the Lord_ is very surprising. The Moabites
worshipped Baal, and no doubt they had the utmost contempt for Jehovah.
Yet Balaam, who was a prophet of their religion, tells them that he will
consult the god of Israel on the subject of their visit! This is one of
the self-contradictions with which the Bible abounds.

The next incident of the story is no less remarkable. God, the infinite
spirit of the universe, paid Balaam a visit; and although he knows
everything, past, present, and to come, he asked the prophet "What
men are these with thee?" Balaam gave a straightforward reply, for he
doubtless knew that prevarication and subterfuge were useless with
God. Said he, "Balak the son of Zippor, King of Moab, has sent unto me,
saying, Behold there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the
face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able
to overcome them and drive them out." The precision of Balaam's language
is admirable, and so is its accuracy. He neither desired to keep the
Lord in suspense, nor to leave him in ignorance of necessary details.
God's answer was equally brief and perspicuous: "Thou shalt not go with
them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed."

This interview between God and Balaam, like the following ones, occurred
in the night. The Lord seems to have been always afraid of daylight, or
else to have had a peculiar fondness for the dark. Perhaps he thought
that during the night there was less chance of the conversation being
interrupted, and it is well known that the Lord loves privacy and does
not like conversing with more than one at a time. He agrees with us that
"two's company and three's none."

In the morning Balaam got out of bed and told Balak's messengers to
return and say that the Lord would not let him come; and they at once
set out for the capital.

Balak, however, was not to be so easily put off. He seems to have
regarded the prophet's talk about the Lord's prohibition as "all my
eye." "Perhaps," said he to himself, "my messengers were small fry in
the sight of Balaam, and he is therefore displeased. My presents also
may have been too small I should have recollected that Balaam has a
very exalted opinion of himself, and is renowned for his avarice. What a
stupid I was, to-be sure. However, I'll try again. This time I'll send
a deputation of big guns, and promise him great wealth and high position
in the state. He can't refuse such a tempting offer.