Balak’s Request

Balak’s Request

Numbers 22:1 – The Israelites traveled on and camped in the plains of Moab on the side of the Jordan River across from Jericho. 2 – Balak son of Zippor saw all that the Israelites had done to the Amorites.

Verse 3 – And the Moabites were greatly afraid of the people, because they were so numerous. The Moabites were sick with fear because of the Israelites. 4 – So the Moabites said to the elders of Midian, “Now this mass of people will lick up everything around us, as the bull devours the grass of the field. Now Balak son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at this time.

Verse 5 – And he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the Euphrates River in the land of Amaw, to summon him, saying, “Look, a nation has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are settling next to me. 6 – So now, please come and curse this nation for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I will prevail so that we may conquer them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is cursed.”

What a reputation! Balaam was regarded as a man with incredible power to bless and to curse. This power had a source. It was God. The Moabites and Balak their king were afraid that the Israelites would consume all their resources and sent a message to Balaam requesting that he use his power curse the Israelites.

Let’s consider the nature of the request. If I knew a man had the reputation to bless and to curse, why not ask for a blessing for myself instead of a curse on others? There are so many other requests that Balak could have made that would have benefitted his people without having to hurt the Israelites. In short, Balak’s request was selfish and conveyed a critical lack of understanding about God, who was the power behind Balaam.

Do we make selfish requests of God? Sure we do. Especially selfish requests are those that ask God to change others while thinking nothing needs to be changed in our own lives. We want our spouses to change, our children to change, our relatives to change. We want the people at work to change, and those at church too. When in reality we are the ones who need to be changed.

And so we’re left wondering why God hasn’t answered our prayers for others. Check out these verses starting with James 4:1 – Where do the conflicts and where do the quarrels among you come from? Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you? 2 – You desire and you do not have; you murder and envy and you cannot obtain; you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask; 3 – you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.

Balak sent messengers to Balaam with a selfish request and would soon discover that the power of God is not for hire. Let us take advantage of the power of God and ask Him to enable us to “Love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.’ and to ‘Love our neighbor as ourselves.’ – Matthew 22:37,39.