Numbers 22-24; Psalm 37:12-22

Numbers 22
1-21 - Balak Summons Balaam to Curse Israel (Plains of Moab)

• Moab threatened by presence of Israel
• Balak, son of Zippor, their king, sends messengers to Balaam, son of Beor at Pethor, on the Euphrates River. This represents a great distance. Balaam must have had quite a reputation.
  
• Message: This "horde" is going to swallow us up; come curse them. Apparently he sensed his armies would not do the job -- it hadn't worked for Sihon or Og.
• Balaam consults with God; God tells him not to go, because God has blessed the Israelites.
• Messengers go back to Balak with Balaam's message, this time with more numerous and more distinguished messengers.
  
• Balaam: Even though your silver and gold don't influence me, I'll check again with God.
• God: Go on, but do only what I tell you to do.
• Balaam saddles his donkey and goes with the Moabite officials.

22-40 - Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel

• God is angry and sends an angel "as his adversary"
• Donkey sees the angel in the road ahead, with sword drawn, and balks
• Balaam hits the donkey to get it moving, and the donkey protests: Stop hitting me!
• Balaam answers! You're making a fool of me!
• Donkey: Have I ever done this before? Balaam: No
• God allows Balaam to see the angel
• Angel: Stop hitting your donkey; it was protecting you from me!
  
• Balaam: I have sinned; I'll go home now
• Angel: Go with the men -- only say what I tell you to say
• Balak meets Balaam at the southern border of his country; sacrifices oxen and sheep and gives them to Balaam

Numbers 23
1-12 - Balaam's First Oracle

• Next day, Balak takes Balaam up to "Bamothbaal," where he can see part of Israel
• Per Balaam's instructions, Balak offers 7 bulls and 7 rams on 7 altars
• God's words in Balaam's mouth: "...How can I curse whom God has not cursed?...."
• Balak: What are you doing?

13-27 - Balaam's Second Oracle

• Balak: Maybe another location would be better: the top of Mt. Pisgah
• Again, 7 altars
• Balaam's "curse": "...Look, a people rising up like a lioness, and rousing itself like a lion! It does not lie down until it has eaten the prey and drunk the blood of the slain."
• Balak: Maybe in another place God will let you curse them: The top of Peor
• 7 more altars
  

Numbers 24
1-14 - Balaam's Third Oracle

• With a view of all the Israelite camp: "...how fair are your tents, O Jacob...Blessed is everyone who blesses you, and cursed is everyone who curses you."
• Balak becomes very angry: Go home! I promised you rewards, but "the LORD has denied you any reward." This time Balak refers to God as YHWH.
• Balaam: I'll go. But first let me tell you what is going to happen to your people

15-25 - Balaam's Fourth Oracle

• "A scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the borderlands of Moab"
• Also - destruction of the Shethites, Edom, Seir, Amalek, the Kenite, Kain, Asshur and Eber
• Balaam and Balak go their separate ways

Psalm 37:12-22
Another indication of the harmony of the Bible is the way this Psalm could apply to the story of Balak and Balaam
12 - The wicked plot against the righteous, and gnash their teeth at them; but the LORD laughs at the wicked, for he sees that their day is coming.
22 - ...those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.