The Madness of the Prophet

From: Jonah and Balaam By: William Woldridge Fereday

• 5 min. read • grade level: 8

Our generally excellent Authorized Version is faulty in its rendering of 1 Timothy 6:10¹⁰For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (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 2:15¹⁵Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who 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. 22:22²²And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. (Numbers 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. 1:3³The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. (Isaiah 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. 8:19-22¹⁹For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. ²⁰For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, ²¹Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²²For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. (Romans 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 6:6⁶The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house. (1 Kings 6:6)). “The sun stood still” (Josh. 10:13¹³And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. (Joshua 10:13)). And, pray, why not? “Is anything too hard for Jehovah?” (Gen. 18:14¹⁴Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son. (Genesis 18:14)). Bring Him into these matters, and all difficulties vanish. “None can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest Thou?” (Dan. 4:35³⁵And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? (Daniel 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. 22:32³²And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: (Numbers 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 15:24²⁴And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. (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. 19:20²⁰And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)). Who is able to withstand God?

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