.

In Numbers 34 and 35 .. Balaam tells God that if God is displeased with Balaam's journey then he will turn back but God once again tells him to continue and say what God tells him to say. God also tells Balaam that his path is a "wreckless one " here, so I assume we can infer that Balaam is not conducting himself properly and therefore has angered God.

quote:

32.The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.
33.The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her."
34.Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back."
35.The angel of the LORD said to Balaam, "Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.


My understanding now is that Balaam is doing what God commands.. but is not doing it in the way that God wants him to do it. Balaan is being "wreckless" so God interupts his path to "straighten" him out.
The way that Balaam is treating his donkey and not seeing Gods angel is an example of his wrecklessness.

Does this make sense?



Page: [1]



Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.5 ANSI