Balaam's story is very interesting, like a puzzle, we have to put the pieces together to get the picture (to understand it). Numbers 22 to 24 tells us one very important thing: Balaam was a Prophet of God, he had the Authority to Curse or to Bless and everybody new that. A king named Balak, sent princes, with gifts, to hire Balaam to Curse Israel. Probably Balaam didn't know that Israel was God's people, at least the story is not clear about it. So, Balaam asks God if he should go and God said to him: Numbers 22:12 “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” Well, God couldn't be clearer than that, God told Balaam he shouldn't go and the reason why. Have you ever act like Balaam at least once in your life? Like, you were totally sure you shouldn't do something, because it was wrong, but you did anyways? Of course you did, we all did. Let's go back to Balaam's story. Then Balak sent other princes, more numerous and more honorable than the previous ones, with better gifts and promises, and Balaam (he already knew God's will) tried again, he probably thought: "What if God changes His mind?" Well, strangely enough, God says to Balaam: Numbers 22:20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you, that you shall do.” Did God change His mind or He was only revealing Balaam's heart? Read carefully Numbers 22:22-35 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went, and the Angel of the LORD took His stand in the way as an adversary against him. And he was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. Now the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road. Then the Angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side. And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he struck her again. Then the Angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the donkey saw the Angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!” So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.” Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.” And Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.” Then the Angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. After reading this, one question come to our mind: Who was the Prophet and who was the donkey? Well, the Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. Probably, that was Balaam's case, he became greedy and that led him to behave worse than his donkey. The donkey had to speak to the prophet, so that the Angel wouldn't kill Balaam. After this, Balaam goes and blesses Israel, he even prophecy about Jesus Christ. Numbers 24:17 A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel. What's intriguing, is that Balaam's story doesn't end in Numbers chapter 24. If we stop here, it sounds like Balaam obeyed God and lived happily ever after. That's not the case, in fact, Jesus Christ explain what happened after Balaam's prophecies. Revelation 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Balaam knew how to provoke the wrath of God against His people, and he taught Balak how to do it, all because of money. Of course God's judgment came against Balaam later, we see in Numbers 31:8 Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword. Nowadays, we can see a lot of Modern Balaam's all over, smoothly associating money with blessing, disguising themselves as Prophets, in order to promote their "get rich quickly" scheme, which make themselves rich and their contributors miserable.
Conclusion: Whatever God's will for us, that's what we should seek. Paul speaks about it in Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
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