The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 78
SECT. LXXVIII.
THe Moabites had no reaſon to be afraid of the Iſraelites, becauſe God had commanded them not to meddle with them, and accordingly they had peaceably paſſed by their Country. Yet their minds were ſtricken with ſuch a terrour from God, that all this could not quiet them. They ſaw the Iſraelites were a numerous and mighty people; They had already vanquiſhed two Kings, they were ſtill upon their borders. Thus God made good his Promiſe to his people, Exod. 15.15. As for the mighty men of Moab, trembling ſhall take hold upon them, all the Inhabitants of Canaan ſhall melt away, and Deut. 2.25. This day will I begin to put the dread of thee, and the fear of thee upon the Nations that are under the whole Heaven, who ſhall hear report of thee, and ſhall tremble and be in anguiſh becauſe of thee. Balak King of Moab and his people being under theſe fears, they ſend to the Elders of the Midianites to joyn with them againſt the Iſraelites, telling them, That this vaſt Company were like to lick up all about them, as the Ox licketh up the graſs of the field. 'Tis very plain, that the Midianites had no manner of reaſon to joyn with them. For firſt, They were allied to the Iſraelites being the Poſterity of Midian, who was the Son of Abraham by his wife Keturah, [Gen. 25.12.] Secondly, The Iſraelites had not hitherto medled with them. Thirdly, The Iſraelites Conqueſt of the Amorites was an advantage to them, becauſe they were by this means freed from Sihons Tyrannical Yoke, under whom (as it appears) they were before in bondage. However, after Conſultation (it ſeems) they joyned together in this buſineſs, and Balak and they ſent for Balaam a Southſayer, who was at that time famous for his Inchantments and Divinations (and dwelt at Pethor, a City in Meſopotamia, his native Country,(q)In Meſopotamia or Aram Abraham firſt dwelt, [Acts 7.2. Gen. 24.4, 10.] and there he ſerved ſtrange Gods, Joſh. 24.2. In this Country all the Patriarchs, the Sons of Jacob except Benjamin were born, and brought up, Gen. 35.26. till Jacob their Father fled the Land, Gen. 31.21. Jacob's Poſterity hereupon profeſſed their Father to be an Aramite, Deut. 26.5. And from Aram is now Balaam ſent for to curſe them. The Eaſtern-Country was infamous for Divination, and ſuch like Arts, Iſa. 2.6. ſcituate upon the River Euphrates,) to come and curſe the Iſraelites, purpoſing afterwards to make War upon them. The Meſſengers (carrying with them large Preſents to ſatisfie him for his Divinations, call'd by the Apoſtle the wages of unrighteouſneſs, 2 Pet. 2.15.) come to Him and tell him, That there was a mighty great people come out of Egypt, which covered the face of the Earth, and they were now encamped over againſt Moab; They tell Him, they came to him from Balak King of Moab, and from the Midianites, to deſire him to come over and curſe this people; For they were confident he was able by his Curſes and Inchantments very much to weaken them; nay they believed that thoſe whom he bleſſed were bleſſed, and thoſe whom he curſed were curſed. Balaam having received their Meſſage, deſired them to ſtay with him that might, and he would acquaint them next morning what the Lord Jehovah the true God (of whom probably he had ſome knowledge, and profeſs'd to worſhip, though it ſeems he being an Idolater and Southſayer worſhipped other falſe Gods alſo,) did ſpeak unto him. The Lord was pleaſed not by the force of Baalams Inchantments, but of his own free will to ſpeak to him, as he has often (for his peoples ſake) revealed his Will to wicked men, as particularly to Pharoah, Gen. 41.15. and to Nebuchadnezar, Dan. 2.45. God charges Baalam he ſhould not go with theſe Meſſengers, much leſs ſhould He preſume to curſe the people of Iſrael, for they were bleſſed. Balaam in the morning tells the Meſſengers, That God would not give him leave to go with them, but he conceals from them the other part of the Lords Injunction, viz. That he ſhould not preſume to Curſe the Iſraelites, for they were bleſſed. The Meſſengers returning with this Meſſage, Balak ſends again to him, and ſends more honourable Perſons than the former, importuning him to come, promiſing to promote him to great honour if he would come and curſe this people for Him. Theſe new Embaſſadors coming to make this ſecond Addreſs to Balaam, He plainly tells them, That if King Balak would give him his houſe full of Silver and Gold, he durſt do neither leſs nor more than God injoyned him. However if they pleaſed to ſtay with him that night, he would ſee what the Lord would ſay unto him. God now permits Balaam to go with theſe new Embaſſadors, not that it was pleaſing to Him he ſhould do ſo, (as appears verſ. 22.) but the more to diſcover the evil diſpoſition of Balaam's heart, and to manifeſt his own Glory in conſtraining him to bleſs thoſe whom he intended to curſe. Balaam attended with two Servants goeth along with theſe new Meſſengers, but God was angry with him for it, becauſe he ſaw he had a great deſire to curſe the Iſraelites, and went with a purpoſe to do it, if he could be permitted. Whilſt he was upon the way, the Angel of the Lord, (viz. the Angel that redeemed Jacob from all evil, Gen. 48.16.) ſets himſelf as an Adverſary againſt him. The Angel appearing in a viſible ſhape, with his drawn Sword in his hand (a ſign of wrath and vengeance) the poor Aſſe Balaam rod upon had her eyes opened to ſee him, and turn'd aſide out of the way. Balaam hereupon ſmote her to bring her into the way again. The Angel meets him a ſecond time in another place, where there was a wall on both ſides. The Aſſe ſeeing him, thruſt her ſelf unto the wall, and ſo cruſhed Balaam's foot; he thereupon ſmites her again. The Angel meets him a third time in a narrow way where there was no turning to the right hand or to the left, then the Aſſe fell down under Balaam, who being extreamly enraged, ſmote her again with his ſtaff. God herupon by his Almighty Power opened the mouth of the Aſſe, and cauſed her to ſpeak articulately and underſtandingly, and to rebuke the madneſs of the Prophet, 2 Pet. 2.16. Jude verſ. 11. She ſaid unto him, What have I done unto thee, that thou ſhouldſt ſmite me theſe three times? Balaam being inur'd as Sorcerers and Witches are to hear evil Spirits ſpeak in the ſhape of bruit Beaſts, was not ſo much aſtoniſhed at it as other men would have been, but briskly replies, I beat thee becauſe thou haſt abuſed me; If there were a Sword now in my hand, I would kill thee. The Aſſe anſwered, Am not I thine Aſſe, upon whom thou haſt ridden ever ſince I was thine? Did I ever uſe to ſerve thee ſo before? Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he ſaw the Angel of the Lord ſtanding in the way with a drawn Sword in his hand, and he bowed down his head and worſhipped. And the Angel ſaid, Wherefore haſt thou ſmitten thine Aſſe, behold it was I that withſtood thee, becauſe thy way is perverſe before me, in that thou haſt ſo earneſtly deſir'd to go to Balak notwithſtanding I did ſo abſolutely charge thee to the contrary. And now thou goeſt with a purpoſe to curſe my people, though I have commanded thee again and again that thou ſhouldſt not curſe them: 'Twas well for thee that the Aſſe turned from me, elſe I had ſaved her alive, and ſurely ſlain thee. Balaam ſaid unto the Angel, I have ſinned, I knew not that thou ſtoodſt in the way againſt me. Then he faintly proffers to go back again to his own houſe, but yet loving the wages of unrighteouſneſs, he was not willing to do it, except neceſſity did conſtrain him. The Angel ſeeing him ſo deſirous to go, bids him go on, only he ſhould be ſure to ſpeak nothing but what He injoyn'd him. When Balaam came to Balak, Balak began to expoſtulate with him that he did not come to him ſooner, telling him, He was a Prince that had power to have preferred him. Balaam tells him, That now he was come, he had no Commiſſion to ſpeak any thing to Him, but what God ſhould put into his mouth. Then Balak offered Sheep and Oxen in Sacrifice, and ſent part of them (as the cuſtom was) for Balaam and his own Princes and Nobles to feaſt upon. On the morrow he brought him to the high places conſecrated to the Worſhip of Baal; for Idolaters thought their high places fitteſt to obtain their Requeſts in from the hands of the Gods whom they worſhipped. And he carried him to thoſe high places alſo, that from thence he might have a full ſight of the people of Iſrael, who were encamped in the Plains of Moab, whom he would have him to behold, that his Curſes might be the more powerful and effectual.
Numb. 22. whole Chapter.