Whensoever God wished to humble an evil-doer, He at first exalts him,
to fill him with pride. So too He humbled Balaam after exalting him,
for at first Balak had sent princes of little distinction to him,
whereupon God said to him, "Thou shalt not go with them." When,
however, he sent many renowned princes to him, God said to Balaam, "Go
with them," but this journey brought him nothing but humiliation and
ruin, for he fared in accordance with the proverb, "Pride goeth before
destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." God does this so
that men might not say, "Whom hath God destroyed? Surely not that
insignificant person," hence God exalts sinners before their fall.
[753]
When Balaam approached the Moabite boundaries, he sent messengers to
Balak to announce his arrival, and Balak went forth to his country's
border to meet him. Pointing to the boundary lines, Balak said to
Balaam: "These have been fixed since Noah's days, that no nation might
push into the realm of another, but Israel set out to destroy the
boundaries, as their attitude toward Sihon and Og shows, into whose
kingdoms they entered." [754] He then greeted him with the words: "Did
I not twice sent unto thee to call thee? Wherefore camest not thou unto
me? Am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor?" Balak unconsciously
uttered a prophecy, for in truth Balaam went hence in disgrace and
dishonor, and not covered with glory, as he could not fulfil the
other's wish to curse Israel. [755] It should now have been Balaam's
duty, had he really desired to be of service to the king of Moab, to
say to him, "Why dost thou attempt to do what will bring thee
misfortune, and finally utter ruin?" But he spoke quite differently
instead, boastfully bragging with his gift of prophecy, pointing out
that he was the last prophet among the heathens. "And," continued he,
"I, the last prophet among the heathens, shall thus counsel thee. The
ancestor of that nation erected to God an altar upon which, thrice
annually, he offered up seven oxen and seven rams; do thou, then, erect
seven altars, and offer up on each seven oxens and seven rams." God
laughed when he heard this counsel, saying: "Every beast of the forest
is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of
the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. If I were
hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is Mine, and the fullness
thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?"
[756]
Balak led his guest from the border-line to the interior of the land,
taking pains to show him great multitudes of the people, having bazaars
erected for that purpose. Pointing to these multitudes, among which
there were also may children, Balak said, "Look thou, how Israel plan
to destroy these multitudes of people that have done them no injury."
Balak slew for Balaam's welcome one ox and one sheep, proving the
proverb, "The pious promise little and do much, the wicked promise much
and do little." Balak had sent word to Balaam, saying, "I will promote
thee unto very great honor;" yet when he arrived, he offered him for
food only one ox and one sheep. Suppressing his rage, Balaam thought,
"Is that all that he offers me! He will have to pay for this
to-morrow," for he instantly determined to have him offer up many
sacrifices on the following day to punish him for having treated him in
so niggardly a fashion.