And Balaam said to Balak, “Stand beside your burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatever he shows me I will tell you.” And he went to a bare height, and God met Balaam. And Balaam said to him, “I have arranged the seven altars and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”
Numbers 23:3-5 (ESV)
Balaam is an intriguing character who appears near the end of Israel’s long journey from Egypt to Canaan. Israel had defeated two Amorite kings and occupied their lands on the east side of the Jordan River. Balak, the king of Moab, feared that Moab was next in line. He realized that Moab could not hope to defeat Israel in battle, so he took another approach. He hired Balaam to curse Israel so he would be able to defeat them.
So who was Balaam? He was a non-Israelite (Num. 22:5). He had a reputation as one who could successfully bless and curse people (Num. 22:6). And he apparently practiced divination (Num. 22:7, Josh 13:22). He is also mentioned in a non-Biblical source as one who could bless and curse.
But Balaam also seemed to have a relationship with YHWH, the God of Israel. Repeatedly throughout Numbers 22-24, we see Balaam referring to YHWH, the LORD. He made it clear to Balak that he would only say what the LORD gave him to say. And we see God giving him the words he was to say. Words of blessing rather than the cursing Balak was looking for.
Throughout these three chapters, Balaam appears to be a faithful servant of YHWH, although it is unknown how he came to know God. But was he? Deuteronomy 23:5 and Nehemiah 13:2 tell us that God turned Balaam’s curses into blessings. Numbers 31:16 tells us that it was Balaam’s advice to Moab that led to the disaster of Numbers 25 where “Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor,” worshipping and sacrificing to the Moabite gods and practicing sexual immorality. And that is what he is remembered for throughout the remainder of the Scripture.
So who was Balaam? Was he a prophet of God who went bad? Or was he a money-hungry pagan sorcerer that God used for a time? The Scripture as a whole would point to the latter, and I agree with that assessment. What about you?
I also agree with you