The Lord Put a Word in Balaam’s Mouth — Joseph Hall on Numbers 23

The Lord Put a Word in Balaam's Mouth

"And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak."

Numbers chapter 23 verse 5

That no man may marvel to see Balaam have visions from God, and utter prophecies from him, his very ass has his eyes opened to see the angel, which his master could not; and his mouth opened to speak more reasonably than his master. There is no beast deserves so much wonder as this of Balaam, whose common sense is advanced above the reason of his rider; so as for the time the prophet is brutish, and the beast prophetical.

Who can but stand amazed at the eye, at the tongue of this silly creature? For so dull a sight, it was much to see a bodily object, that were not too apparent; but to see that spirit, which his rider discerned not, was far beyond nature. To hear a voice come from that mouth, which was used only to bray, it was strange and uncouth; but to hear a beast, whose nature is noted for incapacity, to outreason his master, a professed prophet, is in the very height of miracles.

Yet can no heart stick at these, that considers the dispensation of the Almighty in both. Our eye could no more see a beast, than a beast can see an angel, if he had not given this power to it. How easy is it for him, that made the eye of man and beast, to dim or enlighten it at his pleasure! And if his power can make the very stones to speak, how much more a creature of sense!

That evil spirit spake in the serpent to our first parents; why is it more, that a spirit should speak in the mouth of a beast? How ordinarily did the Heathen receive their oracles out of stones and trees! Do not we ourselves teach birds to speak those sentences they understand not? We may wonder, we cannot distrust, when we compare the act with the author, which can as easily create a voice without a body, as a body without a voice.

Who can now hereafter plead his simplicity and dullness of apprehending spiritual things, when he sees how God exalts the eyes of a beast to see a spirit? Who can be proud of seeing visions, since an angel appeared to a beast? neither was his skin better after it, than others of his kind. Who can complain of his own rudeness and inability to reply in a good cause, when the very beast is enabled by God to convince his master?

There is no mouth into which God cannot put words; and how oft does he choose the weak and unwise, to confound the learned and mighty!

What had it been better for the ass to see the angel, if he had rushed still upon his sword? Evils were as good not seen, as not avoided; but now he declines the way, and saves his burden. It were happy for perverse sinners, if they could learn of this beast to run away from foreseen judgments. The revenging angel stands before us; and though we know we shall as sure die as sin, yet we have not the wit or grace to give back, though it be with the hurt of a foot, to save the body;

with the pain of the body, to save the soul.

I see what fury and stripes the impatient prophet bestows upon this poor beast, because he will not go on: yet if he had gone on, himself had perished. How oft do we wish those things, the not obtaining whereof is mercy! We grudge to be stayed in the way to death, and fly upon those which oppose our perdition.

I do not, as who would not expect, see Balaam's hair stand upright, nor himself alighting, and appalled at this monster of miracles: but, as if no new thing had happened, he returns words to the beast, full of anger, void of admiration. Whether his trade of sorcering had so inured him to receive voices from his familiars in shape of beasts, that this event seemed not strange to him; or whether his rage and covetousness had so transported him, that he had no leisure to observe the unnatural unusualness of the event.

Some men make nothing of those things, which overcome others with horror and astonishment.

I hear the angel of God taking notice of the cruelty of Balaam to his beast: his first words, to the unmerciful prophet, are in expostulating of his wrong. We little think it, but God shall call us to an account for the unkind and cruel usages of his poor mute creatures. He has made us lords, not tyrants; owners, not tormentors: he that has given us leave to kill them for our use, has not given us leave to abuse them at our pleasure; they are so our drudges, that they are our fellows by creation.

It was a sign the magician would easily wish to strike Israel with a curse, when he wished a sword to strike his harmless beast. It is ill falling into those hands, whom beasts find unmerciful.

Notwithstanding these rubs, Balaam goes on, and is not afraid to ride on that beast, whose voice he had heard. And now posts are sped to Balak, with the news of so welcome a guest: he that sent princes to fetch him, comes himself on the way to meet him. Although he can say, "Am not I able to promote you?" yet he gives this high respect to him as his better, from whom he expected the promotion of himself and his people.

O the honour that has been formerly done by Heathens, to them that have borne but the face of prophets! I shame and grieve to compare the times and men. Only, O God, be thou merciful to the contempt of thy servants.

As if nothing needed but the presence of Balaam, the superstitious king, out of the joy of his hope, feasts his gods, his prophet, his princes; and, on the morrow, carries him up to the high-places of his idol. Who can doubt, whether Balaam were a false prophet, that sees him sacrificing in the mount of Baal? Had he been from the true God, he would rather have said, "Pull me down these altars of Baal," than "Build me here seven others."

The very place convinces of falsehood and idolatry. And why seven altars? what needs all this pomp? When the true God never required but one at once, as himself is one; why does the false prophet call for no less than seven? As if God stood upon numbers! as if the Almighty would have his power either divided or limited! Here is nothing but a glorious and magnificent pretence of devotion. It has been ever seen, that the false worshippers of God have made more pompous shows, and fairer flourishes of their piety and religion than the true.

Now, when Balaam sees his seven bullocks and seven rams smoking upon his seven altars, he goes up higher into the mount, as some counterfeit Moses, to receive the answer of God. But will God meet with a sorcerer? will he make a prophet of a magician? O man, who shall prescribe God what instruments to use? He knows how to employ, not only saints and angels, but wicked men, beasts, devils, to his own glory.

He that put words into the mouth of the ass, puts words into the mouth of Balaam: the words do but pass from him; they are not polluted, because they are not his: as the trunk, through which a man speaks, is not more eloquent for the speech that is uttered through it. What a notable proclamation had the infidels wanted of God's favour to his people, if Balaam's tongue had not been used! How many shall once say, "Lord, we have prophesied in thy name," that shall hear, "Verily I know you not."

What madness is this in Balaam! He that found himself constant in soliciting, thinks to find God not constant in denying; and, as if that infinite Deity were not the same every where, hopes to change success, with places. Neither is that bold forehead ashamed to importune God again, in that wherein his own mouth had testified an assurance of denial. The reward was in one of his eyes; the revenging angel in the other: I know not whether (for the time) he more loved the bribe, or feared the angel.

And, whilst he is in this distraction, his tongue blesses against his heart, and his heart curses against his tongue. It angers him that he dare not speak what he would; and now, at last, rather than lose his hopes, he resolves to speak worse than curses. The fear of God's judgments, in a worldly heart, is at length overcome with the love of gain.