22:2-35

Back to Numbers~

Back to Contents

Nu 22:2-32:42

EVENTS ON THE PLAINS OF MOAB

Balak sends for Balaam

(Nu 22:2-35)

The victories of the advancing Israelites put fear into the Moabite king, Balak. After gaining the assurance of Midianite support, he sent for Balaam, a non-Israelite soothsayer who knew something of Israel’s God. Balak believed that Balaam had supernatural power, by which he could put a curse on Israel that would ensure its defeat (Nu 22:2-6).

Although the messengers from Moab and Midian promised to reward Balaam richly, Balaam refused to go, for God had shown him that Israel was not to be cursed. But Balaam weakened when the messengers returned with a renewed request and a more tempting offer.

Balaam clearly knew God’s will, but he sent to ask God again. He was tempted by the offered reward and hoped that somehow God would allow him to go. In the end God allowed him to go so that he might teach him a lesson (Nu 22:7-20; cf. 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11).

God was angry with Balaam for his stubbornness in going to Balak and showed him that only divine mercy had stopped him from being destroyed. Then, when Balaam offered to turn back, God forced him to go on, though he would not get the reward he wanted and would speak only what God wanted him to speak (Nu 22:21-35).