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This week’s Parasha is called Balak, which means devastator, and covers Numbers 22:2 – 25:9.  In last week’s Parasha, the Israelis decisively defeat the Amorites because the Amorites did not want them passing through their land. This week we find the Israelis camped near the border of Moab. King Balak saw how the Israeli army defeated the Amorites.  Being afraid, Balak ordered some of his princes to go to the prophet Balaam and offer him gold and silver and bring him to Balak that Balak may put a curse on the Israelis.  The king knows that whom Balaam blesses are blessed and whom he curses are cursed.  In 2 Peter, we are told about the way of Balaam.  In Jude, we are versed about the error of Balaam.  In Revelation, we are instructed regarding the doctrine of Balaam.   This prophet Balaam was a Midianite with quite a reputation – he was known to get results.

When the princes reached Balaam and told him what King Balak ordered, Balaam instructed the princes to stay the night; and then he would bring the message from God to them in the morning.  El Elyon, God most high, came to Balaam and said, “Tell the princes that the people they want to curse are my chosen, the Israelis; and you shall not do that because they are blessed, and you should not go with them.”  Balaam told the princes what the Lord had said and instructed the princes to go home.  King Balak was not detoured, so he sent more honorable princes and more gold and silver to persuade Balaam to come to the land of Moab.  But Balaam refused and said, “Even if you give me your house full of gold and silver, I could not be go beyond what the Lord my God has instructed me.”  Balaam has the princes spend the night again, and he would inquire of the Lord that evening.  The Lord speaks to Balaam and allows him to go to Moab on his donkey and only say what the Lord tells him.  This is where we see the permissive will of God, which, brothers and sisters, all of us are in because we are not able to live up to God’s perfect will. Yeshua will permit us to do things in his permissive will, but there might be a price attached that we really don’t want to pay.  Many times, we say we are doing something because God called us to it, but often it is our own pride calling us – not God.

At this point, you might think that the prophet Balaam is acting on the Lord’s will.  The very next sentence tells us a different story.  In verse 22, Scripture says, “But God’s anger was kindled because he went”; so we can see that God is not very impressed with Balaam, the prophet. The Angel of the Lord blocks the way as Balaam is riding on his donkey, and he is blinded by his own desires.  The donkey sees the Angel of the Lord and halts.  Balaam strikes the donkey getting back on course.  Farther down the road, the Angel blocks Balaam’s journey again.  The donkey backs up against the rock and crushes Balaam’s leg.  Once again, Balaam strikes his donkey; and Scripture tells us the donkey speaks to him and asks him: “Why are you beating me?” Balaam explains why without even recognizing the obvious – that his donkey is talking to him.  When Balaam realizes the Angel of the Lord is standing in front of him, he gets down on his knees and bows low.  The Angel of the Lord reminds Prophet Balaam, once again, to say nothing more than what the Lord has instructed.  God knows Balaam’s heart.  Balaam reaches King Balak and gives him four oracles to give to the enemies of the chosen people.  These oracles are God’s words.  Each time King Balak takes Balaam to a different hilltop Balaam gives one of the oracles.

“Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the eastern mountains. `Come,’ he said, `curse Jacob for me; come, denounce Israel.’  How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced? From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations.  Who can count the dust of Jacob or number the fourth part of Israel?  Let me die the death of the righteous, and may my end be like theirs!”

Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but blessed them!”  He answered, “Must I not speak what the LORD puts in my mouth?”  And after Balaam gives his second and third oracle, King Balak becomes very angry; and Balaam utters his last oracle: ““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. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the sons of Sheth.  Balaam gives the four cryptic predictions against the nations.

Here are some thoughts and applications for this lesson today.  More is written about Balaam in Scripture than the mother of our Lord Yeshua.  Balaam is mentioned more than fifty times in the Scriptures. Beginning with the account we have in this Parasha, we find that Balaam was later killed in the battle between Israel and the Midianites in Numbers 31:8.  He is also mentioned in Deuteronomy 23:5-6 as well as Joshua 13:22 and 24:9-10; in Micah, Chapter 6; and in Nehemiah, Chapter 13.  He is also mentioned in the Brit Chadashah in 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 1:11, and finally Revelation 2:14.  I recommend you look up these passages.

Balaam was motivated by power and greed.  In Jude 11, we see the error of Balaam.  We find out later that Balaam instigated a plan with King Balak to have the Moabite women visit the Israeli men and lead them to idol worship and sexual relations.  As a result, 24,000 men lost their lives.  Balaam did not understand how God’s righteousness works.  Balaam thought, because of Israel’s failure, he would destroy the Jewish nation; but they were always under God’s grace. So, brothers and sisters, Balaam was really no friend of God.

In his last oracle, Balaam mentions a star will come out of Jacob; some 1500 years later Wise Men followed a star that led them to Jerusalem where a little boy was born who would be Sar Shalom, Prince of Peace; El Gabor, Mighty God; Everlasting Father. Another prophecy in the book of Daniel gave the time in which the Jewish Messiah would come, a prophecy of our Messiah.

One final thought we should all remember:  God will use us as an example like he did with Samuel, who followed God; or he can use us as an example like Balaam, who was following his own desires.  Brothers and sisters, choose wisely, use discernment, and examine your heart to see what type of example you are for the Lord.