Contemplative Bible Reading

Numbers 22:4-8 (New Living Translation)

⁴ The king of Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This mob will devour everything in sight, like an ox devours grass in the field!”

So Balak, king of Moab, ⁵ sent messengers to call Balaam son of Beor, who was living in his native land of Pethornear the Euphrates River. His message said:

“Look, a vast horde of people has arrived from Egypt. They cover the face of the earth and are threatening me. ⁶ Please come and curse these people for me because they are too powerful for me. Then perhaps I will be able to conquer them and drive them from the land. I know that blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse.”

⁷ Balak’s messengers, who were elders of Moab and Midian, set out with money to pay Balaam to place a curse upon Israel.They went to Balaam and delivered Balak’s message to him. ⁸ “Stay here overnight,” Balaam said. “In the morning I will tell you whatever the Lord directs me to say.” So the officials from Moab stayed there with Balaam.

Balaam was a man who seemed to have a connection with the spiritual world. Balak, king of Moab, wanted such a spiritual person to curse God’s people—the Israelites. I guess in those days you wouldn’t hire just some plain old butcher, baker, or candlestick maker to curse someone. You hired a special spiritual person.

Anyways, Balak sends some of his boys to talk Balaam into coming to Moab to curse the Israelites. Balaam lived far to the East near the Euphrates River. Look at a map and you will see that Balaam lived F A R to the East.

Two things: (1) Balak had a lot of faith in Balaam’s power to curse because he sent his boys a long way on an expensive and time-consuming journey to find Balaam.

(2) Balaam, even as far away as he lived, had heard about Jehovah (the English translation of YHWH). People far and wide had heard about the God of the Israelites. Note, the Israelites were a homeless, wandering bunch of no-bodies. Still, their God—Jehovah—was known far and wide for His power. Jehovah had freed a million or more slaves from the mighty nation of Egypt.