Our generally excellent Authorized Version is faulty in its rendering of 1 Timothy 6:10. The apostle did not say, “The love of money is the root of all evil,” for it is indisputable that many evils are sometimes found in persons who are not plagued with the love of money at all. The Revised Version gives the meaning more correctly, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” From that pernicious root envy, lying, and murder (not to mention other sins) can easily spring. But the same hateful things can also come from other roots. Love of money was the ruin of Balaam, as of Judas Iscariot and many others. The Holy Spirit when commenting upon Balaam's doings fifteen centuries later said, “He loved the wages of unrighteousness!” (2 Peter 2:15).
So we picture the prophet setting out from Mesopotamia for Moab with Balak's silver and gold filling his soul's vision, utterly heartless as to the devastation and sorrow that he was to endeavor to bring upon an unoffending people in order to obtain his reward. The people of Israel had done him no wrong, and he had no direct quarrel with them; yet he was willing to blast a whole nation—men, women and children! Nothing more horrible could well be imagined. No wonder we read that “God's anger was kindled because he went” (Num. 22:22).
A heavenly being stood in the way with a drawn sword in his hand. He is called “the angel of Jehovah.” This was no mere servant. It is the same messenger who appeared to the wife of Manoah in Judges 13 and who said his name was “Wonderful.” Both to her and to Balaam he spoke with divine authority. To Balaam He said: “I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before Me....Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak.” The speaker was none other than He whom we know as the Lord Jesus Christ.
The ass saw the Angel, and turned aside from the threatening sword. Alas, that the beast should have more perception than a man made in the image of God! “The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, My people doth not consider” (Isa. 1:3). Such was Jehovah's complaint of the moral insensibility of the people to whom He had been more kind than to any other. The very cattle could put them to shame!
Balaam smote his ass three times. The Angel rebuked him for it, for every act of cruelty to animals is divinely noted.
When the sons of God are manifested in glory with the Firstborn, the groaning creation will be finally delivered (Rom. 8:19-22). Meantime, “Jehovah opened the mouth of the ass” Let no one doubt it. The Holy Spirit, who is the real Author of every book of Scripture, says so, not only in the book of Numbers, but in the much later second epistle of Peter. This answers every question to those who have learned to believe God. Why should not the ass speak? He who gave speech to man can surely give speech to a beast at any moment if circumstances require it. “The iron did swim” (1 Kings 6:6). “The sun stood still” (Josh. 10:13). And, pray, why not? “Is anything too hard for Jehovah?” (Gen. 18:14). Bring Him into these matters, and all difficulties vanish. “None can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?” (Dan. 4:35).
“The dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbade the madness of the prophet.” Madness indeed, to imagine that he could annul or change the declared purpose of Jehovah concerning His people! Madness to suppose that a beneficent Creator would allow millions of souls to be destroyed in order that a spiritualistic practitioner might earn a fee! But what madness are men not capable of who are ignorant of God? Is the devastation of the earth in our own time evidence of wisdom or madness? Had Salaam any heart-knowledge of God he would have refused to go a step further after his experience with the Angel. True, the Angel said, “Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak.” But he also said, “Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because the way thou walkest in is for ruin before Me” (Num. 22:32 JND). After hearing all this, Balsam was clearly proceeding to his doom. His words “I have sinned” no more came from a divinely convicted conscience than the same words from the lips of self-willed Saul in 1 Samuel 15:24.
In due course Balaam met Balak, and was rebuked by him for not coming when first invited. But it must have been with a more than doubtful mind that Balsam entered upon the sorry business for which he had been summoned from Mesopotamia. In some respects these two servants of the Devil foreshadowed the beast and the false prophet of the last days, who will with diabolical energy move earth and hell against the Israel of God for their destruction, but who will have no more success than the Balak and Balaam of long ago. Indeed they will be “cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Rev. 19:20). Who is able to withstand God?