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Balaam Tries to Curse Israel
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God’s people, this event would strengthen their courage and faith in
God.
The king of Moab, discouraged and distressed, exclaimed, “Nei-
ther curse them at all, nor bless them at all!” But he determined to
try again. He now took Balaam to Mount Peor, where there was a
temple devoted to the immoral worship of Baal. Here they offered
the same number of sacrifices, but Balaam did not even pretend to
work his sorcery. He looked out over the tents of Israel, and the
divine message came from his lips:
How lovely are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwellings, O Israel!
Like valleys that stretch out,
Like gardens by the riverside. ...
His king shall be higher than Agag,
And his kingdom shall be exalted. ...
Blessed is he who blesses you,
And cursed is he who curses you.
Balaam prophesied that Israel’s king would be greater than Agag.
This was the name given to the kings of the Amalekites, who were
at this time a very powerful nation. But Israel, if true to God, would
conquer all her enemies. The King of Israel was the Son of God;
His throne was one day to be established in the earth, and His power
to be higher than all earthly kingdoms.
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Balaam Loses All He Tried to Gain
Balak was overwhelmed with disappointed hope, fear, and rage.
He was angry that Balaam could have given him even a small hint
that he could expect him to curse Israel. Balak looked with scorn on
the prophet’s compromising, deceptive ways, and exclaimed fiercely,
“Now therefore, flee to your place. I said I would greatly honor you,
but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.” The answer
was that the king had been warned ahead of time that Balaam could
speak only the message given him from God.
Before returning to his people, Balaam uttered a beautiful
prophecy of the world’s Redeemer and the final destruction of the