Balak wanted a curse put on Israel, and was prepared to pay Balaam for it. Balaam knew he couldn’t curse Israel because he consulted with God and God made his will clear, yet he still wanted Balak’s money so he went to him ready to speak. Both men should have listened to God the first time.

At least Balaam had the good sense to only speak the words God had given him, as he had been commanded – his encounter with the angel of the Lord had seen to that. Balak had wanted Balaam to curse Israel. His persistence had moved the Lord not only to refuse to curse them, but to bless them instead.

Balak takes a while to get the message. After the first prophecy, he insists that Balaam tries to curse the Israelites again but instead, the Lord gives them another blessing. By this time, Balak is beginning to see what a mistake he has made, but he’s not prepared to give up.

The third time, Balaam doesn’t even bother seeking omens. It is obvious to him that the Lord will only bless his people and not curse them and so he has stopped trying to manipulate God into giving him a prophecy. Instead, he simply waits, and the Spirit of God falls at God’s will. The final prophecy is against Moab and the surrounding nations.

The final verse of the third prophecy makes Balak’s mistake clear: “Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you.” In attempting to call down curses on God’s people, Balak has instead called down disaster on his own nation. Nobody can stand against God, or against God’s purposes.

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NEWBOLD COMMUNITY CHURCH