Numbers 22:18

18. House full of silver and gold “Illustrious words,” says Calvin, “and indicative of a noble firmness. But why did he not instantly send away the unrighteous messengers who were soliciting him to transgress? We see that he chose rather to sell himself than render due glory to God. For he wished by this boast of obedience to acquire the title and honour of a holy prophet.” Here is a picture of the covetous hypocrite who loudly boasts that he will not act contrary to the word of God for a houseful of gold when he will do it for a handful, as Balaam laboured with all his might to do the thing which God had forbidden.

I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord This was a moral inability induced by the fear of Jehovah and the dread of his judgments. “From beginning to end this fact was firmly established in Balaam’s mind, that in the work to which Balak summoned him he could do nothing at all except through Jehovah. This knowledge he had acquired by virtue of his natural gifts as a seer, and his previous experience. But this clear knowledge of Jehovah was completely obscured again by the love of wages which ruled in his heart. Because he loved Balak, the enemy of Israel, for the sake of the wages, whereas Jehovah loved Israel for his own sake, Balaam was opposed to Jehovah in his inmost nature and will, though he knew himself to be in unison with him by virtue of his natural gift. Consequently he fell into the same blindness of contradiction to which Balak was in bondage.” Baumgarten. Thus many a man “holds the truth in unrighteousness.” Romans 1:18; Romans 1:18, note.