The story of Balaam
You know the story of Balaam and the donkey, but do you know why and how Balaam deceived Israel into idolatry.
Don’t believe me? Here is the proof: “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: there are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.”
The well known story
It all starts with the victory story of Israel conquering all the Amorites and Canaanites along the way which makes the Moabites afraid and asking the Midianites to help.
But why? The Moabites have a promise that Israel will not invade them and they are descended from Lot, the Midianites should also not worry either, since Moses was married to the daughter-in-law of one of their priests. And the Midianites are descendants of Abraham.
The Moabites send messengers to Balaam to ask him to curse Israel. The Lord makes it clear to Balaam that he is not allowed to do so and sends them back. So the king of the Moabites (Balak) send against more and higher officials to Balaam and he asks the Lord again.
Why? Why does Balaam ask again? He heard the answer. Did he think he could change God’s mind? Obviously, because God let him go. But there are consequences — you know, the story with the donkey.
Balaam now seems to be obedient to God and blesses Israel as God wants. Balak gets furious and sends him back. And there the story ends — that is what you think.
The situation with Baal-Peor
Immediately thereafter, the Moabites and Midianites throw a feast for the Israelites, resulting in sexual immorality and idolatry.
How could this happen. God is angry and he calls Mose to kill the leader who allowed this to happen. But Mose is disobedient and calls the leaders and asks them to kill the people who have committed idolatry. As a result, a plague killed about 24,000 people of the Israelites. This was only stopped because Pinehas, grandson of Aaron, intervened and stopped this.
As the results, God commands Mose to destroy the Midianites.
What happened to Moses in this story? Did he not take this seriously, but this is unlikely, perhaps he was more concerned about how to deal with his father-in-law’s people.
However, it takes a long time until Israel fights against the Midianites (his last action before he dies). They killed all the Midianite men and women who had deceived them.
But there is a surprise: Balaam is one of those killed, he stayed with the Midianites.
What happened?
So what was going on? Balaam was not happy because he could not finish his work and please Balak, the king of the Moabites. As long as God was with them, he could do nothing. But if he could separate God from Israel, or even make God turn against Israel, he would have accomplished his task.
So he makes a party and draws Israel from God to the Midianite women.
It was Balaam’s pride that brought him down, but it was Moses’ leadership that caused the death of the Israelites.