Who was Balaam in the Bible?

Introduction:

Balaam is a very interesting character in the Bible. His story is found in the Old Testament, primarily in the book of Numbers, but he is also mentioned by New Testament authors. He interacted with God and delivered God’s messages, but he was not a part of the Israelite nation (as far as we know). He is most famous for his interaction with a talking donkey.

When Does Balaam Appear on the Bible Timeline?

Balaam is first mentioned in the Bible story at the end of the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. The year was approximately 1450 B.C.

Background of Balaam:

Balaam was a man from Pethor in Mesopotamia. His Father’s name was Beor. In Joshua 13:22 we learn that Balaam was a diviner, a man who practiced divination.

Balaam in the Bible Story:

Balak Calls for Balaam

When the Israelites entered the land of Moab, the king of Moab, Balak, summoned Balaam to curse the Israelites so he could have victory over them in battle.

Balaam and the Talking Donkey

Balaam saddled his donkey and set out on the road to Moab, but along the way, the angel of God stood in Balaam’s path to kill him. The angel was hidden from Balaam, but Balaam’s donkey saw the angel and veered off the path, infuriating her rider. Balaam struck the donkey in his anger and continued down the road.

Some time later, the angel appeared again, the donkey had to squeeze against a wall to avoid the angel’s sword, but in doing so, she crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall and received another beating.

The angel appeared a third time in a narrow path where there was no space for the donkey to avoid him, so the animal stopped in place and laid on the ground. This time Balaam hit her with his staff. But to show Balaam his foolishness, God opened the mouth of the animal, and she asked Balaam why he continued hitting her. Seemingly unaware that he was conversing with a donkey, Balaam told her she had made a fool of him, and he wished he had a sword to kill her on the spot.

At that moment, the angel of the Lord revealed himself to Balaam and told him the donkey had saved his life three times. Balaam immediately repented and confessed his foolishness. The angel instructed him to continue his journey to Moab but to be careful only to speak the words God commanded.

Balaam Blesses Israel 3 Times

Balak welcomed Balaam in Moab and took him to a location where he could see the camp of the Israelites. After building 7 altars and sacrificing 7 bulls and 7 rams, Balak asked Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam received a word from the Lord and pronounced it over Israel, but rather than giving him a curse, God gave him a blessing. Balak asked Balaam why he had blessed the people instead of cursing them and Balaam responded he was only allowed to speak what the Lord instructed him.

Balak wanted to try again, so he took Balaam to another location and built 7 more altars. But the results were the same. When Balaam inquired of the Lord, God gave him a blessing for Israel.

Balak was very persistent man, and he tried a third time and built a third set of altars. Even after the sacrifice of 21 bulls and 21 rams the outcome was the same and Balaam blessed Israel again. After the third attempt, Balak gave up on the idea.

Balaam’s Legacy

Unfortunately, Balaam did not retain his legacy of faithfulness to God. In 2 Peter 2:15, the Apostle Peter tells us Balaam loved “gain from wrongdoing,” and Revelation 2:14 tells us Balaam taught Balak to put a stumbling block in front of the Israelites. It appears Balaam found another way to help king Balak even though God forbid him to curse Israel. In Numbers 31:16, Moses said Balaam advised Balak to get the Midianite women to seduce Israel into idolatry and worship of false Gods (Num 25). God punished Israel, the people of Midian, and Balaam for their immorality.

The Death of Balaam:

Balaam was killed when Moses sent an army of 12,000 Israelites to destroy the kingdom of Midian (Numbers 31:8).