The Angel of Yahweh Bars The Way Three Times (Numbers 22:22-35).
‘And God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of Yahweh placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding on his ass, and his two servants were with him.'
This verse puzzles many people. Why, they ask, was God angry if Balaam was only doing what he had been told? The reply is that while God had sent Him, He was angry at the very fact that he was going, or even needed to go. He was angry at the whole situation. The whole affair had aroused His wrath. And now that Balaam was actually going His anger at the overall situation was even more aroused, especially as He recognised that Balaam's submission was not complete.
For this affair was not something of which He approved. He had recognised that if Balaam did not go, someone else would be called and that Balaam's refusal to go would not have ended the matter. That indeed was the only reason that He had allowed him to go. But He did not believe that Balaam was approaching the matter with the right attitude. So in order to demonstrate His anger in the situation, and so that Balaam might be fully aware of it, He now sent His Angel to act as an adversary and oppose him. It was important that Balaam did not get carried away. He must learn of the precariousness of his situation.
For He recognised that Balaam was not just going as a meek and willing instrument of Yahweh. He was going as his own man. He had his own agenda, and he still probably thought that in the end he could bring Yahweh round to his way of thinking. While God did not mind him going, as long as he was going for the right reason, He knew that that had to be ensured, and that Balaam must be tamed. Thus God was determined to press home on Balaam that he was not as great and influential a man as he thought he was. He was to be made to recognise that, in the end, when it came to spirit contact, his ass was to be seen as more discerning than he was!
Therefore in order to demonstrate Who was in control He sent His angel, the Angel of Yahweh, Who stood in the way before Balaam, (who was riding astride his ass), in order to oppose him. But He did not make Himself visible to Balaam. Incidentally we learn here also that Balaam had two faithful servants with him, who rode in close formation with him. These would probably be the witnesses from whom the whole story was subsequently learned when they were captured among the Midianites later and questioned.
The Angel of Yahweh appears a number of times in the Old Testament when God wanted to reveal Himself visibly while hiding His glory. Compare Genesis 16:7-13; Genesis 21:17-20; Judges 6:11-24; Judges 13:3-23. Often the purpose was so that those visited might at first see Him as a man. But in each case it was finally made clear that it was God Himself. Yet the Angel is also partly differentiated from God, and even has communication with Him (Zechariah 1:12). The figure of the Angel therefore reveals the fact of interpersonal communion within God Himself. This would later come more into recognition in Jesus Christ. A good example of a similar figure of judgment to the One revealed here is found in 2 Samuel 24:15-17.
‘And the ass saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand, and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.'
It is an undeniable fact that in all kinds of ways animals are very often able to discern strange phenomena, disturbances in their surroundings, when men are oblivious of them. It is not so surprising therefore that an ass should discern an invisible supernatural presence when men were unable to do so (although it would be surprising to people of that day that Balaam could not discern it). Nor do we know what animals actually ‘see' in such circumstances.
It is, however' possible that ‘saw' should be translated as ‘discerned'. What the ass actually saw we cannot know, nor did the ass inform Balaam (we only know the facts and what Balaam saw later - Numbers 22:31). So the thought may be that the ass ‘discerned' this ‘spirit presence' (the detail of which was later revealed to Balaam in Numbers 22:31) and turned aside so as not to have to go past it, with the detailed description being added by the writer who knew what the presence was because of Balaam's later vision. On the other hand the Angel may have actually made Himself visible to the ass. But if so the ass does not later describe Him.
Whatever is the case the ass discerned what Balaam, the supposed ‘spirit' discerner, did not. It discerned the presence of the Angel and sought to avoid Him. Balaam the ignorant therefore beat his ass for his waywardness, trying to force him back into the blocked pathway. He was thus depicted as less discerning in the spirit world than his ass, and not quite as great as he liked to appear.
‘Then the angel of Yahweh stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.'
The ass, having left the road to avoid the presence that it had discerned, took the only way open to it and went along a narrow path between two vineyards, which had walls on either side. So the Angel then moved and stood in that path.
‘And the ass saw the angel of Yahweh, and she thrust herself to the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall, and he smote her again.'
The ass, discerning the Angel again, pressed against one of the walls in order to avoid Him. It was clearly terrified at this strange presence. The result was that Balaam's foot was trapped against the wall. So he beat his ass again. This repeated emphasis is in order to stress Balaam's spiritual blindness. He himself was still totally unaware of the ‘presence'.
‘And the angel of Yahweh went further, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.'
The angel then allowed the ass through by moving away, and the ass continued along the pathway to a place where it was so narrow that there was no way of turning any way at all. And there the ass discerned the mysterious presence standing in his way again.
‘And the ass saw the angel of Yahweh, and she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with his staff.'
This was just too much and with no alternative direction to take the ass now collapsed to the ground in fear. Meanwhile Balaam could not understand his ass's strange behaviour and beat it again. Here was the great prophet and diviner, but he had no clue about what was happening, even though to his ass the spirit presence was obvious.
So Balaam is here depicted as very much limited. The ancients recognised that strange animal behaviour might well indicate activity of the gods, and therefore this behaviour of his ass should have warned Balaam that something unusual was happening. But he was shown to be so undiscerning that he not only failed to be aware of the presence of the Angel, but also failed to pick up the messages from his ass.
‘And Yahweh opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have smitten me these three times?'
Then Yahweh intervened in order to ram home His message. He spoke through the ass. Moses was used to hearing the voice of Yahweh from between the cherubim (Numbers 7:89). Balaam received it from between the ass's ears. It would be quite clear to all who was the greater prophet. But there is no reason why Yahweh should not speak in one way or the other. So to Balaam the voice seemed to be coming from his ass.
The question we may ask is, ‘Was there a genuine voice from the ass, or was it just within Balaam's cognition?' A man like Balaam would certainly have experiences of which ordinary men knew nothing. He would be used to ‘hearing voices'. So it is a question that we cannot answer. But what mattered was that Balaam got the message.
To him then the voice spoke as though from the ass. It asked why the ass should be blamed to such an extent that it had been beaten three times, that is, given a thorough beating.
‘And Balaam said to the ass, “Because you have mocked me. I would there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you.” '
We must not read too much into a story expressed in simple terms, but Balaam's lack of surprise may indicate that in fact Balaam was used to hearing spirit voices from his ass, and indeed sometimes used it as a kind of spirit medium. (Asses were not figures of fun in those days. Kings rode on them to their coronations. Some modern spiritists claim to have used their cats in the same way). Either way Balaam spoke back boldly to his ass. This was what this great man had come to! And he declared that quite frankly he felt like killing him. Indeed had he had a sword he would have done so. The comment would bring a wry smile to the reader's face, for he would be aware that there was a drawn sword around, but it was not in the hand of Balaam but in the hand of the Angel of Yahweh.
‘And the ass said to Balaam, “Am I not your ass, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Was I ever wont to do so to you?”. And he said, “No.” '
The voice from the ass then pointed out that the ass had been his faithful companion for a long time. Could Balaam ever remember him behaving in this way before? The inference was that Balaam should therefore have known that something unusual was happening and should have discerned the apparition. He was supposed to be a discerner of spirits. Again the emphasis was on how lacking in discernment he was.
‘Then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of Yahweh standing in the way, with his sword drawn in his hand. And he bowed his head, and fell on his face.'
And then Yahweh opened the eyes of Balaam. Note the stress. It required the power of Yahweh to give this prophet true discernment, and it was His power that enabled Balaam to see the unseeable (compare Numbers 24:3-4). And the result was that Balaam saw the angel of Yahweh, with His sword drawn in His hand, standing in the way to prevent them from moving forward. And then all he could do was bow his head and fall on his face just as his ass had done. Balaam could now do nothing before Yahweh except submit. It is being made apparent that his position did not give him a sense of superiority to the gods, especially to Yahweh.
‘And the angel of Yahweh said to him, “Why have you smitten your ass these three times? Behold, I am come forth as an adversary, because your way is perverse before me. And the ass saw me, and turned aside before me these three times. Unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I would have even slain you, and saved her alive.” '
Then the Angel spoke to him directly. All pretence was thrown aside. He made the position absolutely clear. He should recognise that the faithful ass had saved his life. Why then had he beaten it when all it had done was seek to save its master's life? For He, ‘the Angel of Yahweh', had come as his adversary to prevent his going forward, if necessary by slaying him, so as to emphasise even more that what he was aiming to do was displeasing to Yahweh. It was only the behaviour of his ass which had saved him. (So much for the ‘swallower of nations').
‘And Balaam said to the angel of Yahweh, “I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displease you, I will get me back again.” '
This brought home to Balaam the recognition that he was dealing with something such as he had never faced before. This situation was unusual and he recognised that Yahweh was angry at his behaviour. He admitted that his whole attitude was wrong. He should never have considered going with the men even though Yahweh had told him to. It was putting him into conflict with the spirit world, and that was not what he wanted. But he pointed out in mitigation that he had not realised what the true position was. It was not that he was trying to oppose God. He had not realised that the Angel was standing in the way against him (even though his ass did!). So if the Angel was displeased he would return home.
‘And the angel of Yahweh said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.'
The Angel of Yahweh was now satisfied that he had learned his lesson and informed him that he could again go forward, but that when he did so he must ensure that he only spoke what Yahweh told him to speak. Balaam had had his warning.