Who Was Balaam And What Is His Importance?

In the third book of the Hebrew Bible, Numbers, chapters 22-25 (and briefly in 31) convey the account of a man named Balaam son of Beor. (Hebrew: בִּלְעָם, Standard Bilʻam Tiberian Bilʻām) Balaam was summoned by Balak son of Zippor, who was the king of Moab, to come and put a curse upon the Israelites. Thrice he tried to curse, yet all three times God used Balaam to bless Israel. This individual is mentioned in other parts of Scripture, and has both a prophetic and archaeological importance - archaeology which confirms his existence and veracity of the biblical account. *Note: This entry is double-length. (Photo credit: Rembrandt van Rijn, 1626; Livius)

The main account we have concerning Balaam occurs during the sojourn of Israel on the plains of Midian near the close of the forty years of wandering, just before the death of Moses. By this time, the Israelites have defeated Sihon of the Amorites and Og, King of Bashan. Balak, King of Moab sends ambassadors to Balaam, to ask for him to put a curse on Israel. When the elders of Moab and Midian came to Balaam, they stayed the night, and the following morning, after having been visited by God in a dream, Balaam conveys that he cannot go.

God had said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed." (Numbers 22:12, NIV) The officials returned, but Balak sent "other officials, more numerous and more distinguished than the first." (Numbers 22:15) Again, Balaam sought the counsel of God at night, and God said to Balaam: "Since these men have come to summon you, go with them, but do only what I tell you." (Numbers 22:20) Balaam left in the morning with the officials on his donkey.

From Numbers 22:21-41 we can easily glean that God wanted to make a point to Balaam. God sent the Angel of the Lord, (who is often identified as the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ) to stand in front of Balaam. Numbers 22:21-25 says, "When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand. it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road. Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot against it. So he beat the donkey again."(See entry: "Who Is 'The Angel of the Lord?'", "The Holy Trinity (Part Two)")

The donkey would not be swayed. Note that Balaam did not yet see the angel (messenger) of the Lord. Numbers 22:26-28 continue, "Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. Then the LORD opened the donkey's mouth, and it said to Balaam, 'What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?'"

Ordinarily, if one were to ride on a donkey, and all of a sudden that donkey turns and begins to speak, you think you would be frightened or taken aback! No such awe was seemingly found in Balaam. "Balaam answered the donkey, 'You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.' The donkey said to Balaam, 'Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?' 'No,' he said. Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown." (Numbers 22:29-31)

From: Rembrandt van Rijn, 1626

Skeptics love to point out passages of Scripture like Jonah in the belly of a huge fish (Jonah 2, Matthew 12:40) and the talking donkey to illustrate the "ridiculousness of Scripture." Quite the opposite. This passage simply illustrates for us another clear example of God's control of all creation: even speaking through a donkey. There are a few ideas on whether or not it was the donkey that actually spoke or the LORD, but it was likely God using the donkey to make a point to Balaam.

In fact, Peter elaborates on this as a historical event in 2nd Peter 2:15-16, "They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, [also called Beor] who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey - an animal without speech - who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness." The angel of the Lord proceeded to speak to Balaam:

"The angel of the LORD asked him, 'Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If it had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared it.' Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, 'I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back. The angel of the Lord said to Balaam, 'Go with the men, but speak only what I tell you.' So Balaam went with Balak's officials." (Numbers 22:32-35)

Josephus, first century Jewish historian, writes in The Antiquities of the Jews 4.6.3, "but when his ass, upon the angel's continuing to distress her, and upon the stripes which were given her, fell down, by the will of God, she made use of the voice of a man, and complained of Balaam as acting unjustly to her; that whereas he had no fault to find him in what he was now going about, by the providence of God. And when he was disturbed by reason of the voice of the ass, which was that of a man, the angel plain appeared to him, and blamed him for the stripes he had given his ass; and informed him that the brute creature was not in fault, but that he was himself come to obstruct his journey, as being contrary to the will of God."[1]

Balaam was asked thrice by Balak to curse the Israelites, and thrice God told him to bless Israel. Though Balaam was a corrupted and false prophet, God still used him. Numbers 24:1-2 reveals, "Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness. When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God [Holy Spirit] came on him." Balaam proceeded to give five more prophecies.

Perhaps one of the most important was the fourth message that he gave (the second after receiving the Holy Spirit), found in Numbers 24:17a, "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." (cf. Matthew 2) This prophecy has been used in the context of the Star of Bethlehem that heralded the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, around 1400 years after this prophecy was given. (For more, see entry: "Prophecy And The Birth of Christ")

Balaam's final message, the seventh (fifth after receiving the Spirit), conveys, "Ah, who can live when God does this? Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus; they will subdue Ashur and Eber, but they too will come to ruin." (Numbers 24:23b-24) This prophecy has been interpreted a few different ways, the most prominent of which say that the prophecy refers to the Sea Peoples who some scholars allege invaded Cyprus, or the interpretation which says that Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) is the one who led this invasion.[2]

Sadly, Balaam showed Balak how to seduce the Israelites. "While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to sacrifice to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the LORD's anger burned against them." God was angry with good reason. The Israelites had violated the covenant made with God on Mount Sinai not forty years prior. 

In Numbers 31:8, we find out the fate of Balaam. "Among [the Israelites victims in the fight with Midian] were Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba - the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam son of Beor with the sword." In verse 16 we read, "They were the ones who followed Balaam's advice and enticed the Israelites to be unfaithful to the LORD in the Peor incident, so that a plague struck the LORD's people." Thus ended the life of Balaam. He is, however, mentioned elsewhere in Scripture.

Deuteronomy 23:4 reads, "For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim [Northwest Mesopotamia] to pronounce a curse on you." From this verse we can glean that Balaam was from Pethor in Aram. Joshua 24:9-10 says, "When Balaak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand."

Micah also makes reference to Balaam. Micah 6:5a says, "My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered." We can also look at Jude 11, when Jude is referring to false teaching. Jude 11 says, "Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit in Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion." Also, Revelation 2:14 makes reference to Balaam: "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."

Balaam was obviously a conflicted man. As elaborated in the Oxford Companion To The Bible, "On the one hand, Balaam is often portrayed as an example of an evil diviner who would sell his prophetic powers to the highest bidder, often in conflict with God's will (Num. 31.8, 16; Deut. 23.4-5; Josh. 13.22; 24.9-10; Neh. 13.2; Mic. 6:5; 2 Pet. 2.15; Jude 11; Rev 2.14)... On the other hand, Numbers 22-24 as a whole portrays Balaam in a favorable light. When the Moabite king Balak hires Balaam to curse his enemy Israel as they cross his territory on the way to the Promised Land, Balaam replies piously that as a prophet he can speak only the words God gives to him (Num. 22.18; see also Num. 24.13)."[3] As noted, we can clearly see in Balaam's character internal conflict.

Philo, a biblical philosopher, described Balaam as a great magician, and of "the sophist Balaam, being," symbolizing "a vain crowd of contrary and warring opinions" and again as "a vain people." Both of these were based on a mistaken etymology for the name Balaam, yet regardless, Philo recognized the historicity of the existence of Balaam when referring to him.[4] The name Balaam means "Lord of the people; foreigner or glutton, as interpreted by other."[5] Early in the entry, it was mentioned that Balaam not only had a prophetic importance (the prophecy concerning the star which heralded Christ's birth) but also an archaeological importance. Let us now take a look at the archaeological evidence for Balaam, son of Beor.

In 1967, in Deir Alla, Jordan, an archaeological dig found an inscription made in red and black in on plaster walls. "It described a prophecy from something called the book of Balaam. Balaam was described as the son of Beor, as is the Balaam we read about in the book of Numbers, In this prophecy, however, he is further described as a prophet for Shamash, the sun god worshiped by the Babylonians and Sumerians."[6] Three times in the first four lines alone, Balaam is called the "son of Beor." 

The Deir Alla Inscription (Credit: Livius)

According to Bryant G. Wood, "The remarkable text found at Deir Alla consists of 119 fragments of plaster inscribed with black and red ink. It was among the rubble of a building destroyed in an earthquake. It seems to have been one long column with at least 50 lines, displayed on a plastered wall. According to the excavators' dating, the disaster was most likely the severe earthquake which occurred in the time of King Uzziah (Azariah) and the prophet Amos in about 760 BC (Amos 1:1; Zec 14:5). The lower part of the text shows signs of wear, indicating that it had been on the wall for some time prior to the earthquake."[7]

By referring to the "Book of Balaam," it is evident that the mentioned document was a pre-existing document, likely around a while before the inscription. Kyle J. McCarter Jr. translated and reconstructed part of the inscription as follows:

"(1) [VACAT] The sa]ying[s of Bala]am, [son of Be]or, the man who was a seer of the gods. Lo! Gods came to him in the night [and spoke to] him (2) according to these w[ord]s. Then they said to [Bala]am, son of Beor, thus: Let someone make a [ ] hearafter, so that [what] you have hea[rd may be se]en!" (3) And Balaam rose in the morning [ ] right hand [ ] and could not [eat] and wept (4) aloud. Then his people came in to him [and said] to Balaam, son of Beor, "Do you fast? [ ] Do you weep?" And he (5) said to them, "Si[t] do]wn! I shall inform you what the Shad[daying have done]. Now come, see the deeds of the g[o]ds!. The g[o]ds have gathered (6) and the Shaddayin have taken their places in the assembly and said to Sh[ , thus:] 'Sew the skies shut with your thick cloud! There let there be darkness and no (7) perpetual shining and n[o] radiance! For you will put a sea[l upon the thick] cloud of darkness and you will not remove it forever! For the swift has (8) reproached the eagle, the voice of vultures resounds. The st[ork has ] the young of the NHS-bird and ripped up the chicks of the heron. The swallow has belittled (9) the dove, and the sparrow [ ] and [ ] the staff. Instead of ewes the stick is driven along. Hares have eaten (10) [ ]. Freemen [] have drunk wine, and hyenas have listened to instruction. The whelps of the (11) f[ox] laughs at wise men, and the poor woman has mixed myrhh, and the priestess (12) [ ] to the one who wears a girdle of threads. The esteemed esteems and the esteemer is es[teemed. ] and everyone has seen those things that decree offspring and young. (15) [ ] to the leopard. The piglet has chased the young (16) [of] those who are girded and the eye ....'"[8]

There are several parallels and similarities between the Deir Alla Inscription and Numbers 22-24. For one, the events described in Numbers took place in the general area that the Inscription was found. As is clearly shown by the biblical text, Balaam was known as a "cursing prophet," as this is reason Balak summoned him. The Deir Alla text clearly shows this as well. There are other general similarities, but most importantly, it is well agreed upon that this archaeological find confirms the existence of Balaam son of Beor.[9]

Troy Hillman

Sources

[1] Josephus, Flavius, translated by William Whiston. Josephus: The Complete Works. 1st ed. Nashville, Tennesse: Thomas Nelson, 1998. 129. Print.

[2] "Alexander the Great." History of Macedonia. History of Macedonia.org, 2003. Web. 27 Mar 2011. .

[3] Dennis T. Olson, et al. The Oxford Companion To The Bible. 1st ed. New York City, New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. 72-73. Print.

[4] Philo, The Life of Moses.

[5] "Balaam." Web Bible Encyclopedia. Christian Answers Network, n.d. Web. 26 Mar 2011. .

[6] Stan Campbell, Stephen Clark, et al. "A Donkey Talks." Inside The Mysteries Of The Bible: New Perspectives On Ancient Truths. 2010: 74-75. Print.

[7] Wood, Bryant G. "Is there any evidence to prove the existence of the prophet, Balaam?." Christian Answers Network. Christian Answers Network, 1995. Web. 26 Mar 2011. .

[8] P. Kyle McCarter Jr., The Balaam Texts from Deir 'Alla: The First Combination", Bulletin of the Schools of Oriental Research 237 (1980): 49-60

[9] Ibid, [7]

Why Does God Seem Absent Or Silent In Our Lives At Times?

There are times in an individual's life where it seems as if God is silent, or even absent. "Why have you abandoned me," the individual inquires, with no audible response. At these times, we wonder, "Lord, where are you? Why are you silent?" Does God's Word offer answers... and is God truly silent, or are we simply not listening hard enough? (Photo credit: Captiol Columns)

In 1st Kings 19:9-10, we read an account concerning the prophet Elijah. Let us first examine the account. "And the word of the LORD came to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' He replied, 'I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.'"

Verses 11-13a continue, "The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire, And after the fire came a still, small voice."

Here, we determine that Elijah's fallible ideas fell flat. Elijah had believed that God had abandoned him, that God was silent. Then, God showed up - not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire - but in a still, small voice. God revealed to Elijah that he was not alone at all in 1st Kings 19:18, "Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel - all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him." (Baal was a pagan god.)

In the same way, sometimes it seems as if God has abandoned us, that He is absent or even silent. Bear in mind, God is never silent. It is whether or not we take the opportunity to listen to the "still small voice" of God. That is not to say that God does not have a loud, audible voice, but sometimes, He speaks to us through other means, not a loud, audible voice. This can be related to what Jesus said concerning parables:

"In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts..." (Matthew 13:14-15a) God is never silent, but sometimes we simply do not take the time to listen, or we do not listen hard enough.

God is active in every part of our life. He knows the number of hairs on our head (Mark 10:30; Luke 12:7), He is with us always (Matthew 28:20), He helps us through life (Isaiah 41:13), He establishes our plans (Proverbs 16:3), His eyes "saw [our] unformed body, All the days ordained for [us] were written in [His] book, before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:16)

God also speaks to us through His Word. We need to be mindful of this. Consider Isaiah 55:8-11. "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways,' declares the LORD. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

When it appears as if God is silent or absent in our life, perhaps what we ought to consider is if we are silent or absent toward Him. Are we listening hard enough, are we still listening for His voice? We need to block our the white noise of the world and listen to the glorious voice of the King. It is not God who is never-faithful, it is the individual.

Consider the words of Psalm 146:6, "He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them - He remains faithful forever." How then can we recognize the voice of God? In 1st Samuel 3:1-10, we read the infamous account of Samuel, Eli, and God. God calls to Samuel three times, and twice he thought it was Eli, until Eli told him that if the voice called again, to say, "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening." (1st Samuel 3:9) In another instance, Gideon, who was one of Israel's Judges, asked for a physical sign though he had just spoken with God, and doubted: three times. (Judges 6:17-22, 36-40)

Bear in mind that we have something that neither Samuel nor Gideon had: the Word of God. When we wonder about certain things in life, seek first what God has to say about it via His Word. All too often, we ask God questions which He has already answered through the Bible. As Titus 1:2 reveals, "in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time;" from this we can glean that God does not lie, it is against His very nature. His nature is perfect, and lies and perfection cannot mesh, they are mutually exclusive.

Jesus conveyed in John 10:27, "My sheep listen to my voice; no one will snatch them out of my hand." How do we hear God's voice? Those who belong to Jesus hear His voice, not those who have not accepted Him. Generally, we hear His voice through a myriad of ways: careful prayer, time spent in God's Word, the like. God speaks through God the Spirit (The Holy Spirit), directly to our consciences, and also speaks through His Word.

While it is possible to hear the audible voice of God, He generally speaks to us through our conscience or through His Word. Be sure to spend time in prayer. Prayer is crucial and vital to the life of every believer. Note Colossians 1:9-10, which state, "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of God." Go and do likewise.

Why does God seem absent or silent in our lives at times? Perhaps we are not paying attention to what is important. Perhaps we are not listening close enough to hear His "still small voice,", and when it seems like we cannot hear Him, to believe by faith.

Troy Hillman

Who Is "The Word Of God?"

The Word of God can be identified as two things. The Word of God is another name for the Bible comprising the Old and New Testament, but the Word of God, or the Word of the Lord, is also an individual being. The Word of God appears all through the Old - and especially the New - Testaments. Who is "The Word of God?" (Picture credit to: Urban Asprines, Oneil)

The Greek word logos, (λóγος) which means "word", "discourse" or "reason" is also used to identify this being. So who is the logos, the Word of God? John 1:1-5 gives us the answer we seek. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." 

John 1:14, 17-18 continues, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father, full of grace and truth... For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known." Who is the Logos, the Word of God? Jesus Christ, the Messiah is the Word of God.

Often in the Hebrew Bible, we read, for example, "Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu son of Hanani concerning Baasha," (1st Kings 16:1) "Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite." (1st Kings 21:28) The phrase "the word of the Lord" appears all throughout the Old and New Testament. More often than not, the phrase simply means that God was conveying a message through Word to someone, but there are certain instances where it appears that the Word of God in the Hebrew Bible is a being.

Since John identified the Word of the Lord as Jesus, it is easy to see that He truly did appear quite often in the Hebrew Bible. In previous entries we have identified the pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus as the "angel of the Lord" ("angel" means messenger, in some cases), and have noted that Jesus is in much prophecy, the prophecies of Isaiah are one example. (See entries: "Who Is 'The Angel of the Lord?'", "The Holy Trinity (Part Two)")

"Logos" is Greek for "Word," "Reason," or "Discourse."

One such appearance "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worship him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14)

Put succinctly as possible, the Son of Man is God the Son: Jesus. Psalm 33:6, 9 says, "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth... For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm." The Greek logos is again used for "word." Many scholars have noted just how close the Greek for breath, pneuma, and logos indicate a personality. 

Luke 1:2 says, "just as those who from the beginning [arche] were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us." (ESV) Note again the usage of logos - word. Luke is describing the beginning - and the Word. 1st John 1:1conveys, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen our eyes, which we have looked at our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life." (NIV)

Once again, John goes on to note that Jesus is just that: the Word of life. Jesus is the Logos. We know that Jesus is the Creator. Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."

Here, the author of Hebrews is conveying that the Word is "powerful." Whether it be God's spoken Word, or Logos (Jesus Christ), the Word is powerful. In fact, we read in Hebrews 4:12 that "the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." In other words, God's Word - the Bible, is "alive and active." It has power, it has substance. Speaking the Word of God has purpose and power.

Ephesians 6:17 confirms this, "Take the... sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." Also note that Colossians 1:15-17 says, "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Jesus is the Creator, as aforementioned.

Jesus himself says, "Very truly I tell you... before Abraham was born, I AM!" (John 8:58) This was a significant claim that someone could make. Why? In the Hebrew Bible, the Angel of the Lord (or rather, the Messenger of the Lord) appears to Moses in the Burning Bush. (Exodus 3) The messenger declared, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." (Exodus 3:6) Here, this is significant because the Angel of the Lord is actually claiming to be God. 

In Luke 20:37, Jesus (who we know is also God) confirms the historicity of this event. Now, Exodus 3:13 conveys, "Moses said to God, 'Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?' God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" So when Jesus claims, "...before Abraham was born, I AM!" (John 8:58), Jesus is claiming to be the messenger of the Lord, and the messenger of the Lord claimed to be God!

There are many other important things to note that give evidence and credence to the angel of the Lord being the pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus on Earth, as well as the Commander of the Lord's Army (Joshua 5:13-15), appearing to protect three Israelites who had been thrown into the furnace (Daniel 3:25), appearing to speak with Sampson's parents (Judges 13) and to inform Gideon that he was to defeat the Midianites (Judges 6), and other important things.

Jesus, as the "angel" of the Lord (not an angel Himself, but a messenger, we have established His identity as Logos and Creator) also appears to Hagar in the desert (Genesis 16), Jesus spoke to Abraham when Abraham was tested via Isaac (Genesis 22), He appears in the account of Balaam and the donkey (Numbers 22:21-41), He appeared to Israel at Bokim ca. 1380 (Judges 2:1-4) and he also appears to the prophet Zechariah several times. (Zechariah 1:9-21; 3:1-10; etc)

God spoke the universe into existence. "Let there be light," and there was light. (Genesis 1:3) By the Word of the Lord, when God spoke, He created. God spoke, the Spirit acted, and the Son created. Jesus, the Word, Created. Justin Martyr, an early apologist (ca. 150 AD) argued, "I shall give you another testimony, my friends, from the Scriptures, that God begot before all creatures a Beginning, [who was] a certain rational power [proceeding] from Himself, who is called by the Holy Spirit, now the Glory of the Lord, now the Son, again Wisdom, again an Angel, then God, and then Lord and Logos."[1]

So who is the Word of God? Jesus is the Word of God. Jesus is the Logos. God's self-expression with the Greek concept of "reason" (logos) behind everything is clearly evident in this. Jesus had to become incarnate, or rather, to use John's words, Jesus "became flesh" (John 1:14), "And being found in human appearance as a human being, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:8).

Troy Hillman

Sources:

[1] Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter 61.