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The name of this week’s Parasha is Balak, which is named after Balak, the king of Moab who tried to entice the corrupt prophet Balaam into pronouncing curses on the Jewish people. It takes us from Numbers 22:5 through 25:9. Balak and the Moabites knew that the Jewish people were coming, and were afraid of suffering defeat like the Amorites. He sent messengers to bring Balaam to him, hoping that Balaam will curse the Jewish people. They left with the divination fees and met Balaam, who asked them to stay the night after hearing why they had come.
However, God told Balaam in a dream that night he would not go with these messengers, and he would not curse the Jewish people, because they were blessed by God. Balaam told these messengers to leave the next day because Adonai would not let him go with them. They left and told Balak what happened, and he sent an increased number of more important messengers than before. These messengers told Balaam of the reward Balak would give him for cursing the Jewish people, but Balaam stated that he would not go before hearing what God has commanded. God told Balaam that night to go with these messengers, but to do only what God commanded him.
Balaam left on his donkey the next day for Moab, but God was angry at him, and the angel of the Lord stood in Balaam’s path as an opponent. Balaam’s donkey saw the angel of the Lord holding a sword, and tried several times to get out of the way, but this made Balaam angry and he beat his donkey.
Balaam’s donkey eventually stopped before the angel of the Lord on the road between two walled vineyards. This angered Balaam, and as he beat his donkey, Adonai gave her the ability to speak and she asked Balaam why he had beat her! He answered that she had humiliated him and that he would kill her if he could, and she replied by questioning him about his lack of trust in her.
God then allowed Balaam to see the angel of the Lord in the road, and Balaam bowed in humility. Balaam declared that he has sinned by beating his donkey after the angel of the Lord told him if she hadn’t moved, Balaam would have been killed and she would have lived. Balaam is told that he must say only what the angel of the Lord tells him, and continues on to Moab.
When he comes to Moab, he met Balak, who wondered why Balaam took so long to get there. Balaam replied that he could only speak what God had given him to speak, and they offered sacrifices before they observed some of the Jewish people.
In chapter 23, Balaam told Balak to build seven altars and provide seven bulls and rams for the altars, and to stay there while Balaam goes to receive a message from Adonai. Adonai met him on a barren hill and gave him a message for Balak. Balaam returned and proclaimed his first prophetic message, which blessed the Jewish people. Balak protested that Balaam has praised his enemies, but Balaam replied that he could only speak what God had given him to speak.
Balak again took Balaam to another place to observe more of the Jewish people, and told Balaam to curse them. After offering 7 bulls and rams on 7 altars, Balaam left that place to receive the Lord’s message. When he received the Lord’s message, Balaam returned with a second prophetic message that praised God’s consistency and His powerful works among the Jewish people. Balak then told him to neither curse nor bless the Jewish people, but Balaam stated that he must obey what Adonai has commanded.
Balak tried again to have Balaam curse the Jewish people and they offered the same sacrifices as before. When Balaam saw the Jewish people, the Holy Spirit came upon him and he spoke his third prophetic message that praised the strength of the Jewish people, and prophesied of the victories, peace and prosperity they would eventually enjoy.
Balak angrily ordered Balaam to leave without his reward, but Balaam reminded Balak that he only spoke what God told him to speak, and warned Balak in his fourth prophetic message that a mighty Ruler would come from the Jewish people and destroy their enemies, including the Moabites. He then gave three additional prophetic messages against other nations before returning home.
The parasha ends in chapter 25 with the Jewish men engaged in idolatry and sexual immorality with the Moabite women in the worship of Baal. Adonai was angered at this evil behavior, and ordered Moses to kill the leaders of this rebellion in broad daylight, to openly show who had participated in these evil acts with the Moabite women. That would spare the Jewish people from His wrath.
Moses told the Jewish leaders to kill those who had committed idolatry by worshiping Baal. When a Jewish man blatantly took a Midianite woman to his family’s tent in front of Moses and the Jewish people, Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, took a spear and stabbed it through the bodies of the Jewish man and the Midianite woman together in the tent. This righteous action ended the plague that killed 24,000 Jewish people.
As we look back on this passage, there are several applications for our lives. First, we should do what God tells us to do – willingly. Pinchas behaved righteously by enthusiastically choosing to do what God had commanded, and is later commended for his actions. Balaam also obeyed the Lord, but it was not really what he wanted. What Balaam really wanted was Balak’s money! It took Adonai’s power to overrule what Balaam wanted. God is pleased when we willingly obey Him, so let’s willingly obey what God has commanded us to do!
We must not sin and we must avoid those who are engaged in unrepentant sin. Even when Balaam repeatedly stated that God was with the Jewish people, the Moabites and Midianites would not stop trying to curse them. Moab was later devastated in battle against the Jewish people. Their sin didn’t pay.
Because of the sins of those Jewish men who engaged in idolatry and fornication with the Moabite women, God struck the Jewish people with a plague that killed 24,000 Jewish people. Their sin didn’t pay.
Even though he knew of God’s power and might, because of his sinful ways, Balaam still chose to act wickedly and was nearly killed by the angel of the Lord and was later killed by the Jewish people. Living in opposition to God’s commands will only lead to pain and misery.
Finally, we must learn to trust in God’s promises. The Lord gave Balaam true messages, promising to protect and bless the Jewish people; and that a Star will rise from Jacob, a mighty Ruler will come from the Jewish people. That Ruler is Messiah Yeshua, who will save and protect the Jewish people from their enemies. And those who are loyal to Yeshua, both Jews and Gentiles, are given the promise of eternal life. Let’s believe in God’s promises, so that we may receive the wonderful blessings He has promised to provide!