XIII THE PROPHET AND THE KING

NCE upon a time, when the world was younger than it is at present, and people believed that all the animals could speak Hebrew if they only would, a man was riding on an ass along a country road.

Sometimes the way went between wide farms which stretched out over the flat land. Sometimes it lay between vineyards, and had a stone wall on the right and on the left. Sometimes the man hastened the ass, striking her with a stick; because he had been sent for by the king and was in a hurry. Sometimes he let the ass take her own time, and she strayed now on this side of the road and now on that, cropping the thistles; because, although the man had been sent for by the king, he was not quite sure whether he ought to go or not.

The man’s name was Balaam and the king’s name was Balak. They were both of them heathen; that is, they did not know so much about God as the Children of Israel knew. But God knew them, and to Balaam God sometimes spoke, and told him what was right and what was wrong; so that people came to Balaam, even from distant lands, that he might tell them the will of God. Thus before a battle, a general or even a king might come and say, “Tell me, Balaam, is God for me or against me? Shall I lose or win?” And Balaam would go away by himself and ask God, and God would speak in Balaam’s soul and teach him what to say, and Balaam would come back and say it. Many people thought that Balaam could do quite as he liked, and bless or curse as he pleased, and they said, “See, Balaam, here is gold and silver: come now, bless me and curse my enemy.” But Balaam would speak only that which the Lord God taught him to speak.

Balak was the king of Moab. After the Children of Israel had come across the Red Sea out of Egypt, they wandered in the wilderness and lived in tents till they grew strong enough to go to war. They had no country of their own, but they meant to take the country which God had promised to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. There were already people living in that country, having walled cities and brave soldiers, and the Children of Israel had to grow very strong indeed before they could hope to take it away from them. But now the time had come. The Children of Israel were on the march. Only one country remained to be crossed before they came to the Promised Land: and that was Moab.

So Balak, king of Moab, was filled with fear, and he sent for Balaam.

“Behold,” he said, “there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me. Come now, therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people, else shall they lick us up as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” And the princes of Balak came to Balaam with these words.

And Balaam said, “Stay here this night, and I will ask the Lord, and in the morning I will tell you.” So the princes stayed at Balaam’s house, and in the night God spoke in Balaam’s soul, and God said, “Do not go to Balak. Thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed.”

And when the morning was come, Balaam told the princes that he could not go.

But Balak was not satisfied. He sent more princes, and they came to Balaam with splendid promises. And Balaam answered, “I must do as the Lord says. If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do less or more. But wait another night, and I will see if the Lord will speak again.”

And that night God did speak again, and God said, “Go with the men, but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.” So in the morning he saddled his ass, and away he went with Balak’s princes. And thus he rode, sometimes in haste and sometimes in doubt, between the farms and vineyards.

Now Balak had gone out to meet Balaam that he might take him to the top of a high hill whence he should curse the Children of Israel. And they two went together. And Balaam said, “I am come in vain. The Lord God is against you. Even as I came, the ass on which I rode refused to go and crushed my foot against the vineyard wall, and the ass said, ‘Behold, there is an angel in the way,’ and lo, there was an angel with a drawn sword to keep me back! I cannot do you any good. I cannot curse the Children of Israel.”

But Balak urged him, and on they went. And as they climbed the hill, at last the army of Israel came in sight, all in their goodly tents along the valley, as gardens by the river’s side, and as cedar trees beside the waters. And Balak built seven altars and offered on every altar a bullock and a ram; and Balaam prayed amidst the altars, and God told him what to say, and Balaam cried aloud and blessed the Children of Israel. Then Balak took Balaam

THE ASS AND THE ANGEL

to another mountain, to the top of Pisgah, and there built seven altars and offered on every altar a bullock and a ram; and Balaam prayed in the midst of the altars, and again he cried aloud and blessed the Children of Israel. And so a third time, on a third mountain, from the top of Peor.

Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together. And Balak said, “I called thee to curse my enemies, and thou hast blessed them these three times!” And Balaam answered, “That is what I told you before I came, what the Lord saith that will I speak.” And he blessed them a fourth time. And Balaam rose up and went and returned to his place: and Balak also went his way.