Balaam: Let me die the death of the upright

[TonyChanYT]

Numbers 23:

5 the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

Inspired by the Lord, Balaam uttered an oracle:

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his!”

At the end of the oracle, he petitioned for a righteous death.

His death was recorded in Joshua 13:

The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, among those who were killed by them.

Did Balaam die a righteous death?

No, Revelation 2:

14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.

In the end, Balaam gave in to the temptation of money. He turned against the Israelites, and they killed him.

Was the oracle concerning his death fulfilled according to the inspiration of the Lord?

The Lord inspired him to utter a petition on his death, but that petition was not fulfilled. It would have if he had stuck to following the Lord consistently. We saw signs of his inconsistency when his donkey spoke to him in Num 22.

 

[Randy Kluth]

Numbers 23:


Inspired by the Lord, Balaam uttered an oracle:


At the end of the oracle, he petitioned for a righteous death.

His death was recorded in Joshua 13:


Did Balaam die a righteous death?

No, Revelation 2:


In the end, Balaam gave in to the temptation of money. He turned against the Israelites, and they killed him.

Was the oracle concerning his death fulfilled according to the inspiration of the Lord?

The Lord inspired him to utter a petition on his death, but that petition was not fulfilled. It would have if he had stuck to following the Lord consistently. We saw signs of his inconsistency when his donkey spoke to him in Num 22.

I agree. The focus of the message was on his prophesying, properly, that Israel would be blessed, and not cursed. Balaam had no wish to suffer immediate death for disobeying God. If he was to die at all, and he did ultimately die, he did not want it to be for cursing Israel at that point in his life.

But as you said, later he did the things that may have ultimately led to his death for sin. The point is, during the specific prophecy, Balaam realized that he should bless Israel, or die a sinner immediately. That was the point of the talking donkey.

 

[marks]

I see this as a figure of speech, as he was saying how blessed Israel would be, "let me be like that!"

Much love!