Not one altar, but seven, were built, and on each altar both a bullock and a ram were sacrificed, before Balaam was ready to go on with his master, Satan.
Baal means master, or possessor; it was the chief god of the people of the land the children of Israel were coming to take for their home. Balaam means “lord of the people,” and Balak means empty, or waster. These names seem suitable for Satan, and the people who do his work, but the seven altars, with the smoke of the burning sacrifices, must have looked very fine.
The next chapter, in its first verse tells us that it was not God that Balaam went to meet with, though he wanted the king of Moab to think so (verse 3). But God it was that met Balaam, and put the words into his mouth that he was to say when he went back to the seven altars and the king and his princes. He begins to speak, presently, and how astonished the people must have been to hear his words!
“How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed, or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?” They were God’s people, not to be counted as one of the nations. They were greater than any other people, but Balaam’s only thought for himself is that he would like to die as one of God’s children.
Perhaps even the worst of men and women of today would say the same thing, but there is no wish to live the life of the righteous, and God did not let Balaam have his desire.
Balak was angry, of course. He had been at a lot of trouble to bring Balaam there, and instead of cursing the Israelites he had pronounced their blessing. The, wicked prophet answered truly that he must say what God put in his mouth, but the king would have him try again.
Perhaps, thought Balak, who did not have God in his mind at all, if Balaam goes to some other place he can curse the children of Israel as I want him to do. So he takes him to another height, where only a part of the people can be seen. Again seven altars are built, and cattle and sheep are slaughtered on them,’ as at the first place to which Balaam was taken by Balak.
Balaam, saying, “Stand here by thy burnt offering while I meet yonder,” went away to seek an enchantment (chapter 24, verse 1) —not to meet God, for the words, “the Lord,” in italics in the fifteenth verse should be left out. But God met him again, and gave him what he was to say to Balak, when he should get up to make his speech against the people of Israel. Wonderful words these were that Balaam was used to tell, speaking of God’s purposes and His interest in the people He had formed for Himself, but telling too of Balaam’s bad character, and the coming judgment of God’s enemies.
Man might tell lies, but God would not. He would not, like men, say one thing and do another. He had not seen iniquity in Jacob or perverseness in Israel. God had justified them, and Satan had no power to speak against them. Enchantments and divinations were without power against the people of God, and in a day close at hand, they would drive out their enemies before them. This and more, Balaam told Balak, who of course was very displeased. Yet he proposed to have Balaam try again to curse the people.