Numbers 22:37
And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour? And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?
Balak met Balaam and questioned why he had delayed coming when earnestly summoned, asserting his own ability to advance him to honor. He then conducted Balaam from one point to another in repeated efforts to move him from steadfastness and to turn his blessing of Israel into a curse, but the efforts were vain. Balaam answered that he had now come yet had no power in himself to say anything, and could speak only the word God would give him and go no farther, which fixed his limit despite the promised promotion. Afterward sacrifices were offered according to religious rites, and God sent His angel to give Balaam words of utterance as when wholly devoted to His service. Balak's power to promote to honor stands for human applause, which together with the fear of man is powerless to shake a firm decision when one is sustained by divine power.