Therefore, flee to your place now. I said I would honor you greatly, but behold, the Lord has held you back from honor."I like how Balak blames God for not getting his way. In this moment, he really sounds like a kid having a tantrum. He knew the conditions going in, but assumed that he would still get what he wanted anyway. While he is a king, and therefore probably unaccustomed to not getting his way, it's still interesting to read. It's also interesting how Balak never threatened Balaam, even though he was spelling out Balak's doom. There was never any suggestion of retribution.
Overall, this is an excellent example of how God does not always want what would seem to be the best for us. He wants us to follow His path, not the path of the world. All Balaam had to do was say the right words, make it look good, and he would have been set for a long time. But God wouldn't have that. Instead, he had to go home empty-handed, but having done what God commanded. We don't know what happened to him after this, but somehow I doubt that Balaam ever really looked back on all that money he had been promised with longing, wondering if he'd done the right thing.
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